2A Division I, District 11 Preview

MALAKOFF TIGERS
Enrollment: 304 (5)
2009 Record: 8-3 2A Div. 1 Bi-District Finalist
The Coach: Jamie Driskell
The Players: Zack Green (Sr., OL), Marquise Dowell (Sr., WR/DB), Josh Crockett (Sr., RB/DB), Andrew Keheley (Sr., OL), Cody Davies (Sr., TE/LB), Terry Shamlin (Sr., P), Caesar Garcia (So., K), Truman Dowell (Sr., WR/LB), Jacob Teague (Jr., QB)
The Word: After being hired to replace Ronny Reed as head coach and athletic director last January, Coach Jamie Driskell rolled up his sleeves and led a revival of Tiger football in Malakoff. After going 1-19 the previous two seasons, the Tigers put together an 8-3 season in 2009 and captured a district co-championship. Malakoff will have to replace quarterback Bernard Hall who has graduated. Look for junior Jacob Teague to get the first shot under center. The offense will have a couple of play makers returning in wide receiver Marquise Dowell and tight end Cody Davies. Up front the Tigers will be led by a couple of big offensive linemen in Zack Green and Andrew Keheley. Green is 6’3” and 260 pounds, while Keheley goes 5’11” and 285 pounds. The defense should be solid with Dowell at defensive back and Davies at linebacker. Truman Dowell will fill another linebacker position for the Tigers. Keheley and Green will each probably spend time on the defensive line. Josh Crockett is a solid defensive back that will help the Tiger’s pass defense. Special teams should be a strength for the Tigers as punter Terry Shamlin and kicker Caesar Garcia were both second team all-district in 2009. It remains to be seen whether Coach Driskell can repeat the success his team had in his first year at the helm, but there is a lot of optimism surrounding the Tigers. The Tigers could compete for another district title.
TEAGUE LIONS
Enrollment: 339 (3)
2009 Record: 1-9
The Coach: Josh Finney
The Players: Jake McClain (Sr., QB); Wade Venable (Sr., TE/OLB), Fernando Zambrano (Sr., WR/DB), Johnnie Johnson (Sr., OL/DL), Timothy Campbell (Sr., TE/DE), Jared Phillips (Sr., QB/DB), Ryan Lawrence (Sr., WR/DB), Larry Busby (Jr., RB/DB), Casey Samuels (Jr., RB/DB), Dustin Hunt (Jr., TE/DE), Juan Perez (Jr., OL/DL)
The Word: The Lions were very young in 2009 and suffered through a 1-9 campaign as a result. But, in 2010 the Lions will return 24 lettermen and 12 starters. So, there is reason for excitement. However, most of the excitement may be generated not by what Teague has returning but by a couple of new arrivals. Coach Josh Finney takes over as head coach of the Lions after spending the last four years at 1A Maud where he tallied a 38-12 record and made the playoffs four straight years. On top of that, quarterback Jake McClain is trading his Maud Cardinal jersey for a Teague Lion jersey in 2010. McClain, who quarterbacked the Maud Cardinals the last three years, will play his senior year for the Lions and Coach Finney. McClain will have plenty of help in the backfield too. Runningback Larry Busby is one of the fastest players in 2A. Busby won state in the 100 meter dash in May and is a multi-sport athlete. Busby’s explosiveness and McClain’s experience should give the Lions a formidable combination in the offensive backfield. Casey Samuels will get a fair share of carries for the Lions as well. And, receiver Ryan Lawrence has a good combination of height and speed to be an attractive target on the outside. On defense, the Lions will be led by linebacker Wade Venable. Junior Dustin Hunt should help up front from his defensive end position as well. Fernando Zambrano will occupy a defensive back position and will likely be joined by Busby, Lawrence and Samuels who all figure to play both ways. The additions of Finney and McClain make Teague a contender for a district championship.
CROCKETT BULLDOGS
Enrollment: 393 (1)
2009 Record: 1-9
The Coach: Paul Parsons
The Players: Antonio Chimney (Sr., OL), Trevon Dickenson (Sr., RB/LB), Jonathan Wolf (Sr., RB/SS), Kwamee James (Sr., WR/DB), DeVonte Lane (Sr, FS), D’Vaughan Le (Jr., LB), Denell Parker (Jr., RB), C.J. Wheeler (Jr., QB/WR), Dominique Wheeler (Jr., WR), Zach Stone (Jr., DL), Tevin Collins (So., OL), Carson Earp (So., QB/LB), Michael McKnight (So., WR/DB)
The Word: The Bulldogs endured one of the worst seasons in school history in 2009. The 1-9 record was the worst by a Crockett team in more than 30 years. Don’t expect the Bulldogs to stay down long. The drop down to 2A will certainly help the Bulldogs who will have the largest enrollment in the district. But, the return of some super talented football players will help even more. The Bulldog offense will feature speed in the form of runningback Jonathan Wolf (5’10” 175) and wide receiver Dominique Wheeler. Senior wide receiver Kwamee James should line up opposite Wheeler and provide another playmaker at the receiver position. Meanwhile, runningback Trevon Dickenson, at 210 pounds, will play the “thunder” to Wolf’s “lightening” out of the Bulldog backfield. The offensive line will be anchored by Antonio Chimney who has good feet and great size at nearly 300 pounds. The Bulldog defense will be lead by speedster linebacker D’Vaughan Le and Wolf at strong safety. Senior free safety DeVonte Lane adds a playmaker to the secondary. And, junior lineman Zach Stone solidifies the defensive line for the Bulldogs. Crockett has some dynamic skilled players and could really improve on last year’s win total if the team comes together during two-a-days.
TROUP TIGERS
Enrollment: 294 (6)
2009 Record: 2-8
The Coach: Chuck Griffin
The Players: Ryan Nichols (Sr., RB/DB), Cameron Searcy (Sr., LB), Caleb Gibson (Sr., DB), Ethan Isaacks (Sr., OL); Patrick Alonzo (Sr., OL/DL)
The Word: Not much went right for the Troup Tigers in 2009. Their best player, Derrikk Thompson, was injured much of the year and the Tigers managed only two wins. One thing that did go right for the Tigers was runningback Ryan Nichols who helped power the Troup offense after Thompson went down. Nichols will be asked to shoulder much of the load in 2010. He will be running behind a couple of big bodies in Ethan Isaacks and Patrick Alonzo. Isaacks is 6’3” 275 and Alonzo is 6’1” 260. The Tigers’ defense will be lead by all-district linebacker Cameron Searcy (5’11” 175). Nichols will pull double duty and play safety for the Tigers where he was an all-district performer in 2009. Caleb Gibson is a solid defensive back who will help Nichols in the secondary. New Coach Chuck Griffin takes over a Troup team that is looking to return to its winning ways of the mid-2000s when the Tigers went 44-8 between 2003 and 2006. Coach Griffin will employ the spread offense with the Tigers, so the offense could be interesting to watch this season. The Tigers figure to be fighting with Teague, Crockett and Malakoff for a playoff spot.
TRINITY TIGERS
Enrollment: 313 (4)
2009 Record: 2-8
The Coach: Chuck Langston
The Players: Jay Johnson (Sr., RB/DB), Reid Felchek (Sr., FB/LB), Jessa Valenta (Sr., OL), Korey Smith (Sr., WR), Cole Smith (Sr., QB), Kirby Brooks (Jr., LB)
The Word: The Tigers are 27-71 over the last decade and haven’t reached the playoffs since 2004. Chuck Langston’s club will have their work cut out for them in their new district. Senior Jay Johnson figures to lead the offense. He will need help from Reid Felcheck who will tote the rock from his fullback position. Cole Smith (5’11” 160) will take over fulltime at quarterback after passing for 600 yards last year. Meanwhile, Korey Smith should provide a target at the wide receiver position. Jessa Valenta (6’1” 290) will anchor the offensive line. Johnson and Felcheck both figure to play defense as well and try to improve a Tiger defense that gave up nearly 39 points a game in 2009. They will be joined by junior linebacker Kirby Brooks who has good size and speed. Coach Langston will need to plug several holes left by graduation in order to compete in this competitive district.
ELKHART ELKS
Enrollment: 363 (2)
2009 Record: 1-9
The Coach: John Adair
The Players: Cam Reeves (Jr., QB/RB/DB), Austin Huggins (Sr., OL), Lane Grant (Sr., QB/P/S), Bryce Fillmore (Jr., K/RB)
The Word: The Elks haven’t had a winning season since 2004 and have won only four games the last three seasons. John Adair takes over as head coach after spending much of his 20 year coaching career as an assistant at Elkhart. The first order of business for Coach Adair and the Elks will be replacing the linebacking corpse. Linebackers Brien Hill, Bladerick Arceneaux, and Dustin Tanner were all lost to graduation. The second order of business will likely be igniting an offense that scored only 94 points all year and managed just 23 total points in their five district games. Junior athlete Cam Reeves is a great place to start. Reeves garnered all-district nods on offense and defense in 2009. Reeves will be looking to Austin Huggins to pave the way up front. Huggins, an all-district performer in 2009, returns for his senior year to anchor the offensive line. Meanwhile, senior Lane Grant should have the opportunity to contribute on offense, defense and special teams for the Elks. The Elks have a new district and a new coach and Elks fans are hoping for the best.