FLATONIA BULLDOGS Fayette County Football 2022 Bulldogs Loaded With Returning Talent

By JEFF WICK The Fayette County Record

Don’t let last year’s record (55) fool you, the 2021 Flatonia Bulldogs were a lot better than a .500 team.

Four of those losses were to teams ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 in the state at some point last season (a Murder’s Row of Shiner, Refugio, Mart and Falls City) but they still made it to the second round of the playoffs – the seventh consecutive season they have made it at least that far.

Most of the key contributors from last year’s Flatonia team are back (eight offensive and eight defensive starters return) and the lessons learned from 2021 should pay dividends in 2022.

“We were hoping to knock a couple of those big dogs off last year. It didn’t happen but that type of schedule prepared us for the playoffs and prepared us for this year, and we’re going to see a lot of improvement,’ said Flatonia head coach Chris Freytag, who enters his 13th season leading the Bulldogs.

But the expectations Freytag has for his team don’t match the “Dave Campbell’s Texas Football” magazine’s predictions for the team, which has Flatonia picked fourth in the new District 13-2A.

Defending champ Shiner and Ganado are gone, but in their place are Hearne, Thorndale, Hol-

1 land and Thrall – all playoff teams themselves a year ago.

“Overall we’re heading to a tougher district, just not as top heavy with Shiner gone,” Freytag said. “Every game will be a slugfest. When our kids learned we were picked fourth they kind of perked up and said, ‘Ok.’”

The group Freytag will lead onto the field to try to prove “the experts” wrong is one of the most experienced he’s had at Flatonia.

“Very seldom do we have as many as 10 senior football players in Flatonia and we’ve got 11 this year,” Freytag said. “And we’ve got a really strong junior class too. Our sophomore and freshmen classes are smaller but they are working hard.”

Senior Fidel Venegas will be the starting quarterback for the Bulldogs after a breakout 2021.

“I’m ready to start playing, I can’t wait,” Venegas said. “I worked hard to understand the offense throughout the year last year, it was my first year as varsity quarterback. The first game I wasn’t very good but got better throughout the year.”

Freytag said, “When we need to run the ball, Fidel can run it, he can throw the ball. He’s making better decisions because of his experience last year. The sky is the limit for him He’s a lot stronger. He will be tough for some people to handle.”

At running back the Bulldogs plan to use a combination of Dayton Cliffe (the type of runner who wants to run you over as much as he wants to run around you, Freytag said) and freshman Casen Perez (who is already the second fastest kid on the team).

On the offensive line, Quade Gillum and Henri Vincik will start at tackle, guards will be Kobe Burton and Uriel Manzano and Phillip “Rambo” Ramirez will start at center.

Reese Ramirez will play tight end.

Tadan Alvarado and Ezequiel Rodriguez will also see a lot of action on that offensive line.

The receiving corps may be the biggest strength of the team, Freytag said.

Flatonia Football By The Numbers

7

The

751

Passing

Jaidyn Guyton and Keyshaun Green have emerged as a big play threats at receiver.

“Jaidyn will be hard to handle because of his size and speed. Keyshaun is shifty and quick,” Freytag said. “Then we’ve got Titan Targac and Beck Zimmerman, who will both catch a lot of balls this year. Keegan Green and Kenyon Guyton are two players we expected to step us as well this year (as receivers). Kenyon could play a little running back as well.”

Defensively, Kobe Burton and Davon Walles could start at nose tackle with Vincik, Ramirez and Alvarado in the mix.

See Bulldogs, Page 22

Quick Hits

Last year’s record: 5-5 overall, 2-2 in district

Returning starters: 8 offensive, 9 defensive

Last playoff appearance: Last year, beat Johnson City in the first round, lost to Refugio in the second round. Reason to be confident: Bulldogs have some amazing athletes that are going to give others teams fits.

Lingering concerns: This new seven-team district is so tough, that at least one really good team is going to miss the postseason.