Rabbits zero in on path to Dallas By Tim Emmons Atlanta’s football team has been the epitome of success in Northeast Texas for some time. AD and head football coach Matt McClure is entering his ninth season at the helm of the Rabbit Express, and there is excitement surrounding the program once again as the Rabbs enter this year ranked third in Class 3A-D1. Last season the Rabbits worked their way to the fourth round of the playoffs which was their third trip to the quarterfinal round in five years. This year Atlanta is looking to take a giant leap past the fourth round with its eyes locked on Dallas. The state championship games are played in Dallas at AT&T Stadium which motivated the Rabbs to carry the slogan “D19”. To get to Dallas in 2019 Coach McClure knows that the program must lean on what has brought so much success to Atlanta’s football team over the years. He also knows that the success earned is a testament of many different things combined. “Being successful at Atlanta is a testament to the pride we have here, having a solid foundation from the
seventh grade all the way up and obviously we have some good players. Anytime you have that combination with community support and high expectations you better live up to it,” McClure said. Atlanta’s success also hinges on how hard the players train and how much they desire to keep a high level of intensity on the field. “I don’t think we get satisfied. If you want to continue to be really good and play at a high level I don’t think you can ever get satisfied,” McClure remarked. “You have to continue to get better with overall coaching and training the kids, offseason X’s and O’s and I think we do a good job of keeping our kids athletically at high level where they can compete.” Atlanta is ranked in the top five in most polls, 10th in the Harris Poll and has been heralded to take the district crown. McClure knows what’s at stake every year and also knows what it takes to keep the kids focused on things other than rankings. “Our first four games keeps the kids subdued from paying attention to the rankings. We play Gilmer again this year and they are ranked seventh in 4A-D2, we play
Gladewater who is sixth in 3A-D2, we play Pleasant Grove which is the number one team in 4A-D2 and then we play Liberty-Eylau and you know what that game entails so I think with that being said we keep our focus on what’s before us,” McClure stated. “Last year we started out 0-4 and it was pretty humbling so this year we plan on having a better start and we feel playing those teams will give us the opportunity to get better and it helps us when we get into the playoffs.” McClure also mentioned pre-district games are a coach’s opportunity to put the right players in a spot which will benefit their growth and the team overall. “Anytime you play teams athletically equal or better than you and teams with more numbers it shows your weaknesses and what you need to work on. If your schedule isn’t very tough and you win some games you may be camouflaging what you really need to work on,” McClure said. “I was thinking about last year the kids who started against North Lamar in our first scrimmage, we had like five different starters as we got deeper into the season in certain positions so it is a way to find out who we need where.” Having a year under his belt in Class 3A, McClure thinks District 7-3A, D-1 is one of the toughest in state. “I think it’s tough from top to bottom. Number one you have Jefferson in there which won district last year and they are the team to beat in my opinion right now. They
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are extremely talented with a tailback and quarterback that are both really athletic. Coach Jimmerson does a really good job of coaching those guys,” McClure said. “Then you’re going to play a gauntlet of teams with their style of offense who can really cause problems. Hughes Springs, New Boston and Redwater with the Wing-T, SlotT type stuff that really occupies the ball so you have to take advantage of when you have the ball you have to get them off the field or you’ll look up and the clock will be drained. Those games are always challenging.” “Then you have Mt. Vernon which you knew what they had the past couple of seasons but with a new coach coming in you’re just not sure what style they are going to play yet,” McClure continued. “Our district is very competitive and the district we could play in the first round is loaded with talent. Gladewater, Tatum, West Rusk and all of those teams over there have squads that can make a good run.” The Rabbit head coach knows getting through district healthy and past the first round is a major win in itself. “To get through our district healthy and move past the first round is a huge win for any program,” McClure mentioned. “It doesn’t get easy after the first round either. Last season we got through the first round and we defeated a district champion in the second round and then we beat Mt. Vernon again to get to the fourth round so it gets extremely challenging once you get through our district and into the post season.”
McClure talked about the importance of having a cohesive coaching staff. Some of the coaches have been with him for quite a while and he feels that it’s a key piece in the success the program has produced. “To have staff continuity I think it makes things run a whole lot smoother. Everybody knows their job and the place where they fit and also the kids hear the same voice week after week, year after year and it’s not something new,” McClure said. “I think change is good sometimes but I think in this business you see the staffs that stay together usually have a long line of success behind them also.” Coaches focus in on how well a player is doing at key positions throughout the scrimmage and pre-district process so they can make moves that will be beneficial to the team’s success. McClure thinks the Rabbs have depth in the right places but some positions are a point of concern. “We have the quarterback position where neither one of the guys have started a game on varsity, but have played that position. That position in my opinion is the most challenging spot both mentally and physically on the field so I think that’s obviously a concern going into week one where again playing a tough schedule can be taxing. You get a couple of scrimmages and then you jump deep in the fire, you don’t have a nice easy game to get your feet wet,” McClure said. “I think secondary
and wide receiver we have to really develop some depth there. I think our front seven defensively, offensive line, H-backs there is depth there and I think those positions are pretty solid. The running back position is pretty deep and the quarterbacks obviously haven’t taken a snap so things will heat up in that first game against Gilmer. They are going to have to be ready.” The Rabbit skipper pointed out just how quickly that depth can disappear, but also indicated the benefits of having good games and practices. “You love to have depth but you are one injury away from not having as much depth as you had before. It’s a long season and we talk about that a lot around here. We’re not going to get overly excited about a scrimmage but we’re not going to get down either. It’s a long season and you never know what could happen to your team or the other teams we play,” McClure said. “You have to keep working and take care of what we can take care of and control what we can control and try to get better as we go. We talk about stacking good days on good days and I think we you do that you start building something special.” The Rabbits aspire to run maroon and white across a certain blue star at the end of a 16-game stretch, and achieve that “D19” goal and a state championship. The expectations are high, the community support is strong and the athletes are primed to bring more success to an already storied program.
Marques Banks
Kade Wood
Caleb Hamilton
Keyshawn Easter
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Conner Samples
Cooper McClure
JJ Fields
Dra Nelson
Jackson Warren
Terunte Neal
Keyonta King
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Alijuah Drayton
Carlos Edwards
Xavier Coleman
Daniel Hernandez
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John Fields
Keith Kinney
Jordan Stiger
Hunter Clark
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Jagger Dyer
Logan Shelton
De’Korian Parker
Clay Fant
DeGregory King
Tyrell King
LaKeceion Richardson
James Joslin
Trey Adams
Cade Fant
Noah Hunt
Jeremiah Jefferson
Zachariah Jefferson
RABBS
Ty Blizzard
Jared Cowgill
Thomas Steward
Droddy returns with hopes of playoff run By Tim Emmons The last time the Queen City football program made the playoffs was the 2013-2014 school year under Head Coach Eric Droddy. That season was not as bad as the Bulldogs’ overall 6-5 record indicates. Queen City opened its 2013 campaign with three consecutive victories. A 50-0 shutout of the Rivercrest Rebels in week one gave the Bulldogs a big boost of confidence which carried over into week two as they upended the DeKalb Bears 48-20. The third game’s result was a 21-6 win over county rival Linden-Kildare and the second win in a row over the Tigers in the series at that point. The fourth and final game before district was against the Waskom Wildcats. The Bulldogs lost that contest but Waskom also went on to reach the state semifinals that year and followed that up with two state titles. QC opened district play with a loss to the New Boston Lions, but bounced back and took the next two games with wins over the Hooks Hornets and the Prairiland Patriots. The Bulldogs lost a 21-20 heartbreaker to Mt. Vernon in the
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eighth game of the season, and lost to a very tough Daingerfield team the following week. There was still an outside chance QC could make the playoffs with a win over Redwater in the season finale. Both teams battled throughout the game and Redwater had a 14-7 lead late in the fourth quarter. Queen City held its poise and drove the ball across the goal line as time expired. Coach Droddy chose to go for two and the win, and that’s exactly what happened. The Bulldogs rolled the dice and rolled into the playoffs with a 15-14 win over the Dragons. Fast forward to 2019 and Coach Droddy is back in orange and black. Coach Kevin Cossey is also back and will serve as the defensive coordinator. Other coaches on the football staff include junior high coaching extraordinaire Tommy Kimble, Johnathan Ramey, who will serve as offensive coordinator, Deaundre Hill, Ryan Kennedy, Will Powell, Drew Hamilton and QC alum Easton Droddy. Coach Droddy will have plenty of weapons on offense to work with which includes senior Dylan Scott who has played varsity ball since he was a freshman.
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BULLDOGS Jeremiah Drayton is a freshman standout to watch for along with seniors Adorian Booth, Caleb Dawson, Drake Moore, Colten Brown, Austin Underwood and Dalton Croley. Sophomore Austin Terry could see some action at quarterback if needed along with possible running attacks from Damir Rascoe, Kieran Droddy and freshman Jeremiah Drayton. The Bulldogs also have several wideouts who could make some noise like Connor Alexander, Josh Davis, Cody Blank, T’angelo Neal, Tallen Boone and Spencer Warren. The quarterback protection package includes seniors Zhordan banks, Justin Lance, Christian Fitzgerald, Eveyn Upchurch, Robert Helmick and Aquevion Blake. Some of the other Bulldog beasts on the both sides of the line include Noah Perkins, Derrick Alexander, Nathan Cooper, Cedric Davis and Spencer Schmidt. Coach Droddy, his coaching staff and the bevy of Bulldogs kickoff the season at home against Harleton Aug. 30, which happens to be Little Bulldog Night.
Sept. 6, the Bulldogs travel to Winnsboro to take on Coach Finney and his Red Raiders. Sept. 13, the Bulldogs welcome the Hooks Hornets to town and will celebrate Military Appreciation Night, and the following week Sept. 20, QC starts district play with a meeting against New Diana. Sept. 27, the Bulldogs host the DeKalb Bears for Homecoming and enjoy a BYE week the following Friday Oct. 4. Coming out of the BYE week the Bulldogs travel to Elysian Fields Oct. 11, to battle the Yellow Jackets, and then host Daingerfield on Breast Cancer Awareness Night Oct. 18. QC has two consecutive out of town games which begins with Ore City Oct. 25, and ends with Waskom Nov. 1. The Bulldogs finish the regular season by hosting Paul Pewitt on Senior Night. All games begin at 7:30 p.m. unless weather or unseen events play a role in changing that formula. Coach Droddy has the personnel in place and the team prepared to get back to the playoffs, and that road began against Harleton.
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Dylan Scott
Caleb Dawson
Adorian Booth
Damir Rascoe
Josh Davis
Tallen Boone
Connor Alexander
Drake Moore
Austin Underwood
Spencer Warren
Austin Terry
Cody Blank
Jeremiah Drayton
T’Angelo Neal
Kieran Droddy
Zhordan Banks
Christian Fitzgerald
Cedric Davis
Justin Lance
Nathan Cooper
Spencer Schmidt
Noah Perkins
Eveyn Upchurch
Aquevion Blake
Derrick Alexander
Robert Helmick
Linden-Kildare prepared for breakout season By Tim Emmons Linden-Kildare’s football program has started out the past two seasons with five consecutive wins. One season resulted in a bi-district playoff game and the other was a missed opportunity against one of the toughest district schedules in Class 2A, D1. AD and head coach Derek Simmons is entering his fourth year at the helm of the Tigers’ athletic program, and knows that practices and scrimmages are a precursor to what L-K may encounter in district play. “Scrimmages are what scrimmages are. You see some good things and see some not-so-good things, but we let the guys know moving forward that we have to build on the positives and we have to correct the negatives,” Simmons said. “We feel like we’ve done a good job of correcting those negatives in our practices. The kids were not happy after watching the film of our first scrimmage against Pewitt. It’s hard to get a
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feel for some things live action if they did something wrong or not. Once you see it on film it’s easier to correct, some of our younger guys needed to work on their footwork. We have to take what we’ve done and make it better and get ready for the short turnaround.” Coach Simmons mentioned some of the growing pains a program can have with new coaches, young players and even seasoned players learning a new scheme or position. “The young guys are learning and it’s an eye opener for some especially the ones on varsity for the first time,” Simmons remarked. “We have guys who will grow up in the real game situations both new and guys coming back who are adjusting to new roles and other aspects. We have new coaches who are learning along with the kids so getting everyone on the same page and gelling is important. It takes time. The more they play the better they will get.” Just like every other team in the state, L-K only gets in a few weeks of practices and two scrimmages before the season
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begins. Simmons spoke on the importance of using every practice, scrimmages and pre-district games to prepare for a tough district run. “We have four non-district games which we will use to get us ready for district and we’d like to win those games but our process is just to get better and prepare for a tough district schedule,” Simmons said. “We have to make sure that we do have the right kids in the right places, that’s why we have practices and scrimmages and the four non-district games to make sure you are ready.” Simmons also stated that he believes the Tigers’ district is not just the toughest in the region but the toughest in the state. “We knew last year that it was going to be a tough district. We felt it was going to be tougher than our former district and athletically sound. You really don’t know sometimes what you’re going to get until a few games are played. We knew who was going to be good and it played out that way,” Simmons commented. “We were in the mix almost right until that last district game. It ended up being the toughest district in the state. Garrison has a lot of kids coming back from the team that went three rounds deep last year, Tenaha is reloading again they went four rounds deep, Joaquin has most of their kids coming back. It’s going to be a grind.” The Tiger commander also pointed out the positives on having depth to keep teams and players rested well into the season.
“Since we’ve been in it a year we know what to expect from the district teams, some of their schemes. I think we’ll be better prepared for some of them. We played kids both ways all year and by the time we got to the eighth game we were worn out physically and mentally. It took a toll on us,” Simmons added. “This year we will have more depth so we hope not to have to play kids both ways but if we do they are out there for a reason. We expect to be right there in the mix when it gets close to the end of the schedule. We are fortunate to have had a good number of kids to come out for both varsity and JV so hopefully that translates into taking loads off of players during that long season road.” As with most teams there are certain positions that will be focused on a little more than most, especially when you lose a two or three- year starter in that area. “Position-wise the quarterback position is a focus for us. On the offensive line we are breaking in new starters there and they get better every day. We are bigger up front than we have been,” Simmons said. “We really want to excel defensively. Last year it hurt us in some games. We have to get better defensively especially with our district schedule. We would like to stay healthy and rested the best we can going into the BYE week. We should have a good idea of where we’re at by then, and we are going to do everything we can do to not be worn out as the season goes on.” If the Tigers can stay healthy and rested, and can turn close losses from last season into wins then L-K will be preparing for the second half of their season in the bi-district round.
Ladavion Johnson
Russel Nance
Deuce Schuler
Mason Johnson
Hunter Camarillo
Tawin Patterson
Kaden Graves
Jonathan Owen
Nate Holloway
Ashton Harper
Dayton Hamilton
Brent White
Colton Anderson
Red Tyson
Karson Bynum
Colt Neville
Gunner Minor
Clayton Mulkey
Tyler Peterson
Jackson Lee
Kevin Burns
Colton McClain
Vincent Peters
Harley Mosley
Nic Kunze
Hunter Johnson
Landon Liles
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Mustangs look to improve on 5-7 season By Rick colEgRovE When the calendar flips to August, the heat is dialed up and the football pads and uniforms are handed out. Football fans start to hear the chatter that their team is either rebuilding or contending. Whether it is high school football, college football or professional, its football time in Texas; a time for renewed optimism and a time to believe that this is the year. The beauty of football is that it’s not always the most talented or even the most complete teams that ride off into the sunset with the biggest trophy. Many times, the team that comes away with the title is the team that comes together to play their best possible games at just the right time, stringing together about five or six games of elite level play and can then claim that their team is the best. Every year, Hughes Springs head coach and Athletic Director Chris Edwards hands out the jerseys, helmets and shoulder pads with hopes that this year, and this team will be the special team; the team that will find the magic to surprise everyone, except him. In his 13 years of being the head coach
at Hughes Springs, Coach Ed has seen his share of special teams and hopes this year’s team is special also. The Mustangs return 16 returning lettermen, with seven returning starters on offense and six returning starters on defense. Headlining the offense this year is senior signal caller Andrew Gaul, who will control the offense for the third straight year. With a solid stock of veteran position players to help him out, the Gaul and the Mustangs intend to leave their mark on the Texas high school football landscape. Returning for the Mustangs are senior running back Isaiah Bolden behind a senior laden offensive line, featuring Skyler Henderson, Jace Ratley, Gustavo Soto and Hudson Brabham along with junior lineman Tanner Byrd. Any coach would say having a senior, veteran-laden offensive line to build an offense around, would be a blessing. Defensively for the Mustangs, Coach Brandon Green returns for his third year as the defensive coordinator. He will also have a good group of seniors to rely on to get to the opposing quarterback and create havoc for opposing offensive coordinators. Coach Green was asked what will be the biggest difference
that people will see this year, as opposed to previous years. “We went to a 4-2-5 look and hope to make it where the kids can play without thinking,” replied Green. Green was also asked if playing with so many seniors affect what defensive schemes used and does it allow him to make adjustments more frequently because of their experience? “Seniors always help. It all starts with them and the leadership on and off the field. We expect all kids to learn the scheme and be accountable for their job and that makes the adjustments easier in at half time or whenever we need to make it,” said Green Returning starters for Coach Green include senior Nacorey Lee, juniors Trayvonn Kennedy, Tyson Daigle, and seniors playing both ways in Gaul and Bolden. Coach Edwards believes that this year’s team has a great shot to have a great season if they can fill a couple key positions, create some depth and bring it all together. Coach Ed was asked how having a three-year starter at quarterback play into game management and play calling.
“Absolutely. The confidence, poise, leadership and flexibility to be versatile will be vital,” said Edwards. “Our front eight on defense are not overly big, (but strong), or overly fast, (but read well and are quick to the ball) and get the football consistently. Looking forward to them playing fast and physical,” said Edwards. Finally, Edwards was asked who he thinks will surprise him the most this year. “If I had to pick one right now it would be Isaiah Bolden. He is laser focused and locked in on both sides of the ball. Looking forward to Trayvon Kennedy establishing a presence for us behind the experienced offensive line and moving forward from there,” Edwards said. The regular season will kick off against Hamshire-Fannet on a Thursday in Lufkin, Aug. 29. The first home game of the year is Sept. 6 against Arp. The district schedule will open with an away game against Mount Vernon and the final home game of the regular season will also homecoming and that is Nov. 1 against New Boston.
Cameron Johns
Trenton Bolden
Collin Cook
Isaiah Bolden
Nacorey Lee
Devin Flournoy
Caden Edwards
Eric Miranda
Tyson Daigle
Devin Carpenter
Andrew Byrd
Andrew Gaul
Trayvon Kennedy
Patrick Boyd
Eli Henderson
Trey Hargett
Gustavo Soto
Skyler Henderson
Tanner Byrd
Jace Ratley
Mikey Lanier
James Prince Jr.
Jake Murray
Matthew Zamarripa
Texan Lancaster
Hudson Brabham
Wyatt Johnson
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Photographers: Kenisha Webster Tim Emmons Ashley Emmons Jessica Pattillo Shutter Snapper Photography Toni Walker Siglinda Smoak Jeannie Wall & Patterson’s Photo Studio & Imaging
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