Thank you to all Athletic Directors and Coaches for all your help with this special publication.
Thank you to Dave Campbell's Texas Football for helmet logos.
We’ve been fortunate.
An area team has made the state final every year since 2018.
Cuero, Refugio, Shiner, Falls City and Tidehaven have played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington during that span.
Tidehaven made the trek to the home of the Dallas Cowboys last season.
Cuero, Refugio and Shiner have brought home state championships, with the Comanches winning back-to-back titles.
There are no shortage of contenders in the area this season.
As we enter the season, Bay City, Edna, Goliad, Tidehaven, Ganado, Refugio, Shiner and Falls City are ranked in the top 10 of the preseason state poll.
Also, Victoria East and Victoria West went their separate ways in reclassification and realignment, which created some new districts.
Of course, the old rivalries will remain. West and East will square off in a non-district game, El Campo and Bay City will continue the state’s longest continuous rivalry, county rivals Yoakum and Cuero, Industrial and Edna, Hallettsville and Shiner, and Hallettsville Sacred Heart and Shiner St. Paul will continue to play.
This year’s Kickoff 2024 features previews of every area district, a look at some of the top area players, some of the most anticipated games, and schedules for area teams.
Thanks to Gabe Myers, James Herd, Pam Williams, Kevin Alstrom, Duy Vu, Richard Fierova, Cierra Bernard, Kimberley Bailey, Kyle Motal and the advertising staff, and Clarice Touhey for their hard work.
Let’s get ready for some football.
MIKE FORMAN
Sports Editor, Victoria Advocate
The goal of every team is to play for a state championship at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Photo by Mike Forman
Tidehaven is shown on the video board above AT&T Stadium in Arlington before last season’s state championship game.
Photo by Mike Forman
East looks to take next step in first year under Ford
that next step."
VBY GABE MYERS gmyers@vicad.com
ictoria East has spent the offseason emphasizing the importance of raising the level of physicality.
The Titans will be heading into District 13-5A, Division I. A district that is anticipated to be much tougher than what the Titans have faced in previous seasons.
"Our new district is a much more physical district," said Victoria East head coach John Ford. "We’ve got a lot of guys returning who understood how physical it was, but everybody's got to be ready to take
The tone for physicality will be set by the Titans' defense. The defense was a much improved unit for Victoria East last season, and it returns five starters in the front seven.
"We're going to lean on our defense," Ford said. "We can change the way we look and week-to-week we're going to be ready to adjust, make those changes and put our guys in the best position to be successful."
Ford was the offensive coordinator for the Titans in 2023. Upon the departure of Charlie Reeve in the spring, Ford took over as the head coach. With the uptick in competition coming, he's made it a point to change the preparation for the Titans.
VICTORIA EAST TITANS
COACH: John Ford
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 8-4, 6-1
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2023, area
RETURNING STARTERS: DT Caiden Robinson, DE Kahliel Prater, DE Kevin Cupp, LB Noah Sheppard, LB Caleb Alvarez, CB/WR Braylin Vasquez, QB Kason Kolle, C Dustin Mejia, G Mason Mendoza, OT John Rivera, TE Clayton Diebel.
BY GABE MYERS gmyers@vicad.com
Victoria West will be leaning heavily on its offensive and defensive lines.
Center Braden Merritt and defensive end Trevor Robinson are seniors who are entering their third season as starters. The two played key roles in the Warriors' late-season surge in 2023, now they will be tasked with leading the Warriors into 2024.
"It's awesome, especially when you have three-year starters in there," Victoria West head coach Courtney Boyce said of the Warriors' experience on the line. "Braden has been an anchor on the
VICTORIA WEST WARRIORS
COACH: Courtney Boyce
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 6-7, 4-3 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2023, regional semifinal
RETURNING STARTERS: DB Joseph Delagarza, DL Trevor Robinson, DL Jesus Avala Gamez, LB Noah Neibrandt, DB Jack Starlin, WR Jeret Swanson, RB Jenesis Jeffries, WR James Kelly, OL Hayden Michalk, OL Braden Merritt, OL Cruz Medina.
Victoria
offensive line, he's the captain and Trevor's motor on the field, how hard he goes just sets the standard for everyone."
Robinson and Merritt will be dealing with changing surroundings in this season. That's not only the result of the Warriors entering into a new and likely tougher District 13-5A, Division II.
Robinson and his defensive teammates are transitioning into a new scheme, coordinated by Jacob Huckaby, who joined the program from Magnolia West.
Robinson, along with senior linebacker Noah Neibrandt, the team's leading tackler last season, are going to be the two key pieces in a retooled Warrior defense.
"There's been a lot of great communication on defense with the new scheme," Boyce said. "Trevor really sets the tone for us and then Noah is a football player, you just get him on the field and let him go to work."
2024
GAMES TO WATCH
YOAKUM AT CALHOUN
Bulldogs and Sandcrabs play for the third straight season.
WEEK
1
COLUMBUS AT CUERO
Gobblers open the season against state-ranked Cardinals
HALLETTSVILLE AT SHINER
Lavaca County foes play for the 22nd time.
WEEK
2
WEEK 3
VICTORIA EAST AT VICTORIA WEST
Titans and Warriors play for the 15th time.
EDNA AT BAY CITY
Preseason ranked teams meet for fifth straight year.
GREGORY-PORTLAND
AT VICTORIA EAST
Former district opponents square off.
CUERO AT YOAKUM
DeWitt County rivals play for the 115th time.
EDNA AT INDUSTRIAL
Jackson County rivals are no longer in the same classification after playing twice last season.
WHARTON AT EL CAMPO
Wharton County rivals play for the 99th time.
WEEK 4
VICTORIA EAST AT SEGUIN
Titans’ first game in their new district.
CORPUS CHRISTI MILLER AT CUERO
Buccaneers visit Gobbler Stadium.
GOLIAD AT TIDEHAVEN
Tigers vs. Tigers in El Maton.
CORPUS CHRISTI LONDON AT REFUGIO
Bobcats get early-season test.
REFUGIO AT EDNA
Bobcats and Cowboys play for the fifth straight season.
TIDEHAVEN AT HALLETTSVILLE
Tigers travel to Brahma Memorial Stadium.
GANADO AT TIDEHAVEN
State semifinalist visits state finalist.
ST. JOSEPH AT HALLETTSVILLE SACRED HEART
Flyers and Indians last played each other in 2020.
WEEK 5
VICTORIA WEST AT SAN ANTONIO MCCALLUM
Warriors’ first game in their new district.
WEEK 6
TIDEHAVEN AT INDUSTRIAL
Tigers and Cobras become district opponents again.
WEEK 7
WEEK 8
VICTORIA WEST AT ALAMO HEIGHTS
Warriors to face preseason state-ranked team in a district game.
WEEK 9
CUERO AT SINTON
Gobblers and Pirates renew their rivalry.
FALLS CITY AT SHINER
Beavers and Comanches play for the first time since 2017.
WEIMAR AT GANADO
Wildcats and Indians square off in a district game.
WEEK 10
EL CAMPO AT BAY CITY
The 121st meeting and 105th consecutive game in the state’s oldest continuous rivalry.
GOLIAD AT EDNA
Tigers and Cowboys face off in a game that decided the district championship last season.
SHINER ST. PAUL AT HALLETTSVILLE SACRED HEART
Lavaca County rivals play for the 65th time.
BROWNSVILLE ST. JOSEPH AT ST. JOSEPH
Flyers end the long wait and open district play.
WEEK 11
EL CAMPO AT CALHOUN
Ricebirds and Sandcrabs last played in 2021.
SMITHSON VALLEY AT VICTORIA EAST
Titans close out regular season against last year’s state finalist.
CALHOUN AT BAY CITY
Sandcrabs and Blackcats play for the first time since 2005.
YOAKUM AT HALLETTSVILLE
Bulldogs and Brahmas play for the 80th time.
SHINER AT YORKTOWN
Comanches at Wildcats close out district play.
2024
VICTORIA EAST
8/30 @ Georgetown – 7 PM
9/6 - @ Victoria West – 7 PM
9/13 – VS Gregory Portland – 7 PM
9/20 - @ Seguin – 7 PM
9/27 – VS New Braunfels – 7 PM
10/4 – BYE
10/11 - @ SA MacArthur – 7 PM
10/17 - @ SA Wagner – 7 PM
10/25 – VS Boerne Champion – 7 PM
11/1 - @ Pieper – 7 PM
11/7 – VS Smithson Valley – 7 PM
VICTORIA WEST
8/30 – VS Lockhart – 7 PM
9/6 – VS Victoria East – 7 PM
9/13 – @ SA Sam Houston – 7 PM
9/20 – VS Beeville – 7 PM
9/27 - @ SA McCollum – 7 PM
10/4 – VS Kerrville Tivy – 7 PM
10/11 - @ SA Alamo Heights – 7 PM
10/18 – VS Boerne – 7 PM
10/25 – @ SA Harlandale – 7 PM
11/1 – BYE
11/8 – SA Veterans Memorial – 7 PM
ST. JOSEPH
8/30 – VS Katy Harmony @ Edna – 6 PM
9/6 - @ Palacios – 7 PM
9/13 - VS Tomball Rosehill @ Cuero – 7 pm
9/20 - @ Hallettsville Sacred Heart – 7 PM
9/27 – VS Fort Worth Christian @ Cuero – 7 PM
10/4 - @ Spring Frassati – 7 PM
10/11 – BYE
10/18 - @ Katy St. John XXIII – 7 PM
10/25 – VS Brownsville St. Joseph @ Cuero – 7 PM
11/1 – VS St. Anthony @ Memorial – 7 PM
11/8 - @ SA Christian – 7 PM
BAY CITY
8/30 - @ Sweeny – 7 pm
9/6 – VS Edna – 7 pm
9/13 – @ Columbia – 7 pm
9/20 – VS Sealy - 7 PM
9/26 - @ Brazosport – 7 PM
10/4 – BYE
10/11 – VS Floresville - 7:30 PM
10/18 - @ LaVernia - 7:30 PM
10/25 – VS El Campo – 7:30 PM
11/1 – @ Beeville - 7:30 PM
11/8 – VS Calhoun - 7:30 PM
BEEVILLE
8/30 – VS Sinton – 7:30 PM
9/5 - @ Orange Grove – 7 PM
9/13 – VS Ingleside – 7:30 PM
9/20 - @ Victoria West – 7:30 PM
9/27 – VS Hallettsville – 7:30 PM
10/4 – BYE
10/11 – VS El Campo – 7:30 PM
10/18 - @ Calhoun – 7:30 PM
10/25 – VS LaVernia – 7:30 PM
11/1 – VS Bay City – 7:30 PM
11/8 - @ Floresville – 7:30 PM
BLOOMINGTON
8/30 - @ Woodsboro – 7:30 PM
9/6 - @ Louise – 7:30 PM
9/13 – VS Ben Bolt – 7:30 PM
9/20 – VS Van Vleck – 7:30 PM
9/27 – VS Danbury – 7:30 PM
10/4 - @ Flatonia – 7:30 PM
10/11 – VS Kenedy – 7:30 PM
10/18 - @ Weimar – 7:30 PM
10/25 – VS Schulenburg – 7:30 PM
11/1 - @ Ganado – 7:30 PM
11/8 – BYE
CALHOUN
8/30 – VS Yoakum – 7 PM
9/6 - @ Sinton – 7 PM
9/13 – VS St. John’s – 7 PM
9/20 - @ Stafford – 7 PM
9/27 – VS MX Football – 7 PM
10/4 – BYE
10/11 @ LaVernia – 7:30 PM
10/18 – VS Beeville – 7:30 PM
10/25 - @ Floresville – 7:30 PM
11/1 – VS El Campo – 7:30 PM
11/8 - @ Bay City – 7:30 PM
CUERO
8/30 – VS Columbus – 7 PM
9/6 - @ LaVernia – 7:30 PM
9/13 – Yoakum – 7:30 PM
9/20 – CC Miller – 7 PM
9/27 - @ Belton – 7:30 PM
10/4 – VS Harligen – 7 PM
10/11 – VS Rockport-Fulton – 7 PM
10/18 - @ Sinton – 7 PM
10/25 – BYE
11/1 – VS Ingleside – 7 PM
11/8 - @ Robstown – 7 PM
EDNA
8/30 - @ Industrial – 7 PM
9/6 - @ Bay City – 7 PM
9/13 – VS Refugio – 7:30 PM
9/20 – BYE
9/27 – VS Orange Grove – 7 PM
FOOTBALL SCHEDULE HIGH SCHOOL
10/4 - @ Aransas Pass – 7 PM
10/11 – VS Mathis – 7 PM
10/18 - @ London – 7 PM
10/25 – VS Goliad – 7 PM
11/1 – VS West Oso – 7 PM
11/8 – @ Palacios – 7 PM
EL CAMPO
8/30 – VS Wharton – 7:30 PM
9/6 - @ Bryan Rudder – 7:30 PM
9/13 – VS Fort Bend Dulles – 7:30 PM
9/20 - @ Needvillle – 7 PM
9/27 – VS Giddings – 7:30 PM
10/4 – BYE
10/11 - @ Beeville – 7:30 PM
10/18 – VS Floresville – 7:30 PM
10/25 - @ Bay City – 7:30 PM
11/1 - @ Calhoun – 7:30 PM
11/8 – VS LaVernia – 7:30 PM
FALLS CITY
8/30 - @ Three Rivers – 7:30 PM
9/6 – VS Poth – 7:30 PM
9/13 – VS Stockdale – 7:30 PM
9/20 - @ Brackett – 7:30 PM
9/27 – VS L.A.S.A. – 7:30 PM
10/4 – BYE
10/11 – VS Louise – 7 PM
10/18 - @ Shiner – 7 PM
10/25 – VS Charlotte – 7 PM
11/1 – VS Yorktown – 7 PM
11/8 - @ Pettus – 7 PM
FLATONIA
8/30 - @ Louise – 7:30 PM
9/6 – VS Hallettsville Sacred Heart – 7:30 PM
9/13 – VS Nixon Smiley – 7:30 PM
9/20 - @ Three Rivers – 7:30 PM
9/27 - @ Ganado – 7:30 PM
10/4 – VS Bloomington – 7:30 PM
10/11 - @ Danbury – 730 PM
10/25 – VS Kenedy – 7:30 PM
11/1 - @ Weimar – 7:30 PM
11/8 – VS Schulenburg – 7:30 PM
GANADO
8/30 – VS Van Vleck – 7:30 PM
9/6 – VS Boling – 7:30 PM
9/13 – VS East Bernard – 7:30 PM
9/20 - @ Tidehaven – 7:30 PM
9/27 – VS Flatonia – 7:30 PM
10/4 @ Kenedy – 7:30 PM
10/11 – VS Weimar – 7:30 PM
10/18 - @ Schulenburg – 7:30 PM
10/25 – BYE
11/1 – VS Bloomington – 7:30 PM
11/8 - @ Danbury – 7:30 PM
GOLIAD
8/30 – VS East Bernard – 7:30 PM
9/6 - @ Tidehaven – 7:30 PM
9/13 – VS Industrial – 7:30 PM
9/20 – BYE
9/27 – VS Mathis – 7 PM
10/4 - @ Palacios – 7 PM
10/11 - @ London – 7 PM
10/18 – VS Orange Grove – 7 PM
10/25 - @ Edna – 7 PM
11/1 – VS Aransas Pass – 7 PM
11/8 - @ West Oso – 7 PM
GONZALES
8/30 – VS Central Catholic - 7:30 PM
9/6 - @ Hallettsville - 7:30 PM
9/13 – @ Marion - 7 PM
9/20 – VS Pleasanton - 7:30 PM
10/4 – VS Smithville - 7:30 PM
10/11 - @ Lago Vista - 7:30 PM
10/18 – VS Navarro - 7:30 PM
10/25 @ Wimberley - 7:30 PM
11/1 – VS Salado - 7:30 PM
HALLETTSVILLE
8/30 - @ Shiner – 7:30 PM
9/6 – VS Gonzales – 7:30 PM
9/13 – VS Tidehaven – 7:30 PM
9/20 - @ Rice – 7:30 PM
9/27 - @ Beeville – 7 PM
10/4 – VS Rockport – 7 PM
10/11 - @ Hitchcock – 7 PM
10/18 – BYE
10/25 – VS Hempstead – 7 PM
11/1 - @ Columbus – 7 PM
11/8 – VS Yoakum – 7 PM
HALLETTSVILLE SACRED HEART
8/30 - @ Schulenburg – 7:30 PM
9/6 - @ Flatonia – 7:30 PM
9/13 - @ Louise – 7:30 PM
9/20 - VS Victoria St. Joseph - 7 PM
9/27 - BYE
10/4 - @ Village - 7 PM
10/11 - VS Brazos Christian - 7 PM
10/18 VS Shiner St. Paul – 7:30 PM
10/25 - @ Rosehill Christian - 7 PM
11/1 - @ Central Texas Christian – 7:30 PM
11/9 - VS Covenant Christian - 3 PM
10/4 - VS Tidehaven - 7:30 PM
10/11 - @ Van Vleck - 7:30 PM
10/18 - VS Rice - 7:30 PM
10/25 - @ Boling - 7:30 PM
11/1 - VS East Bernard - 7:30 PM
11/8 - @ Brazos - 7:30 PM
KARNES CITY
8/30 – VS Yorktown – TBD
9/6 - @ Poteet – 7:30 PM
9/13 VS Kenedy – 7:30 PM
9/20 – BYE
9/27 – VS Poth – 7 PM
10/4 - @ Natalia – 7 PM
10/11 – VS YMLA – 7 PM
10/18 - @ Dilley – 7 PM
10/25 – VS Stockdale – 7 PM
11/1 – VS Nixon-Smiley – 7 PM
11/8 - @ Cotulla – 7 PM
KENEDY
8/30 - @ Agua Dulce – 7:30 PM
9/6 – VS Skidmore – 7:30 PM
9/13 - @ Karnes City – 7:30 PM
9/20 - @ Pettus – 7:30 PM
9/27 - @ Schulenburg – 7:30 PM
10/4 – VS Ganado – 7:30 PM
10/11 - @ Bloomington – 7:30 PM
10/18 – VS Danbury – 7:30 PM
10/25 - @ Flatonia – 7:30 PM
11/1 – BYE
11/8 – VS Weimar – 7:30 PM
LOUISE
8/30 – VS Flatonia – 7:30 PM
9/6 – VS Bloomington – 7:30 PM
9/13 – VS Sacred Heart – 7:30 PM
9/20 – VS St. Paul – 7:30 PM
9/28 - @ Woodsboro – 6 PM
10/4 – BYE
10/11 - @ Falls City – 7:30 PM
8/30 - @ Luling – 7 PM
9/6 – VS Three Rivers – 7:30 PM
9/13 - @ Flatonia – 7:30 PM
9/20 BYE
9/27 – VS Cotulla – 7 PM
10/4 - @ Poth – 7 PM
10/11 – VS Natalia – 7 PM
10/18 - @ YMLA – 7 PM
10/25 – VS Dilley – 7 PM
11/1 - @ Karnes City – 7 PM
11/8 – VS Stockdale – 7 PM
PALACIOS
8/30 – VS Tidehaven – 7:30 PM
9/6 – VS St. Joseph – 7 PM
9/13 - @ Danbury – 7:30 PM
9/20 – BYE
9/27 - @ CC West Oso – 7 PM
10/4 – VS Goliad – 7 PM
10/11 – VS Orange Grove – 7 PM
10/18 - @ Aransas Pass – 7 PM
10/25 – VS Mathis – 7 PM
11/1 - @ CC London – 7 PM
11/8 – VS Edna – 7 PM
REFUGIO
8/30 - @ Cotulla – 7:30 PM
9/6 – VS CC London – 7:30 PM
9/13 - @ Edna – 7:30 PM
9/20 - @ Cypress Christian – 7:30
9/27 - @ Premont – 7:30 PM
10/4 – VS Riviera-Kaufer – 7:30 PM
10/11 - @ Santa Maria – 7:30 PM
10/25 – VS Freer – 7:30 PM
11/1 - @ Skidmore-Tynan – 7:30 PM
11/8 – VS Three Rivers – 7:30 PM
RICE CONSOLIDATED
8/30 - @ East Chambers – 7 PM
9/6 – VS Shiner – 7:30 PM
9/12 - @ Weimar – 7:30 PM
11/1 - @ Van Vleck - 7:30 PM 11/8 – BYE
RUNGE
8/30 – VS Pawnee – 7 PM
9/6 - @ Marble Falls – 7 PM
9/13 – VS Victoria Gators – 7 PM
9/20 - @ Medina – 7 PM
9/27 - @ CC Coastal Christian – 7 PM
10/4 – VS CC Annapolis – 7 PM
10/10 – VS Sunnybrook – 7 PM
10/18 – BYE
10/25 – VS Knippa – 7:30 PM
11/1 - @ Prairie Lea – 7:30 PM
11/8 – VS Benavides – 7:30 PM
SCHULENBURG
8/30 – VS Sacred Heart – 7:30 PM
9/6 - @ Rogers – 7:30 PM
9/13 - @ Burton – 7:30 PM
9/20 – VS Brazos – 7:30 PM
9/27 – VS Kenedy – 7:30 PM
10/4 - @ Weimar – 7:30 PM
10/11 – BYE
10/18 – VS Ganado – 7:30 PM
10/25 - @ Bloomington – 7:30 PM
11/1 – VS Danbury – 7:30 PM
11/8 - @ Flatonia – 7:30 PM
SHINER
8/30 – VS Hallettsville – 7:30 PM
9/6 - @ Rice Consolidated – 7:30 PM
9/13 - @ Poth – 7:30 PM
9/20 – VS Industrial – 7:30 PM
9/27 – VS Luling – 7:30 PM
10/4 – BYE
10/11 - @ Charlotte – 7 PM
10/18 – VS Falls City – 7 PM
10/25 - @ Pettus – 7 PM
11/1 – VS Louise – 7 PM
11/8 - @ Yorktown – 7 PM
10/4 – BYE
10/11 VS Covenant Christian – 7:30 PM
10/18 - @ Sacred Heart – 7:30 PM
10/25 – VS Brazos Christian – 7:30 PM
11/1 - @ Rosehill Christian – 7 PM
11/8 – VS Temple CTC – 7:30 PM
TIDEHAVEN
8/30 - @ Palacios – 7:30 PM
9/6 – VS Goliad – 7:30 PM
9/13 - @ Hallettsville – 7:30 PM
9/20 – VS Ganado – 7:30 PM
9/27 – VS Brazos – 7:30 PM
10/4 - @ Industrial – 7:30 PM
10/11 – BYE
10/18 – VS Van Vleck – 7:30 PM
10/25 - @ Rice Consolidated – 7:30 PM
11/1 – VS Boling – 7:30 PM
11/8 - @ East Bernard – 7:30 PM
VAN VLECK
8/30 - @ Ganado – 7:30 PM
9/6 - @ Sweeny – 7:30 PM
9/13 – VS Woodlands Christian -7:30 PM
9/20 - @ Bloomington – 7:30 PM
9/27 – VS East Bernard – 7:30 PM
10/4 - @ Brazos – 7:30 PM
10/11 – VS Industrial – 7:30 PM
8/30 - @ Boling – 7:30 PM
9/6 – VS Somerville – 7:30 PM
9/12 – VS Rice Consolidated - 7:30 PM
9/20 - @ SA Holy Cross – 7 PM
10/4 – VS Schulenburg – 7:30 PM
10/11 @ Ganado – 7:30 PM
10/18 VS Bloomington – 7:30 PM
10/25 - @ Danbury – 7:30 PM
11/1 – VS Flatonia – 7:30 PM
11/8 - @ Kenedy – 7:30 PM
WHARTON
8/30 - @ El Campo – 7 PM
9/6 – VS E.E. Worthing – 7 PM
9/13 – VS Houston MSTC – 7 PM
9/20 - @ Hempstead – 7 PM
9/27 - @ West Columbia – 7 PM
10/4 – VS La Marque – 7 PM
10/11 - @ Harmony Sugarland – 7 PM
10/18 – BYE
10/25 – VS Harmony Katy – 7 PM
11/1 - @ Royal – 7 PM
11/8 – VS Sweeny – 7 PM
WOODSBORO
8/30 – VS Bloomington – 7:30 PM
9/6 - @ Charlotte – 7 PM
9/13 – VS Riviera – 7 PM
11/1 – BYE
11/8 – VS Ben Bolt – 7 PM
YOAKUM
8/30 - @ Calhoun - 7 PM
9/6 - @ Industrial - 7 PM
9/13 - VS Cuero - 7 PM
9/20 - @ West Columbia - 7 PM
9/27 - VS Austin Hyde Park - 7 PM
10/4 - VS Blanco - 7 PM
10/11 - VS Homestead - 7:30 PM
10/18 - @ Columbus - 7:30 PM
10/25 - BYE
11/1 - VS Hitchcock - 7:30 PM
11/8 - @ Hallettsville - 7:30 PM
YORKTOWN
8/30 - @ Karnes City – 7 PM
9/6 – VS Banquete – 7 PM
9/13 – VS Skidmore-Tynan – 7 PM
9/20 - @ Taft – 7 PM
9/27 – VS Bruni – 7 PM
10/4 – BYE
10/11 – VS Pettus – 7 PM
10/18 - @ Charlotte – 7 PM
10/25 – VS Louise – 7 PM
11/1 - @ Falls City – 7 PM
11/8 – VS Shiner – 7 PM
JADA ANDREWS
2023 STATISTICS
RUSHING: 248-1,647 yards, 22 TDs
RECEIVING: 26-296 yards, 6 TDs
RETURNS: 15-372 yards, 1 TD
BLITTLE BIG MAN
Bay City’s Jada Andrews performance looms large
BY MIKE FORMAN mforman@vicad.com
AY CITY – Jada Andrews will turn 18 on Halloween.
The treat Andrews is looking for is to help Bay City win its first district championship since before he was born and make a long playoff run.
Andrews enters his senior year with the Blackcats ranked No. 10 in the state preseason poll.
Bay City is favored to win its first district title since it was a co-champ in 2004, and its first outright district championship since 2003, which is the last time it advanced to the state final.
“It would mean the world,” Andrews said. “I know a lot of my teammates would get opportunities from that. It would mean a lot for the program.”
Andrews has played a major role in the Blackcats’ resurgence since making the varsity as a freshman.
He helped Bay City advance to the area playoffs last year by rushing for 1,647 yards and 22 touchdowns, and accounting for 2,315 all-purpose yards and 29 touchdowns.
Andrews won the Built Ford Tough High School Player of the Week award after rushing for 306 yards and four touchdowns and catching a touchdown pass in the Blackcats’ 50-17 win over Needville.
“I’ve been playing football for a very, very long time, probably since I was 7,” Andrews said. “My parents always took me to the track and I worked on my footwork. I also played soccer and that helped a lot.”
Andrews’ accomplishments are even more impressive considering he stands about 5-foot-5 and weighs
somewhere between 150 to 160 pounds.
“He’s not very big, but he has a big heart,” said Bay City head coach Robert Jones. “That’s why he’s been on the varsity since his freshman year. He’s got a great jump cut and good vision, it’s just been a matter of him learning to be patient and not trying to score a touchdown on every play.”
Andrews attributes much of his improvement to getting stronger each year. He competed at the state meet in powerlifting last season and tied for fourth place in the 148-pound class with a total lift of 1,420 pounds, including a squat of 540 pounds and a dead lift of 520 pounds.
But the most important stride Andrews has made is learning how to follow his blockers and taking advantage of his short stature.
“I never knew what my linemen were doing on a running play,” he said. “I never knew if my lineman was pulling or kicking out or whatever. I started watching film when I was a sophomore and learned to stay behind my linemen for as long as I can. I feel like after I pass the linebacker, it’s an automatic touchdown.”
Andrews participated in camps at Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin and Texas A&M-Kingsville over the summer, and earned his first offer from Howard Payne.
He’s determined to be part of a class that ends Bay City's district title drought and brings back the tradition of long playoff runs.
“We’re finally starting to have upperclassmen who actually care and who love the game of football,” Andrews said. “It’s all of us believing in what we’re doing and doing what we have to do.That’s where it starts first. We’ve never really had people to really look up to until we started to get older.”
Bay City, El Campo join Calhoun, Beeville in
new
district
BBY MIKE FORMAN mforman@vicad.com
ay City head coach Robert Jones is no stranger to success. He was part of a number of playoff runs while playing running back at his alma mater, including an appearance in the state final.
But the program he took over at Bay City had made three postseason appearances in 12 years.
The Blackcats have been on the rebound since Jones became head coach, and go into this season ranked No. 10 in the Class 4A, Division I state poll.
“The last two years we’ve been very successful and some of those guys have been in the program and are three-year starters,” Jones said. “Those guys kind of have a grasp of what’s expected out of them. Those guys who are seniors want to be district champs. We’ve been chasing it the last two years.”
Bay City will go after a district title after moving from Region III to Region IV and joining a district with El Campo and four different teams.
The district will include four-ranked teams, with El Campo at No. 11, La Vernia at No. 24, and Calhoun at No. 25.
“Our district definitely got a lot tougher,” said Calhoun head coach Richard Whitaker. “It’s going to be a really tough district. I think our district has as good of a shot as anybody to represent this region.”
The Sandcrabs have most of their skill players returning, but will have to replace a number of starters on the offensive and defensive lines.
But Calhoun hopes its option offense will give it an edge against teams more accustomed to defending spread offenses.
“We think we do something that is unique,” Whitaker said. “It’s all about execution. Whatever you’re going to do is about execution and taking care of the ball and playing sound defense.”
El Campo went through a transition last season in Travis Reeve’s first year as head coach. But the Ricebirds made the playoffs and are much further along heading into this season.
“It makes a huge difference having been through a full season and then a full offseason,” Reeve said. “The kids and coaches have a better understanding of what we’re trying to accomplish and the way we go about doing things. Last year at this time, we were just trying to learn where to line up and what to do. This year, we’ve been able to focus a lot more on getting good at what we do.”
Beeville, La Vernia and Floresville will be under the direction of new head coaches.
Dave Holmgreen has been busy getting to know his players and hiring assistants since being named the head coach at Beeville in June.
Holmgreen came to Beeville from Gregory-Portland and plans to implement a similar system for the Trojans.
“We’ll be going with what I like to do,” Holmgreen said. “I think it’s going to fit our kids really well. It’s what we ran at G-P, a power spread. The kids know how to run the ball. They’re capable of slinging that rock a little bit too. So we’re going to try and implement our strengths on both ends of that.”
Five of the six district teams made the playoffs last season, and the teams advancing this season could have a chance to challenge for a regional title.
“We feel like we’re in the toughest district in Region IV,” Reeve said. “You’ve got some perennial powers in our district. We think the four teams in our district are going to be some of the best in the region.”
DISTRICT 15-4A, DIVISION I
BAY CITY BLACKCATS
COACH: Robert Jones
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 8-4, 4-2 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2023, area
RETURNING STARTERS: QB Alex Estrada, RB Jada Andrews, WR Xylan Williams, WR Jordan Johnson, WR Keaton Nunez, C Jacob Pesina, G Alex Burciaga, G Jorge Russo, CB Mack Curtis, MLB Jaden Malone, OLB James Copeland, OLB Isaiah Gonzales, DE Cameron Spencer, S Michael Franklin.
CALHOUN SANDCRABS
COACH: Richard Whitaker
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 9-5, 4-1 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2023 regional final
RETURNING STARTERS: QB Alex Parker, SB/FS Darrik Salinas, SB Holton Hadley, SE Gunner McCall, TE Fischer Frank, OT Jonathan Falcon, G Ricky Martinez, ILB Colton Judd, SS Cesar Aguilar, CB Izaiah Cabrales, P/K Cesar Aguilar.
BEEVILLE TROJANS
COACH: Dave Holmgreen
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 8-4, 3-2 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2023, area
RETURNING STARTERS: DL Fabian Brako, DL C.J. Villarreal, DL Ayden Sarate, LB Beto Gonzales, LB Preston Alvarado, DB/WR Davyon Perez, DB/QB Beau Auztons, DB/WR Landon Zamora, OL Jesus Martinez, OL Peyton Torres, OL Justin Flores, OL Arnulfo Puga, RB Ryne Elizondo, RB Damien Vasquez, WR Malichi Brooks, WR Brayden Bates.
EL CAMPO RICEBIRDS
COACH: Travis Reeve
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 6-6, 3-3 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2023, area
RETURNING STARTERS: OT James Dorotik, G O’Braeveon Ball, QB Ridge Spenrath, WR Quincy Thornton, WR Stacy Norman, WR/DB Peyton Perkins, DL Clay Stehling, DE Darrion Holmes, LB Riley Riha, LB Will Rod, DB Austin Babcock.
Wharton hopes to improve in new look district
BY GABE MYERS gmyers@vicad.com
After being in one of the state's toughest districts for the last two years, Wharton is getting a break from February's realignment.
Bellville, a state finalist in 2023, is out of the district along with Sealy, another playoff team from last season.
Wharton is still part of a seven-team district, but Bellville and Sealy are being replaced by two first-year UIL football programs. Harmony School of Innovation Katy and Harmony School of
Innovation Sugar Land join the district in their first seasons in the UIL.
Last season, Wharton ended with a 1-9 overall record and a 0-6 district record. Its lone win came in the season opener, a 12-8 victory against Houston Washington.
The district does return two playoff teams, second-place Columbia and third-place Brookshire Royal. In 2024 Wharton will hope to break through into the postseason for the first time since 2019.
“We’re definitely going to have to do a good job of getting our kids prepared week in and week out and throwing some wrinkles at some teams,” Dotson said.
WHARTON TIGERS
COACH: Alvin Dotson
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 1-9, 0-5 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2019, bi-district
RETURNING STARTERS: QB JaKeon Jackson, RB Brandon Sims, WR Jo Jo Wiley, WR Jaccoric Allen, WR Ja’Marion Benoil, WR Keilon Jackson, G Jamal Hays, OT Alden Sanchez, G Antonio Cuevas, DE Eric Samuel, NG Messiah Mcmillian, OLB Jacoryan Dickerson, OLB Timothy Williams, ILB Landon Williams, ILB Jase Ramos, CB Jaylon Baldridge, CB Nick Gutierrez.
DISTRICT 13-4A, DIVISION II
Gonzales aims to continue building in tougher district
BY GABE MYERS gmyers@vicad.com
Gonzales will enter a tougher district in 2024, but with even higher expectations.
The Apaches were one of the teams most affected by realignment, joining almost an entirely new district for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
After going 5-1 and earning a second-place finish in 2023, the Apaches look to build on that success and return to the postseason.
"We have the same expectations, and they are rising for us," said Gonzales head coach Joey Rivera. "Each year our expectations from our kids have increased and we know this is a tougher district but our expectation level has increased."
Gonzales spent the last several years in a district with perennial powerhouse Cuero. The Apaches no longer have Cuero, but they do
have another perennial contender in Wimberley. A team that has made the state semifinals in each of the last two seasons.
Navarro, Lago Vista and Jarrell also accompany Gonzales in this new district, giving this district five playoff teams from last season.
"We have the expectation that we don't just go into these districts to hang around," Rivera said. "We're in this district to compete for a district championship and go far in the playoffs."
Gonzales has made jumps in Rivera's first two years as the head coach. After inheriting a 2-8 program, the Apaches went 4-6 in year one under Rivera and 7-4 last season. Now in year three, with a program that is more established, Gonzales looks to make noise in one of the toughest districts in Region IV.
"Our expectation level this year, in year three is even more," Rivera said. "Our kids understand our offense and defense, we're not teaching terminology anymore or any basic stuff, we're ready to take that next step."
GONZALES APACHES
COACH: Joey Rivera
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 6-4, 4-1 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2023, bi-district
RETURNING STARTERS: DB/RB David Clack, DT/OL Omar Borjon, OL Gary Lewis, DB/QB Travis Malveaux, OL Gustavo Martinez-Rodriguez, WR Damion Hurd, OLB Isaac Gonzales, DT Dylan Hunt, DB Davion Pitts, DE Jermaine Upshaw, K Brandon Duenez.
DISTRICT 15-4A, DIVISION II
Cuero welcomes return to Region IV
BY MIKE FORMAN mforman@vicad.com
Cuero was pleased when realignment brought it back into Region IV.
But the Gobblers didn’t shy away from the competition in Region III.
Cuero advanced to the semifinals in 2022, and made it to the regional semifinals last season.
“Obviously, you see really good teams and really athletic teams in Region III,” said Cuero head coach Jerod Fikac. “I think we’re going to take the fact that we played against some very good athletes and you see a ton of speed. Being able to be quicker to adjust to some of that stuff and playing different people than Cuero is used to playing will be a positive thing for sure.”
Cuero will see more familiar teams in its district this season, including Sinton, which it has scrimmaged the past two seasons.
The biggest downside for the Gobblers was being placed in a fiveteam district, which means they will play six non-district games.
Cuero will not be able to ease into district play with Columbus, La
Vernia, Yoakum, Corpus Chrsiti Miller, Belton and Harlingen on the schedule, which might be one of the reasons the Gobblers weren’t in the top 10 of the preseason state poll..
“Seeing that type of speed early on, we’re going to have to be ready for that,” Fikac said. “We’ll see what our depth is like. The biggest thing is having our guys prepared to be playing their best later in the season.”
Jaxxon Marie is likely to take over at quarterback and will play behind an offensive line that returns two three-year starters and one two-year starter.
“He’s had a very good summer and displayed good leadership,” Fikac said of Marie. “He can make all the throws. We’re looking at him to come in and have a big year. He’s just gotta get himself comfortable when the Friday night speed starts going.”
Defensively, Cuero will look to three-year starter Jace Gamez and Connor Kubesch to fill the linebacker role handled by Sean Burks and Brandt Patek the last two seasons.
The biggest question mark for the Gobblers could be at running back.
“There always seems to be a kid who steps up in Cuero,” Fikac said. “We could have guys going both ways so there could be a committee type of backfield for us.”
CUERO GOBBLERS
COACH: Jerod Fikac
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 12-1, 5-0 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2023, regional semifinal
RETURNING STARTERS: WR Brayden Hernandez, RB Seandylan Salazar, OL Cash Cooper, OL Hayden Carter, OL Jayden Winfield, DB Jaxxon Marie, DL Connor Kubesch, WR/DB Walker Dietze, DB Kaimarye Lopez, LB Barrett Smith, LB Trevor Seals, LB Jace Gamez, DL Ka’son Roy.
"It's changed the way that we're going to practice, we're going to practice more good on good this year," Ford said. "Iron sharpens iron and we're going to have our best guys competing against each other every day to continue to raise that level."
A big part of that good-on-good preparation will include senior Braylin Vasquez. Vasquez primarily played cornerback in 2023, while moonlighting as a wide receiver, earning first-team alldistrict honors in the defensive backfield. This spring and summer, Vasquez has been seen playing more on the offensive side as a wide receiver.
East will need to replace a lot of production at receiver and running back with the loss of the team's two leading rushers, Nijahrell Prater and Jaden Williams along with leading receiver Bryson Ortega. Vasquez figures to factor heavily into the East offensive equation, one that will be predicated on finding the matchups.
"I'm a huge formation guy, we're going to move our guys around and find the right matchups, find the space," Ford said. "We're going to take what the defense gives us, we're going to find that grass and be ready to take advantage of that."
East made the postseason last season and won a playoff game for the first time since 2016. With much of the defense back, along with Vasquez and quarterback Kason Kolle, the Titans are aiming to take the next step in 2024, even in a tougher district.
"The No. 1 goal of course is to make the playoffs, but we want to take that next step," Ford said. "Go three, four rounds deep and just build and keep stacking good performances and get better every week." EAST CONT. FROM PG 6
WEST CONT. FROM PG 7
Offensively, the Warriors will be transitioning as well. While the Warriors do return three starters on the offensive line, Merritt, Hayden Michalk and Cruz Medina, there will be a new starting quarterback and running back. Both of those position battles have carried into preseason practices.
At quarterback, senior DJ Martinez and junior Nolan Boyce have been battling for the starting spot throughout the spring and summer.
"I think both of them have been advancing, competing and they've been working together," Boyce said. "They both got things they do really well and it's just exciting to see them compete."
Boyce has said he will allow the position battle to play out, and perhaps even have both players take snaps during the early portion of the season before the Warriors decide on a permanent starter.
At running back, the Warriors are looking to replace Kamauri Montgomery. There have been three players seeing significant time at running back: Alonzo Hernandez, Brodie Flores and Jenesis Jeffries, who started for the Warriors at wide receiver last season.
"They compliment each other well, they all do different things really well," Boyce said. "It's going to be about whatever moves the chains."
West is starting a new era in the program, moving down to 5A, Division II and will no longer be in the same district as Victoria East.
The move into what is anticipated to be a much tougher district is being taken seriously and West will be attempting to raise its level in 2024.
"The kids definitely know what the talent level is of the opponents we're going to play," Boyce said. "They know the history of them and we’ve got to raise our level of play."
BRAYLEN HARRIS
2023 STATISTICS
RECEPTIONS: 53-1,531 yards, 28 TDs
RUSHING: 4-34 yards, 2 TDs
RETURNS: 214 yards, 1 TD
TACKLES: 14
FUMBLE RECOVERIES: 2
INTERCEPTIONS: 1
MULTITALENTED
Edna seeks to take advantage of Braylen Harris’ versatility
BY MIKE FORMAN mforman@vicad.com
EDNA – A lot of speculation around Edna has centered around what position Braylen Harris is going to play as a senior.
A better question might be where is Harris not going to play?
Harris could line up at quarterback, wide receiver or running back on offense, and cornerback or safety on defense.
“We’ve just got to do a good job of moving him around and finding different packages for him that he feels comfortable with,” said Edna head coach Jimmie Mitchell. “It’s kind of up to us to get him in a situation where he can have success.”
Harris had a breakout junior season at wide receiver for the Cowboys, who advanced to the Class 3A, Division I semifinals.
He caught 53 passes for 1,531 yards and 25 touchdowns, while also rushing for 94 yards and two touchdowns, and adding 214 return yards and one touchdown.
“I think it was a mindset thing,” Harris said. “With Floyd (Ragsdale) leaving, I had to step up and have a crazy year. It was like, ‘If I’m not going to do it, who is?’ I think it was a mindset thing to field that spot.”
Harris has shown a willingness to play wherever he is needed, and is certain his versatility will benefit him in the future.
“It kind of makes me look a little better just being diverse and playing different positions,” he said. “I feel like it will confuse the other teams. You can’t concentrate on stopping one person, so it will be good to move me around.”
Mitchell and his staff have been working on formations to put Harris in the best situation possible
for the Cowboys, who are ranked No. 5 in the preseason state poll.
“There’s a fine line of having certain packages with him at quarterback, and trying to get him in places where he’s one-on-one,” Mitchell said. “We’re pretty confident there are not very many people who can cover him like that.
“On defense, he’s unbelievable too. He’s really smart. He can play cornerback, which he’s really good at. We can put him in there at safety in passing situations. He’s a super-intelligent kid so he’s going to be able to do a lot of different things.”
Harris played quarterback as a freshman on the junior varsity team. He got reps at quarterback in 7on7 over the summer and he spent a lot of the summer throwing to receivers.
“It’s just knowing what the linemen are doing and reading the defense that will probably be the biggest change,” he said. “Instead of just running a route and being in a spot and reading the defender, I have to see the whole defense and know what everybody else is doing.”
Harris’ goal for his senior season is to have 2,000 all-purpose yards, and to avoid the inconsistencies which plagued Edna last season.
“I think it’s a matter of having leaders and not getting down,” Harris said. “Picking each other up and not just being down on your teammates and just encouraging everybody.”
The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Harris is a four-sport athlete, who has offers from Florida A&M and Murray State.
Mitchell expects Harris to attract more offers when teams realize his potential.
“He’s really young,” Mitchell said. “He’s one of those kids who started early. I think he’s one of those kids who are going to be a 17-year-old senior. That’s unfortunate for us because he just started maturing.
DISTRICT 12-3A, DIVISION I
Hallettsville and Yoakum look to upset district's power structure
BY GABE MYERS gmyers@vicad.com
Hallettsville and Yoakum know the challenge they're up against in District 12-3A, Division I. Columbus and Hitchcock enter the season as two of the top five teams in the classification, with two of the best quarterbacks in the entire state.
"It starts with Columbus and Hitchcock," Hallettsville head coach Levi Montgomery said. "Both of their quarterbacks are pretty special."
For Hallettsville, combating the elite quarterback play in this district will come with a philosophical change in 2024.
In the second season under Montgomery, the Brahmas will be running the veer on offense. The goal is to become a more ball control oriented offense that keeps the high-powered offenses of Columbus and Hitchcock on the sidelines.
"I'm a defensive guy at heart and at times the best defense there is, is a good running game," Montgomery said. "We want to control the clock and if our defense is on the sidelines with our offense running the ball at 4 or 5 yards a clip then that's the best thing for us."
Hallettsville's shift in philosophy is not only about beating its highly-touted district opponents, but also playing to its own strengths. The Brahmas return three starters on the offensive line, a unit that Montgomery believes will drive the Brahmas in 2024.
"One of our strengths is going to be the offensive line, and we have to be able to run the football and control tempo," Montgomery said. "We're really excited about our offensive line, running backs and ability to run the ball and control the game."
Yoakum's returns much of its offense from a season ago. Wide receiver X'zavier Barnett had a breakout sophomore campaign in 2023, and now will be the feature player in 2024.
Barnett is not the only key player back for the Bulldogs. Yoakum returns four of its five starters on the offensive line along with running back Trae Cuellar, who could move to quarterback.
Breaking through to the top half of the district's playoff picture is vital to postseason success for Hallettsville and Yoakum. With the first-round matchups coming from a district featuring perennial powers Franklin and Cameron Yoe, district play becomes even more urgent.
The Brahmas and Bulldogs realize the importance of upsetting their own district's power struggle if they want to have an extended stay in the postseason.
RETURNING STARTERS: WR/LB X’zavier Barnett, RB/S Trae Cuellar, WR Kennan Dllworth, WR/S Jamar Hopkins, OL River Bergman, OL Oliver Ortiz, OL Jayden Johnson, OL Brett Lerch, LB Ryder Harris.
DISTRICT 15-3A, DIVISION I
Goliad and Edna have high hopes in familiar district
BY GABE MYERS gmyers@vicad.com
In 2023, Goliad broke Edna's stranglehold on District 15-3A, Division I with a 21-6 win on the way to a district championship.
The win over Edna gave Goliad a lot of confidence last season, as the Tigers made a run to the regional semifinals.
"It was big to finally get over that hump, but we were still hungry for more and not just satisfied with that," said Goliad head coach Kevin Salazar. "I think after last year we now know that we belong, we can play in big ball games and that just builds the confidence of our guys."
Goliad took its place among the region's best in 2023, but has bigger plans for this season.
Returning the district's offensive player of the year in Donovan Perry, all five starters on the offensive line and seven starters from a defense that allowed just 14.9 points per game last season, Salazar has his most complete team yet in Goliad.
"These kids know our expectations and they're ready to do something big," Salazar said. "There's a lot of excitement in our
program right now and we're looking forward to putting together a big year."
While Goliad won the district, it was Edna which won the region for the second season in a row. The Cowboys have made back-toback semifinal appearances, and while they lost Jaiden Clay, a fouryear starter at quarterback, the expectations are still high.
"The goals pretty much always stay the same," said Edna head coach Jimmie Mitchell. "You want to go 10-0, you want to be district champion, you want to be regional champion and eventually you want to be the state champion."
The Cowboys return Braylen Harris, one of the state's top wide receivers in 2023. This season, Harris will be utilized in more creative ways as Edna tinkers with its offense.
"He's special, he's smart and he's going to do a lot of different things for us," Mitchell said. "We've got to be able to utilize him in certain ways to give us the best chance to win, he's a special talent but also extremely smart so he can do a lot of things."
There are some changes to the district after February's realignment. Industrial is out while Orange Grove and Corpus Christi West Oso enter the district.
While both Edna and Goliad enter the season ranked in the top
GOLIAD TIGERS
COACH: Kevin Salazar
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 10-3, 6-0 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2023, regional semifinal
RETURNING STARTERS: RB/FS Donovan Perry, WR/DB Landon Mozisek, OLB Dalley Salas, RB Lathan Martinez, OLB Ty Marek, OLB Phin Wallek, WR Clay Fair, WR/RB Lamont Franklin, FS Cord Zamzow, OLB Korben Welch, LB Angel Hernandez, LB Josh Valdez, C Barrett Garcia, G/DT Caden Gonzalez, G Amon Washington, OT Keantrey Garner, OT D’Adrian Tinney-Anderson.
EDNA COWBOYS
COACH: Jimmie Mitchell
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 11-3, 5-1 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2023, semifinal
RETURNING STARTERS: QB/WR/CB Braylen Harris, WR/CB Keegan Hicks, QB/WR/S Chase Schubert, DT Kody Smith, DT/TE Whit Martin, TE/DE Hunter Buehring, DE/RB Mike Kunkle, WR/S Myles Randel, C Trent Kocian, OT Kornell Norman, OT/DE Peyton McCarrell, LB Tate Mitchell, LB Angel Ovaries, DE Kenyon Turner, S/WR Trevor Floyd, RB/CB Ryland Slusher, G/DT Edgar Perry. dy Koop, OLB Sam Kurtz, S Zach Villarreal.
PALACIOS SHARKS
COACH: Chad Graves
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 2-8, 2-4 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2020 bi-district
RETURNING STARTERS: OL Caden Brooks, ILB Alexander Garcia, OL Augustine Lopez, OL Caleb Malone, RB Isaiah Manrriquez, OL Jensen McKinney, OL Oscar Pargo, DT Kendrick Shadduck, DL Mason Streams, TE Vadden Terrasass, DL James Trammell, QB Ty Trcka, TE Alex Weaver, DB/WR Trey Weixelman, WR/S Noah West.
10 of Dave Campbell's Texas Football rankings, Orange Grove's move down from 4A presents some real competition to the top of the district.
"Orange Grove has always played us tough," Mitchell said. "They have the talent to play with anybody in our district."
Last season it was Corpus Christi London not Edna who gave Goliad its toughest test in district play. The Tigers only allowed 43 points in six district games in 2023, and 29 of those points came from London in a 34-29 victory.
"They've done a great job over there and they’ve got some great athletes," Salazar said. "They're competitive, they've got some really good athletes over there and I think they could be a surprise."
Palacios will attempt to break through to the postseason for the first time since 2020. The Sharks return Ty Trcka at quarterback for his second season as a starter.
With several experienced skill position players the Sharks will try to close in on a playoff spot.
Tidehaven knows repeat will be tough in competitive district
BY MIKE FORMAN mforman@vicad.com
Tidehaven played for its first state championship since 1980 last season.
But the Tigers are hoping to reap the benefits of their playoff run for seasons to come.
“Besides getting an extra six weeks of football, I think they see that a lot of the stuff we’ve been preaching since we’ve been here played out as far putting in the work and playing with heart paid off for us last year,” said Tidehaven head coach David Lucio. “We probably beat some teams maybe we shouldn’t have beaten toward the end there and it had a lot to do with the mentality and the way we approach things.”
The Tigers know a repeat won’t be easy, especially after Industrial replaced Danbury in District 14-3A, Division II.
“I think it’s one of the top three districts in the state of Texas,” said Van Vleck head coach Shannon Permenter. “You’ve got literally seven good football teams. It’s one of those deals where you’re going to have three good teams who are staying home for the playoffs.”
Tidehaven is ranked No. 10 in the preseason poll. East Bernard is ranked No. 13 and Industrial enters the season at No. 21.
“We’ve got a lot of starters to replace,” said Industrial head coach Craig Nairn, whose team lost four offensive and four defensive linemen. “The guys we’re replacing them with all have quite a bit of
experience, just not varsity game experience. It’s just how quickly they adjust to varsity speed.
“The thing that gives me hope is we feel we match up with them athletically,” Nairn continued. “It’s not such a head and shoulder difference. But everybody is better.”
Rice Consolidated showed off its skill by advancing to the semifinals at the state 7 on 7 tournament. The key for the Raiders could be the performance of their offensive and defensive lines.
“We’re going to have anywhere from 16 to 20 seniors, probably 18 is the number, who have all played a lot of varsity football games,” said Rice Consolidated head coach Brad Dumont. “We had a really good offseason, a really good summer. I know what the expectations are for us, but this district is SEC 3A, Division II.”
Van Vleck is also counting on its experienced players.
“We’re kind of senior-laden, which is good,” Permenter said. “Our offensive line last year was very young so we’re expecting them to be much better this year. They got better as the season went along so I’m pretty fired up about them. Being healthy and being able to lead on these seniors is going to be a big deal for us.”
The key for Tidehaven will be replacing players at critical positions.
“Obviously, you’re not going to replace a (running back) Joseph Dodds (at Baylor) or a (defensive end) Justin Griffith (Howard Payne),” Lucio said. “But I’ve got some pretty good kids coming up. Some of them might be sophomores and have some growing to do throughout the season. But as far as athletic ability and grit, I’ve got some pretty good ones to work with.”
DISTRICT 14-3A, DIVISION II
TIDEHAVEN TIGERS
COACH: David Lucio
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 14-1, 6-0 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2023, state final
RETURNING STARTERS: QB Kale Russell, WR Boogie Galvan, HB/OLB Jachen Duran, OL Hayden Culbreath, OL Josiah Duran, OL Ethan Barker, OL Jose Alejo, DE Lebron Garcia, DT Darnell Butler, MLB Bryce Silva, OLB Jacob Martinez, CB T.J. Galvan.
INDUSTRIAL COBRAS
COACH: Craig Nairn
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 8-4, 4-2 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2023, regional semifinal
RETURNING STARTERS: C Kohl Powell, RB Cooper Martin, HB Major Larew, SR Nic Kuchler, ILB Brady Koop, OLB Sam Kurtz, S Zach Villarreal.
RICE CONSOLIDATED RAIDERS
COACH: Brad Dumont
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 4-6, 1-5 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2022 regional final
RETURNING STARTERS: WR Jon Woods, RB Dyron Johnson, DB Robert Bennett, RB/DB Dneriyan Fuller, DE Ta’Marion Tucker, TE Glenn Mills, LB RJ Myers, QB Kor’Dae Johnson, LB O’Marion Johnson, DB Jace Upson, K Jael Serrano Valles, OL Deveron Bennett, OL/DL Zayde Cunningham, OL/DL Gavin Tate, OL Ruston Krenel.
VAN VLECK LEOPARDS
COACH: Shannon Permenter
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 4-7, 3-3 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2023, bi-district
RETURNING STARTERS: QB/LB Wade Hutson, RB/FS Corey Austin, RB/OLB Steve Moore, TE/H/LB Chris Martinez, OT Tanner Arrington, G Dalton Garza, C Lane Dorsett, G Kolby Moss, WR Logan Carter. DT Hector Mares, CB JT Corenfield.
Nixon-Smiley, Karnes City look to close in on playoff picture
DISTRICT 15-3A, DIVISION II
BY GABE MYERS | gmyers@vicad.com
Karnes City and Nixon-Smiley are excited for the challenge that an eight- team district presents.
Realignment made changes to District 15-3A, Division II. Comfort and South San Antonio West are gone, while Cotulla, Stockdale and Young Men's Leadership Academy join the district.
With the changes, there is still no doubt about where the power presides, and that's with the Poth Pirates.
"Poth is Poth," Nixon-Smiley head coach Paul Kirby said. "Now are they unbeatable? No. I think they're beatable and I look forward to playing them."
Karnes City will get its toughest test in the district right away, as it opens district play by hosting the Pirates on Sep. 17. Nixon-Smiley faces the Pirates the following week on Oct. 4.
"It's kind of a double-edged sword," Karnes City coach Chuck Cook said about playing Poth at the start of district. "We're hoping to have some success and come out firing in non-district and come into
KARNES CITY BADGERS
COACH: Chuck Cook
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 1-9, 1-5 district
LAST PLAYOFF
APPEARANCE: 2021, bi-district
RETURNING STARTERS: RB/LB Syrhian Alaniz, OL/DL Benjamin Arriola, OL/DL Jathan Alvear, WR/DB Andrew Crow, OL/DL Brayden Dillingham, OL/DL Brayden Dedear, RB/WR Louis Guerra, WR/LB Coby Lamza, OL/DL Logan Lopez, WR/DB Rene Martinez, TE/LB Hunter Mayes, QB/ DB Colton Perez, WR/DB/K Pedro Serna, RB/LB Israel Soto, OL/DL Michael Steinke, RB/LB Nathan Webb, WR/ DB Rodrick Vasquez.
that game ready to battle."
Karnes City enters the season as a team with plenty of experience. The Badgers return 17 players who started games for them in 2023. After a disappointing 1-9 campaign in 2023, the Badgers look to return to the postseason for the first time since 2021.
"We've developed leaders this offseason and we changed our approach from a coaching standpoint," Cook said. "We want to keep it simple and let our kids play, we don't want them to overthink things out there."
Nixon-Smiley missed out on the postseason by one game in 2023. A loss to Natalia in the final game of the season kept the Mustangs out of playoffs. Just two seasons ago the Mustangs finished 5-1 in district play, earning second place in the district. Kirby believes the hunger is with this group to recapture that form, as the sophomores on this team have been a part of winning before.
"I think there's definitely a hunger here that needs to be fed," Kirby said. "It was really special to make the playoffs and win a playoff game a couple of years ago, these seniors here understood how big of a deal that was and they want to get back to that."
NIXONSMILEY MUSTANGS
COACH: Paul Kirby
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 2-8, 2-4 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2022, area
RETURNING STARTERS: Tristan Mikesh, Aiden Flores, RB/ SS Adrian Zamora, DE/OLB Nicholas Martinez, OLB/ RB John Garza, RB/MLB Garet Gonzales, QSB/FS Eric Rodriguez, Eduardo Betancourt, FB Julian Amaya, Timothy McGlothine, DE/TE Jaylun Rodriguez, Davion Ramos, Adolfo Vasquez, MLB/G Ryan Perez, Jose Olvara, Noah Jenks.
BRYCE ULLMAN
2023 STATISTICS
PASSING: 194-300-8, 3,111 yards, 47 TDs
RUSHING: 112-510 yards, 11 TDs
THANKSGIVING FEAST
Ganado, Refugio appear headed for another showdown
BY MIKE FORMAN mforman@vicad.com
Coaches detest looking ahead and constantly preach to their players to focus on the next game on the schedule. But fans can’t help but speculate and are already looking forward to Thanksgiving weekend.
If Ganado and Refugio do their part, they will meet in the Class 2A, Division I regional semifinals.
The Bobcats and Indians were district opponents last season and split their two meetings. Refugio captured a 30-7 win in a battle for the district championship, before Ganado bounced back to claim a 41-12 win in the regional final.
“We knew from the start of two-a-days, we had the capabilities of making a big run,” said Ganado quarterback Bryce Ullman of the dramatic turnaround. “We had the athletes and the speed. It was just a matter of if we believed in ourselves.”
“We just played a bad game,” said Refugio fullback Jordan King. “Nothing about the game was good at all. Nothing came together. We didn’t play as a team and we didn’t execute very well.”
The roles will be reversed this season, as Ganado is ranked No. 1 in the preseason state poll, and Refugio is ranked No. 2.
“Everyone is thinking about how well they can do all over the state of Texas, every school,” said Ganado head coach Josh Ervin. “We’ll address that on the first day and set goals for the season. After that, we won’t talk about it a whole lot.”
Realignment sent Refugio and Ganado to different districts, which was welcomed by Drew Cox, who took over as Refugio’s head coach when Jason Herring moved to athletic director in the spring.
“One of the benefits and Ganado is probably thinking the same thing is we don’t have to play twice,” Cox said. “It will be a blessing for us and it will be a blessing for them too not having to play twice.”
Ganado and Refugio will rely heavily on Ullman and King, respectively, as they enter their senior seasons.
Ullman passed for 3,111 yards and 47 touchdowns last season, and threw for 191 yards and three touchdowns in the playoff win over the Bobcats.
“The start of the playoffs. That’s when I finally got everything down,” Ullman said. “I knew what I needed to do with every
assignment. That’s actually when we started playing our best and to our whole capabilities as a team and that’s when we showed everybody what we were capable of.”
Ervin saw Ullman make great strides in his first season as a starter, and expects to see continued improvement this season.
“What makes Bryce so good is his accuracy and how smart he is and his decision making,” Ervin said. “Most importantly, is how smart he is. He’s a great leader for the team. They picked him as a captain two years ago just because of his attitude and his work ethic.
“He’s really talented in terms of throwing the football. He does what he’s supposed to do. He makes the right reads most of the time and puts the players in positions where they need to be for what’s best for the offense.”
King has been on the varsity since his freshman year and will also play linebacker this season.
He rushed for 1,462 yards and 32 touchdowns last season, and had 233 yards and one touchdown in the district win over the Indians.
“I love the offense right now. It’s perfect,” said King, who has an offer from Incarnate Word. “I feel like there’s no way we can be stopped. My attitude as a runner is to make something happen and get what you can get. If you can break it, break it.”
Cox has made some changes to the offense and expects King to play a bigger role this season.
“He’s freakish,” Cox said of King, who weighs 212 pounds and runs a 4.49-second 40-yard dash.. “He’s just incredibly strong and fast and has great vision. He’s the whole package.”
Ullman and King are doing their best to follow their coaches directions and keep their minds on the present. But they can’t resist taking a peek into the future.
“The expectation is different,” Ullman said. “Last year, it was to prove everybody wrong. This year, it’s to prove everybody right. It would be a great opportunity to play them again, that’s for sure. It would be an exciting game.”
“We have to stay together and continue to grow as a team,” King said. “We have to get better every week. We can’t stay stagnant. We have to get better every week. That’s a game we’re really looking forward to. We’re hoping we meet them again.”
JORDAN KING
2023 STATISTICS
RUSHING: 141-1,462 yards, 32 TDs, 10.38 yards per carry
RECEIVING: 4-68 yards, 1 TD
Ganado seeks elusive district title and more
BY MIKE FORMAN mforman@vicad.com
Ganado’s No. 1 ranking in the preseason state poll is no surprise considering the Indians return a majority of players from last year’s state semifinal team.
But Ganado hasn’t forgotten the playoff success came without winning a district championship. In fact, the Indians haven’t won a district title since 2013.
“It would be special to win a district championship,” said Ganado head coach Josh Ervin. “It’s one of our goals every year. We haven’t been able to make it happen since we’ve been; it’s something we try to do every year.”
The Indians have the talent and experience to make another deep run with 10 starters returning on defense and eight on offense.
“It’s a new team and a new journey,” Ervin said. “There will be some adversity along the way and whatever happens we’ve just got to find a way to overcome that adversity and be the best we can be.”
Ganado's quest to win a District 15-2A, Division I championship could be challenged by Weimar and Schulenburg, who along with Flatonia were moved south to a new district in realignment.
“We feel like we had a really special group of seniors as far as leadership last year,” said Weimar head coach Wade Griffin. “They really led us and did some good things. The expectations have definitely been raised as far as what we can do. It’s taken off in summer workouts and our level of belief in what we’re doing is pretty
high because of that.”
Schulenburg also has high hopes after a strong finish under head coach Luke Hobbs, who enters his second season.
“I’m very encouraged,” Hobbs said. “I really liked how our kids improved every week last year. I feel like we were playing our best ball later in the year and having a lot of returners coming back and that makes me pretty optimistic about this year.”
Flatonia looks to improve upfront after missing the playoffs last season.
“At the end of the day, you win games in the trenches,” said Flatonia head coach Brent Mascheck. “We have to get that cohesiveness of the offensive and defensive lines and control the line of scrimmage. Also, for us, we’ve got to get a lot better defensively. We just gave up way too many yards and points and that’s going to be a big key for us.”
Bloomington ended its 49-game losing streak last season, and the Bobcats hope to end a playoff drought dating back to 1999 this season.
“There were some positives from last season,” said Lane Shands, who was promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach in March. “Obviously, we won a district game, which hadn’t been done in a while. Building off of that would be winning multiple district games and getting into the postseason. The biggest thing we worked on this offseason was mental toughness. Just us being explosive and mental toughness and finishing.”
Mike Jackson has been trying to catch up since taking over as head coach at Kenedy in June.
DISTRICT 15-2A, DIVISION I
GANADO INDIANS
COACH: Josh Ervin
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 12-3, 5-1 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2023, semifinal
RETURNING STARTERS: WR/LB Landon Hicks, WR/DB Cain Hayden, QB/DB Bryce Ullman, RB/LB Logan Bures, WR/DB Luke Bures, WR/DB Austen Pena, OL/DL Erick Guerrero, OL/DL Carter Kovar, OL/DL David Alameda, OL/DL Luke Green.
“With me coming in so late, it’s going to be a season of transition but that being said, I’ve been fortunate to hire a good staff and an experienced staff in a short amount of time,” Jackson said. “We’re going to try to coach the boys up and maximize our potential.”
Ganado has the potential to make this a historic season, but Ervin is taking nothing for granted.
“We have to ignore the outside noise and focus on what we can control,” he said. “That’s getting better every single day and preparing ourselves to do the best we can when going out and doing our assignments and our job.”
SCHULENBURG SHORTHORNS
COACH: Luke Hobbs
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 5-6, 4-2 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2023, bi-district
RETURNING STARTERS: QB Aaron Janecek, WR/OLB Jayse Janda, WR/DB Byron Johnson, C/LB Adam Johnson, G/DL Calvin Thompson, OT Rogerick Walton, OT Dean Bradley, G Tyson Wagner, ILB John Davis, OLB Owen Brenek, DL Marshall Wellborn, DE Jayvan Luhrs, DE Tavondrick Ellison.
BLOOMINGTON BOBCATS
COACH: Lane Shands
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 4-6, 1-4 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 1999, bi-district
RETURNING STARTERS: RB/LB Gabriel De Los Santons, OL/DT Jordan Longoria, RB/LB Don Reyes, QB/FS Bryant Clay, OL/DE Bliz De La Rosa, RB/ LB Amari Gardner, OL/DE Ayden Newman, OL/DT Michael Sample, OL/DT Bryan Tinajero.
FLATONIA BULLDOGS
COACH: Brent Mascheck
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 5-5, 2-4 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2022, regional semifinal
RETURNING STARTERS: RB/QB/FS Beck Zimmerman, RB/WR/CB Keegan Green, WR Kade Giese, OL/DT Henri Vincik, OLB Caysen Perez, NG Richard Valdez.
KENEDY LIONS
COACH: Mike Jackson
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 3-7, 0-6 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2021, area
RETURNING STARTERS: RB/FS Daniel Pena, QB/LB David Salas, RB/LB David Fraga, OL/DL Marceo Farias, OL/DL Anthony Vasquez, RB/CB Jeremiah Fraga, OL/DL Jesse Fraga, LB Rayden Reyna, RB/S Donovan Toussaint, OL/LB Rylan Rau, DL Richard Wilson.
DISTRICT 16-2A, DIVISION I
Expectations remain high for Refugio in new district
BY MIKE FORMAN mforman@vicad.com
Drew Cox is ready to begin his 41st season as a football coach, but his first as a head coach.
Cox took over at Refugio when Jason Herring stepped down earlier this year, after leading the Bobcats to 17 consecutive regional final appearances and three state championships.
Cox worked alongside Herring, and insists the transition has gone smoothly.
“I’m going to hit the ground running,” Cox said. “I’m going to do it as hard as I can and as fast as I can. I’m going to be me. Jason’s a great coach. He’s going to be in the Hall of Fame. But we don’t do things the same. We do a lot of things differently – some things we do the same – but a whole lot of things we do differently. I’m just a different personality.”
Refugio comes into the season ranked No. 2 in the state after losing in the regional final last season to Ganado, which is ranked No. 1.
But unlike last year, the teams will be in different districts with
the Bobcats moving south into District 16-2A, Division I.
“There’s pros and cons of changing districts,” Cox said. “We’re not going to take anything for granted. One of our goals is to play as hard as we can. We work really hard on telling the kids that you don’t stay the same. You get better or worse every day.”
Refugio’s biggest losses from last season came at wide receiver, but Cox sees the offense being just as productive.
“We did a few things differently in the summer,” he said. “Things we haven’t done before to get us ready and get us better. It was really competitive and the kids got a lot better. We’re going to be different. If I had to compare it, I guess I’d say we’re going to be a lot like we were in 2022.”
Refugio advanced to the state final in 2022, and is determined to get back to AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
“I haven’t been a typical assistant,” Cox said. “Jason and I have done a lot of stuff together. The kids always saw me as the discipline guy or the hard guy. The kids haven’t missed a beat. We’ve got a great group of kids.
“They’re hungry, they work hard and they’re embarrassed how the season ended.” he added. “They remind me a little bit of the 2019 (state championship) group.”
REFUGIO BOBCATS
COACH: Drew Cox
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 12-2, 6-0 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2023, regional final
RETURNING STARTERS: DT/OL Brayden Henderson, LB Zander Wills, DL/RB Jordan King, DB Fabian Garcia, QB Kelan Brown, TE Kolton Taylor, WR/RB Ray Lewis, OL Thor Bass, OL Cole Korczynski.
DISTRICT 15-2A, DIVISION II
Shiner attempts to prosper in Division II
BY MIKE FORMAN mforman@vicad.com
Shiner and Falls City have not played since 2017, but they’ll renew their rivalry this season.
Shiner dropped from Division I to Division II and into District 15-2A with the Beavers.
“I talked to the kids about Falls City,” said Shiner head coach Daniel Boedeker. “A lot of the kids are young and it’s been a long time since we played them. We definitely talk about the tradition they have there and the games we’ve had in the past. It will be fun for the fans again as well.”
Falls City head coach Mark Kirchhoff hasn’t forgotten that the Beavers didn’t have much success against the Comanches.
“I think you need to win more than we did for it to be a rivalry,” Kirchhoff said. “But anytime you can play a program like that, you know the kids are going to be well coached and they’re going to play the game right. You just take it on from there.
“Our goal is to try to be on top of the region,” Kirchhoff added. “I’m in their district and I can get a look at them before I have to play them again if we get that far.”
Shiner is ranked No. 3 in the preseason state poll, and Falls City comes in at No. 7.
“Coming off of last year with the ones coming back, the main thing we wanted to do is get bigger and stronger,” Boedeker said. “We started that in January when we really got into our offseason and kind of continued that throughout the summer.
“We’re really pleased with where we are as far as our strength numbers and some of the good weight we put on our bodies. We’re looking better and we’re definitely headed in the right direction.”
Falls City will have to make up for the loss of seven seniors, who played important roles.
“We only had seven seniors but they were impact players and four of them were two-way players,” Kirchhoff said. “The others kind of filled a role on one side of the ball or the other. There weren’t a whole lot of kids in that class. The quantity wasn’t big, but the quality was and we got a lot of mileage out of them. We have some kids who we need to mature and really come on and play well.”
Louise and Yorktown each made the playoffs last season and are looking for a repeat.
“The good part is, and I tell everybody this, is we may not be as talented as we were, but I think we’ll be better as a team overall,” said Louise head coach Manny Freeland. “I have a really good incoming freshman class and I got a couple of kids out who didn’t play last year so we’re somewhat bought in.”
Yorktown will have to rebuild on the line, but has a number of players returning at the skill positions.
“We lost a lot of linemen last year,” said Yorktown head coach Ryan Knostman. “We’re going to be smaller, but we’re going to be faster. We’re going to have to tweak some things and play to our strength. It will be a little bit different than last year. I wouldn’t say we have this gamebreaker, but we have a lot of guys who can make plays.”
Shiner is three seasons removed from winning back-to-back state championships and is looking forward to a new challenge.
“We’ve got a different competition that we’re going to have to prepare for,” Boedeker said. “With the kids, it’s a new season in general so we have to set our goals. We were one of the smallest teams last year, and we’ll be better from a numbers standpoint. We’ll be able to match up a little bit better when we get into district play.”
SHINER COMANCHES
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 5-7, 4-2 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2023, area
RETURNING STARTERS: OT/DT Barrett Shelton, OT/DE Jared Werner, G Cason Dement, G/LB Drake Cerny, TE/LB Kyle Adamek, QB/DB Carson Schuette, WR/DB Boe Boehm, DE Bode Werner, DB Jake Simper.
FALLS CITY BEAVERS
COACH: Mark Kirchhoff
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 10-4, 6-0 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2023, regional final
RETURNING STARTERS: QB/S Braylon Johnson, TE/DE Dale Shaffer, WR/CB Kain Jurgatis, C/NG Hunter Morawietz, G Riley Erlich, G Korbin House, MLB Brady Lake, S Tyler Pawelek.
RETURNING STARTERS: DE/TE Ryan Knostman, DE Richard Flores, DB/WR Matthew Olguin, LB Cameron Willis, DB Brody Metting, LB Adam Serbin, G Xavier Naranjo, SS Travis Buesing, WR Ethan Fitts.
DISTRICT 16-2A, DIVISION II
Return to playoffs a goal for Woodsboro
BY MIKE FORMAN mforman@vicad.com
Woodsboro was guaranteed a playoff spot even before it began district play last season.
That won’t be the case this season as Ben Bolt and La Villa have dropped from Division I into District 16-2A, Division II.
“I think those guys bring stuff to the table that will be different,” said Woodsboro head coach Johny Lesak. “Also, Agua Dulce (the defending district champion) is going to reload, they have some talented kids.”
The majority of Woodsboro’s returning starters are up front, and the Eagles will look to play ball control.
“We’re going to stay healthy all year and we’re going to have to control the clock,” Lesak said. “We need to control the ball, and we’ve got to play better defense than last year. We’re not going to have a lot of kids, but that group that is going to play had a pretty good offseason.”
Lesak expects to get help from a large group of freshmen.
“We’ve got a couple of young guys,” he said. “Our freshman class is going to be big. We’re going to have 12 freshmen this year. Some of those guys will be on the field and we’ll have some experience up front.”
WOODSBORO EAGLES
COACH: Johny Lesak
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 4-7, 1-2 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2023, bi-district
RETURNING STARTERS: RB/LB Aiden Flores, OL/DL Chris Garcia, OL/LB Lupe Hernandez, OL/DL Billy Lillis, OL/LB Isaiah Maxwell, OL/DL Draken Montoya, OL/DL Cole Spalek, QB/DB Jordan Vega.
DISTRICT 16-1A, DIVISION I
Runge busy preparing for six-man season
BY MIKE FORMAN mforman@vicad.com
Runge made the decision to go from traditional 11-man to sixman football last year.
The Yellowjackets were able to play a few six-man games before the season ended and for the most part, it was trial and error.
“The coaches and kids will tell you, they didn’t really know what was going on,” said first-year Runge head coach Brent Bode. “The coaches watched film and said, ‘we’ll try that,’”
Bode took over in the spring and began teaching the fundamentals of the six-man game.
Bode has coached six-man teams at Kerrville Our Lady of the Hills and Medina.
“We just came in with a base defense and a base offense and just started working like that,” he said. “We already have five or six plays and base defense in and we can go from there”
Bode expects to have a roster of around 18 players, including 10 freshmen.
“I think the big key is being aggressive,” he said. “There are a lot of six-man schools that will play kind of passive because it is more spread out and stuff can happen that you don’t see in 11-man. I think you have to stay aggressive on both sides of the ball.”
A big part of the transition will be understanding the differences between the 11-man and six-man game.
“You’re going to get burnt on defense even if you do everything right,” Bode said. “That’s kind of how six man works because you’re outnumbered at times. The big key is to be aggressive and learn your alignment and assignment. You try to play fast and be physical.”
Runge will compete against Benavides, Knippa and Prairie Lea for one of the district’s two playoff spots.
“There are different rules and nuances to it, but it’s still blocking and tackling,” Bode said. “If we’re the better blocking and tackling team, we’ll come out on top.”
TAPPS DIVISION II, DISTRICT 3
St. Joseph excited about new coach, district
BY KEVIN ALSTROM Special to The Kickoff
Jacob Vasquez has returned to his alma mater and taken over as head coach of St. Joseph.
Vasquez was an assistant coach at Tomball Concordia Lutheran and was part of a state finalist team.
Vazquez is ready to get going, as he prepares for his first season as a head coach.
“I feel that we are physically prepared for practice,” Vasquez said. “I feel good about the kids we have coming back. It’s a great group of seniors with great leaders. I’m just excited about getting started.”
The Flyers return several offensive standouts including: Aiden Aragon at quarterback, Dedric Callis at running back and Luis Garay at wide receiver.
“You can name any of the seniors and I would say they would be a great leader,” Vasquez said.
Vasquez plans to implement a slot-T offense that will operate out of multiple sets. Defensively, the Flyers will base out of the 4-3.
“What we do offensively is based out of the slot-T,” Vasquez said. “That doesn’t mean that we are stuck with it, it’s just our base.”
Vasquez learned this offense from former Beeville coaches Chris and Eric Soza. Eric Soza is currently the head coach at RockportFulton.
“I learned from them as well as Industrial’s Jaime Dixon (who is now the head coach at Blanco),” Dixon said. “We swap stories every now and then.” Vasquez said.
The Flyers are coming off a 5-5 season in which they went 3-4 in district play, and missed the playoffs by virtue of the district’s tiebreaking formula.
This season, St. Joseph will be part of TAPPS Division II, District 3. It’s a four-team district that includes: Brownsville St. Joseph Academy, San Antonio Christian and San Antonio St. Anthony.
As a result, the Flyers will play seven non-district games and won’t start district play until Oct. 25.
ST. JOSEPH FLYERS
COACH: Jacob Vasquez
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 4-6, 3-4 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2020, area
RETURNING STARTERS: WR/DB Milo Abercrombie, QB/LB Aiden Aragon, TE/DE Nick Bludau, OL/DL Aiden Brouillette, RB/LB Dedric Callis, WR/DB Curry Elkins, RB/DB Wyatt Fetters, WR/DB Luis Garay, RB/DB Aidan Hamilton, OL/LB Cooper Preiss, ATH/DB Charlie Stefka, OL Donovan Thomas.
TAPPS
Sacred Heart, St. Paul look to prosper in new district
DIVISION IV, DISTRICT 2
BY KEVIN ALSTROM | Special to The Kickoff
Hallettsville Sacred Heart and Shiner St. Paul head into the season in a larger district than the previous two years.
TAPPS Division IV, District 2 will include Sacred Heart, St. Paul, Bryan Brazos Christian, Temple Central Texas Christian, Conroe Covenant Christian, and Rosehill Christian.
“It’s going to be a very strong and competitive district,” said Sacred Heart head coach Alex Seydler. “Hopefully we can stay healthy. It’s going to take our best effort to be able to get into the playoffs and have a chance to do something,”
The Indians are coming off an 11-1 season that ended in the state semifinals.
Seydler is looking for similar production from this year’s team. “We have another good senior class and we are looking forward to the season,” Seydler said.
Seydler will lean on Andrew Steffek at quarterback, Hudson
Kutac at receiver, and Clayton Haas at halfback.
“I’m looking for great things out of those three guys,” Seydler said.
Barry Wolf takes over the head coaching duties this year at St. Paul. He was the defensive coordinator for the Cardinals during the 2019-2020 seasons.
St. Paul went 5-6 last year, suffering a number of key injuries and losing in the first round of the playoffs.
“We’ve got quite a few kids coming back this year that have a lot of experience,” Wolf said. “We have some good linemen and running backs returning. We just need to make sure that we are spreading the ball around and letting our better playmakers touch the ball.”
Wolf sees Sam Perez lining up at running back, Jack Erhrig at receiver, and Carter Chilek at tight end and being key contributors this season.
Sacred Heart and St. Paul will square off Oct. 13 for their annual Lavaca County rivalry game, which often decides the district championship.
HALLETTSVILLE SACRED HEART INDIANS
COACH: Alex Seydler
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 11-1, 3-0 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2023, state semifinal
RETURNING STARTERS: QB Andrew Steffek, WR/CB Hudson Kutac, C/DT Lance Barton, G/DT Bowen Hawkins, G Kaeden Grahmann, OT Sam Bludau, CB Clayton Haas, OLB Josh Terry.
SHINER ST. PAUL CARDINALS
COACH: Barry Wolf
LAST SEASON’S RECORD: 5-6, 1-2 district
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2023, area
RETURNING STARTERS: QB Zeke Rodriguez, RB/LB/S Sam Perez, RB/CB Gus Collins, WR/S Blaine Humes, TE/DE Gabe Darilek, WR/S Jack Ehrig, C/DT/LB Jackson Seibert, G Brady Biehunko, G Zeke Basquez, OT/DE Gage Anders, CB Andrew Nunez.
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