Football Preview 2023 | 4A, 5A, 6A

Vital team chemistry is achieved in many layers

By JOSHUA WEAVER TELEGRAM ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Temple head coach Scott Stewart swiveled sections of the Rubik’s Cube he held as he sat in his dimly lit office, a cooled space away from an almost-unavoidable heat and plastered in Wildcats tradition with stories upon stories on every wall.

He looked up and paused.

“It’s one of those things, it sounds really vague, but you know it when you see it and it’s hard to fake it,” he said.

Stewart, who enters his eighth season at the helm and 10th overall at Temple, wasn’t trying to describe the recent and revamped talks of UFOs. Instead, he was contemplating the notion of team chemistry, which, perhaps, is just as elusive as an extraterrestrial in the current me-first era and given the myriad directions — Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube — high school student-athletes are pulled, or lured, as they search for attention, validation and instant gratification.

One thing Stewart and other coaches, including Lake Belton’s Brian Cope and Belton High’s Brett Sniffin, know, though, is that team chemistry is real.

“100 percent,” Cope said.

And its importance, significance and results are undeniable. But how is it established?

While Stewart used “vague” at the start of what turned into a 30-minute discussion on the topic because of the infinite appearances it can take, the complexities, intricacies and layers are recognizable through common themes often brought up — trust, teamwork, relationships, accountability, authenticity, honesty, vulnerability, responsibility.

“The biggest thing with team chemis-

try is being able to trust your teammate whenever you need them most,” Lake Belton senior offensive tackle Kaden Bradshaw said.

A coach’s approach to cultivating team chemistry might differ on the surface. The effects, however, usually fall along similar lines and demonstrate that bonds forged truly can reach beyond individual accomplishments, Xs and Os, touchdowns and tackles, and wins.

Team chemistry, while isolated from team to team and year to year, ultimately

can last forever because of its wide-reaching aim.

“There has to be a genuine commitment to the way you approach it,” Stewart said. “This program’s purpose is going to be based around why are you here, not what can you do for me on a football field.

“I had a 23-year-old walk in here today and tell me one of the biggest things that changed his life when he was here was real-world Wednesdays.”

Getting through to teenagers, who often come equipped with their own agendas

as well as heaps of talent, starts with dialogue, Cope said.

“I think when you have a team of 60, 65 kids, you just have to get to know people and build relationships — not only coach to player but player to player and player to coach,” the fourth-year Broncos leader said. “With high school kids, I think, you need to be present.”

Sometimes that involves difficult conversations about life’s pitfalls and temptations that never cease no matter age, race or religion.

With Stewart’s real-world Wednesdays, subject matters run the gamut. What is linear is the intended impact.

“They know when I sit down we’re fixin’ to get real. I make a conscious effort to physically get on their level when we do that, and we’ll sit crisscross apple sauce,” Stewart said. “Or, we all stand and we have a rope that we hang on to, and you’re not allowed to drop the rope unless you have permission. It’s a physical personification of ‘tote the rope.’ My granddad taught me that. If you were hanging off a cliff, who would you want up there holding on until their last breath and who would want you?

“I divulge stuff about my life. You can’t make that connection unless somebody else goes first. It’s human nature that to show vulnerability means weakness. But, I share things with my football team, just to show them that we don’t have this figured out,” Stewart continued. “So, you try to impart some experiences that can help them. At the end of the day, I’m just as flawed as they are, and I think there’s an acceptance there, a willingness from them to cross that threshold.”

Please see CHEMISTRY, Page 20

Ray Swindle/Special to the Telegram

The Temple Wildcats, who use various methods to build team chemistry, prepare to take the field before a game last season at Wildcat Stadium.

Sauls, Brown sturdy anchors for Temple’s lines

By GREG WILLE TELEGRAM SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

If Endrei Sauls didn’t play football for Temple, it’s likely Ayden Brown still would be a productive, disruptive nose guard for the Wildcats.

If Brown didn’t play for Temple, Sauls probably still would be an excellent center and one of the Wildcats’ best, most reliable players.

Fortunately for Temple, its roster includes both Brown and Sauls, no-nonsense seniors whose fierce head-to-head battles through the years have helped the childhood teammates become two of the finest linemen to wear the blue-front, white-back pants in recent memory.

“When you’ve got Endrei that you’re practicing against every day, it makes it easy on Friday nights to go against other people,” said the 6-foot, 245-pound Brown, a first-team All-District 12-6A performer last year after earning 12-6A defensive newcomer of the year as a sophomore. “This is the best offensive lineman I go against and have gone against. That makes me better and us better.”

The 6-2, 310-pound Sauls – sitting next to Brown after a hot August practice — praised Brown for challenging him physically and forcing him to improve.

“Every Friday night I base how I played and how good the defensive lineman is off of Ayden. I’ve never had someone who’s matched him or been better,” said Sauls, a Lamar commitment who earned first-team all-district status as a sophomore left guard in 2021 and at center in 2022. “It’s like Michael Jordan — push yourself in practice the most you can, then everything slows down and is easier in the game. Ayden helps with that tremendously.”

Proverbs 27:17 wasn’t written specifically about Brown and Sauls, but it certainly fits them: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

Asked which player wins most of their 1-on-1 duels, Brown — who played varsity snaps as a freshman while studying feisty Wildcats lineman Jayven Taylor — simply said, “50/50.”

Added Sauls: “It’s never where one day somebody’s whooping somebody and another day (it switches). It’s always a battle back and forth. After every play it’s, ‘Good play,’ and we line back up.”

Temple first-year defensive coordinator

Robert Havens appreciates how Brown and Sauls summon the best from each other.

“It’s a battle every day. Ayden might win one (play) or two, but he ain’t winning three. Sometimes they’ll pipe a run, and Endrei fires those feet and cuts him off,” Havens said. “Ayden is a really good technical D-lineman and his eyes are always right. I told him, ‘You have to be technically perfect to beat Sauls,’ because Endrei has great feet, great hands, he’s smart and knows how to use his body.”

Said Sauls about Brown’s game: “Nasty. He’s quicker than anybody off the ball. He reads offenses better than almost anyone. He’s strong with his hands and will throw you away and then chase down a ball carrier.”

Wildcats offensive coordinator Robby Case loves to watch Sauls tangle with Brown, who last year compiled 41 tackles and seven quarterback pressures.

“There’s not another D-lineman in our district like AB. He is hard to block,” Case said. “They’re two of the best in the district going against each other every day.”

Brown, who overcame a nagging knee injury and dropped weight since his sophomore year, requires airtight execution to contend with Sauls, who outweighs him by 65 pounds.

“You’ve got to be physical and violent and get your hands on him before he gets his hands on you,” said Brown, who hopes to play college football and whose personal goal is to become 12-6A defensive MVP after Temple linebacker Taurean York (Texas A&M) earned that honor three straight years.

“Ayden’s probably a 500-plus-pound squatter, so some of the physics can be

Please see ANCHORS, Page 21

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Ray Swindle/Special to the Telegram Temple center Endrei Sauls (left) and nose guard Ayden Brown are all-district performers and senior anchors up front for the Wildcats.

“It’s a battle every day. Ayden might win one (play) or two, but he ain’t winning three. Sometimes they pipe a run, and Endrei fires those feet and cuts him off.”

Wildcats DC Robert Havens

Hudson is a talented, selfless player for Lake

By JOSHUA WEAVER TELEGRAM ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

It’s easy to find examples of what Micah Hudson can do on the football field. Social media is filled with highlight videos of Lake Belton’s electric senior wide receiver leaping to rise above a defender to make a catch or accelerating to leave would-be tacklers in his wake after a slick juke.

He’s the talk of the town — so to speak — heading into 2023, a top-ranked collegiate prospect slotted as high as sixth in the nation by various recruiting websites, and his talent and potential are coveted by at least 35 Division I programs.

“Elite ball skills,” Broncos head coach Brian Cope said. “Jump balls are not 5050 balls. They’re probably 80-20 and that might be a little bit low. He also is, by far, one of our top practice players. He’s detail oriented.”

At 6-foot, 190 pounds with speed to burn, Hudson indeed has it all. But his five-star rating isn’t all that he is, and Cope is quick to point that out. Equally impressive, perhaps, is the reputation Hudson has earned on Lake Belton’s campus and in its facilities through how he conducts himself behind the scenes, selfless instances defined by Cope as “the character piece.”

“He brings that leadership quality. What he’s done is when coaches are coaching up kids, he’s also there as an extra coach on the field,” Cope said. “He also wants his teammates to have as much success as he does. I think that’s also what makes him a great athlete as well.

“We’re talking about a kid who played football, basketball, soccer and track last year. He loves being a Bronco, and we’re really, really proud of him. He’s also a guy that’s going to clean up the stands after a game and not think twice about it. That’s the type of young man that he is. The character is through the roof. He’s all-in here.”

And even though all of the buzz and attention constantly hover around him, Hudson maintains a noticeably modest, mellow demeanor, mutes the outside hype and prefers to defer to his teammates.

Earlier this summer, he said a lot was made out of his decision to skip a scheduled official visit to Texas. It led to specu-

lation among various online publications that Austin wasn’t among his preferred landing spots. (Incidentally, Hudson said he has “an idea in my mind” of where he wants to go and plans to ink his name during December’s signing period before an early graduation.)

Hudson’s reason for his change of plans had nothing to do with his future and everything to do with the present. He wanted to be with his teammates as they advanced to the championship bracket of the 7-on-7 state tournament in June in College Station.

“I feel like being a good teammate comes before any of that (recruiting) stuff because you never know what a person could be going through. When my teammate needs me, I have to help them out,” Hudson said. “I wanted to help them out. I’m putting my team before any of that stuff. I want to be a person that people can be like, ‘If I ever need something, I always can go to him.’ No matter if they’re my teammate. Just anyone in general. I just feel like you have to do those good deeds, just because.”

Aside from a brief period in Houston, Hudson has lived in Temple his entire life. He attended Pirtle Elementary then Lake Belton Middle School before being in the first freshman class at Lake Belton, which enters its fourth year as a high school and program.

Hudson’s initial taste of football was in the second grade, when he was a defensive lineman, and he didn’t suit up again until the sixth grade. He was a quarterback in seventh and eighth grade but wanted to be receiver when he joined high school because “I wanted to catch passes, so I chose to switch my position,” he said.

Needless to say, that’s worked out well for Hudson and the Broncos.

Hudson, who said interest from colleges picked up steam between his freshman and sophomore seasons, was one of the core contributors during Lake’s first two years, a stretch during which the Broncos went 18-1 while playing a rouge schedule and waiting for UIL eligibility. Last season, Lake Belton’s first as a full-fledged member, Hudson pocketed 64 receptions for 1,143 yards — both area highs — and 14 touchdowns in an 8-3 playoff-qualifying campaign.

He’ll again be counted on as the Broncos

Please see HUDSON, Page 21

Ray Swindle/Special to the Telegram Lake Belton senior wide receiver Micah Hudson is a highly ranked Division I prospect, but coaches say he’s just as good of a guy off the field.

Butler is a tackling machine at LB for Belton

By JON BROOKS TELEGRAM SPORTS WRITER

BELTON — There’s no mistaking that Wyatt Butler led the Belton Tigers in tackles last season. By the end, the count wasn’t even close. But there remains a slight dispute on the number.

“The final totals, Coach (Brett) Sniffin had him at 99, and so even when he got awards and stuff at our banquet, I made sure to point that out,” Belton defensive coordinator Christopher Harbin said, smiling. “It’s all in fun, but he’s like, ‘There’s no way. I had 100.’ But I tell him, ‘Like, on record, you had 99.’”

Consider it good, old-fashioned ribbing, a sly motivation tactic or a little bit of both. Either way, Belton’s senior inside linebacker is dead-set on leaving no room for doubt this fall.

“Ninety-nine’s rough,” Butler said with a laugh. “I haven’t heard the end of that since. I think I can get more.”

He will have at least 10 games to do so, a few extra if Belton has its way.

The three-year varsity member was an integral part of the Tigers’ breakout last year when they won nine games and captured the program’s first outright district title since 1999, which accompanied their first postseason win since 2016. Now they have their sights set higher.

“It always feels good to be the winning team, but I think we’re all ready to try and defend our spot,” said Butler, who bested his nearest teammate by more than 30 stops — he also posted 23 tackles for loss and 5½ sacks, also team-highs — in his first year as a varsity starter in 2022.

“We expect to at least be outright district (champs) again. That’s the expectation. And then go as far as we can.”

With Butler in the middle of a Belton defense that returns eight starters, including six all-district performers (Butler was a first-team selection), there is no reason to bet against the Tigers.

Butler, also a hurdler on the track team who has played football since second grade, said the experience he and his teammates gained during last year’s run should prove invaluable this time around.

“No one knew where they were going to be,” he said of last August. “I think all but like two people probably played the spot they would end up in. And it

showed the first two games. But it ended up pretty good. People showed up. And even better, now we get a bunch of returning seniors in the same spots, people who have played, so it’s kind of the opposite end of last year. So, that’s nice.”

Fourth-year Belton head coach Sniffin said Butler’s intangibles are big assets. The 6-foot, 200-pounder ranks 15th in his class with a 5.8 weighted GPA and handles the unit’s in-game calls and checks.

“He has tenacity about him. He just goes and plays hard every snap,” Sniffin said. “He’s athletic. He’s intelligent. He’s one of our four-year guys that’s been with us since we got here, and he’s given us everything we’ve ever asked of him and I just can’t wait to watch him play this year.”

Butler credits the camaraderie between players as a reason for their success, citing fellow senior Bryson Sauceda’s willingness to switch positions last year as an example.

“I think our whole defense knows each other pretty well. Like we’re all friends and that’s important for the team, being able to trust the person next to you,” he said. “Like Bryson, three four games in or something, switches to D-line, suddenly we have a great D-lineman who they have to double every play. That’s one more linebacker running free.

“I’ll take it, works for me,” Butler continued. “So, it was real good. We knew our front three we’re going to get it done. They let everyone else work, and it flows back.”

If everything falls into place this year, that flow will extend to the entire defensive unit.

“I’ve been telling him I hope we’re good enough to where you have to really work to get (to 100 tackles) because he doesn’t have to play all four quarters,” Harbin said. “Like I told him, I mean that’s good for us. And he was like, ‘No, no.’ But I told him, if you want to get to 100, we have to play more games, so that’s kind of the goal.”

That’s a tradeoff Butler will likely take.

“To be the first (Belton team) to get to the fourth round would be great,” Butler said. “I think we have the team for it. If we all play like we’re capable of, I think it can happen.”

AUG 11 BISHOP REICHER CATHOLIC

AUG 25 BRENTWOOD CHRISTIAN

SEPT 1 SHELTON SCHOOL OF DALLAS

SEPT 8 MILANO

SEPT 15 BRAZOS CHRISTIAN

SEPT 22 LEGACY PREP

SEPT 29 ST. DOMINIC SAVIO

OCT 6 JOHN PAUL II

OCT 20 ST. PAUL

OCT 27 NEW BRAUNFELS

NOV 3 SACRED HEART

NOV 10 AREA

NOV 17 REGIONALS

NOV 25 SEMI-FINALS

DEC 2 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Ray Swindle/Special to the Telegram Belton senior linebacker Wyatt Butler was credited with a team-best 99 tackles last season and is aiming to crest the 100-stop mark in 2023.

Law is the trigger man and a leader for Salado

By TIM WAITS TELEGRAM SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

SALADO — Standing 6-foot-6, Luke Law has a greater field of vision than many quarterbacks when looking across the football field.

He also has a big-picture vision of what he wants to do with his life in the coming years. It’s one that brought him back to Salado for the last two years of his high school athletic career.

After spending his sophomore year at Temple on the junior varsity, Law returned last year to the school district in which he had been since the fourth grade and turned in a stellar season guiding the Eagles.

He threw for 2,275 yards and 21 touchdowns to go with 15 interceptions and ran for 10 scores among his 292 yards on the ground.

The arrival of Tom Westerberg as the Salado head coach and the Law family’s desire not to commute to Temple led to a strong 2022 campaign for the signal-caller. Westerberg installed a quarterbackfriendly spread offense — a departure from the run-intense slot-T of predecessor Alan Haire, who’s now at Killeen Chaparral — and Law flourished.

“Football-wise with the slot-T, there was not too much attention on the quarterback,” said Law, who had been enrolled in Temple’s international baccalaureate program. “I’m more of a traditional quarterback, and this allows me to see what I can do.”

Law is the third of eight children and the first son born to Scott and Jessica, both of whom were collegiate basketball players in the northwest. The quarterback’s frame and family history would be useful if he chose to go down the basketball path. He still enjoys the hardwood game, but most of his sporting love has been transferred to football.

“Going into high school, I was a basketball-first guy but not so much now. Basketball helps me athletically and gives me a faster twitch,” the 230-pounder said. “I’ve been able to put on some weight.”

Indeed, his classic pro-style look makes one believe that he is a standard pocket passer, and he can and does play that role. But Law can also make plays with his feet when necessary, as proven by his rushing prowess.

“He’s a great leader,” said Westerberg, who knows something about quarterback

leadership having coached current Arizona Cardinals QB and Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray during his days in Allen. “He’s grown into the leadership role as a quarterback. We’ve worked together all spring.”

A foot injury in last year’s final regular-season game sidelined Law for the Eagles’ bi-district playoff contest against Cuero in which Salado lost a heartbreaking 13-7 decision in overtime.

“That was rough for me,” Law said. “The foot injury was no joke, but I was lucky enough that it was not terrible. I cracked a bone and had to sit out. It was rough, but I did my best to cheer on the other guys. They almost did it. I couldn’t help but think I might have made a difference if I had been there.”

After this season ends, Law won’t be around to play basketball or anything else. His intention is to graduate a semester early and leave on a two-year Mormon mission that will certainly delay any collegiate career.

“I plan to keep working (on football). Obviously, I won’t be playing,” he said.

“I’ve definitely got to figure that out. But there have been others who have played, a senior at Stanford and most of the quarterbacks at BYU.”

The current Eagles will have some experience while at the same time relying on youth throughout the lineup. This being the second year in Westerberg’s system, Law and the Eagles feel better prepared for any bumps along the way.

“The big thing is leadership and keeping on the same page,” Law said. “We were kind of all over the place last year. This time, we’re all one person. We’re united. We have a lot of sophomores, but I think they are more ready. They are definitely not undersized. The seniors are good examples for them.”

Ray Swindle/Special to the Telegram Senior quarterback Luke Law will be the focal point of the Salado offense after throwing for almost 2,300 yards in his first season with the Eagles.

“The big thing is leadership and keeping on the same page. We were kind of all over the place last year. This time, we’re all one person. We’re united.”

Eagles QB Luke Law

Temple offense has players primed to step up

By GREG WILLE TELEGRAM SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Football is a game of adjustments, and that seems accurate for the Temple Wildcats’ offense entering this season.

Dynamic wide receiver and versatile four-year star Mikal Harrison-Pilot (Houston) graduated, but big-play junior Christian Tutson is poised to succeed him as Temple’s go-to pass catcher.

Reese Rumfield was on track to give the Wildcats a rare three-year starting quarterback, but after last season he transferred to Belton. Now, junior Kade Stewart and senior Damarion Willis have a prime opportunity to become Temple’s top QB.

The Wildcats didn’t expect to have a difference-making player at tight end, but then sophomore Davarion Campbell moved to Temple and started employing brute force to knock defenders backward.

And then there’s the style in which second-year coordinator Robby Case wants to attack opponents — with the goal of overwhelming them.

“We’re going to try to get back to the old Mike Spradlin tempo days and go as fast as we possibly can. That’s been a big emphasis,” Case said, referring to the former Temple head coach whose fast-paced offense lit up scoreboards from 2011-15 as the Wildcats reignited their winning tradition.

Fans will get their first regular-season look at Temple’s revamped offense when the Wildcats open at McKinney Boyd at 7 p.m. Friday. They need one win to become the fourth Texas high school with 800 football victories.

Wildcats eighth-year head coach Scott Stewart (63-23, seven playoff berths)

Please see TEMPLE, Page 21

Temple Wildcats

Coach: Scott Stewart

2022 record: 7-4

District: 12-6A

Venue: Wildcat Stadium

Offensive players to watch: WR Christian Tutson, QB Kade Stewart, RB Adrian Scott, QB/WR Damarion Willis, OL Endrei Sauls, OL Armando Gonzalez

Ray Swindle/Special to the Telegram

Center Endrei Sauls (left), running back Adrian Scott, quarterback Kade Stewart and tackle Armando Gonzalez should be key players for a Temple offense that averaged 374.2 yards per game last season.

Young Temple defense can rely on athleticism

By GREG WILLE TELEGRAM SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Taurean York was not normal.

He became the Temple Wildcats’ starting middle linebacker as a 14-year-old freshman in 2019 and played that position brilliantly for four seasons. An intense player and vocal leader, York compiled 435 career tackles and earned District 126A defensive most valuable player three consecutive seasons along with multiple all-state honors.

“When you start getting scouting reports emailed to you on Sunday afternoon from your sophomore starting linebacker, you know something’s different,” said Scott Stewart, Temple’s defensive-minded eighth-year head coach whose program seeks its 11th straight playoff berth.

But after York transformed himself from unheralded recruit to Texas A&M signee, he’s not around to spearhead the defense this season. In fact, the only two returning starters are senior nose guard Ayden Brown and junior safety O’Ryan Peoples.

Three projected starters on the 4-2-5 defense are sophomores: cornerback Jason Bradford, end Jamarion Carlton and Mikah Boldon at York’s old middle linebacker spot. Stewart and defensive coordinator Robert Havens praise Boldon’s ability and potential, but they’re making sure Boldon knows he’s not expected to replicate everything York did.

“Mikah knows who Taurean is, but I’m really cognizant of not bringing that up, because no one’s ever going to be Taurean York,” said Havens, a motivator and respected line coach whom Stewart promoted to coordinator after Dexter Knox left coaching following last season.

“Mikah has a high motor and is very intelligent. I trust him as our middle linebacker, even though there’s going to be growing pains,” Stewart said. “But I don’t know I’ve ever coached a kid who just got the game like Taurean did. Just hang his shoes up on

Temple Wildcats

Defensive players to watch: DL Ayden Brown, DB O’Ryan Peoples, DL Jamarion Carlton, LB Mikah Boldon, DB Lezlie Jackson, DB Jason Bradford, LB Bryce President

the wall and don’t worry about trying to fill them, because you’re not going to.”

Temple graduated York and also firstteam all-district performers in safety Naeten Mitchell (New Mexico State), cornerback Steve Jackson (Mary HardinBaylor) and linebacker/safety Josh Donoso, plus several other seasoned standouts.

The Wildcats have a battle-tested ringleader in feisty 245-pound nose guard Brown (41 tackles, seven for loss), 126A’s defensive newcomer of the year as a sophomore and a first-team all-district pick last season.

“Ayden leads by example. That whole front six feeds off him. He’s earned that,” Havens said. “He’s slimmed down and is moving way better. That’s always good to have a sideline-to-sideline nose guard.”

Athletic “boom” safety Peoples collected 24 tackles and five pass breakups as a sophomore starter, though a shoulder injury sidelined him several games.

“O’Ryan’s knocking some rust off, but he’s fantastic in the back end,” Havens said.

Joining Peoples in the safety group are skilled junior De’Avonte Carr at free and senior Mason Mills at the hybrid strong safety/outside linebacker position.

Strong, quick junior Lezlie Jackson

shifts from special teams ace to starting cornerback after his older brother Steve Jackson excelled there.

An intriguing Temple prospect is 6-foot-2, 185-pound cornerback Bradford, the rangy sophomore who’s received scholarship offers from Oklahoma State and Texas State before playing a varsity snap. Havens compared him to former Wildcats cornerback Markel Reed (Boise State). Stewart said Bradford “is going to be as good as anybody who’s ever come through here.”

“JB’s long and has what you can’t teach. It’s hard to teach what it takes to play cornerback,” Stewart said about Bradford. “He

loves the island. He wants to be mano a mano. And Lezlie Jackson is the exact same way. He might like being on the island more than JB, if that’s even possible.”

Flanking Boldon is weakside linebacker Bryce President, a 200-pound senior who moved back to Temple after starting for Rockwall-Heath. He’s a younger brother of former Wildcats star quarterback/receiver Chad President, Hewitt Midway’s new offensive coordinator.

Temple projects big things for 6-5, 215pound sophomore end Carlton, who holds

Please see CATS, Page 19

Ray Swindle/Special to the Telegram End Jamarion Carlton (left), safety O’Ryan Peoples, linebacker Bryce President and cornerback Jason Bradford will help lead the defense for a Temple team that seeks to continue its string of playoff appearances.

Skilled Lake offense ready to chase league title

By JOSHUA WEAVER TELEGRAM ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Lake Belton nearly won a district championship in its first year of eligibility, losing two league games by a combined three points last season.

Couple that with the Broncos winning with relative ease their other six District 4-5A-I contests by an average margin of 21 points, and pundits with Dave Campbell’s Texas Football picked the fourthyear program to hoist the district gold ball trophy when November rolls around.

There’s a lot of time between then and now and plenty for Lake Belton to do in order to fulfill that prognostication.

“I mean, it sounds good but at the same time, we have to go get it,” said senior wide receiver Micah Hudson, the fivestar preseason pick for 4-5A-I offensive MVP who led the area in receptions (64) and yards receiving (1,143) to go with 14 touchdowns last year. “You can’t rush the process and you can’t cheat the process. So, we just have to keep grinding hard. We have to keep working, trust each other, trust God, trust the coaches, and everything will fall into place.”

The Broncos bid adieu to their first senior class after recording an 8-3 record that included the program’s inaugural playoff appearance — a 56-28 setback against Burleson Centennial, which eventually was eliminated in the fourth round by Aledo.

“I don’t think last year we snuck up on anybody. I think people kind of knew what kind of talent we had. This year, we’re not (sneaking up on anyone) as well. Our kids understand that and they’re not taking anything for granted. They are finding a way to go one degree more, and that’s going to be a key for us to be successful,” Lake Belton head coach Brian Cope said.

“We set the standard of making the playoffs and now we have to do whatever it takes to raise the standard. I think we have a lot of kids that are hungry to lead and become player-driven. Our JV was 91 and won district, so those kids are hungry to come in along with the returning varsity kids.”

New faces are in places vacated by those seniors, starting on offense with quarterback Eli Mascarenas, a junior who takes over behind center for Connor Crews. In the backfield with Mascarenas are three

Lake Belton Broncos

Coach: Brian Cope

2022 record: 8-3

District: 4-5A-I

Venue: Tiger Field

area-best

Offensive players to watch: WR Micah Hudson, QB Eli Mascarenas, QB/WR Davion Peters, RB Ryan

Camacho, RB Cameron Hamilton, WR Ty Legg, WR Cash Robin, OL Kaden Bradshaw

first-time, full-time contributors in running backs Cameron Hamilton (senior) and Ryan Camacho (junior), along with sophomore Davion Peters, whom Cope said will invoke memories of Kordell Stewart of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“He’ll be that ‘Slash’ for us,” Cope said.

Mascarenas and Peters helped Lake Belton’s 7-on-7 team qualify for the state tournament in June in College Station where the Broncos won their pool and Please see LAKE, Page 18

Ray Swindle/Special to the Telegram Receiver Micah Hudson (left), lineman Kaden Bradshaw and receivers Caleb Santana and Ty Legg are back for a Lake Belton offense that averaged an

412.9 yards per game last season.

Lake Belton defense stocked with experience

By JOSHUA WEAVER TELEGRAM ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Garrett Combs first noticed the facilities, a bit of a bump up from what he was used to, and then the ease at which he clicked with a group of likeminded defenders.

“I came over at the beginning of January, right after the break, and I came in with a hard-working attitude,” said Combs, Lake Belton’s 6-foot-3, 265-pound defensive lineman who transferred in from Salado. “I felt the guys took me in. I’ve helped them and they’ve helped me.

“It’s a family here. We’ll go to war for each other.”

Game-night battles are to be expected this season for the Broncos defense, one half of the equation that Lake Belton hopes equals a District 4-5A-I championship and second straight playoff appearance in as many tries.

Fortunately, the Broncos welcome back seven starters, and head coach Brian Cope believes athleticism across the board will pay dividends for coordinator Randy Hooton’s bunch.

“We’re more athletic in 10 of the 11 spots than we were last year,” Cope said.

Gone is last season’s leading tackler Javeon Wilcox, who now is at TCU. But that’s about the only glaring vacancy in a unit that wants to improve upon its thirddown stops and lower its per-game averages of 354.9 yards and 27 points allowed.

“I think we just have to come out ready to play and not be scared of any team, and know that we worked hard this offseason,” said 5-11, 170-pound senior Ty Legg, who returns after making 80 stops last season and with plenty of responsibility as a flexible asset both defensively as a linebacker/safety and offensively as a wide receiver.

Arkansas commitment Selman Bridges, who measures 6-4 and was picked by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football as the preseason district defensive MVP, will anchor the secondary one season after recording a pair of picks and 46 tackles.

Defensive back Peanut Brazzle (30 tackles in 2022) adds experience as a four-year starter. Junior Joshua Mallard had 30 tackles and two sacks in 2022 and is tasked with filling Wilcox’s spot, while Garrett Roland, John Cole, Aisen Filitonga and Tre Phillips provide depth at linebacker. Combs’ linemates include Adam Walden (30 tackles) and Jeremiah

Lake Belton Broncos

Defensive players to watch: DB Selman Bridges. DL Garrett Combs, LB/DB Joshua Mallard, DB Peanut Brazzle, DL Adam Walden, LB/DB Ty Legg

Battreall, and defensive backs Torre Mallard and Malachai Bazemore are expected to contribute.

“I think the defense is going to surprise everybody. I think we are a lot tougher and we have more athletes than last year,” Combs said before explaining one of the points of emphasis heading into the season. “Mainly just sticking to our job, not try to be greedy when making plays. Just stay in your gap and fill those gaps.”

Lake Belton fell three points shy of claiming a league title in its first year of eligibility, losses to Midlothian and Killeen Shoemaker in which the Broncos yielded an average of 36.5 points. The Panthers wound up in first place, and the Grey Wolves second. After finishing third

Please see BRONCOS, Page 21

Ray Swindle/Special to the Telegram Lineman Adam Walden (left), defensive back Selman Bridges, lineman Garrett Combs, linebacker Tre Phillips and safety/ linebacker Ty Legg will be key for the Lake Belton defense as the Broncos battle for another playoff berth.

Belton offense ready to roll for surging Tigers

By JON BROOKS TELEGRAM SPORTS WRITER

BELTON — While Belton’s run to the area round of the playoffs last year was largely powered by a staunch defense, that’s not to say its offense didn’t play a significant role as well.

In fact, there was little difference statistically between the groups’ effectiveness.

Behind a productive running game, the Tigers led a balanced offensive attack that ranked third among area teams, churning out an average of 374.5 yards per game.

Though there will be some new pieces in place this fall, Belton’s plan is to continue full steam ahead.

“Initially, we’ve put a lot on them in the first four days just throwing a lot of plays at them and formations,” offensive coordinator Barry Campbell said. “We try to get in a good majority of our offense, probably about 90 percent of what we’ll run this year, we try to get in this first week. So I think they’ve handled it well.

The kids are retaining a lot. They’re moving fast, which means they’re not having

to think too much. They’re just reacting and playing.”

Gone are quarterback Ty Brown, who transferred to Hewitt Midway after start-

ing the last two years at Belton, top receiving targets Garrett Oliveira, Slade LeBlanc and Mason Ramm, and secondleading rusher LJ Underwood, as well as

Belton Tigers

Coach: Brett Sniffin

2022 record: 9-3

District: 11-5A-II

Venue: Tiger Field

Offensive players to watch: QB Reese Rumfield, RB Shaun Snapp, OL John Roach, WR Dathan Walker, WR Isaac Abel, TE Diego Coleman, OL Luke Lamberte

all but one starter on the offensive line. But the Tigers feel confident in the players they’re bringing back, which includes a couple of seasoned transfers at key positions.

That starts under center, where former Temple signal-caller Reese Rumfield will take over for the departed Brown. While Rumfield settles into his new scheme, he

Please see BELTON, Page 18

Ray Swindle/Special to the Telegram Tight end Diego Coleman (left), lineman John Roach, receiver Dathan Walker and quarterback Reese Rumfield will play vital roles for the Belton offense.

All-district performers set to lead Belton defense

By JON BROOKS TELEGRAM SPORTS WRITER

BELTON — This time last year, Belton’s defense had its share of question marks. With one returning starter, coaches spent a bulk of the preseason evaluating and deciding on which players to put where in trying to find the best fits at each position.

Shift ahead to now, and the opposite is the case.

The Tigers return eight starters, including most of the front seven, from a unit that continued to get stronger with the passing of each week in 2022. Six of those returners — first-teamers Ethan Arendall (DE), Bryson Sauceda (DT), Wyatt Butler (ILB) and Luke Flores (CB), and secondteam nods Sam Shepard (ILB) and Giani Zecca (OLB) — were All-District 11-5AII selections a year ago, helping Belton reach a few historic milestones along the way.

The six are seniors this year, and they and the rest of their teammates intend to pick up where they left off.

“We had a lot of kids step up last year and got a lot of valuable playing time,” defensive coordinator Christopher Har-

Belton Tigers

Defensive players to watch: LB Wyatt Butler, DB Alton McCallum, DL Bryson Sauceda, DL Ethan Arendall, DB Luke Flores, LB Sam Shepard, LB Giani Zecca

bin said. “This year, we have quite a few coming back. It helps a ton. Little things that we do like checks and calls and talking and communication, they’re all just falling right in and it’s a carryover from last year.”

The Tigers boasted a top-four defense among area teams last fall, a unit that surrendered 292.7 yards per game and just 83 points (13.8 per game) in six league contests — all wins — en route to earning the program’s first outright district title in more than 20 years. Belton then pitched

Please see TIGERS, Page 18

Ray Swindle/Special to the Telegram

Defensive back Alton McCallum (left), lineman Bryson Sauceda, linebacker Wyatt Butler and lineman Ethan Arendall are back to spearhead a Belton unit that held opponents to an average of less than 300 yards per game last season.

Salado setting sights on another playoff berth

By TIM WAITS TELEGRAM SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

SALADO — Few are as knowledgeable about the history of Salado football as Tom Westerberg.

Despite his long coaching career elsewhere, the 1982 Salado graduate is aware of the seasons that have seen great success, others of disappointing lows and many more somewhere in between.

Westerberg would like to be part of the wheels in motion that put his alma mater on a higher plane and keep them there as the village is on the cusp of significant growth.

Some of that will require picking up victories that got away from the Eagles a year ago with the same hard-knocks schedule that led to a 3-8 campaign.

“It’s not the easiest schedule in the world,” admitted Westerberg, whose nondistrict opponents include strong powers in Boerne, Malakoff and Hitchcock along with old local rival Academy before entering into a small but salty District 114-II slate against Waco Connally, Madisonville, Gatesville and Robinson. The Eagles lost eight of their last nine games, though many were close contests in Westerberg’s first season.

“Now that we’ve been here a year with our offense in place, our coaches in place, I have a better feeling that we will respond a little bit better,” he said.

The Eagles have a mixture of veterans spliced in with a corps of sophomores who will need to get ready quickly to compete on Fridays.

The best place to have an experienced leader is at quarterback and the Eagles have that in senior Luke Law, a statuesque 6-foot-6, 230-pounder who threw

Salado Eagles

Coach: Tom Westerberg

2022 record: 3-8

District: 11-4A-II

Venue: Eagle Stadium

Players to watch: QB Luke Law, RB Kase Maedgen, WR Morgan Adams, OL Brooks McLane, LB Dusty Rhiddlehoover, DL Dawson Barksdale, DB Caine Cruddas

for almost 2,300 yards last year. He recovered from a foot injury that kept him out the Eagles’ overtime playoff loss to Cuero and was showcased in 7-on-7 spring football.

“Luke has another year under his belt,” Westerberg said. “He’s been to all kinds of camps and has done a good job getting ready this summer.”

Law will have a talented set of receivers in Morgan Adams, Brendan Wilson and Korbin Konarik from which to choose.

“All are good athletes and we’ve got to get the ball where they can catch it and run,” Westerberg said.

What they plan to do more this season is run, largely on the strength of Kase Maedgen’s wheels.

“We will rely more on the run this season, especially early,” Westerberg said.

“If you have to throw 40 or 50 times to win it, you probably aren’t going to win. You’ve still got to run the football and run out the clock to win football games.

Please see SALADO, Page 18

Ray Swindle/Special to the Telegram Salado advanced to the playoffs in its first season under Tom Westerberg but wants to improve on last year’s 3-8 record.

Gatesville wants to get over first-round hump

By CLAY WHITTINGTON TELEGRAM SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

GATESVILLE — Since suffering through consecutive campaigns yielding a total of three victories, Gatesville has found ways to consistently work itself into the playoff picture.

In 2020, the Hornets rebounded from an 0-10 record to win a pair of district games and sneak into the postseason before COVID-19 forced them to forfeit their firstround game against eventual state champion Carthage.

One year later, an identical 4-6 regularseason record set up a rematch with Carthage, which the Bulldogs won in a 35point shutout. In 2022, Gatesville head coach Aaron Hunter guided the team back in his debut.

While reaching the playoffs always is the goal, the Hornets produced 15 wins in those three seasons (seven a year ago), and they have yet to advance to the area round.

For Hunter, it is time for his alma mater to commit to change.

“Every year, we learn more and more and more about ourselves as a program, and as a staff,” Hunter said. “We have to stay together and constantly push these kids to the best of their abilities. We all have to be held accountable.

“We have to be dedicated to doing all the little things it is going to take to get to the next step as a program.”

Instead of being satisfied by simply making the playoffs, Hunter aspires for district championships and deep postseason runs, and he believes with the right approach, the evolution could occur quickly.

Gatesville Hornets

Coach: Aaron Hunter

2022 record: 7-4

District: 11-4A-II

Venue: McKamie Stadium

After earning the most wins since 2017 last season, Gatesville returns 13 starters, including multiple members of the AllDistrict 11-4A-II list.

Senior defensive back Lawson Mooney, the district’s 2022 co-defensive player of the year, highlights the contingent. Also among the returning set of lauded veterans are senior quarterback Jacob Newkirk, who was a first-team selection, guard Zach Bryant, center Gabe Charles and safety Sean Aguilar who enter their senior seasons after landing on the second team.

Although the group of standouts is partially responsible for propelling the Hornets to almost as many wins last season (seven) as the two previous combined (eight), Hunter does not believe talent alone is enough.

“We need to be more work-oriented,” he said. “That is what we need right now with where we are at as a program. There was a lot of excitement last year, and that was good, but since then, we’ve been focusing on the fact that excitement doesn’t always win football games.

“It is about doing what you are supposed to do, how you are supposed to do it and how you are coached to do it as hard as you can.”

Hornets coach Aaron Hunter

Gatesville will be routinely tested as it traverses its schedule, which once again does not have an open date until the final week of the regular season. The Hornets play four teams ranked in the 4A-II preseason poll with each game occurring on the road.

In Week 2, the Hornets travel to No. 6 Glen Rose before encountering No. 17 Godley three weeks later. Then, in district, Gatesville plays at No. 9 Waco Connally and No. 25 Madisonville in Week 7 and Week 9, respectively.

Furthermore, earning a playoff berth could potentially set up a first-round matchup with No. 4 Cuero.

Players to watch: WR/DB Lawson

Mooney, QB Jacob Newkirk, OL

Zach Bryant, OL Gabe Charles, WR/DB Sean Aguilar, RB/DB Rayshon Smith, DL Cory Burns

Hunter is aware thriving against such stiff competition will be difficult, but he also believes his team’s focus should not be on the opposition.

“We have to be accountable and disciplined,” Hunter said. “And we have to control the things we can control. It is about taking care of us first and practicing in a way that raises the standard here.

“We can’t be alright with just being alright anymore.”

Go Hornets!

“We have to be accountable and disciplined. And we have to control the things we can control. It is about taking care of us first and practicing in a way that raises the standard here. We can’t be alright with just being alright anymore.”

Jarrell trying to build on third-round playoff run

By TIM WAITS TELEGRAM SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

JARRELL — Something clicked in Jarrell as the 2022 regular season wore down.

That something was defense, and it’s now part of what the Cougars believe can carry over this year for even better results.

“We played better defensively late in the year,” said Jarrell coach Marty Murr, a veteran who begins his third year at the Cougars’ helm. “Offensively, we moved the ball all year.”

The all-around combination allowed the Cougars to rally to a 6-7 campaign, which included two playoff victories in the program’s first playoff appearance since 2015.

Jarrell didn’t just make a postseason cameo. The Cougars advanced three rounds deep into the Class 4A-II bracket, matching the program mark for longevity with the 1999 and 2000 seasons when Jarrell was a Class A program, and the 1972 state finalist six-man team.

Murr, a native of the West Texas outpost Junction, spent his adult life and career in East Texas with head coaching stops in Alto, Anahuac and San Augustine before landing in Jarrell in 2021. The progression of his current program is taking shape despite big losses to graduation.

“I think it carries over (to this year) because we got a taste of (success),” he said. “We lost 29 players to graduation, but we have good young kids that are moving into those roles. The team chemistry is better, and they are very coachable.”

Jarrell Cougars

Coach: Marty Murr

2022 record: 6-7

District: 13-4A-II

Venue: Cougar Field

The Jarrell coaching staff spent part of August determining a starting quarterback between Nico Rodriguez and Ross Vrabel. Both have played for the Cougars and have high football IQs.

“You can make a case for both of them,” Murr said. “They both bring a lot to the table.”

Rodriguez led the team in defensive interceptions, and Vrabel comes up after a season as junior varsity quarterback. Whoever is throwing the ball has a topnotch target at wideout in Mason Dotson — the reigning District 13-4A-II newcomer of the year — along with Jacob Crathers, who came up to varsity late last year, and Eric Villafranco.

On the ground, JaMarion Nibblett has a chance to be a special player for the Cougars.

One of Jarrell’s strengths could be up front on the offensive line. Sophomore Bryan Tibbetts is a well-touted anchor at center. He will be joined by Dylan Lester and Sean Escamilla at guards and Esteban Cruz and Kaleb Patterson at the tackles.

The defense that helped turn the tide last year is hopeful to be even better with a strong corps of linebackers leading the way.

Dylan Pursley is a returning starter and captain in the middle of the Cougars de-

fense. Hayden Dotson, Jaylon Harris and Jordan Ford are the other linebackers.

“We feel good about our linebacking corps,” Murr said. “That’s our strength and we’re excited about them.”

Other areas of the defense are less proven as the secondary will be reworked from a year ago with the possible exception of Rodriguez doing double duty. The same goes for the defensive line, which saw a complete exodus of seniors. Murr hopes Jayson Price and others will fill the voids.

The Cougars certainly would like to move up a notch or two in their district, which features powerhouse Wimberley,

Players to watch: WR Mason Dotson, WR Eric Villafranco, RB JaMarion Nibblett, OL Bryan Tibbetts, LB Dylan Pursley, LB Jaylon Harris, QB/DB Nico Rodriguez

Geronimo Navarro and Lago Vista. The strong district was fully intact by the third round of the playoffs last season. Wimberley, a state championship finalist that routed Jarrell in the regional semifinals last year, is the undisputed favorite to repeat with another deep run. Murr said that at the very least he would like to see his team finish higher in district and avoid a repeat meeting with the Texans as long as possible.

“I think it carries over (to this year) because we got a taste of (success). We lost 29 players to graduation, but we have good young kids that are moving into those roles. The team chemistry is better, and they are very coachable.”

Cougars coach Marty Murr

Belton

brings experience after starting the last two years for the Class 6A Wildcats.

He also feels confident in the group around him, which includes junior Shaun Snapp, a unanimous first-team all-league pick at running back as a sophomore, and senior John Roach, last year’s District 115A-II offensive line MVP, snapping him the ball.

“I think our offense is looking very electric,” Rumfield said. “I mean, we got the dudes. Like, if we give it to them fast, I mean, they’re going to do stuff with it, so I think we’ll be fine.”

Among the options for Rumfield at receiver, Belton will feature Jarrell transfer Dathan Walker, a senior, along with seniors Isaac Abel (15 catches, 346 yards, two TDs) and Diego Coleman (eight catches, 108 yards, three TDs), among others.

“Skill-wise, I think we have it down. I don’t think there’s a team in district that can guard all of us, to be honest,” said Walker, who had 22 receptions for 359 yards and five scores for Jarrell last fall. “We have all the talent in the world. What we can do with that, it’s up to us, but I think we can go far.”

Up front, Belton will be anchored by Roach, a three-year starter who will welcome a mostly new group around him, though Campbell said seniors Luke Lamberte and Jackson Chappell also bring back some limited varsity experience.

“We still have some question marks

Salado

Continued from 15

You have to run it.”

Up front, the Eagles have a mostly new array of linemen. Josh Barker will get the nod at center, flanked by guards Brooks McLane and Trey Waters. At the tackles, Tyler Blackwood and Kaleb Bellis will see time. The Eagles also have added a tight end in James Renick, whose primary job is to block and will be used in routes as well.

While the skill positions are largely veterans, the Eagles have a half-dozen sophomores to rely on for both sides of the ball.

Defensively, Salado should be stron-

on the offensive line. But we have some kids that are getting after it,” Belton head coach Brett Sniffin said after the first day of practice. “That’s the biggest spot where we want to see, probably, the most improvement. We’re not going to be very big, so we’re going to need some scrappy dudes that are going to get in there and get after it.”

Roach, who will help pave the way for Snapp (163 carries, 1,091 yards, 13 TDs) and change-of-pace backs Jay Burrola and Gino Zecca, is expecting the most from his team.

“I think we’re going to go far this season, I really do. We’re building something special,” said Roach, a senior.

“Offense, we have some new pieces and we’re learning the plays but we do have a lot of the core returning. Our offense works the best when we can get 150plus yards of rushing. Because then that opens up the passing game, opens up the read-option. It makes it a lot easier to play.”

Also new for the Tigers this fall will be the expectations.

After running the table in league play en route to the program’s first outright district championship since 1999, Belton is welcoming the chance to prove itself again.

“Now the expectation is to do it again,” Campbell said. “And definitely with the higher standard, it’s more pressure, and so we just have to go out there and give (opponents) the same thing. We have to match them with our best game. With the guys we have returning, I think we have a really good shot at that.”

n jbrooks@tdtnews.com

gest in its linebacking set led by Phoenix Flores, Dusty Rhiddlehoover, Davis Graham, former safety Lincoln Hossfeld and Lucas Beyer.

Westerberg said they plan to rotate numerous players along the front line led by Dawson Barksdale, JJ Adams, Noah Romney and Brodie Landon.

The secondary will be youthful with twins Devonte and Demonte Foster at the safeties and Brayden Dildine and Caine Cruddas on the corners.

Towns Sather will do the placekicking and Sully Anderson is expected to handle the punting.

While the schedule remains rough, the Eagles believe they have the arsenal and means to deal with it even better this time around.

Lake

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advanced through the quarterfinals.

Joining Hudson outside are two-way starter Ty Legg, Caleb Santana, Cash Robin, Zach Dodd, Bryce Davis, Kellen Scarborough and Peters. Isaiah Koonce and Colton Thompson will provide options at tight end.

“I think we have to be able to run the ball more efficiently,” added Cope, whose offense — guided by coordinator Matt Uzzell — led the area at 412.9 yards per game (160.6 rushing, 252.3 passing). “Last year, we got into situations where there was five in the box and you have to win. We did that in a lot of games, and sometimes we weren’t as successful.”

Paving the way for it all on the offensive line are four returners who started all

Tigers

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a shutout in a 56-0 bi-district blowout of Austin Northeast to secure its first playoff win since 2016.

The group now sees that as a starting point.

“As a whole defense, I think we’re looking to get some shutouts. We almost had two last season, but the only one we got was in playoffs and that was against a fourth seed, so that was kind of expected on our end,” said Butler who led the Tigers in tackles (99), tackles for loss (23) and sacks (5½) last year.

“Fourteen points or less, that’s about it,” Arendall responded when asked about the goals for this season.

“District champs,” Saucedo added shortly thereafter, to which Butler responded, “At least, at least.”

In addition to adding a few more blanks to the resume and more hardware to the trophy case, the players also agreed on another subject. They would like to force more turnovers than the handful they produced last year.

“It’s big, it’s a momentum-turner,” Harbin said. “The scheme that we played last year throughout district and in the playoffs didn’t lend to a lot of turnovers, because we were playing a lot of man. We’re getting back to our roots and playing a lot of Cover 2 and stuff like that, so it should generate more.

“I also think the kids knowing how im-

or some of the 11 contests in 2022: Kaden Bradshaw, Brett Harmon, Braden Gutierrez and Rolando Tapia.

“We’re a smaller offensive line so we know we have to be more physical than other people,” said Bradshaw, a 6-foot-2, 260-pound senior. “We’re going to need to run the ball more this year, so we’re going to have to be more physical in the box and that’s something we are really focusing on this year.”

Cope, whose team kicks off the season at 7 p.m. Friday against Leander Rouse at Tiger Field in Belton, said during fall camp that there was an ongoing competition between Diego Velazquez and Caleb Loper for the fifth spot on the line.

“We’re going to go as the front five go. I think that’s going to be the key piece, and then Eli Mascarenas managing the offense,” Cope said.

n jweaver@tdtnews.com

portant they are. A little more emphasis on let’s get the ball out and get it, so I’m glad that they’re saying that because we say it all the time, so at least they’re hearing it.”

Three-year varsity member Alton McCallum will be one of the more experienced members of the secondary for the Tigers. The lanky defender, who also returns kicks, said the group’s athleticism should see an uptick this year, which could help in the turnover department.

“I feel like we have a faster team this year. We have a lot of speed, so being able to get to the ball fast will be (a strength),” McCallum said.

While trying to remain cautiously optimistic, Harbin said he sees the defense settling in nicely as a whole. But it mostly starts up front.

“Our D-line I think is where we’re going to hang our hat,” he said. “We play three down but we have five kids who can really go, but our front seven I think is really good. The thing we were looking for the most coming in was DBs and right now we have eight back there and they’re all playing really well, so that’s encouraging. I hate to say we’re good at all levels, but we’re seeing signs that all of them can play at this level.”

Head coach Brett Sniffin agrees with his coordinator in noticing that the defense has come a long way in the past year.

“They have a lot more games under their belt, so I feel way more confident in the defense now than I did at this time last year,” Sniffin said.

Grass fields take a beating in drought conditions

By TIM WAITS TELEGRAM SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Just as the relentless summer heat without measurable rain in weeks is taking a toll on lawns throughout Central Texas, the same goes for natural grass football fields.

It’s a chore to maintain football fields to a playable level and abide by imposed water restrictions.

Florence in nearby Williamson County was forced to find alternate sites for its home games this season. The heat coupled with the severe water conservation methods imposed there simply made the field at Buffalo Stadium unplayable. Some varsity and sub-varsity games will be relocated to Killeen ISD facilities.

The schools still playing on natural grass in Bell County haven’t reached that level of emergency and likely won’t, but it’s no easy task to keep fields safe and playable.

“Our field people are working hard on the field with what they are allowed to do,” Holland head coach Brad Talbert said.

Holland is one of several area schools with natural grass.

Rogers is another doing its best to keep pace against the conditions. Merk Field will be ready for the Eagles’ season opener Friday against Academy, but not without plenty of effort.

“We are watering heavily three times a week and bare-

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a Nebraska offer and was a varsity basketball standout as a freshman. Stewart said Carlton shares similarities with exTemple great Ta’Quon Graham — now with the Atlanta Falcons — but must continue to strengthen his lean frame. Havens said Carlton needs to sharpen his mechanics and improve as a pass rusher.

“Jamarion has a chance to be a Power 5

ly keeping up,” said Jason Beard, the facilities director for Rogers.

Rogers and Holland are bucking the trend of moving to artificial turf, which has become common in schools of all classifications. Neither are interested in the high price tag that comes with the purchase and installation of the artificial surface. The cost of an artificial turf field has climbed beyond $1 million. Some schools have managed a package deal for football, baseball and softball fields. But for some, the cost is prohibitive when there are other facility needs.

Bartlett might have found itself in the same straits as Florence but had already moved its home games to Jarrell for this season. Bulldog Stadium has been demolished

defensive end, probably a top prospect,” Havens said. “He’s got long levers, great eyes and block destruction and he’s super smart. We’ve got to get him there on pass rush.”

Added Stewart: “There’s no shortcuts in that process. But Jamarion has that natural twitch. His first two steps off the line, he’s faster (than Graham at this age).”

Senior Nasaiah President-Lighten is the other starting end. Havens said emerging junior tackle Demontrae Wheelock “is becoming a little bit unblockable.”

and will be reconfigured to accommodate a new track as part of a massive bond package passed in 2022 that included significant upgrades to existing school buildings. The new football field will have artificial turf.

“Our field would have been in horrible shape if we had not decided to play in Jarrell,” said Dr. Ted Clevenger, the superintendent of Bartlett schools. “No grass and as hard as a rock. It would have been dangerous.”

Granger, a few miles up Highway 95 from Bartlett, will construct a new athletic complex as well as a new high school in the next couple of years.

In the last decade, smaller schools such as RosebudLott, Central Texas Christian, Salado, Academy, Troy, Jarrell, Rockdale and Cameron Yoe installed artificial surfaces on their existing fields when the prices were somewhat affordable. While artificial turf costs a pretty penny, it does take most of the maintenance quotient off the table for years to come.

It’s not the first time Texas and its natural grass football fields have endured a long, hot summer. Keeping those fields in pristine condition takes time, effort and water that is currently in limited supply, depending on the location.

“It’s holding up OK for now,” Rogers head coach Charlie Roten said of Merk Field. “There are definitely some spots that are pretty dry and could use some water. We haven’t altered anything as of now.”

Carwyn Smith, John Guthrie and the Local Subway Team

Tim Waits/Special to the Telegram Here’s a look at Hornet Field in Holland.

Chemistry

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Coaches usually don’t wait until their athletes reach high school to begin instilling their messages of camaraderie and commitment. There is a concerted effort to form the foundation at the middle school level.

With that early groundwork, other components of team chemistry begin to rise to the top, flourishing as high school years fly by.

“Team chemistry, honestly, runs down to elementary — even us playing outside at recess, and middle school, playing on the same team or against each other,” Lake Belton senior receiver Micah Hudson said. “We know what makes the other tick and makes us happy. It’s really just taking on the culture and helping the younger guys understand that there’s a standard and you have to live by the standard.”

Digitally speaking, everyone now has a #hashtag associated with their program. At Temple, the Wildcats coaches often end a social medial post with #F.A.M.I.L.Y, which stands for “Forget about me, I love you.”

When Sniffin first arrived at Belton in 2020, #BTR or “break the rock” took hold. At Lake Belton, Cope instantly introduced the notion of 212, the extra degree, and #riseup. Aside from the catchiness, at the crux of these sayings is a greater purpose — belonging and brotherhood.

With that in mind, there are certain things that don’t fly.

“Making fun of somebody else in the locker room,” Stewart said. “You want to see me get ugly real quick, make fun of somebody because of what they look like, or what shoes they have or clothes

they’re wearing. Do that and watch what happens.

“The relationship between me and you, there’s an air hose and oxygen goes through it. Every time you say ‘Oh, Coach, I was just joking,’ you put a kink in that hose. At some point, that oxygen gets cut off and the relationship dies. Those kids really respect that.”

Other examples of team chemistry put

into motion are leadership councils made up of coach- and peer-voted players, helmet decal night that also involves players’ families, pregame rituals, post-practice hangouts and team dinners.

“A lot of that is we want to build team chemistry, but we also want to provide memories for these kids that they can look fondly on in these high school years,” Sniffin said. “We just want them

to treat everybody with respect. If they do that and support each other, we celebrate with each other, then I think the chemistry develops.”

Then there are instances that allow lights to shine on the abundance of creativity within the student-athletes such as the nicknames Temple’s players use for their position groups.

Last season there was the Trench Mob, also known as the offensive linemen, the Jack Boys, or Ball Hawks for the defensive backs, The Guerrilla Gang for the defensive linemen, and The Mob for linebackers and strong safeties.

“Our group names bring us together in more ways than one,” then-senior linebacker Taurean York, who now plays at Texas A&M, said last season.

Stewart always has appreciated that type of energy.

“Those guys, they’ll practice their butts off against each other but when one makes a catch, the other will pat them on the head or help them off the ground. That’s not stuff we taught,” Stewart said.

Teams will win and they will lose. They will reach their goals and fall short. But the final whistle isn’t really the end all, be all, if the fundamental aspects of team chemistry indeed took hold.

That’s the hope, anyway. Football will someday fade. The lessons learned through the sport last much longer, especially if a player keeps toting the rope.

“I think times have changed, but I don’t think people have. I still think they’ll choose culture, community, chemistry,” Stewart said. “I think they will still choose the things that we’ve longed for since the beginning of time. I mean, tribes were created because of loyalty and commitment to each other. The human being still seeks that out.”

n jweaver@tdtnews.com

Ray Swindle/Special to the Telegram Temple assistant coach Scott Clark instructs some Wildcats defensive players during a practice session earlier this month.

Broncos

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a year ago, Lake is predicted to leapfrog both into the top spot.

“We really need to make sure that we tackle better. We’re more athletic, which means we’ll get there faster, but now we have to finish,” Cope said. “The key for us is we try to put our top players on the defensive side of the ball.”

The Broncos open the season Friday at Tiger Field in Belton against Leander Rouse before hitting the road for the first time Sept. 1 to take on Buda Johnson.

After that, the rugged eight-game 4-5AI slate commences Sept. 7 with a home game versus Red Oak. The rematch with Shoemaker is scheduled for Sept. 15 in Killeen, and Lake Belton welcomes Midlothian on Oct. 20.

“We want to be more player-led this year,” said senior Micah Hudson, an offensive threat at receiver who could see spot duty on defense once again this season. “As a team, we have to be more passionate. The coaches can’t be more passionate than we are because we’re the ones playing. We have to be ready to work, trust each other and work with each other.”

n jweaver@tdtnews.com

Hudson

Continued from 5

aim for their first District 4-5A-I title and beyond.

The expectations aren’t burdens, instead just part of the territory in a sport Hudson cherishes and respects.

“I feel like if you’re really passionate about the game, it just hits different when you have wins, losses, when you’re scoring, when your teammates are scoring. When you’re really passionate about it,

Anchors

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said he wanted to see his team’s Aug. 17 home scrimmage against Killeen before finalizing personnel decisions.

Quarterback clearly is one of those. Rumfield passed for 4,066 yards and 44 touchdowns in two seasons with Temple but sometimes struggled with production and turnovers in three playoff games, including last year’s 30-21 bi-district home loss to Waxahachie.

Improving left-handed passer Kade Stewart — last year’s top junior varsity quarterback — and the elusive Willis have competed all spring and summer. Because Willis, a starting safety last season, is a potential weapon at receiver and running back (Case called him “our Swiss Army knife”), the 6-foot-3, 175-pound Stewart is likely to begin as Temple’s starting QB.

“We grade every throw, every step that every kid takes. I really want to analyze that after the scrimmage,” said Scott Stewart, Kade’s father. “Both are pretty effective and they each give you a different dynamic. Kade ran 4.6 (seconds in the 40-yard dash), but Damarion has a wiggle that’s hard to teach.”

Said Case: “They’re both playing really well. If Kade’s good enough and we can have Damarion playing receiver, it gives us a lot of options.”

After 1,000-yard rusher Deshaun Brundage graduated, Temple believes 190-pound junior Adrian Scott will keep the running back position strong along with capable seniors Jervonnie Williams and Rymond Johnson.

“Adrian has emerged,” Case said. “He’s a leaner, faster version of Deshaun but runs violent, just like Deshaun did, and has great hands.”

Harrison-Pilot (48 receptions, 978 yards, nine touchdowns plus five TDs rushing) is difficult to replace, but speedster Tutson is a good place to start. As a sophomore he made 26 catches for 610 yards and eight touchdowns and scored 10 TDs overall despite missing some district action with an upper-body injury.

“Christian’s so fast that we underthrow him half the time. I’m trying to get him to go up and attack those deep balls,” Case said. “This summer he got a Nebraska offer and it was like a light switch went on.”

Senior slot receivers Jeremiah Lennon and Jaquon Butler return, potentially with Willis and even junior safety O’Ryan Peoples. Senior Tavion Flowers and talented sophomore Preston Thomas join Tutson at outside receiver. They’re learning from new receivers coach Davion Curtis, a former Wildcats star.

Scott Stewart said the physicality of sophomore tight end Campbell (6-1, 215), a Waco La Vega transfer, reminds him of former Temple enforcer Chris Minter.

“Davarion just got here and doesn’t know where he’s going yet,” Case said. “But he puts his hands on people and they go the other direction. We’re excited.”

All-district senior center Endrei Sauls (62, 310), a Lamar commitment, spearheads Temple’s line. Senior left tackle Armando Gonzalez is another returning starter.

“Endrei is the guy. He’s unbelievable,” Case said.

An intriguing prospect is 6-6, 275pound junior Kirk Gildon at right tackle.

“The way Kirk’s moving athletically and starting to strike people off the line, he has a chance to be a high-level prospect,” Case said. “He just needs to get stronger.”

Imposing sophomore Isaiah Guerra is the left guard, while the right guard battle includes juniors Juan Castillo and Terrance Black and senior Logan Ash.

Continued from 4

nullified or modified because of the weight room,” Wildcats head coach Scott Stewart said. “Technique and leverage are a huge part. He’s strong as a bull. Endrei is too, so when you get those two kids together . . .”

Along with school and football, Brown and Sauls maintain jobs at fast-food restaurants. Both derive particular motivation from two losses during Temple’s 7-4

football is a great thing that God gave us. If you treat the game the way it’s supposed to be treated, it’ll treat you well,” he said.

“Football does a lot of stuff for a lot of people. Football can be a place for you to go to be yourself and a place where you can learn things. There’s a lot that people can take away from football, and it can change their life. Some people could be having some bad thing at home or whatever, but they come to football practice and they feel good or just feel like people care about them.”

n jweaver@tdtnews.com

season last year: 13-9 at Harker Heights in the de facto 12-6A championship game and 30-21 at home against Waxahachie in a Class 6A Division I bi-district playoff.

“We’ve been working at it all offseason, all spring, all summer,” Brown said.

“We’re trying to get over that hump and go play 16 games.”

“My favorite quote is, ‘Hungry dogs run faster,’” said Sauls, whose father, Eron Sauls, played quarterback for Temple and is Frisco Panther Creek’s passing game coordinator. “You’ve got to have that in mind and go compete.”

TUESDAY, August 22, 2023

2022 Area Statistical Leaders 2022 Playoffs

Team Offense

Yards Rushing

Receptions

60, Harker Heights 24

Class 5A Division I

Bi-district: Burleson Centennial 56, Lake Belton 28; Aledo 37, Killeen Shoemaker 0

Class 5A Division II

Bi-district: Belton 56, Austin Northeast 0

Area: Brenham 31, Belton 10

Class 4A Division I

Bi-district: Somerset 27, Lampasas 17

Class 4A Division II

Bi-district: Jarrell 32, Devine 14; Smithville 24, Gatesville 14; Cuero 13, Salado 7

Area: Jarrell 35, Port Isabel 21

Regional semifinals: Wimberley 64, Jarrell 6

Class 3A Division I

Team Defense

Yards Passing

Yards Receiving

Bi-district: Cameron Yoe 39, Yoakum 28; Hitchcock 22, Academy 14

Area: Cameron Yoe 42, Orangefield 19

Regional semifinals: Columbus 48, Cameron Yoe 14

Class 3A Division II

Bi-district: Rogers 22, Van Vleck 0

Area: Taft 31, Rogers 21

Class 2A Division I

Bi-district: Holland 36, Stockdale 31; Axtell 28, Rosebud-Lott 27

Area: Refugio 56, Holland 9

Class 2A Division II

Bi-district: Granger 60, Somerville 13

Area: Granger 41, D’Hanis 6

Regional semifinals: Granger 35, Falls City 15

Regional final: Burton 27, Granger 7