THEBIGGAME
By:Ma’RicoHollandII PlainviewHerald
ThePlainviewBulldogshavesteadily madeimprovementseveryyearwithlast seasonbeingabigstepintherightdirection.
Thisyear,though,theBulldogsare lookingtobreakthroughandreachthe postseasonforthe firsttimesince2017and earntheir firstplayoff winsince2006.
“Wewanttobreakoutandsetthetone thisyear,”headcoachJohnathonHaddock said.
Thetonestartswiththefrontoffensiveand defensivelinesfortheBulldogsthisyear. Plainviewisreturningitsentirestarting offensivelinefromayearagoandeight totalsenioroffensivelinemenoverall,a groupthathasbeentogethersincefreshmanyear.
“We’rereallyexcitedaboutthisgroup. They’vehadareallygoodsummercompetingagainstthebestandreallyheldtheir own,”Haddocksaid.
Senior-ledfronttohelpBulldogsbreakthrough
thingsveryearly,”Haddocksaid.
Unfortunately,Mayberrywillbewithout histopweaponfromayearagoasPlainview’srecordholderintotalreceiving yardsandtouchdowns,KaromoCollins, graduated.
Haddocksharedthatwhilethereceiving grouphasbeeninCollins’shadowthepast coupleyears,theexperiencetheyhave gainedhaspreparedthemtostepupin biggerroles.
“WehaveMateoHernandezcomingback whohadabiggameforuslastyearagainst PaloDurowherehehad10or11catches,” Haddocksaid.
SeniorDamienValenzuelaisreturning too.
“Bothofthoseguyshadsignificantroles lastyearandthey’reusedtothespotlight,” Haddocksaid.
Collinswasauniquetalentthatcouldbe movedaroundandeffectiveinthebackfield.Haddockexpectstheskillposition areatobeagroupeffortinproductionwith planstouseValenzuelaandHernandez inmoretraditionalreceivingroleswhile alsomakinguseofjuniorMaddoxEllisas agadgetguythatcanbemovedacrossthe field.Intherun-game,thateffortwillbe splitaswell.
PlainviewparticipatedintheHardin-Simmonslinemanchallengeandtookhome firstplace. TheythencompetedintheState LINEMANChallengewherethey finished aroundthemiddleofthepack.
Justasimportantastheoffensivefront, theyoungmantakingsnapsbehindcenter, SethMayberry,willreturnforhissecond yearintheoffenseafterexcellingasafreshman.Mayberryearneddistrictnewcomer oftheyearafterthrowingfornearly2,000 yardsand15passingtouchdownsinnine games.
Despitesuchahotstart,Haddockis expectingevenbiggerthingsforhimin yeartwo.
“Obviouslyanytimesomeoneearnsthe startingquarterbackpositionona5A varsityfootballteamasafreshman,there’s somethingspecialthere.Whatyousee fromSethissomeonethatisincredibly matureforhisage.You'renotgoingto find anybodythat'sgoingtoworkharderthan him.
Youcannevercatchhimskippingarep. He’ssettingtheexampleofhowyoudo
SeniorReneZamarripaisreturningtothe backfieldalongwithanewface,JacobiPorter.Heplayedfootballasafreshmanbutis returningtothe fieldasasenior.Haddock expectsthemalongwithMayberrytocarry theloadinthebackfieldandprovidea dynamicsetofskills.
Defensively,theBulldogswillheadina newdirectionundernewdefensivecoordinatorDrewCunningham.Cunningham hasthebenefitofsevenreturningseven startersfromayearagoincludingfour-year startingsafetyRyderWalteranddefensiveedgeElijahSoliz,bothofwhomwere all-districtselectionslastseason.
Haddocksharedhighhopesintheboth ofthemhavingbigyearsthisseasonto anchorthenewdefense.
Withmanyreturningpiecesonbothsides oftheball,Haddockbelievesthisisthe yearfortheBulldogstobreakout.Lastseasontheywereonetouchdownawayfrom makingtheplayoffs,sufferingathree-point losstoPaloDurointhe finalgameofthe season.
BULLDOGSCont.
Everygameindistrictwillonceagainbea dogfightwiththelikesofAbileneWylie andAbileneCooper,WichitaFallsRiderand PaloDuro.
“We’renotscaredofanybodyorreadytoback downfromanyone.
Wehaveanoldermoreexperiencedteamand weshouldbeabletoseeafewgames flipour wayfromayearago,”Haddocksaid.
KEYINFO.
Headcoach:JohnathonHaddock
LastYearRecord:3-7
LastYearDistrictFinish:5th
Playofffinish:N/A
KeyReturners:SethMayberry,MaddoxEllis,DamienValenzuela,Mateo Hernandez,BrandonOrtega,Luis Pesina
PLAINVIEW BULLDOGS
B ULLDOGS BULLDOGS
By:Ma’RicoHollandII PlainviewHerald
Abernathyaimstocontinuewinningtraditions
returningtothesecondarythisyearasa juniorbutalsohasnewguyssteppingup intonewroles.
Abernathyhasbeenastaplefootball programintheWestTexasPanhandle.In justthepastfouryears,theAntelopeshave reachedthestatequarterfinalstwice. This year’sAntelopesarelookingtocontinue thetraditionofexcellencewithalotofnew andfamiliarfaces.
“Ourexpectationsalwaysistocompete foradistrictchampionshipandgoasfarin theplayoffsaswecango,”Abernathyhead coachJustinWileysaid.
Wileylostabevyofseniorsfromlast year’steamincludingafewcollegiatelevel athletes,buttheAntelopesare fillingthe holesinkeypositionsleft behind.Oneof themostsolidgroupsforAbernathywillbe itslinebackercore.
“Thoseguysarekindofthecoreofthe defense.Werelyprettyheavilyonthose guysthatplayanywherefromdefensive endtotheirlinebackingpositionandeven placethemoutinourcoverage,”Wiley said.“They'vebeenprettyversatileplayers anddoagreatjob.” Threeoftheteam’s five linebackersreturnwithvarsityexperience, KeltonCarver,LeviCarrilloandJaxson Hoel.Allthreeearned first-teamall-districthonors.
Therestofthedefensewillbemixed withexperienceandnewfaces. Theentire defensivefrontwillbenewthisyearafter graduatingagroupofseniorsinthatrole.
DistrictDefensiveNewcomeroftheYear lastseasonRolandoMartinezwillbe
Offensively,second-teamall-districtrunningbackAlanMaciaswillbereturningto thebackfieldaswellasMartinez.Mostof theoffensivelineisreturningaswellbut willhavetoadjustwithanewquarterback andwidereceivergroup.
“Theguysthatweputinatreceiverare greatathletes,”Wileysaid.“Theyhada goodtrackseasonthisspringandworked hardallsummersoIthinkthey’rereadyto fillinthosespots.”
Throwingtheballtothatnewgroupof wideoutswillbeElijahTrejo,ajuniornow whosawgoodsuccessatthejuniorvarsity levelwinningthemeightstraightcontests.
“He'stheguyandhe'sdoneanexceptionaljobthroughtwo-a-daysandthe firsttwo scrimmages,”Wileysaid.Heelaborated onnotonlyTrejo,butallthenewplayers’ developmentthroughoutthescrimmages.
“Thebiggestjumpsyou’regoingtoseeare goingtobefromthe firsttosecondscrimmageandthesecondscrimmagetothe firstgame.Wesawthathugeleapfromthe firstscrimmagetothesecondscrimmage sothey’redoingtheirpart.”
Abernathysweptthroughtheirdistrict competitionayearago,goingundefeated andwinningeachgamebymultiplescores. Wileydoesn’texpectthisyear’scompetitiontohaveimprovedtogivetheAntelopesabattle.
“Thisdistrictisgoingtobetough. There aresomegoodcoachingstaffsinthisdistrictandit’sgoingtobeabattleeverytime wegooutandplay,”Wileysaid.
TheAntelopesopentheirseasonagainst Childressandalsohavenon-district matchupsagainstapairofplayoff teams
fromayearago,MuleshoeandDenver City.
KEYINFO
Headcoach:JustinWiley LastYearRecord:98-3 LastYearDistrictFinish:1st Playofffinish:Bi-District
KeyReturners:KeltonCarver,RolandoMartinez,AlanMacias,Jaxson Hoel,LeviCarrillo
By:Ma’RicoHollandII PlainviewHerald
EveryyearsinceheadcoachJ.R.Compton joinedFloydada,theWhirlwindshaveseen incrementalsuccessandhadtheirbest seasonyetlastyear. Thisyearistheyear Comptonislookingtoseehisteammake thenextstepandearntheir firstbi-district victorysince2003.
“Ourbigdealisthatwejustwanttocontinuetogrowthisyear,”Comptonsaid.
Floydada finished6-5lastseasonand3-2 indistrictplay,reachingtheplayoffsbefore fallingtoPanhandleinthebi-district round.Comptonisreturning19varsity playersfromayearagowhilesgraduating sixseniorsincludingthedistrictMVP IzaiahAlvarado. Thisyear’sFloydadasquad willhavesomeshoesto fillinkeypositions butcoachComptoniswellawareofthe situation.
“We’regoingtohaveacoupleofnewfaces becausewe’relosingsixguysthataregoing tobetoughtoreplacebutinthisbusiness youhaveto findawaytoreplacethem andit’salwaysgoingtobenextmanup,” Comptonsaid.
Startingatquarterback,juniorTyHendersonwilltakeover.Heplayedasignificant amountatthepositionlastyearasthe backup,throwingover80passattempts andcompletingoverhalf.Heisagood fit totakeoverAlvarado’sroleasadualthreat aswellashewasthirdontheteaminrushingattemptsayearago.
Toaidhiminthebackfield,IlanLopez willbereturningforhisseniorseason alongwithAidenTrevino,whowillbe movingfromslotreceiverbacktorunning back.
“We’removingAidenbacktorunning backbecauserunningbackisreallyhis naturalposition,”Comptonsaid.Trevino enteredhisfreshmanyearasarunning backbutwasmovedtoslotreceiverwhen Compton firstincorporatedhisspread offense.
WithTrevinomovingbacktorunning back,heislookingforacoupleyoung guystostepupand fillthehole.Outside ofTrevino,BraunHobbsistheonlyother returningwideoutlastseasonwithover10 catches.
Ontheothersideoftheball,theWhirlwindswillmisstheirdefensiveleaderSaul Reyeswholedtheteamintackles(107) andinterceptions(7). Theywillbenefit thoughfromreturningabevyofseniorsto holddownthefort.
HagenHinsleywillreturnonthedefensivelineafteramassingninesackslast seasonalongwithinsidelinebackerEdgar CerveraandcornerbackJacintoSantos whowereboth first-teamall-districtathletes. ThebiggestquestionforComptonon thedefensewillbetheoutsidelinebacker position.Oneoftheyoungerkidsrecently movedupfromjuniorvarsitywillhaveto makeabigleapintoabigrole.
KEYINFO:
Headcoach:J.R.Compton
LastYearRecord:6-5
LastYearDistrictFinish:3rd
Playofffinish:Bi-District
KeyReturners:
TyHenderson,HagenHinsley,AidenTrevino,IlanLopez,EdgarCervera,Jacinto Santos
By:Ma’RicoHollandII PlainviewHerald
HaleCenterlookstobreakstatusquoundernewheadcoach
staff,Puenteislookingtoraisethestandard fortheOwlsprogramthisseason.
“Ourexpectationistowinchampionships,”hesaid.
HaleCenterhasnot finishedhigherthan fourthinitsdistrictoverthepastdecade. ThisyeartheOwlsarelookingtoblend noveltywithexperiencetogetoverthe humpandmakesomenoisethroughdistrictandplayoffs.
Theteamwillbeledbynewheadcoach MarcPuente,aHaleCenteralumwho playedfortheOwlsin2004and2005,two ofHaleCenter’sbestseasonsinthepast20 years.SincehisarrivalinJune,Puentehas lookedtoestablishafamilycultureinthe Owlprogram.
“Thecommunityhasboughtinandthe guyshaveboughtin,”Puentesaidduringa summerworkout. Throughoutthesummer, hesaidtherewasanexcellentturnoutand thatitshowedwhentheywereableto first takethe fieldfortheir firstpracticeofthe year.
“We’rekindofaheadofthegameofwhere weshould’vebeenat,”hesaid.
Whilethecoachingstaff fortheOwlsis completelyrevamped,therosteritselfisnot astheOwlsarereturningabevyofstarters fromlastyear’ssquadincludingseven differentAll-Districtathletes.
Overthepastcoupleseasons,theOwls havebeenbuildingupexperiencethrough ayoungcore. Thoseguysincludejuniors AidenBaldridgeandAdamBeruman,who willbekeyfortheOwls’successthisyear. Betweenthecombinationofexperience andrenewedenergyfromanewcoaching
TheOwlswillmatchuponceagainina loadeddistrictwhereSudanandRallssplit thetitleayearago.BothteamsarereturningloadedrostersliketheOwlsandwillbe contendersaswell.
HaleCenter’snon-districtscheduleis anythingbutacakewalk.
TheyhavematchupsagainstRopes,FloydadaandPlains–allofwhichareplayoff-caliberteams–alongwithaNewHome squadthatwasonegameawayfromastate appearance.
“It’sgoingtobeabattleeachandevery daybutIthinkwehavethekidstocompete withthoseguys,”Puentesaid.
“HaleCenterOwlsareaheadofthegame”
KEYINFO:
Headcoach:MarcPuente
LastYearRecord:5-6
LastYearDistrictFinish:4th Playofffinish:Bi-district
KeyReturners;J
hettTruby,AdamBeruman,Aiden Baldridge,LionelMartinez,Michael Lopez,JessieCastillo
By:Ma’RicoHollandII PlainviewHerald
Lockneyprideditselfonitspowerrun gamelastseason.Withareloadedoffensive lineandmainballcarriersreturning,the Longhornsarereadytomakeabigsplash intheirdistrictin2023.
“Wesawalotofimprovementlastyearas theygotusedtotheplaybook,”nowsecond yearheadcoachJonathan Thiebaudsaid. TheLonghornsexperiencedsomegrowing painsin Thiebaud’s firstseason, finishing 2-8overalland1-4indistrict. Thewins Lockneyputtogetherlastseasonshowcasedthepotentialofwhatcouldcome.
TheLonghornsrushedfor460yardsas ateamagainstTexasLeadershipCharter AcademyinAbileneandanother133yards inawinoverCrosbyton.
Theentirestartingoffensivelinerespon-
LockneyLonghornstorelyonpowerrungame
sibleforcreatingtheholesforthosebig rushingtotalsarereturningtothefold, includingthreeseniors.Alongwiththem, quarterbackDyllan ThiebaudandballcarriersXavierJimenezandIannRodriguez aresettoreturnaswell.
Jimenezwasa1,000-yard-rusherlast seasonandearned first-teamall-district recognitionalongsidereturningdefensive back/wideoutO’BrianDiazandoffensive linemenAdrianHernandezandRudy Jimenez.
“Wearegoingtoleanonthoseguystobe leadersonthe field,” Thiebaudsaid.“They wanttomakeanimpactandseesuccess andthey’vebeenworkingeverydayto reachthat.”
TheLonghornswillbeinatough fightfor aplayoff spotthisseasonastheirdistrict lookstohaveimprovedateachlevel.Sudan andRallsaretwoteamslookingtoreclaim thedistricttitleonceagainwhileHaleCenterreturnednearlyitsentirerosterandis lookingtomakeabigjumpaswell.Despite that, ThiebaudandtheLonghornsaren’t shakenintheslightest.
“Ourboyswantadistrictchampionship,” hesaid.“Wehavebeenimprovingeachand everydaysothatcomedistricttimeweare readybecauseit’sgoingtobea fight.Butit’s a fightwe’llbepreparedfor.”
KEYINFO:
Headcoach:Jonathan Thiebaud
LastYearRecord:2-8
LastYearDistrictFinish:5th
Playofffinish:N/A
GOHORNS!
KeyReturners: Dyllan Thiebaud,XavierJimenez,O’Brian Diaz,AdrianHernandez,RudyJimenez
By:Ma’RicoHollandII PlainviewHerald
Oltonhastheluxuryof15returningsenior startersastheylooktoretoolfortheupcomingseason.
TheMustangs’defensewillbeastrongpoint thisseason.Manyofthe15seniorreturners willbeonthedefensivesideoftheball.Along withtheirreturn,headcoachRossLassiterelaboratedontheirdevelopmentunder second-yeardefensivecoordinatorMatthew Ingle.
“Theyunderstandthetechniquealotbetter nowandIfeelwe’rewayaheaddefensively fromwherewewerelastyearatthistime withoutadoubt,”Lassitersaid.“Itdefinitely helpshavingthatmanyseniorsbackplaying onthatsideoftheball.”
Oltonisreturningitstoptwoleadingtacklers fromayearago,JacobMarquezandJacob
SeniorstoleadthechargefortheOltonMustangs
Escobar.Marquezwasafirst-teamall-district selectionafterrackingupateam-leading 169totaltackleswhileEscobaramassed84 totaltackles,earninghimselfasecond-team all-districtselection.TheOltondefensealso returnsfirst-teamall-districtlinebackerEddy Medranoandsecond-teamdefensivelineman ChristianChancy.
Otherreturningstartingseniorsonthe defenseincludeEddieRamirez,JoshVillanueva,MichaelMatuteandJimmyMunozand NathanUrbina.
OffensivelytheMustangswillneedafewnew facestostepupinbigroles,mostimportantlyatthequarterbackpositionafterlosing DistrictMVPLoganLassiterwhoaccounted for2,682passingyardsand32passingtouchdownsalongwithover350rushingyardsand fiverushingtouchdowns.
Thisseason,juniorRaymondRamirezwill bemakingthemovefromjuniorvarsityto leadtheOltonoffense.Sofar,coachLassiter hasbeenimpressedwithwhathe’sseenfrom Ramirezintheirtwoscrimmages.Heexpects alearningcurve,buthasfaithinhisabilityto adapt.
“WithanykidcominginfromJVtovarsity, thespeedofthegameisincreasedquiteabit. Withalotoftheseyoungerguys,theyhave tolearnhowtoslowthegamedownandthat comeswithexperience,”Lassitersaid.“Soas wegetintotheseasonandmoveforward,that gameisgoingtoslowdownandthey'regoing tofeelmorecomfortable.Havingsaidthat, we'rereallypleasedwithwherehimandthe restoftheyoungerguysareatrightnow.”
Theadjustmentwillnotapplyjustto Ramirezbutalsointhereceivinggroupas well.Olton’stoptwowideoutsfromayearago, JakeSolizandJoelOlivasJr.,whoaccounted fornearly2,000receivingyardsand28touchdowns,graduated.Asstatedearlierthough, Oltonhasabevyofseniorsthisyearready tofillnewroles.Urbinawillbereturningasa weaponintheOltonoffense.LassiterhasexpressedexcitementinUrbina’sabilitytoutilize his6-foot-4-inch190-poundframetomake difficultcatchesoverdefenders.Alongwith him,theMustangs’leadingrushers,Christian ChancyandBaldoGarcia,bothreturninthe backfield.
“Wegotguyssurroundingthequarterback
thathavebeentherebeforesothat’svery helpful,”Lassitersaid.AccordingtoLassiter, theoffensewas60-40infavorofthepassand theplanthisseasonwillbetobringtheratio closerto50-50tohelpRamirezashegets acclimatedandmorecomfortablewiththe offense.
Olton’snon-districtscheduleprovidesagood opportunityforthenewguystogetadjusted totheirnewrolesagainstgoodcompetition. TheMustangsopentheyearwithamatchup againstSudanwhosharedtheirdistricttitle ayearago.Oltonalsohasmatchupsagainst Texico(N.M.)whoappearedinthe2Astate championshipinNewMexicoandVegawho advancedtotheregionaltournamentlast season.
Olton’sdistrictschedulewillbejustastough astheirnon-districtaseachteamcomesback relativelystrongerthantheyearprior.New Dealisthepreseasonfrontrunnertowinthe conferenceandspots2-6couldbeatoss-up, accordingtomultiplecoacheswithinthe district.
“Ourbiggestthingrightnowis figuringoutwhatourteamisgoing tobebestat.We’re lookingtobuildthisseasonwith theultimategoalofwinninga districtchampionship,reachthe playoffsandaddsomegoldballsto ourtrophycase,”Lassitersaid.
KEYINFO:
Headcoach:RossLassiter
LastYearRecord:7-4
LastYearDistrictFinish:2nd Playofffinish:Bi-District
KeyReturners:EddieRamirez, JoshVillanueva,MichaelMatute, JimmyMunoz,NathanUrbina, ChristianChancy
Olton Mustangs are#1
By:Ma’RicoHollandII PlainviewHerald
Lastyear,ScottyBruingtoncoachedhis firstyearasasix-manheadcoachandsaw goodsuccess.Petersburg finishedwitha winningrecordandreachedtheplayoffs aftermissingouttheyearprior. Thisyear, Bruingtonislookingtoimprovewithafull seasonunderhisbelt.
“Lastyearwegotbetterandtherecord indicatesthat.Hopefullywecansteadily improvethroughouttheyear,”Bruington said.“Ithinkifwekeepourattituderight andwinsomeofourearlygames,wecan getthemomentumgoingandletthesnowballjustkeepgrowing.”
Thisyear’sPetersburgteamwilllookquite differentfromayearagoastheBuffaloes willbewithout firstteamall-districtathletesIsaiahPalaciosandDillonBruington. ThosetwowerebigfactorsinPetersburg’s offenseandteamidentity.Intheworldof highschoolfootball,though,it’salwaysthe “nextmanup”mentalityandBruington willbecountingonhisreturnersto fillthe holes.
“We’llhaveDaylnParrazbackforhis thirdyearinthebackfieldsohe’llhaveto carryabigloadforus,”CoachBruington said.
“WealsohavesophomoreColtonSharples who’sstilllearningbuthe’sgoingtobe good. Thosetwowillprobablybeourprimaryball-carriers.”
Parrazwasasecond-teamall-district
Petersburglookstosteadilyimprove
selectionlastseasonasarunningback behindDillon.
Lastseason,Petersburgwasknownfor itsspeed,especiallywiththeballcarriers. Bruingtonhasadifferentphilosophyin mindthisseasonasheplanstoadjustto newstrengthsintheoffense.
“Ithinkourfrontisgoingtobeour strength,”hesaid.“Wehaveacoupleof two-andthree-yearstartersontheline thathavegottenstrongerandwillhelpus poundtheballalittlebit.”
Petersburg’soffensethisyearismore designedforapowerrungamethanbefore withthegoalbeingjustgainingfouryards aplay. Thisdoesn’tmeantheBuffaloes won’thavebigplayabilityaslastseason Petersburgwasabletoscoreinbunches includinga74-pointperformanceagainst Wellman-Unionanda72-pointgame againstdistrictrivalKress. Thehightotals six-manfootballgamescanhaveissomethingCoachBruingtonisstilladjustingto.
“Withmy11-manbackground,thatinfuriatesmewhenwegiveup60butyetwe stillwin,”hesaidjokingly.“I’madjusting tothisgameandwepreachdefensivelyto trytogetonestopaquarter.Ifwedowhat we’resupposedtodooffensively,weought tocomeoutontopintheend.”
Inthesix-mangame,numberofhealthy athletesalwaysplaysarole.FortheBuffaloes,theturnouthasbeengoodwithover 20availableathletesfortheseason’sstart. Thegoalnowwillbetostayhealthybut Bruingtonhasfaithinhiskids’toughness physicallyandmentally.
“We’regettingbetteratbeingmentally toughand fightingthroughadversity.We havesometoughkidsandareabletotake thingsdaybyday,”Bruingtonsaid.
ThegoalfortheBuffaloesthisseasonis
toreachthepostseasononceagainand makeadeeperrunthantheyearprior.Last seasontheBuffaloes finished6-5overall witha3-1districtrecord. Theyfellinthe bi-districtroundtoKnoxCity.
KEYINFO:
Headcoach:ScottyBruington
LastYearRecord:6-5
LastYearDistrictFinish:2nd
Playofffinish:Bi-District
KeyReturners: DaylnParraz,ColtonSharples,Joe Gicante
By:Ma’RicoHollandII PlainviewHerald
TulialookstodevelopyoungtalentinMurga’ssecondseason
lotoftalentedfreshmanandsophomores comingup,”Murgasaid.
“HowquicklytheygrowuptotheFriday nightlightsisgoingtodependonthesuccessthatwehavecomedistricttime.”
TheTuliaHornetsaregoingtobevery youngthisseasonandalotofnewfaces willneedtodevelopquicklyfortheteamto besuccessful.
Tulia finished3-7overalland1-4indistrictplaylastseasonbutshouldlookvastly differentaftergraduatingthenucleusof theirprogram.
TheHornetslosttheirtoptwowideouts, leadingrusherandtopthreeguysintotal tackles.ForheadcoachOscarMurga,akey taskthisseasonwillbe findingnewleaders todevelopintheprogram.
“Wearegoingtobeveryyoung.Welost alotoftalentedseniorsbutwealsohavea
TheHornetsarereturningafewpieces offensivelytohelpbuildthebase. Three startingoffensivelinemenaresettoreturn alongsidejuniorquarterbackDavidMolina.
“He(Molina)madesomemistakeslast yearthatwereexpectedasasophomore thatgotpulledupandmaybenotquite readyforFridaynightactionbuthe's lookingprettygoodrightnow,”Murgasaid. Coachwasimpressedwiththeprogress Molinamadeinhisgamethroughout7-on7actioninthesummer.He’sseenthebiggestimprovementinMolina’sleadership.
“Leadershipisnotalwayspositive.Sometimesteamswillhavealeaderthatisleadinginthewrongdirectionandhe’snever beenthatguy,”Murgasaid.“Justbybeing
vocalandleadingbyexample,he’sstarting toreallycomeandgrowintotheposition.”
SincetheHornetsgraduatedtheirtopskill positionguysfromayearago,sophomores LoganBercerra,AidenMarquezandZaidenJalomowillallbetakingonnewrolesin thewidereceivergrouptoaidMolina. Defensivelyitwillbethesamementality of“nextmanup.”JuniorMatthewLopez willbetakingonabiggerroleasanoutside linebackeraftermovingarounddifferent spotsinthedefenselastyear.JuniorNick Carrascostartedfourgamesatdefensive backlastseasonbutwillbeexpectedtobea bigcontributoralongsideLopez.
TheHornetsarestillindistrict2-3Athis seasonwhichhasalwaysbeentoughwith thelikesofCanadian,ChildressandSpearmanallconsistentlymakingdeepplayoff runs.
Murgaissetonmakingsurehisyoung guysdevelopquicklyduringthenon-districtmatchupssothatthey’repreparedand
canmakeapushfortheplayoffs.Games againstBrownfieldandrivalMuleshoewill bebigtestsfortheHornetsastheyboth wereplayoff teamsayearago.
"Thegoalistogetbettereverydayno matterwhatwearedoing,”Murgasaid. “Ifwedowhatwearesupposedtodoand handlebusiness,weshouldbeabletolock upaplayoff position.”
KEYINFO:
Headcoach:OscarMurga
LastYearRecord:3-7
LastYearDistrictFinish:5th Playofffinish:N/A
KeyReturners:DavidMolina,Xathen Chasco,JoseLuevano,DiegoTrevino, MatthewLopez
Tuliafootballschedule
HighlandParkHornets–Aug.25,7p.m.atHighlandPark BrownfieldCubs–Sept.1,7p.m.athome
Sanford-FritchEagles–Sept.8,7p.m.athome(homecoming)
MuleshoeMules–Sept.15,7p.m.atMuleshoe ClarendonBroncos–Sept.22,7p.m.athome
FrionaChieftains–Oct.6,7p.m.atFriona ChildressBobcats–Oct.13,7p.m.atChildress DimmittBobcats–Oct.20,7p.m.athome
CanadianWildcats–Oct.27,7p.m.atCanadian RiverRoadWildcats–Nov.3,7p.m.athome
ByEllysaHarris PlainviewHerald
It’saseasonofnewbeginningsforthe CottonCenterElks.
Asthe2023footballseasonstarts,theteam isyoungwithanewcoachandjustenough playersto fillaroster.
It’sarecipeforachallengingseasonbut newlyhiredheadcoachandathleticdirectorCoachRichardJacksonsaidtheElksare uptothetask.
“Theseguysshowupeveryday,they workhardeverydayandthey’refuntobe around,”Jacksonsaid.
Therosterincludesjustsixplayers–one senior,threesophomoresandtwofreshmen. TheElksgraduated fiveseniorswho startedonbothsidesoftheballlastseason leavingalotofroomfornewfacesto fillbig shoes.
The firstfewweeksoftheseasonwere spent figuringouthowbesttoutilizeeach. SophomoreKastonRainwateristhecaptain thisyear.Todate,he’ssetastrongexample forhisteammates.
“He’soneofthe firstonesthereandone ofthelastonestoleave,”Jacksonsaid. The runningbackworkshard,headded. Withsuchasmallroster,theplayersdon’t havemuchofachoicebuttostepup.
CottonCenterfaceschallengingseason
JacksonpredictsseniorMichaelOlmstead willbetheteam’sbestblockerthisseason. NathanCraig,asophomore,wasnamed thisseason’squarterback.GageMendieta, anothersophomore,hasbeentappedto playwidereceiverandguard.He’llalso needfreshmenNehemiahDelagarzaand LutherNietojustasmuch.
“They’reagoodgroupofyoungmen,”he saidofthe2023Elks.
Aplusofhavingsuchasmallteamisthe tightbondsthey’vecreated. Theyworkhard andarelearningtoplaywelltogether.
That’sjustwhatheneedsfortheElkstoget throughtheseason’sdistrictschedule.
CottonCenterfacedSouthlandinWeek OneandChrist TheKingisonthescheduleforWeekTwo.Forhomecoming,the ElkswillfaceKlondike’sJV,thenWellman-Union’sJV.LoopandWilsonarealso onthenon-districtschedule.
“We’llstartoff districtwithWhitharral,” Jacksonsaid.“They’retough.Whitharralis goingtobetough. ThenwehaveAmherst, thenwe’ll finishupwithHart.”
Offensively,theElkswillrunmultiple formations.Defensively,heexpectsthemto runathree-threescheme.
TheywereexpectedtotestitoutinWeek Oneoftheregularseasonwhentheteam wasanticipatedtofaceits firstopponent.
Jacksonadmittedhisteamisabitbehind.A coupleofscrimmageswereonthe schedulepriortoregularseasonplaybut theElksdidn’tgettoplayduetothechallengesthatcomewithsuchasmallteam –missedpracticesandnobackup–paired
withUILregulations.
“Sotoputintoperspective,we’reabout twoweeksbehind,”hesaid. Non-districtplayisexpectedtogivethe realpictureofwhattheyoungmencando. Sofarthey’veshownpromiseinpractice.
“Theseyoungmenworkhard,”Jackson said.“I’mnottheeasiestguytoplayfor.I’m notinflexiblebutI’mnotvery flexible.If youmisspractice,you’regonna flipatire orpullatireandmakeupforconditioning fromthedaybefore.”
JacksoncomestoCottonCenterwith morethantwodecadesofexperience coachingatboththejuniorhighandhigh schoollevelsandvariousclassesallaround thestate.Somehow,theWolfforthnative always findshimselfbackhomeinWest Texas. Thatpullwaspartofwhatdrewhim toCottonCenter.
Afewofhispreviouscoachingstints werewithregionalteamsthatfaceCotton Center.He’salwaysfoundtheElkstobe competitive.
Aftergettingtoknowthekidsabit,includinghisteam,landinginCottonCenter seemstohavebeenagooddecision.
KEYINFO
Headcoach:RichardJackson
LastYearRecord:2-8
LastYearDistrictFinish:5th
Playofffinish:N/A
KeyReturners:MichaelOlmstead, NathanCraig,GageMendieta,NehemiahDelagarza,LutherNieto,Kaston Rainwater
By:Ma’RicoHollandII PlainviewHerald
It’sanewerainKressAthletics.James Sheltonwashiredtotakeoverashead footballcoachandathleticdirector.
Afamiliarnameintheworldofsixmanfootball,he’slookingtorebuildthe KangarooprograminYearOne.Shelton playedsix-manfootballgrowingupand hascoachedatthesix-manlevelsince hewasincollege.HecoachedatCalvert ISDformultipleseasonsreachingthe statesemifinalsin2016.He’salsomade six-mancoachingstintsatFortDavis andhisalmamaterBuckholtsHigh SchoolbeforetakingontheKressjob. SheltonisstartingatKresswithacompletelycleanslate.
“Thisyearwe’regoingtobevery,very young,”Sheltonsaid.
Kresshadnineseniorsgraduatefrom lastyear’ssquadandnearlynoreturning startersasfourstartersoneachsideof theballleft tograduation.Twenty-five playershavecomeoutforfootballwith themajorityofthembeingunderclassmen.Thatisn’taproblemforShelton ashesharedhisexcitementtomoldthe programintohisliking.
“ThethingthatIloveaboutitisthat Igettocreatetheexperience,”Shelton said.
MalachiGuzman,JaleelBakerandCole Toddwillbetheleadersonthisyear’s Kresssquad.Allthreewere first-team all-districtselectionsayearago.Baker
KressKangarooslooktorebuildundernewheadcoach
andGuzmanbothreturntothedefensive frontwhileToddreturnsasacornerback.
“(Cole)isjustanabsolutedog.He’sjust oneofthetoughestyoungmenyou’ll meet,”Sheltonsaid.“Whenhewalksinto thelockerroompeoplelistenandhe’s goingtobeagreatleaderforus.”
Shelton’snewschemewillpredicateon thepowerrun.Heisabelieverinplaying smash-mouthfootballandexpectsthere tobesomehiccupsthisseasonasthe teamgetsacclimated.
“Couldwepossiblytakesomebutt whoopings?Absolutely,butIbelievethat thosebuttwhoopingswillonlymakeus stronger,”Sheltonsaid.
WiththescheduleKresshasputtogetherthisyear,theKangarooswillbetested earlyandoften.TheKangaroosopen theseasonagainstanexperiencedHart groupandalsotakeontwopotential statecontenders,HappyandWhitharral, throughouttheirnon-districtschedule.
Thoseearlygamesshouldpreparethe Kangaroosforatoughdistrictschedule thatwillbeatoss-upthisyearaseach teamislookingto figureeachotherout.
“Thedistrictiswideopen,”Sheltonsaid.
“Itrulybelieveifwegettheseboysto buyinandgetonthatbandwagonalong withbeinghealthy,Ithinkwe’vegota goodchanceofmakingplayoffs.”
KEYINFO:
Headcoach:JamesShelton
LastYearRecord:6-4
LastYearDistrictFinish:3rd Playofffinish:N/A
KeyReturners:ColeTodd,Jaleel Baker,MalachiGuzman
By:Ma’RicoHollandII PlainviewHerald
Harthadamajorturnaroundseason lastyear. TheLonghornssecuredtheir firstwinningseasonin16yearsand wereonetouchdownawayfroma first post-seasonappearanceinnearlytwo decades.
Thisyear,theteamisloadedandlookingtomakethenextjump.
“We’rehopingthatthisyear,things willgetbetter,”Hartheadcoach ArmandoSolissaid.“We’vegotkids comingbackoffensivelythatarereally goingtohelpuscontinuetogrowand progress.”
TheLonghornsgraduatedfourseniors lastyearbutarereturningamultitude ofkeypieces.Firstteamall-district centerandrunningbackDominic DominguezandElyHernandezwillbe
StrongrunattacktopropeltheHartLonghorns
returningfortheirjuniorandsenior seasons,respectively.
HernandezwastheengineintheHart rushingattacklastseason,rushingfor over1,000yardsand20touchdowns.
“Wewereabletoruntheballreally wellwithhimonthe fieldlastyear,” Solissaid.
Alsoreturningissecondteamall-districtquarterbackNoahMarinanddefensivelinemanBradenDiaz.Marinis enteringhisthirdyearasastarterand SolizexpressedhispleasureinMarin’s growthundercenterthepastcouple seasons.
“He(Noah)hasgrownphenomenally.Heunderstandsthegameandmy systemalotmore,”Solissaid.Heplans toexploremoving Marinaroundtheoffenseindifferent waystoutilizehisskillsetasbestas hecan.Playerswiththeabilitytobe movedaroundlikeMarinareimportantforthisHartsquadbecauseofthe lackofnumberstheyface.
ThisseasontheLonghornsroster includes11players,soinjuriesplaya hugeroleforHart. Theywerealready dealingwiththempriortotheseason’s start.
Dominguezisrecoveringfroman ACLtearhesufferedduringbasketballseason.AccordingtoSolis,hehas recoveredwellandshouldbegoodto gobySeptember.Asfortherestofthe roster,Solisisverycautioustomake surehekeepshisteamhealthy. LookingatHart’sdistrictoutlookthis season,Whitharralisthefavoriteto repeatonceagainasdistrictchampsaftermakingadeepplayoff runtheyear prior. Theotherplayoff spotwillbea dogfightonceagainasAmherstreturns strongagain.
The finalplayoff spotwilllikelycome downonceagaintoashowdownbetweenHartandAmherstastheLonghornsweredefeated30-22andbooted outoftheplayoffs.
KEYINFO:
Headcoach:ArmandoSolis
LastYearRecord:6-4
LastYearDistrictFinish:3rd
Playofffinish:N/A
KeyReturners:ElyHernandez, DominicDominguez,NoahMarin, BradenDiaz
