Final Northeast Texas Regional Rankings

4A

1. Longview (9-1)
2. Marshall (7-3)
3. Texas High (6-3)
4. Sulphur Springs (7-3)
5. Lindale (6-4)
6. Jacksonville (7-3)
7. Kilgore (5-5)
8. Whitehouse (3-7)
9. Henderson (5-5)
10. Hallsville (3-7)

3A

1. Gilmer (10-0)
2. Carthage (10-0)
3. Pittsburg (9-1)
4. Jasper (8-2)
5. Mexia (8-2)
6. Wills Point (9-1)
7. Liberty-Eylau (6-4)
8. Pleasant Grove (7-3)
9. Center (7-3)
10. Brownsboro (8-1)
11. Tatum (6-4)
12. Palestine (6-4)
13. Van (7-3)
14. New Boston (5-4)
15. Paris (6-4)
16. Canton (6-4)
17. Atlanta (3-7)
18. Mt. Vernon (5-5)
19. Rusk (4-5)
20. Palestine Westwood (5-5)

2A

1. Daingerfield (9-1)
2. Arp (10-0)
3. Paul Pewitt (8-2)
4. White Oak (9-1)
5. Prairiland (9-1)
6. Caddo Mills (8-2)
7. Corrigan-Camden (8-2)
8. Lone Oak (8-2)
9. Linden-Kildare (6-4)
10. Harleton (7-3)
11. Garrison (8-2)
12. West Rusk (8-2)
13. New Diana (7-2)
14. Jefferson (5-5)
15. Harmony (7-3)
16. Union Grove (6-4)
17. Edgewood (7-3)
18. Winnsboro (6-4)
19. Malakoff (8-2)
20. Frankston (5-5)

Northeast Texas Regional Rankings: Week 8

4A
1. Longview (7-1)
2. Texas High (4-2)
3. Sulphur Springs (5-2)
4. Marshall (4-3)
5. Henderson (5-2)
6. Jacksonville (5-2)
7. Hallsville (3-4)
8. Kilgore (3-4)
9. Lindale (3-4)
10. Mount Pleasant (3-5)

3A
1. Gilmer (7-0)
2. Carthage (7-0)
3. Jasper (6-1)
4. Mexia (6-1)
5. Pittsburg (6-1)
6. Brownsboro (6-0)
7. Palestine (4-3)
8. Liberty-Eylau (4-3)
9. Center (5-2)
10. Wills Point (6-1)
11. Van (5-2)
12. Pleasant Grove (4-2)
13. New Boston (4-2)
14. Paris (4-3)
15. Mount Vernon (5-2)
16. Tatum (4-3)
17. Canton (4-3)
18. Atlanta (2-5)
19. Rusk (4-3)
20. Westwood (Palestine) (3-4)

2A
T1. Arp (7-0)
T1. Daingerfield (6-1)
3. Prairiland (7-0)
4. Caddo Mills (6-1)
5. West Rusk (6-0)
6. Paul Pewitt (5-2)
7. Lone Oak (6-1)
8. White Oak (6-1)
9. Corrigan-Camden (5-2)
10. Kerens (5-1)
11. Jefferson (4-3)
12. New Diana (5-1)
13. Harmony (5-2)
14. Harleton (5-2)
15. Frankston (4-3)
16. Edgewood (5-3)
17. Garrison (5-2)
18. Union Grove (5-2)
19. Hughes Springs (3-3)
20. Linden-Kildare (3-4)

Northeast Texas Regional Rankings: Week 7

4A
1. Longview (6-1)
2. Texas High (3-2)
3. Sulphur Springs (5-2)
4. Marshall (4-2)
5. Henderson (4-2)
6. Kilgore (3-3)
7. Whitehouse (1-5)
8. Jacksonville (4-2)
9. Hallsville (2-4)
10. Nacogdoches (3-3)

3A
1. Gilmer (6-0)
2. Carthage (6-0)
3. Jasper (5-1)
4. Mexia (5-1)
5. Pittsburg (5-1)
6. Brownsboro (5-0)
7. Palestine (3-3)
8. Center (4-2)
9. Wills Point (5-1)
10. Liberty-Eylau (3-3)
11. New Boston (4-1)
12. Van (4-2)
13. Pleasant Grove (4-2)
14. Mount Vernon (5-1)
15. Paris (3-3)
16. Canton (4-2)
17. Atlanta (2-4)
18. Westwood (Palestine) (3-3)
19. Tatum (3-3)
20. Rusk (4-2)

2A
T1. Arp (6-0)
T1. Daingerfield (5-1)
3. Corrigan-Camden (5-1)
4. Prairiland (6-0)
5. Caddo Mills (5-1)
6. Paul Pewitt (4-2)
7. Lone Oak (5-1)
8. West Rusk (5-0)
9. White Oak (5-1)
10. Kerens (5-1)
11. Jefferson (3-3)
12. New Diana (4-1)
13. Harmony (4-2)
14. Frankston (4-2)
15. Harleton (4-2)
16. Union Grove (5-1)
17. Edgewood (4-3)
18. Linden-Kildare (3-3)
19. Garrison (4-2)
20. Hughes Springs (2-3)

Northeast Texas Regional Rankings: Week 6

4A
1. Longview (5-1)
2. Texas High (2-2)
3. Sulphur Springs (5-1)
4. Jacksonville (4-1)
5. Marshall (3-2)
6. Henderson (3-2)
7. Nacogdoches (3-2)
8. Kilgore (2-3)
9. Hallsville (2-4)
10. Mount Pleasant (3-3)

3A
1. Gilmer (5-0)
2. Carthage (5-0)
3. Jasper (4-1)
4. Mexia (4-1)
5. Pittsburg (4-1)
6. Center (4-1)
7. Palestine (2-3)
8. Pleasant Grove (4-1)
9. Brownsboro (4-0)
10. Van (3-2)
11. Mount Vernon (5-0)
12. Wills Point (4-1)
13. Atlanta (2-3)
14. New Boston (3-1)
15. Canton (4-1)
16. Liberty-Eylau (2-3)
17. Westwood (Palestine) (3-2)
18. Paris (2-3)
19. Kaufman (2-3)
20. Tatum (2-3)

2A
T1. Daingerfield (4-1)
T1. Arp (5-0)
3. Corrigan-Camden (4-1)
4. Caddo Mills (4-1)
5. Prairiland (5-0)
6. Paul Pewitt (3-2)
7. Harmony (4-1)
8. Lone Oak (4-1)
9. West Rusk (4-0)
10. White Oak (4-1)
11. Kerens (4-1)
12. Jefferson (2-3)
13. Edgewood (4-2)
14. New Diana (3-1)
15. Frankston (3-2)
16. Garrison (4-1)
17. Chisum (Paris) (4-1)
18. Clarksville (3-2)
19. Hughes Springs (2-2)
20. Harleton (3-2)

Northeast Texas Regional Rankings: Week 5

4A

1. Longview (4-1)
2. Sulphur Springs (5-0)
3. Texas High (2-2)
4. Jacksonville (4-1)
5. Marshall (2-2)
6. Henderson (3-2)
7. Nacogdoches (2-2)
8. Kilgore (2-3)
9. Hallsville (2-3)
10. Mount Pleasant (2-3)

3A

1. Gilmer (5-0)
2. Carthage (5-0)
3. Jasper (3-1)
4. Mexia (4-1)
5. Pittsburg (4-1)
6. Center (3-1)
7. Palestine (2-3)
8. Pleasant Grove (4-1)
9. Brownsboro (4-0)
10. Van (3-2)
11. Mount Vernon (5-0)
12. Wills Point (3-1)
13. Atlanta (2-3)
14. New Boston (3-1)
15. Canton (4-1)
16. Liberty-Eylau (2-3)
17. Westwood (Palestine) (3-2)
18. Paris (2-3)
19. Kaufman (2-2)
20. Tatum (2-3)

2A

T1. Daingerfield (4-1)
T1. Arp (5-0)
3. Corrigan-Camden (4-1)
4. Caddo Mills (3-1)
5. Paul Pewitt (2-2)
6. Prairiland (4-0)
7. Harmony (3-1)
8. White Oak (3-1)
9. Lone Oak (3-1)
10. West Rusk (4-0)
11. Edgewood (4-1)
12. Jefferson (1-3)
13. New Diana (3-0)
14. Chisum (Paris) (4-0)
15. Kerens (3-1)
16. Frankston (2-2)
17. Garrison (4-1)
18. Clarksville (2-2)
19. Hughes Springs (2-2)
20. Elysian Fields (3-1)

Northeast Texas Regional Rankings: Week 4

4A

1. Longview (3-1)
2. Sulphur Springs (4-0)
3. Texas High (2-1)
4. Jacksonville (4-0)
5. Marshall (2-2)
6. Nacogdoches (2-2)
7. Henderson (2-2)
8. Mount Pleasant (2-2)
9. White House (0-4)
10. Kilgore (1-3)

3A

1. Gilmer (4-0)
2. Carthage (4-0)
3. Mexia (4-0)
4. Pittsburg (4-0)
5. Jasper (2-1)
6. Palestine (2-2)
7. Center (3-1)
8. Pleasant Grove (3-1)
9. Brownsboro (3-0)
10. Van (2-2)
11. Paris (2-2)
12. Atlanta (2-2)
13. Wills Point (3-1)
14. New Boston (2-1)
15. Canton (3-1)
16. Mount Vernon (4-0)
17. Tatum (2-2)
18. Liberty Eylau (1-3)
19. Westwood (Palestine) (2-2)
20. Spring Hill (1-2)

2A

1. Daingerfield (4-0)
2. Arp (4-0)
3. White Oak (3-0)
4. Corrigan-Camden (3-1)
5. Caddo Mills (2-1)
6. Paul Pewitt (1-2)
7. Prairiland (3-0)
8. Harmony (2-1)
9. Lone Oak (2-1)
10. Jefferson (1-3)
11. West Rusk (3-0)
12. Edgewood (3-1)
13. Elysian Fields (3-0)
14. New Diana (2-0)
15. Kerens (2-1)
16. Chisum (Paris) (3-0)
17. Frankston (2-2)
18. Clarksville (2-1)
19. Garrison (3-1)
20. Linden-Kildare (2-2)

Northeast Texas Regional Rankings: Week 3

4A
1. Longview (3-0)
2. Sulphur Springs (3-0)
3. Texas High (2-1)
4. Jacksonville (3-0)
5. Marshall (2-1)
6. Nacogdoches (2-1)
7. Kilgore (1-2)
8. Whitehouse (0-3)
9. Hallsville (1-2)
10. Henderson (1-2)

3A
1. Gilmer (3-0)
2. Carthage (3-0)
3. Mexia (3-0)
4. Pittsburg (3-0)
5. Tatum (2-1)
6. Palestine (2-1)
7. Van (2-1)
8. New Boston (2-0)
9. Liberty-Eylau (1-2)
10. Pleasant Grove (2-1)
11. Wills Point (3-0)
12. Brownsboro (2-0)
13. Jasper (1-1)
14. Spring Hill (1-1)
15. Paris (1-2)
16. Center (2-1)
17. Canton (2-1)
18. Mount Vernon (3-0)
19. Palestine Westwood (2-1)
20. Atlanta (1-2)

2A
1. Daingerfield (3-0)
2. Arp (3-0)
3. White Oak (3-0)
4. Corrigan-Camden (2-1)
5. Caddo Mills (1-1)
6. Paul Pewitt (1-2)
7. Prairiland (3-0)
8. Harmony (2-1)
9. Lone Oak (2-1)
10. Jefferson (0-3)
11. Kerens (2-0)
12. West Rusk (2-0)
13. Elysian Fields (3-0)
14. Winnsboro (0-2)
15. New Diana (2-0)
16. Frankston (2-1)
17. Edgewood (2-1)
18. Chisum (Paris) (3-0)
19. Hughes Springs (1-1)
20. Ore City (3-0)

Northeast Texas Regional Rankings: Week 2

4A
1. Longview (2-0)
2. Texas High (1-1)
3. Sulphur Springs (2-0)
4. Jacksonville (2-0)
5. Marshall (1-1)
6. Whitehouse (0-2)
7. Kilgore (1-1)
8. Nacogodoches (2-0)
9. Hallsville (1-1)
10. Mount Pleasant (1-1)

3A
1. Gilmer (2-0)
2. Carthage (2-0)
3. Van (2-0)
4. Mexia (2-0)
5. Pleasant Grove (2-0)
6. Pittsburg (2-0)
7. Tatum (1-1)
8. Liberty Eylau (1-1)
9. New Boston (1-0)
10. Paris (1-1)
11. Palestine (1-1)
12. Brownsboro (2-0)
13. Chapel Hill (1-1)
14. Spring Hill (1-1)
15. Atlanta (1-1)
16. Center (1-1)
17. Canton (1-1)
18. Mount Vernon (2-0)
19. Palestine Westwood (1-1)
20. Crockett (0-2)

2A
1. Daingerfield (2-0)
2. Arp (2-0)
3. Lone Oak (2-0)
4. White Oak (2-0)
5. Harmony (2-0)
6. Jefferson (0-2)
7. Caddo Mills (1-1)
8. Corrigan-Camden (1-1)
9. Paul Pewitt (0-2)
10. Prairiland (2-0)
11. Kerens (2-0)
12. Hearne (2-0)
13. West Rusk (2-0)
14. Winnsboro (0-2)
15. Elysian Fields (2-0)
16. New Diana (2-0)
17. Frankston (1-1)
18. Franklin (1-1)
19. Edgewood (1-1)
20. Troup (1-1)

Northeast Texas Regional Rankings: Week 1

4A

1. Longview (1-0)
2. Texas High (0-1)
3. Sulphur Springs (1-0)
4. Whitehouse (0-1)
5. Jacksonville (1-0)
6. Marshall (0-1)
7. Kilgore (0-1)
8. Nacogdoches (1-0)
9. Hallsville (1-0)
10. Lindale (0-1)

3A

1. Gilmer (1-0)
2. Carthage (1-0)
3. Van (1-0)
4. Mexia (1-0)
5. Pleasant Grove (1-0)
6. Liberty Eylau (1-0)
7. Tatum (0-1)
8. Pittsburg (1-0)
9. New Boston (1-0)
10. Palestine (1-0)
11. Paris (0-1)
12. Tyler-Chapel Hill (1-0)
13. Spring Hill (1-0)
14. Canton (1-0)
15. Brownsboro (1-0)
16. Crockett (0-1)
17. Center (1-0)
18. Gladewater (0-1)
19. North Lamar (0-1)
20. Atlanta (0-1)

2A

1. Daingerfield (1-0)
2. Arp (1-0)
3. Lone Oak (1-0)
4. White Oak (1-0)
5. Jefferson (0-1)
6. Paul Pewitt (0-1)
7. Harmony (1-0)
8. Winnsboro (0-1)
9. Caddo Mills (0-1)
10. Corrigan-Camden (0-1)
11. Prairiland (1-0)
12. Kerens (1-0)
13. Hearne (1-0)
14. West Rusk (1-0)
15. Hughes Springs (0-0)
16. Elysian Fields (1-0)
17. Frankston (1-0)
18. New Diana (1-0)
19. Franklin (0-1)
20. Troup (0-1)

News From Around East Texas

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District 14-3A: Plenty of Talented QBs

Harleton Looks to Repay Raiders

Indians Ready to Bow Up, Despite Young Lines

Lufkin, The Woodlands Teams to Beat in 14-5A

Zero Week Capsules

Area Roundup

L-E's Clark Still Haunts Panthers

Week O: Marquee Matchups

Allen Eagles @ Longview Lobos

This game pits the #2 ranked team in 5A against the #1 ranked team in 4A. This is easily the game of the week in the entire state. The Eagles won the game last year 21-7 en route to a championship season. The Lobos went on to finish in the state finals as well. The Lobos return a ton of starters including quarterback Aaron Johnson. The Eagles are ranked by rivals.com as the #3 ranked team in the nation. Longview runninback Tyler McCray is questionable and may not play in the opener. This is one heck of a game to kick off the 2009 football season in East Texas.

Paul Pewitt Brahmas @ Arp Tigers

The #9 ranked Paul Pewitt Brahmas will be without the services of their all-state fullback D.J. Burleson due to an offseason knee injury. But quarterback Jordan McFarland still has weapons at his disposal, including multi-talented Jerome Whetstone. The Arp Tigers won the game in Pewitt last year 33-21 and come into the season ranked #2 in the state. The Tigers' Levocheya Cooper is the guy to watch on offense, defense and special teams. This should be a great 2A matchup.

Newton Eagles @ Corrigan Camden Bulldogs

Corrigan-Camden went to Newton last year and beat the Eagles 26-20 on their home field. Speedster JoCourtney Johnson looks to lead the Bulldogs to another victory over the Newton Eagles. But Newton returns a solid backfield in Halston Flanigan and La Ray Alfred. You can bet legendary Newton coach Curtis Barbay will have the Eagles ready to play.

Jefferson Bulldogs @ Pittsburg Pirates

Mitch Manley, Ted Burns and the rest of the Pirates host Destin Mosley, Clarence Lee and the Bulldogs in what should be a very entertaining matchup. Pittsburg won 7-6 in Jefferson last year. The Bulldogs have a lot of talent and are bent on revenge, but they will have to get it done in Pittsburg. This game should come down to the wire.

Daingerfield vs. Wills Point Scrimmage 8/21/09

Check out the photos here.

White Oak Roughnecks Preview

District: 18-2A
Head Coach: Tracy Blankenship
2008 Season Record: 8-3, 6-1 (Class 2A Division I Bi-District Finalist)

The drop in classification served White Oak well in 2008 as the Roughnecks matched their win total from the previous three years combined and made the playoffs for the first time since 2005. This year the Roughnecks will have to find a way to replace 4 all-state players (OL Taylor Tarr, OL Barrett Blankenship, LB Trevor Wait and RB Orlando Humble) from their 8-3 district championship team. The Roughnecks return 5 starters on each side of the ball including a pair of 1000 yard rushers.

Opposing teams had trouble slowing down the Roughnecks’ Slot T offense last year. White Oak averaged better than 42 points a game and did their damage almost exclusively on the ground. The Roughnecks had three runners go over 1000 yards in 2008: Orlando Humble (1458 yards 24 tds); Jackson McCurdy (1150 yard 11 tds); and Junior Hamilton (1179 yards 14 tds). Humble has moved on to Navarro College but Hamilton and McCurdy return and will form a formidable backfield tandem.

The quarterback position is a little less clear as there may be a log jam at the position. Connor Sharp was named 18-2A offensive newcomer of the year even though he split time with Austin Tubbs in 2008. Sharp and Tubbs may again split time behind center and Joey Dykes might see some time as the Roughneck signal caller as well.

The Roughnecks will need to fill some holes on the offensive line left by the departure of Tarr and Blankenship. Brandon Heim (second team all-district) and Ben Adams are not a bad place to start. And newcomer Randall Bernathy should help solidify the line.

Five starters return from a defense that allowed less than 16 points a game last year. All-state linebacker Trevor Wait will be hard to replace but linebackers Adam Thompson (128 tackles) and Logan King (78 tackles) should be up to the challenge. Defensive end Skylar Barnes (73 tackles) and defensive tackle Josh Lettow (2 sacks) will help lead the defensive line. The secondary will be led by cornerback Josh Spedowski.

The Roughnecks allowed more than 21 points only once in 2008, but the defense picked a terrible time to have their worst showing of the season giving up 39 points in their playoff loss to Jefferson.

18-2A is a solid district that featured five teams with at least six wins in 2008. White Oak’s first district game against Harmony could wind up being for the district championship.

White Oak has gone a decade without a playoff win, but a solid group of returning starters and help from an undefeated JV team could help the Roughnecks get out of the first round for the first time since 1998. Region III may be the strongest region in the state so a deep playoff run will be difficult.

Troup Tigers Preview

19AA
John Eastman
4-7 (3-2) D2 Bi-district Finalist

Der’rikk Thompson did everything but wash the team uniforms for the Troup Tigers in 2008. But chances are that if Coach John Eastman had asked him to do that too Thompson would have done it with a smile and the uniforms would have come out cleaner than ever before. The 5’11” 188 pound Thompson played several positions for the Tigers including cornerback, wide receiver, slot back, kick returner, and punt returner and helped a very young Troup team make the playoffs last year. With 19 starters returning Troup could be one of the most improved 2A teams in the state.

Troup returns ten starters on offense and will feature a big offensive line and some very talented skilled position players. The Tigers will look to get the ball in Thompson’s hands as often as possible. The SMU commit may be one of the fastest players in the state. He claims a personal best 4.37 in the 40 yard dash and a 10.5 100 meter time. Thompson will line up mostly as a slot receiver but will also run the ball from the slot back position. But, Thompson may be most dangerous as a kick returner having taken seven kickoffs back for scores last year.

While Thompson may get most of the attention, he is not the only threat for the Tigers. Runningbacks Ryan Nichols and Cody Lepelley are capable runners who will force defenses to respect the run. And Quarterback Tyler Davis will have three quality targets to throw to in Thompson, wide receiver Chance Tosh and tight end Jeremy Richardson.

Troup’s offensive line will be the engine that makes the machine go. Ethan Isaacs, Patrick Alonzo, and C.J. Deason will help form a very impressive line for the Tigers.

If the Tigers hope to significantly improve their record from a year ago, the defense, which gave up more than 26 points a game, will have to play much better. With nine starters back on the defensive side of the ball, improvement is likely. Two-way starter, Richardson will anchor the defensive line and help lead an experienced Tiger defense. Taylor Beaty and Caleb Gipson will head up a solid linebacking corps. And Thompson may move from cornerback to free safety for his senior campaign, which will give the Tigers a defensive play-maker in the middle of the field.

Troup started slowly in 2008 but came on toward the end of the year. The Tigers hope to take further strides in 2009. Troup will have enough talent to claim a playoff spot out of district 19AA but probably will not have enough to knock off reigning district champ, Arp. Nonetheless, Coach Eastman’s Troup Tigers should be back in the playoffs for the ninth time in the last 11 years. With the experience of 19 returning starters, Troup might even be able to pick up a couple playoff victories. But region III is very strong so getting any deeper than 3 rounds will take a monumental effort.

Daingerfield - Wills Point to Scrimmage in Whitehouse

Daingerfield and Wills Point will scrimmage on Friday, August 21st in Whitehouse. The 9th grade and JV will start at 9:00am followed by the Varsity at 10:00am. This will be both teams' final tuneup before the regular season begins. Both teams scrimmaged on Saturday with Daingerfield facing Tatum and Wills Point scrimmaging Chapel Hill.

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Offensive Line a Primary Concern for 2A Defending Champs

Chancellor Seeking Positives as Pine Tree Scrimmages Corsicana

Red River Valley Teams Ready for Scrimmages

Outlaw Pleased with Lufkin's First Week of Practice

Tribe Defense Sizzling

Harrison and Marion County Teams Gear Up for Scrimmages

Athens Hornets Get First Look at '09 Team in Saturday's Scrimmage

District 14-AAAA Preview

District 14-4A should be one of the most competitive districts in East Texas in 2009. The six teams in the district proved last year that any team is capable of beating any other on any given Friday. With 16 returning starters, Whitehouse is the early favorite to win the district title. But in this district the gap between first place and fifth place in the district is minimal. Each week should bring a new surprise in district 14-4A and picking a favorite each week will be extremely difficult.

13-4A Pre-season Predictions:

Whitehouse Wildcats: Coach Randy McFarlin has transformed Whitehouse from a perennial homecoming opponent into a perennial playoff team. And in 2009 Coach McFarlin may field his most talented Wildcat team yet. An extremely talented junior class and a solid core of seniors has Whitehouse poised for a big year in 2009. The offense, which has been one of the most prolific scoring offenses in East Texas over the last couple of years, returns seven starters including talented wide receiver Trey Metoyer. Metoyer burst onto the scene last year as a sophomore and hauled in 72 receptions for more than 1100 yards and 14 scores. Preston Conder will take over the quarterback position for Brady Attaway who has moved on to the collegiate ranks. Conder is a good athlete whose running ability may add an extra element to the Wildcat’s spread offense. But if the Wildcats are going to advance past the first round of the playoffs they are going to need significant improvement from a defense that gave up 30 points a game in 2008. The Wildcats held only one team under 20 points all season. Nine starters return on the defensive side of the ball so improvement should be in the cards. Joey Gautney and Danny Laastad will anchor the defensive front and Logan Taylor, Chad Lewis and Connor Cashion will form a solid linebacking unit. Quincy Aldridge and Jermaine Kennedy will lead the secondary. Whitehouse lost two close district games last year to Kilgore and Nacogdoches each on the road. This season the Wildcats get three of their five district games at home. Whitehouse has the talent to go undefeated in the district, but the defense will have to be more consistent.

Kilgore Bulldogs: Coach Mike Vallery’s club won the district championship and advanced to the second round of the playoffs in 2008. But graduation has hit the Bulldogs hard. Gone are runningback Frank Reddic and the entire offensive line. Also gone is defensive end Dominique Jones, who will play for Mack Brown and the Texas Longhorns in 2009. In fact, Kilgore returns only five starters total. Coach Vallery will need to work some magic to get his team ready for what should be a very competitive district. He has some pieces to work with in linebacker Mishaud Austin and lineman Shadow Stokes. The job of replacing Reddic’s rushing production will most likely fall to sophomore Ladarius Anthony. Despite the loss of the majority of last year’s starters, Kilgore should be able to reload for another playoff run. Last year, Kilgore’s only district loss came in week six when the Lindale Eagles surprised the Bulldogs 35-17 in the district opener. In week eight Kilgore used an incredible performance by Frank Reddic and a last second Ryan Bustin field goal to beat Whitehouse 34-31. In 2009, tough district road games against Whitehouse and Nacogdoches may determine whether the Bulldogs get back into the playoffs. Kilgore has made the playoffs 13 of the last 14 years.

Lindale Eagles: The Eagles had a good season last year going 8-3 including 3-2 in district and making it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2005. The Eagles will have to replace most of their offensive skilled position players including their leading passer, leading rusher and leading receiver from a year ago. But the return of multi-talented athlete Matt Brousard will help. Brousard will take over the quarterback position after spending much of last year at wide receiver. An experienced offensive line should also help Broussard ease into his new role. With six players returning from an offense that scored nearly 33 points a game, the offense should be fine. Linebacker Jacob Merriman and safety John Reyzman will lead a solid defense that played well at times last year. Seven starters back on defense including experience in the defensive line could be enough for Lindale to be even better defensively in 2009. Lindale has the luxury of playing three of their five district games at home this year including hosting Whitehouse and Kilgore. But a tough road test at Nacogdoches in week eight and the district finale at Jacksonville could determine Lindale’s playoff fate.

Nacogdoches Dragons: Despite going 6-4 in 2008 the Dragons failed to make the playoffs. In fact, Nacogdoches only has one playoff appearance in the last 16 years. But with a solid running game and a potential star in linebacker Alex Howard, the Dragons may be able to make some noise in district 14-4A in 2009. In order to improve upon an offense that produced 20 points a game in 2008, the Dragons will need to get more production from the quarterback position. Dragon quarterbacks combined to throw 17 interceptions and only seven touchdowns in 2008. Courtney Patton takes over as the Dragons’ signal caller in 2009 after getting a few starts in 2008. Patton’s main target will be tight end LaBryant Johnson who hauled in 16 passes a year ago. Senior wide receiver Jermichael Smith will try to provide a threat on the outside. Junior Jacolby Erwin should handle the bulk of the running duties for the Dragons. The defense, led by linebackers Howard and Javosky Ervin should be a strength. Nacogdoches will host three of their five district opponents in 2009 including Kilgore and Lindale whom the Dragons figure to be battling for playoff positioning.

Jacksonville Indians: The Indians only managed to win three games in 2008 and are 12-29 since 2005. But 2008 was not all bad. Two of those three wins came in district and those two wins were enough to get the Indians in the playoffs. Of Jacksonville’s three district losses, two came by a combined seven points. The only district game that the Indians failed to keep close was the 35-7 loss to district champ Kilgore. If Jacksonville hopes to improve its record from a year ago, the Tribe will have to find a way to score more points after managing only 18 points a game in 2008. Runningback Kendrick Hatton should carry much of the load offensively after rushing for nearly 800 yards and 18 touchdowns a year ago. The defense will be led by linebacker Justin Jones who has led the Indians in tackles each of the last two years. Defensive back Duke Hamilton may move to safety after starting last year at cornerback for the Tribe. Jacksonville returns only seven starters total from last year’s team so help will need to come from a lot of new faces. Talent from an 8-2 JV team should help. The Tribe will face tough district road games against Whitehouse and Kilgore in 2009. But if Jacksonville can take care of business at home against Nacogdoches and Lindale, the Tribe could find themselves back in the playoffs.

Henderson Lions: In 2009, the Lions suffered through their second 1-9 season in the last three years. Henderson has not been to the postseason since 2003 and is 44-61 over the last decade. Veteran coach Dickey Meeks’ club returns 12 starters including six on each side of the ball, none more important than quarterback Tyrell Jenkins. The 6’4” Jenkins threw for more than 1700 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2008 but must cut down on his 14 interceptions. Offensive linemen Justin Boose and Neco Jones, each over 300 pounds, should provide some protection for Jenkins. But the Lions need to find some playmakers if they want to improve an offense that managed only 16 points a game in 2008. Wide receiver Brandon Tatum could be that guy if Jenkins can get him the ball. On defense, Corey Fletcher will anchor the defensive line while Cord Fletcher will lead the linebackers. If the Lions are going to get to the playoffs they are going to have to beat some pretty good teams on the road as they will have to travel to Nacogdoches, Kilgore and Lindale. Henderson may actually be improved this year although it might not translate into more district wins because Nacogdoches and Jacksonville both look to be improved as well. Lion fans may have to wait another season or two before they see their first winning season since 2002.

Predicted Order of Finish for 14-4A:

1. Whitehouse Wildcats
2. Kilgore Bulldogs
3. Lindale Eagles
4. Nacogdoches Dragons
5. Jacksonville Indians
6. Henderson Lions

The East Texas Report

Join Randy Shortnacy and me as we continue to breakdown the East Texas teams...Randy and I take a look at Class 3A and also go One on One with Scott Surratt of Carthage.

August 12th at 6:oopm

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/The-Old-Coach

Whitehouse Wildcats

The Wildcats, who are favored to win District 14-4A, got going on Monday at 7:00am.

Whitehouse returns 16 starters from last year's 7-4 playoff team.

The Wildcats will scrimmage Carthage in Whitehouse on August 21st.

Whitehouse opens their schedule at Garland Naaman Forest on August 28th.

Interesting scrimmages right around the corner

It is still almost three weeks until the games start counting for real. But many area teams have already started strapping on the pads and soon those teams will begin pairing off in preseason scrimmages. The old cliché says that scrimmages don’t mean anything and that is true to some extent. But there are things coaches and fans can learn from these early scrimmages. Scrimmages offer fans a preview of how teams are shaping up for the coming season. They provide the athletes with their first chance to test themselves against a “real” opponent. And it allows coaches to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their teams and get those competitive juices flowing.

Area scrimmages begin in earnest on August 15th and continue through the 22nd. There are several interesting matchups around the area. Here is a list of some of my favorites:

Tatum @ Daingerfield (August 15th):

Daingerfield is coming off a 2A state title in 2008. They are returning a bevy of talent at the offensive skilled positions. The Tigers also return 7 starters on defense and will feature a stingy defensive secondary. But there are questions to be answered. Daingerfield must replace all five starters on the offensive line. The Tigers also must replace 3 all-state performers on defense including the linebacking duo of Carl Moore and Julius Hurndon. Who will be the leader of the defense?

Tatum had a run of three state title game appearances come to an abrupt end as they returned to the 3A ranks. Tatum went 5-6 including 2-3 in district but still managed to make the playoffs for the seventh year in a row. Tatum returns 17 starters and 26 lettermen (the most in their district). B.J. Allen is a stud on both sides of the ball. Coach Andy Evans will try to find a way to improve a defense that gave up 34 points a game in 2008. Does Tatum have enough to make a run in the 3A playoffs?

This is a great cross-classification matchup.

Jefferson @ Liberty Eylau (August 15th):

Jefferson has four D1 prospects including defensive end Clarence Lee. The Bulldogs beat White Oak in the first round of the playoffs last year and gave Arp a close game. Many “experts” are high on the Bulldogs in 2009. Do the Bulldogs have a shot at unseating the Daingerfield Tigers as district champs?

Liberty Eylau missed the playoffs in 2008. But the Leopards are the coaches’ pick to win the district in 2009. Are the Leopards really the best team in district 16-3A?

Another matchup pitting a 2A team against a 3A team.

Arp @ Chapel Hill (August 20th):

Arp begins the season ranked #2 in 2A after losing to an eventual state finalist team each of the last two years. Arp returns 13 starters including all-state safety Lavocheya Cooper. But the Tigers must replace quarterback Will Allen and all-state linebacker Garrett Williams. Is this the year for the Tigers?

Chapel Hill has made the playoffs each of the last three years. In 2008, they finished 4-1 in district 17-3A. But can the Bulldogs replace runningback Matthew Tucker? Where will the offensive production come from?

Yet another cross-classification scrimmage that should test both teams.

Troup @ Van (August 20th):

Two teams that return nearly everybody. Troup will contend for a playoff spot in 19-2A. Van looks to make a deep run in the 3A playoffs. Van will have an opportunity to showcase their new state of the art stadium.

Carthage @ Whitehouse (August 21st):

Carthage is coming off a 3A state championship. They must replace SiDarius Blackshire and Dwight Smith. But the Bulldogs still have one of the best offensive lines in East Texas. Can Carthage reload on offense?

Whitehouse is favored to win district 14-4A. The Wildcats return a ton of talent including Trey Metoyer. Preston Conder takes over at quarterback for Brady Attaway. The offense should be explosive. But can the defense improve enough to give the Wildcats a chance in the playoffs?

Longview @ John Tyler (August 21st):

Longview is everybody’s pick to win the 4A state championship. Aaron Johnson, Tyler McCray and company look to get it going.

John Tyler has a chance to win the district 11-5A title. The Lions’ Ashton Dorsey is one of the best defensive tackles in the country.

A good scrimmage between two former district rivals.

News from around East Texas

Lufkin Panthers begin two-a-days

Longview's King hopes fires still burn

Paris Wildcats hard hitting

Tyler Lee Red Raiders eyeing another district title

District 14-4A Preseason Team

John Tyler Lions hoping to build on last years's success

Jacksonville Indians get back to work

Lindale Eagles elect to spring forward with fall practice

Whitehouse Wildcats' tough non-district schedule

Two Aaron's Commit

Longview's Aaron Johnson gave his verbal commitment to play at the University of Houston. Meanwhile another Aaron: Marshall's Aaron Franklin has decided to go north of the border to Oklahoma to play his collegiate ball for Bob Stoops.

Aaron Johnson

Aaron Franklin

East Texas Commits

USA Today College Preseason Top 25

The Texas Longhorns are #2 in the the USA Today Preseason Coaches' Poll.

Texas North errr..... Oklahoma is #3.

And TCU is #17.

The Top 25

District Preview: 13-AAAA

District 13-4A could be one of the strongest 4A districts in the state. In 2008 Sulphur Springs won the 4A division II state championship and Longview made it to the 4A division I state finals. The district also features perennial East Texas powers Texas High and Marshall. Three of the four playoff teams from a year ago won at least one playoff game. With Longview, Texas High and Sulphur Springs all loaded with talent, the district will be extremely competitive again in 2009.

13-4A Pre-season Predictions:

Longview Lobos: Coming off of last year’s playoff run that took the Lobos all the way to the state finals, Longview is picked by many to win its first state title since 1937. Coach John King returns 12 starters including a number of D1 prospects from last year’s playoff team. On offense, quarterback Aaron Johnson, runningback Tyler McCray and receiver Carey Fortson will lead a very balanced offensive attack for the Lobos. And on defense, defensive linemen Bubba Vactor and Jeremiah Farley will anchor a talented Lobo defense. Longview rolled through district 13 in 2008 and the Lobos are the favorite to win the district again. But, to get back to the state championship game Longview will have to run the gauntlet of a very tough region II that includes teams like Denison, Dallas Carter, Waco Midway and Highland Park.

Texas High Tigers: The Tigers went 9-2 in 2008 including 5-1 in district. However, the highly anticipated district showdown with Longview did not go well for the Tigers. The Lobos jumped on the Tigers early and rolled to a 41-7 victory. There is no question that Coach Barry Norton has September 25th circled on the calendar as the Tigers will play host to the Lobos and will be looking for a little revenge. The Tigers return 9 starters from last year’s team including quarterback and Oklahoma State commit Nathan Sorenson. Sorenson’s favorite target from last year, Cobi Hamilton, has moved on to the collegiate level. But, wide receiver Montrae Williams will try to pick up the slack. Big offensive lineman Ben Jackson will be charged with the task of keeping Sorenson on his feet. Texas High will be looking ahead and trying to reel in the Lobos while at the same time looking behind them and trying to hold off a talented Sulphur Springs team for the second spot.

Sulphur Springs Wildcats: Ask Wildcats’ head coach Greg Owens what was the hardest thing about winning the first state championship in school history and he might tell you just getting out of his own district. The Wildcats went 14-2 and captured the 4A division II state championship in 2008. The Cats’ only losses came to district foes Texas High and Longview. Sulphur Springs also needed a shootout victory over Marshall (57-36) and a nail-biter over Hallsville (28-24) just to secure a playoff spot. Once in the playoffs the Wildcats put up gaudy offensive numbers in route to the state championship. The offense will have to replace dynamic quarterback Tyrik Rollison (Auburn) and runningback Ryan Young (Air Force). But the offense returns plenty of talent including a huge offensive line led by Beau Carpenter, Mason Y’Barbo and Alex Peek. The defense is loaded as well with Texas commit Bryant Jackson in the secondary and Texas Tech commit Kedrick Dial on the defensive line. The Wildcats will once again be a playoff team in 2009.

Marshall Mavericks: The Mavericks were back in the postseason in 2008 for the fourth time in five years. Marshall was 3-3 in district in 2008 with the three losses all coming against the other three playoff teams in the district. If the Mavericks are going to overtake any of those three teams they will need the services of linebacker Aaron Franklin. Franklin is one of the most highly recruited linebackers in the state despite missing his entire junior season with torn ligaments in his knee. At 6’1” and 210 pounds Franklin has legitimate 4.5 speed in the forty and runs a sub 22 second 200 meter. Having a healthy Franklin back should help the Mavericks improve on a defense that surrendered 27 points a game last year. Marshall should have enough to make the playoffs and could challenge for the third spot in the district.

Hallsville Bobcats: Coach David Plunk’s Bobcats were 2-3 in district and missed the playoffs for the second straight year. But there were some bright spots for the Bobcats beginning with a defense that led the district in points allowed. Hallsville also played very competitive games against Longview and Sulphur Springs, losing 21-7 and 28-24 respectively. But, with the fewest returning starters of any team in the district (7) it may be difficult to improve on last year’s five wins. Look for more of the same from Hallsville this year: a five win season and a fifth place finish in the district.

Pine Tree Pirates: Not much went right for the Pirates in 2008. Pine Tree was 2-8 overall and 0-6 in district. New coach Huey Chancellor will look to get the Pirates back in the playoffs for the first time since 2001. Coach Chancellor has ten returning starters with which to work his magic. Mark Malone and Dominique Webb could share the running duties and Tyler Kids will handle the quarterback position. On defense, Steven Hawkins should be solid up front and Evan Kokenzie will move from defensive back to outside linebacker. The Pirates have an uphill battle to get into the playoffs in such a loaded district. But with 114 wins in his 14 seasons at Bellville, Coach Chancellor brings a winning resume to Pine Tree. Better days may be ahead for the Pirates.

Mount Pleasant Tigers: The Tigers have not won more than 6 games in a season since 1997. And with only eight starters returning from last year’s 3-7 team, the trend may not end anytime soon. To make matters worse, the Tigers lost their two best players on offense (WR – Roman Hurndon and QB Terrell Howard) and their two best players on defense (LB – Tevin Elliott and DL Tremaine Elliott) to graduation. It could be a long season for the Tigers.

Predicted Order of Finish for 13-4A:
1. Longview Lobos
2. Texarkana Texas High Tigers
3. Sulphur Springs Wildcats
4. Marshall Mavericks
5. Hallsville Bobcats
6. Longview Pine Tree Pirates
7. Mount Pleasant Tigers

Longview #49 on RivalsHigh 100

The Longview Lobos are #49 on rivalshigh.com's list of the top 100 high school teams in the nation.

Rivals High 100

The Lobos are the #1 ranked 4A team in Texas.

Kickoff Classics from Around the State

Here is a list of some of the early season "Classics" in Texas:

Trinity Mother Frances Football Classic
Tyler – Rose Stadium - September 3-5
Gilmer vs. Rains - Thursday, September 3 - 7:30 pm
Lufkin vs. John Tyler - Friday, September 4 - 7:30 pm
Longview vs. Tyler Lee - Saturday, September 5 - 7:30 pm

Texas Football Classic
San Antonio- Alamodome - August 27-29
Floresville vs. SA Fox Tech - Thursday, August 27 - 7:30 pm
Boerne Champion vs. Midlothian - Friday, August 28 - 7:30 pm
Katy Mayde Creek vs. Brenham - Saturday, August 29 - Noon
Odessa Permian vs. Duncanville - Saturday, August 29 - 3:45 pm
SA East Central vs. Cibolo Steele - Saturday, August 29 - 7:30 pm

Verizon Wireless High School Kickoff Classic
Houston - Reliant Stadium - August 29th
Pearland vs. Kingwood - Saturday, August 29 - 1:00 pm
College Park vs. Madison - Saturday, August 29 - 4:00 pm

Champions Classic
Abilene – Shotwelll Stadium - August 27-29
Abilene Christian vs. NW Missouri - Thursday, August 27 - 7:00 pm
Abilene Cooper vs. O.D. Wyatt - Friday, August 28 - 7:30 pm
Abilene High vs. Dunbarr - Saturday, August 29 - 11:00 am
Jim Ned vs. Merkel - Saturday, Aug. 29 - 7:30 pm

Tom Landry Classic
Dallas – SMU’s Ford Stadium - August 29th
Southlake Carroll vs. Plano West - Saturday, August 29 - 4:30 pm
Red Oak vs. Highland Park - Saturday, August 29 - 7:30 pm

Tyler Classic
Tyler - All Saints - August 27-29
T.K. Gorman vs. Big Sandy - Thursday, August 27 - 7:30 pm
Brook Hill vs. Hawkins - Friday, August 28 - 7:30 pm
ASES vs. The Highlands - Saturday, August 29 - 2:00 pm
Grace vs. Eustace - Saturday, August 29 - 7:30 pm

Kirk Herbstreit Varsity Football Series
Dallas, TX - The New Texas Stadium - September 7th
Euless Trinity vs. Bingham (UT) - Monday, September 7 - 10:30 am
Colleyville Heritage vs. Irving Macarthur - Monday, September 7 - 1:30 pm
Mansfield Timberview vs. Mansfield Summit - Monday, September 7 - 4:30 pm
Klein Oak vs. Notre Dame (CA) - Monday, September 7 - 7:30 pm

Longview News Journal's 2009 East Texas Dream Team

The Longview New Journal has announced the 2009 East Texas Dream Team:

Offense:
Quarterback - Darian Godfrey - Gilmer
Runningback - Traylon Shead - Cayuga
Runningback - Tyler McCray - Longview
Runningback - Ted Burns - Pittsburg
Receiver - Chris Jones - Daingerfield
Receiver - Trey Metoyer - Whitehouse
Receiver - Quinn Trimble - Lufkin
Tight End - Trevor Murphy - Carthage
Offensive Line - Gerron Anthony - John Tyler
Offensive Line - Beau Carpenter - Sulphur Springs
Offensive Line - Kendrick Henderson - Carthage
Offensive Line - Bryce Redman - Longview
Offensive Line - Jaylyn Turner - Winona
Kicker - Ryan Bustin - Kilgore
Return Specialist - Der'rikk Thompson - Troup

Defense:
Defensive Line - Ashton Dorsey - John Tyler
Defensive Line - Jeremiah Farley - Longview
Defensive Line - Clarence Lee - Jefferson
Defensive Line - Deshun Williams - Carthage
Linebacker - Blake Roberts - Tyler Lee
Linebacker - Chris Weaver - Longview
Linebacker - Mikey Wilson - Gilmer
Defensive Back - Carrington Byndom - Lufkin
Defensive Back - Alonte' Darden - Longview
Defensive Back - Montrae Williams - Texas High
Defensive Back - Bryant Jackson - Sulphur Springs
Utility Player - Lavocheya Cooper - Arp
Punter - Collin Bradley - Hallsville

Northeast Texas Preseason Rankings

Everybody and their mother has preseason and weekly rankings nowadays. My opinion is no less important than anybody else's (or their mother's). So, I will give you my rankings for 2A - 4A in Northeast Texas starting with the preseason and continuing weekly until the playoffs. If you don't agree, I guess you can make up your own rankings?

4A Top 10
1. Longview
2. Texas High
3. Sulphur Springs
4. Whitehouse
5. Marshall
6. Kilgore
7. Lindale
8. Nacogdoches
9. Jacksonville
10. Hallsville

3A Top 20

1. Gilmer

2. Carthage

3. Van

4. Tatum

5. Mexia

6. Pleasant Grove

7. Liberty Eylau

8. Pittsburg

9. New Boston

10. Paris

11. Palestine

12. Tyler - Chapel Hill

13. Gladewater

14. Diboll

15. Crockett

16. Spring Hill

17. North Lamar

18. Canton

19. Rusk

20. Kaufman

2A Top 20

1. Daingerfield

2. Arp

3. Paul Pewitt

4. Jefferson

5. Lone Oak

6. Corrigan Camden

7. White Oak

8. Caddo Mills

9. Winnsboro

10. Harmony

11. Franklin

12. Troup

13. Prairiland

14. Kerens

15. Hearne

16. Hughes Springs

17. West Rusk

18. Frankston

19. Elysian Fields

20. New Diana

Big Frank Hits The Airwaves

I am proud to announce that I will be doing a weekly show with Randy Shortnacy covering East Texas High School Football. This is perfect since I have a great face for radio. Randy is a native East Texan who has been in broadcasting for 18 years. Randy is also the author of his own blog Short's Sports Corner.

Randy shares my desire to help promote the players, coaches and fans of the great football programs here in East Texas. I hope through this radio show we can help draw more attention to the teams we all love to follow during the season. Over the next few weeks Randy and I will be previewing East Texas teams as we lead up to the start of the football season. The shows will be available at TheOldCoach.com.

Thanks to Randy Shortnacy, Matt Stepp and The Old Coach for this opportunity.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rshort

Area Scrimmages

Two-a-days start for most schools on August 3rd while others start August 10th. The following is a list of upcoming area scrimmages.

8/15/09
Tatum @ Daingerfield (7:00pm)
Troup @ Gladewater (9:00am)
Brownsboro @ Rusk (9:00am)
Paris Chisum @ Hughes Springs (10:00am)
Henderson @ Sulphur Springs (TBA)
Chapel Hill @ Wills Point (TBA)
Jefferson @ Liberty Eylau (TBA)
Mt. Vernon @ Paul Pewitt (TBA)
Kaufman @ Spring Hill (TBA)
Lindale @ Palestine (8:00am)
Pine Tree @ Corsicana (TBA)
Harmony @ Hawkins (TBA)
Paris @ Gainesville (TBA)
Whitesboro @ Commerce (TBA)
Garrison @ Shelbyville (10:00am)
Center @ Newton (5:00pm)
Mabank @ Mineola (TBA)
Pleasant Grove @ Linden-Kildare (TBA)

Winona @ Beckville (TBA)

Jasper/Crockett @ Jacksonville (TBA)

Coldspring @ Woodville (TBA)

Lovelady @ Centerville (8:00am)

Arp @ Harleton (10:00am)

Gilmer @ Atlanta (TBA)

Groveton @ Grapeland (TBA)

Waskom @ Union Grove (10:00am)

Teague @ Palestine Westwood (6:00pm)

Tenaha @ Sabine (10:00am)
Joaquin @ Big Sandy (TBA)

Cushing @ Timpson (10:00am)

Maud/Hooks @ Clarksville (6:00pm)

Dekalb @ New Diana (10:00am)

Winnsboro @ Van (9:00am)

Canton @ Farmersville (10:00am)

8/20/09
Gladewater @ Sabine (5:00pm)
Rusk @ Crockett (5:00pm)
Bullard @ White Oak (7:30pm)
Arp @ Chapel Hill (7:00pm)
Atlanta @ Jefferson (TBA)
Mt. Vernon @ North Lamar (TBA)
Spring Hill @ Pine Tree (TBA)
Harmony @ Quitman (5:00pm)
Palestine @ Henderson (TBA)
Whitesboro @ Paris (TBA)
Prairiland @ Mineola (TBA)
Hughes Springs @ Paul Pewitt (5:00pm)
Linden-Kildare @ Dekalb (TBA)

Carlisle/Shelbyville @ Beckville (TBA)

Troup @ Van (TBA)

Cushing @ Lovelady (5:00pm)

Teague @ Kerens (6:00pm)
Ore City vs. New Diana at Pine Tree (5:00pm)

Diboll @ Tatum (TBA)

8/21/09
Carthage @ Whitehouse (TBA)
Mt. Pleasant @ Kilgore (7:30pm)
Daingerfield @ Wills Point (10:00am)
Marshall @ Liberty Eylau (4:00pm)
Longview @ John Tyler (5:00pm)
Nacogdoches @ Beaumont Ozen (TBA)
Palestine @ Henderson (TBA)
Hallsville @ Lindale (7:00pm)
Garrison @ Groveton (5:00pm)
San Augustine @ Center (5:00pm)

Newton @ Coldspring (7:00pm)

Grapeland @ Leon (TBA)

Big Sandy @ Union Grove (5:00pm)

Joaquin @ Frankston (TBA)

Timpson/Maud @ Redwater (5:30pm)

Clarksville/Idabel @ Detroit (6:00pm)

8/22/09

Jacksonville @ Pine Tree/Spring Hill (TBA)

Aaron Johnson racking up the offers

Longview quarterback Aaron Johnson has been racking up the offers. At last count no less than five D1 schools have extended Johnson an offer. Houston, Kansas State, TCU, Northwestern and Stanford have already offered. But Johnson is reportedly garnering interest from Oklahoma, Texas and Florida as well. And while the three big boys have not yet offered it may only be a matter of time.

http://stanford.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=89543

Pewitt's D.J. Burleson out for the year

Paul Pewitt's all-state fullback will miss the upcoming football season with a torn ACL. In 2008 Burleson ran for over 1800 yards and 31 touchdowns on 296 carries in Pewitt's Slot T offense. Tevondrick Finley is the most likely candidate to fill the starting fullback position for the Brahmas. Finley was expected to play mostly defensive tackle this year before taking over for Burleson in 2010. Finley may now pull double duty for the Brahmas.

Other players who may be expected to pick up the slack are runningbacks Jerry Braddock and Jerome Whetstone. Also, expect youngster Sedrick Johnson to see some time on offense as well. Even without Burleson the Brahmas should still be the prohibitive favorite to win district 12AA with the only serious threat coming from Prairiland.

The Old Coach

I am very proud to announce that I am joining the team at http://theoldcoach.rivals.com/. I will be covering East Texas High School football and submitting articles and photos to the website. In my opinion, theoldcoach.com is the best website covering Texas High School football on a statewide basis. I hope that through my efforts I can help promote the great players, coaches, and fans of East Texas High School football and bring better coverage to East Texas. I will continue to operate this blog, so please continue to visit this site as I will be posting frequent updates, game analysis, and photos during the season. I want to thank The Old Coach for this opportunity and I am looking forward to covering the upcoming football season.

--Doug Reeder

The Paul Pewitt Brahmas: Set to Make Another Run

Saying Paul Pewitt is a running team is like saying Richard Simmons is a little effeminate.

Saying the Brahmas like to run the football is like saying Rosie O’Donnell likes to eat.

Pewitt runs the ball more than …. (ok, you get the point).

In recent years the Brahmas have become one of the most prolific running teams in East Texas. And, by prolific I mean both persistent and productive. The Brahmas rushed for nearly 350 yards a game in 2008. Pewitt fullback, D.J. Burleson ran for 1862 yards and 31 touchdowns as a junior. Burleson carried the ball 296 times in 2008, second in Northeast Texas to only Kilgore's Frank Reddic who carried the ball 335 times for the Bulldogs.

While Burleson was the workhorse, he was far from the only threat. Pewitt had three other players with at least 600 yards rushing: (Jordan McFarland - 792 yards; Diondre Holey - 691 yards; and Jerome Whetstone - 604 yards). These four players alone combined for nearly 4,000 yards and 53 rushing touchdowns. That is some serious production.

On the flip-side, Pewitt quarterback Jordan McFarland completed only 5 passes all year (5-14; 140 yards; 3 tds; 2 ints). While the touchdown per completion rate was high: 60%; so was the interception per attempt ratio: one interception for every 7 pass attempts; and the completion percentage was barely above 35%. Thus, it appears the Brahmas exemplify legendary Texas football coach Darrell Royal's old adage "Only three things can happen when you pass, and two of them are bad."

Whatever the shortcomings of the Bulls' passing offense, the fact remains that because of the productivity of the running game, the Brahmas seldom have a need to pass the football. Some critics argue that Pewitt’s offense is boring and hard to watch at times. But those critics are often fans of opposing teams whose defenses have been ground into tomato paste by a Brahma offense that racks up first downs by the dozens.

It is hard to argue with the results. In 2008, the Brahmas averaged nearly 38 points a game and steamrolled through their district. And, Paul Pewitt has only missed the playoffs one time in the last 16 years. Whatever the Brahmas are doing, it seems to be working.

All indications are that the Brahmas are set to make another deep run in the playoffs in 2009. The Brahmas have 14 starters back from 2008's 9-3 team whose only losses came to Daingerfield (15-1), Arp (11-1) and Pottsboro (13-2).

On offense, Pewitt returns 8 starters including Burleson, QB McFarland, and multi-talented Whetstone. With a veteran offensive line leading the way, Burleson could top 2,000 yards in 2009 and put himself in the conversation for 2A offensive player of the year honors.

On defense, Pewitt returns 6 starters including all-state free safety Whetstone. Sean Gulley is a rock on the defensive line. And, Jerry Braddock is a play-maker from his linebacker/defensive back position. If the Brahmas hope to better their record from a year ago, the defense, which gave up 20 points per game in 2009, will need to improve particularly against the elite teams on their schedule.

The Brahmas will have to hit the ground running (pun intended) when they begin the 2009 season on August 28th. The Bulls will begin the season with a brutal three game stretch that will see them face second ranked Arp, number 1 ranked Daingerfield and 21st ranked Jefferson in successive weeks. In 2008, the Brahmas faced the same three game gauntlet and came out of it with a 1-2 record. But, the tough non-district competition prepared the Bulls for district play and the Brahmas ended the regular season with an 8-2 record. After dispatching Tom Bean in the first round of the playoffs, Pewitt was bounced from the playoffs by a senior laden Pottsboro team.

Expectations are high in Pewitt, and for good reason. Dave Campbell's Texas Football Magazine ranked Pewitt 9th in its annual preseason poll. And, HuddleUpTexas.com ranked the Brahmas 7th. It appears many Texas football fans are expecting big things from the Brahmas this year. Just don't expect too many forward passes.

Offense (Slot-T)
Probable Starters:

QB - Jordan McFarland - Sr.
FB - D.J. Burleson - Sr.
RB - Jerome Whetstone - Sr.
HB - Jerry Braddock - Sr.
T - Joe Tucker - Jr.
G - Grant Cason - Sr.
C - Sean Gulley - Sr.
G - Jordan Nix - Jr.
T - J.B. Betts - Jr.
TE - Clay Thompson - Sr.
SE - Jacob Morton - Sr.

Defense (3-5)
Probable Starters:

DL - Sean Gulley - Sr.
DL - Jordan Nix - Jr.
DL - Clay Thompson - Sr.
LB - Jerry Braddock - Sr.
LB - D.J. Burleson - Sr.
LB - J.B. Betts - Sr.
LB - Jacob Morton - Sr.
LB - Grant Cason - Sr.
CB - Donavan Jarvis - Jr.
CB - Sedrick Johnson - Sr.
FS - Jerome Whetstone - Sr.

2009 Football Schedule
August 28 - Arp (Away)
September 4 - Daingerfield (Home)
September 11 - Jefferson (Home)
September 18 - Open
September 25 - Bogata Rivercrest (Away)
October 2 - Redwater (Home)
October 9 - Paris Chisum (Away)
October 16 - Hooks (Home)
October 23 - DeKalb (Away)
October 30 - Clarksville (Away)
November 6 - Prairiland (Home)

Projected record 8-2 (7-0)

Daingerfield Quarterback Club

Daingerfield Tiger fans have a new way to support and follow their favorite team. 2009 will mark the inaugural season of the Daingerfield Quarterback Club. Memberships to the Quarterback Club are on sale now. The Club intends to meet weekly during the football season and members will have an opportunity to watch game film. The Club is putting together a football program for the upcoming season. Advertising space in the program is available and all proceeds will go to support the Daingerfield athletic programs. The Quarterback Club has created a website (http://www.daingerfieldquarterbackclub.webs.com/) which will allow fans to check upcoming events, interact with other fans and find out more about their home team.

A Tour of East Texas Talent

East Texas has always produced great runningbacks. Names like Billy Simms, Earl Campbell, Rodney Thomas, and Adrian Peterson are now part of East Texas football lore. But, for every Earl Campbell or Adrian Peterson, there are a thousand other runningbacks that star at the high school level. This year East Texas is positively brimming with talented tailbacks. Some will go on to play at the next level. Some will not. But, one thing is certain, these high school athletes will make Friday nights very entertaining this fall.

The area east of Interstate 45 from the Red River in the north to Trinity Bay in the south is home to some of the best runnnigbacks in Texas. In 2A alone, 9 of the classification’s top 13 returning rushers reside in East Texas. Two are quarterbacks: Keren’s Pat Faulk (2094 yards rushing); and Leonard’s Will Cowan (1523 yards rushing). The other 7 East Texans are good ole fashioned runningbacks. Anybody with the time and a set of wheels can take a tour of East Texas’ abundant talent this fall. Here’s how.

Any tour of 2A’s top rushers would have to start in Northeast Texas. Caddo Mills just northeast of the Dallas Metroplex is where you will find Nathan Jeffrey. Jeffrey is 2A’s top returning rusher after compiling 2357 yards and 38 touchdowns as a junior. A couple hours to the east in Morris County, Paul Pewitt’s D.J. Burleson ran for 1862 yards and 31 touchdowns of his own. Both Burleson and Jeffrey were first teamers on the AP all-state squad. Jeffrey averaged nearly 10 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Burleson spearheaded a Brahmas rushing attack that averaged better than 300 yards per game. Jeffrey and Burleson seem primed for big senior years. Pewitt, in particular, appears poised to make a deep run in the playoffs which would allow Burleson to rack up even more attempts and yardage. Jeffrey leads a solid Caddo Mills team and could walk away with 2A offensive player of the year honors.

Less than 15 minutes south of Paul Pewitt’s Brahma Stadium, where Burleson ran roughshod over opposing defenses, Daingerfield’s KoKo Smith was weaving his own brand of magic. Stocky and quick as a waterbug, Smith helped lead the Tigers to a state championship in 2008. Despite averaging only 12 carries a game in the Tiger’s “spread the wealth” offense, Smith racked up 1487 yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground. In the playoffs, Smith rushed for 540 yards and 13 touchdowns. For his efforts, Smith earned first team all-state honors from the Texas Sports Writers. In 2009 Smith will be part of an explosive Tiger offense that also features an all-state wide receiver in Chris Jones and an all-state quarterback in Tyler Boyd. A second ring may be in the cards for Smith.

From Daingerfield we head southeast on Highway 49 to the next stop on our East Texas runningbacks tour, where Kansas State commit Destin Mosley leads a talented Jefferson Bulldogs team. As a junior, Mosley rushed for 1210 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2008. With 4 of 5 offensive linemen returning from last year’s team, including D1 talent Trevor Murphy, Mosley should have plenty of room to run in 2009. If Jefferson can make a run in the playoffs, Mosley could easily top 1500 yards.

An hour’s drive south on 59 and West on Highway 80 in White Oak the Roughnecks boast not one but two returning thousand yard rushers. Jackson McCurdy and Junior Hamilton combined for more than 2300 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2008. Amazingly, McCurdy and Hamilton combined with Orlando Humble (now with Navarro College) to rush for a combined 3787 yards and 49 touchdowns in the Roughnecks’ bludgeoning offense. Now that Humble has moved on to the next level, McCurdy and Hamilton figure to carry even more of the load. It is not out of the question that each will top 1400 yards this year in White Oak’s run-first, run-second offense.

Arp, just 30 miles from White Oak and 10 miles southeast of Tyler, is the next stop on the tour where the Tiger’s Lavocheya Cooper shows off his multifaceted skill set on a weekly basis. Cooper, a Texas Football Magazine Super-Teamer, does it all for the Tigers, stepping off more than 1500 yards in 2008 with 18 rushing touchdowns. He is a beast on special teams, with 2 kickoff returns for touchdowns and 2 punt returns for scores. And for good measure, Cooper, an all-state safety, returned 2 of his 6 interceptions for touchdowns. Arp is ranked #2 in most preseason polls and figures to be playing deep into December which should give Cooper a chance to add to his already impressive numbers.

An hour and a half drive southeast of Arp in Garrison is where you could find Scooter Ross scooting through and around opposing defenses to the tune of 1540 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns in 2008. At about 5’8” and 155 pounds Ross proved that it’s not the size of the Bulldog in the fight but the size of the fight in the Bulldog that counts. With big Austin Lunsford, a Houston Cougar commit, again paving the way in 2009, Ross should have another big year.

Corrigan-Camden, about an hour south of Garrison on Highway 59, is home to the lightning quick JoCourtney Johnson. Johnson lit up opposing defenses for 1400 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2008. Johnson also showed off his wheels this summer when he helped Corrigan-Camden’s record setting track team capture a state title. Speed is the name of Johnson’s game, having already collected multiple gold medals at the state track meet both as a sophomore and as a junior. Corrigan-Camden has 6 starters back on offense which could help Johnson put up monster numbers in 2009.

Only an hour and a half from Corrigan and just south of Huntsville you will come across New Waverly’s Tyren Watts who ran for 1903 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2008 earning second team all-state honors. The 6’1” 180 pound Watts helped New Waverly to its first ever undefeated regular season. Tyren and his twin brother Kyren have garnered interest from several top college programs including Texas, Oklahoma and LSU. The brothers also earned a spot as Texas Football Magazine’s 2A “coverboys”. With more than 3300 yards over the last 2 years, Watts will likely end his career at New Waverly with over 5000 yards rushing.

To the southeast of New Waverly and just to the east of the Trinity River in Hardin, Mitchell Villemez put up some nice numbers for the Hardin Hornets. The District 23 offensive MVP played safety as a sophomore but made the move to runningback his junior year in order to help the team. Despite playing mostly on offense in 2008, Villemez is still being recruited by schools like Texas A&M and TCU as a defensive back. But, with more than 1500 yards rushing and 20 plus touchdowns, Coach Haynes is glad to have Villemez back in the Hornets’ offensive backfield for 2009.

The tour of East Texas runningbacks could go on forever. This list only includes 2A runningbacks, but East Texas schools at every classification are loaded with great runningbacks. From 5A Tyler Lee’s DaDa Brown, 4A Longview’s Tyler McCray, 3A Pittsburg’s Ted Burns to 1A Cayuga’s Traylon Shead.

These runningbacks may never reach the level of Earl Campbell or Adrian Peterson. But, for at least this fall, they will be the toast of their respective East Texas towns. Football fans should sit back and enjoy the ride.

Jefferson Bulldogs - No Lack of Talent

Michael Jordan once said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” If that is true, the Jefferson Bulldogs should win a fair share of games in 2009. We will see if they have what it takes to win a championship.

When the Jefferson Bulldogs begin the 2009 football season, it could be with one of the most talented 2A rosters in the state. At least four Jefferson players have garnered significant attention from Division I scouts. Running back, Destin Mosley, has already verbally committed to play at Kansas State. Defensive end, Clarence Lee, has committed to play for the University of Houston Cougars. Trevor Murphy, a standout on the offensive and defensive lines, has offers from Lousiana Tech, UTEP and Stephen F. Austin, with others to follow. Meanwhile, cornerback, Devin Figures, is being recruited by schools like TCU and Texas A&M.

Throw in other talented players like cornerback Damon Gray, defensive end Chris Anthony and safety Dallas Moore and you have a 2A team with more talent than most 3A teams in the state. The amount of talent on this year’s team has Bulldog fans remembering the days of their 1986 3A state championship team.

Head coach Scott Hale’s Bulldogs return 16 starters and 28 lettermen from 2008’s playoff team. Seven starters are back on offense, including 4 of 5 offensive linemen and the aforementioned Mosley. Coach Hale and the Bulldog’s coaching staff will have to replace all-district quarterback Marcus McDonald who has graduated. But, the continuity on the offensive line and the presence of Mosley in the backfield should allow Jefferson an opportunity to ease their starting quarterback into his new role.

On defense, nine starters are back including Lee, Murphy and Figures. Lee at 6’4” 215 pounds and Murphy at 6’3” 275 pounds will anchor a very solid defensive line. Someone will have to step up to fill the void left at cornerback by the departure of McDonald, a two-way standout in 2008. After being named second team all-district as a sophomore, Damon Gray will hold down one cornerback position. Figures and Moore will form a very solid safety tandem. And, Mosley, Jefferson’s primary offensive weapon, will find his way onto the field on the defensive side of the ball as well.

The Bulldogs will be tested early. The nondistrict schedule provides three 3A opponents, Pittsburg, Tatum and North Lamar. Jefferson will also have to face one of the better 2A teams in East Texas when they face the Paul Pewitt Brahmas in the third week of the season.

Pittsburg took a close game over Jefferson in last year’s season opener, 7-6. Pittsburg should be even better this year and figures to challenge for a district championship in 16-3A.

Tatum is coming off a disappointing 5-6 season in its first year back in 3A. Jefferson beat Tatum 26-0 in the second game of the 2008 season, but later had to forfeit the game because of an ineligible player. Tatum is a fine program with state championships in 3A and 2A during this decade. This game should be very interesting.

The game against the Paul Pewitt Brahmas will be a measuring stick for both teams. Both the Brahmas and the Bulldogs see themselves as state championship contenders. This game will go a long way in bringing the 2A hierarchy into focus. In 2008, the Brahmas went into W.F. Lockett Stadium in Jefferson and got the victory, 30-19. If Jefferson is going to avenge last year’s loss, they will have to do it at Brahma Stadium.

The following week, the Bulldogs will travel to San Augustine to face another 2008 playoff team. The San Augustine Wolves will be looking for revenge after suffering a 15-7 loss at the hands of the Bulldogs last year. San Augustine was 4-1 at home in 2008 and will try to defend home field against the Bulldogs this September.

It doesn’t get any easier for the Bulldogs when they return home to face the North Lamar Panthers in the final nondistrict game for both teams. North Lamar beat Jefferson 36-24 in 2008 and made the playoffs out of District 10-3A.

Coach Hale hopes that the tough nondistrict schedule will prepare the Bulldogs for district. Regardless of Jefferson’s record entering district play, the Bulldogs will have their sights set on a district championship. Standing in their way will be the reigning Division II-2A State Champion Daingerfield Tigers.

The Daingerfield Tigers, with several division I prospects of their own, will travel to Jefferson to face the Bulldogs on October 23rd. The game will be one of the most highly anticipated games of 2009 for both teams and will likely decide the district championship. Jefferson will have a little extra motivation when they face off against Daingerfield. The Tigers knocked the Bulldogs out of the playoffs in 2007 and beat them 32-14 last year in district play. Jefferson will have home field advantage playing in front of what is sure to be a raucous pack of Bulldog fans.

Regardless of whether Jefferson is able to overcome Daingerfield, the Bulldogs will almost certainly seize one of District 17-2A’s three playoff spots. With the highest enrollment in the district, Jefferson would then compete in the Division I-2A playoffs. Their playoff road should be very similar to the 2008 playoffs. White Oak is the odds on favorite to win District 18-2A. If Jefferson and White Oak both make the playoffs as expected, it will set up a rematch of last year’s first round thriller. Jefferson beat the Roughnecks 39-35 on Marcus McDonald’s 88 yard touchdown pass to Destin Mosley with just over a minute left in the game.

If Jefferson makes it to the second round, they will likely face a rematch with the Arp Tigers. The Bulldogs and the Tigers faced off in the second round of the playoffs last year with the Tigers winning 21-7 on the strength of three Will Allen touchdown passes and 235 yards rushing by Lavocheya Cooper. The Bulldogs had opportunities but failed to turn four Arp turnovers into points. The Bulldogs also failed to score on two trips inside the red zone. With 21 lettermen returning from last year’s 11-1 playoff squad, Arp will be near the top of the AP poll again in 2009. And, the winner of the second round matchup will have a very good chance of representing Region III in the state championship game.

The Jefferson Bulldogs have a roster full of talented athletes. And, with a schedule filled with quality opponents, the Bulldogs have a chance to shine a spotlight on Jerry Bennett Field at W.F. Lockett Stadium. Come this fall Bulldog fans, whether sharing a beer at Auntie Skinner’s or sharing a plate of nachos at Don Juan’s, will be talking about their talented football team and wondering if they can recreate the magic of Jerry Bennett’s 1986 state championship team.

Time will tell.

Projected Offensive Starters
QB – Trent Smith
TB – Destin Mosley
FB – ?
WR – Clarence Lee
WR – D. J. McDonald
TE – Chris Anthony
OL – Willie McCoy
OL – Austin Youngblood
OL – Trevor Murphy
OL – ?
OL – Kyle Swanson

Projected Defensive Starters
DE – Clarence Lee
DL – Trevor Murphy
DL – Kennan Marshall
DL - Dennis Wilson
DE – Chris Anthony
LB – Kevin Harris
LB – Trent Smith
CB – Damon Gray
CB – Destin Mosley
FS - Devin Figures
SS - Dallas Moore

2009 Football Schedule
August 28 Pittsburg (Home)
September 4 Tatum (Home)
September 11 Paul Pewitt (Away)
September 18 San Augustine (Away)
September 25 Open
October 2 North Lamar (Home)
October 9 Ore City (Home)*
October 16 Queen City (Away)*
October 23 Daingerfield (Home)*
October 30 Linden-Kildare (Away)*
November 6 Hughes Springs (Home)*
*District

Prediction (8-2) (4-1)*

NorthEast Texas 2A Players to Watch in 2009 (Updated List)

Northeast Texas 2A Players to Watch in 2009
Nate Jeffery - RB - Caddo Mills
Jason Bair – OL – Caddo Mills
Jacob Page – LB – Caddo Mills
Cody Shostrom – OL – Caddo Mills
Josh Crawford – LB – Caddo Mills
Hunter Green – DB – Caddo Mills
Davontae Cooper – RB/DE – Lone Oak
Jared Sikes – OL/DL – Lone Oak
Trenton Overly – WR/LB – Lone Oak
Cooper Jones – WR/DB – Lone Oak
Garret Dunlap – OL/DL – Lone Oak
Drew Rodaway – DE – Lone Oak
Chase Kizer – OL – Lone Oak
Trey Malone – LB – Lone Oak
Christian Bosold – DB/WR – Winnsboro
Jordan Massey – RB/LB – Winnsboro
Ashton Slaughter - RB/LB - Winnsboro
Blake Whitter – OL – Winnsboro
Nathan Bullock – OL – Winnsboro
Alan Winkle – OL – Winnsboro
Horace Jeffrey – RB – Cooper
Holden Jenkins – DL/TE – Cooper
Chris Ballard – WR/LB – Cooper
Jeff Hendricks – DB – Como-Pickton
James Carter – RB/DE – Como-Pickton
Keith Anderson – TE – Como-Pickton
Kaleb Mund – OL – Como-Pickton
Zack Hankins – DL – Como-Pickton
Taylor Phelps – QB – Grand Saline
Hunter Hobbs – OL – Grand Saline
Thomas Miller – DB – Grand Saline
Colton Curtis - DL - Grand Saline
Devontae McNeal – RB/LB – Quitman
Courtney Hunter – OL/DL – Quitman
Payne Schulke - DB - Prairiland
Zach McLemore - WR - Prairiland
Chase Stogsdill - OL - Prairiland
Tanner Connot - LB - Prairiland
Randall Sessums - DE - Prairiland
Brandon Graham - LB - Prairiland
Jeremy Eddington - QB/DE - Paris Chisum
Zach Millsap - WR - Paris Chisum
Kolton Porter - LB - Paris Chisum
Sloan Moss - DB - Paris Chisum
H.B. Rosser - QB - Clarksville
Keyondrion Harris - LB - Clarksville
Ryan Kennedy - DL - Rivercrest
Deonta Henderson - WR - Hooks
Ty Lewis - TE/DE - Redwater
Richard Pittman - RB - Union Grove
Colten Woodfin - OL/DL - Union Grove
Andy Hounsel - WR/DB - New Diana
Travis Barton - QB - New Diana
Terry Newsome - RB - New Diana
Beau Brewer - DB - New Diana
Hunter Jenkins - DL - New Diana
Josh Davis - DT - San Augustine
Austin Lunsford - OL - Garrison
Scooter Ross - RB - Garrison
Dedtrick Smith - RB/DB - Frankston
Chris Jones - WR - Daingerfield
Tyler Boyd - QB - Daingerfield
Donald Bryant - OL/DL - Daingerfield
Scott Irvin - DB - Daingerfield
Josh Evans - LB - Daingerfield
Garrett Hughes - WR/DB - Daingerfield
Floyd Chism - WR - Daingerfield
Joe Lafayette - WR/DB - Daingerfield
Chris Robertson - DE - Daingerfield
KoKo Smith - RB - Daingerfield
Steve Edmond - DL – Daingerfield
David Mims – DB – Daingerfield
Keyarris Garrett - WR - Daingerfield
Marcus Peters – DB - Daingerfield
Jerome Whetstone - DB - Pewitt
D.J. Burleson - RB - Pewitt
Sean Gulley - OL/DL - Pewitt
Jerry Braddock - LB - Pewitt
Jordan McFarland - QB - Pewitt
Joe Tucker - OL - Pewitt
Jordan Nix - DL - Pewitt
J.B. Betts - LB - Pewitt
Grant Cason - OL - Pewitt
Jacob Morton - TE - Pewitt
Lavocheya Cooper - RB/S - Arp
Michael Wade - RB/DB - Arp
Clint Copeland - WR - Arp
Jamie Warren - DT - Arp
Dustin Taliaferro - C - Arp
Kendall Scott - LB - Arp
Tywan Scott - WR - Arp
Seth Stroupe - RB/LB – Arp
Dylan Steinbeck – OL – Arp
Kyle Copeland – QB – Arp
Gervin Clary – OL/DL – Arp
Kasey McClendon – RB/LB - Arp
Connor Sharp - QB - White Oak
Junior Hamilton - RB - White Oak
Jackson McCurdy - RB - White Oak
Adam Thompson - LB - White Oak
Skylar Barnes - DE - White Oak
Austin Tubbs - QB - White Oak
Ben Adams - OL/DL - White Oak
Damon Gray - DB - Jefferson
Trevor Murphy - OL/DL - Jefferson
D.J. McDonald - WR - Jefferson
Clarence Lee - WR/DE - Jefferson
Destin Mosley - RB/DB - Jefferson
Devin Figures - S - Jefferson
Chris Anthony - DE - Jefferson
Keenan Marshall - DL - Jefferson
Dallas Moore - DB - Jefferson
Trent Smith - QB - Jefferson
Dominique Smith - DB - West Rusk
Josh Medford - S - West Rusk
Santos Gonzales - FB - West Rusk
Jonathan Brewer - LB - West Rusk
Johnny Fauver - LB - West Rusk
Chris Savala - LB - West Rusk
Der'rick Thompson - WR - Troup
Ryan Nichols - QB/DB - Troup
Ryan Whittemore - LB - Harmony
Erik Hebert - DB - Harmony
Colby Seahorn - TE/DL - Harmony
Jonathon Hanson - OL - Harmony
Jordan Argabright - WR - Harmony
Luke Laminack - RB - Harmony
Kolby Hogan - LB - Harmony
Eric Whittemore - OL/DL - Harmony
Colton Bunn - QB/DB - Harmony
Brandon Lindsey - LB - Hughes Springs
Nolan Stricklin - LB - Hughes Springs
James Dufner - DL - Hughes Springs
Davuntae Hatten - RB - Hughes Springs
Chris Scaggs - OL/DL - Hughes Springs
Aaron Roach - TE/DL - Hughes Springs
Brent Giddens - TE/DB - Hughes Springs
Devorick Terry - OL - Hughes Springs
Greg Gaston - RB/LB - Linden Kildare
Colton Watson - WR/QB/P/LB - Linden Kildare
Rashoderick Linwood - RB/LB - Linden Kildare
Chazaray Craven - LB - Ore City
Brandon Rogers - QB - Ore City
Joey Espy - RB - Ore City
Adan Saldierna - WR - Ore City
Jesse Stroman - OL - Ore City
Dillon Ivory - OL - Ore City
Cory Maxwell - LB - Ore City
Kyle Lacy - P/DB - Ore City
Rodney Sutton - DB - Elysian Fields
Stanley Roquemore - DL - Elysian Fields
Tyler McKee - RB - Elysian Fields
Tyrell McKee - OL/DL - Elysian Fields
Austin Delk - QB - Elysian Fields
Santos Duran - TE - Elysian Fields
Pat Faulk - QB - Kerens
Connor Lloyd - WR/DB - Harleton
Logan Jones - QB/DB - Harleton
Matt Prescot - LB - Harleton
Chase Jones - OL/DE - Harleton
Greg Beham - RB - Harleton
Preston Garcia - OL/DL - Harleton
Jacob Wheeler - DB - Winona

These are the Good Old Days for the Arp Tigers

The Arp Tigers football team is experiencing an unprecedented level of success these days. And, the Tigers are getting used to their new role as the bullies of District 19-2A.

With the 2009 season still left to be played, this has already been the most successful decade in the history of a program that dates back to 1932. Head football coach and athletic director, Dale Irwin, entering his seventh season as Arp’s head man, is already the winningest football coach in school history.

Since the 2000 football season, the Tigers have collected 76 wins against only 30 losses (a 71.7% winning percentage). Of the 13 playoff appearances in school history, seven have come in the last nine years. During this same nine-year span, Arp has three trips to the state quarterfinals and one state semifinal appearance. In its 77 year history, Arp has won 10 or more games six times. Four of those 10+ win seasons have come since 2000.

So why all the recent success? Are they slipping something in the food down at Leo’s Burger Barn? Well the old coaching adage goes: “talent wins games.” Arp has had more than their fair share of talent in the last 9 years. Of the 21 all-state selections in the history of the school, 14 selections have come since 2000. Those players include: Blake Warren-WR (SMU); Chris Taliaferro-OL (SFA-baseball); Cody Welch-LB (SEOSU); and Sedrick Johnson-WR (ISU). This list also includes current two-way standout, Lavocheya Cooper.

The recent success has not been limited to the football team. In 2006, Arp won the 2A state championship in basketball. And, in 2008, the Tigers won state in track. Several of the athletes that contributed to Arp’s state track team will be playing key roles on the football field in 2009. In fact, the state track championship alludes to Arp’s biggest asset on the football field, SPEED.

The Arp football team is hoping to build on the recent success of the basketball and track programs and win its first ever state championship in football. The last two years the Tigers have made consecutive appearances in the state quarterfinals where they have lost agonizingly close games to a pair of state finalists, Elysian Fields and Kirbyville.

In 2007, Arp finished third in their district behind traditional power, Tatum and district runner-up, Elysian Fields. Arp began the year 3-3 before rolling off seven straight wins to advance to the quarterfinal round of the playoffs. In the quarterfinals, Arp faced district rival Elysian Fields who had given the Tigers an old fashioned playground beating earlier in the year, 34-7. Arp was determined to produce a different outcome in the second meeting.

In one of the most exciting games of the 2007 season, Arp jumped out to a 13-0 lead over the Yellowjackets on the strength of a Will Allen to Trumaine Jones 61 yard touchdown pass and a pair of Will Allen field goals. Elysian Fields finally got on the scoreboard when UTEP commit, Tim Curry hit Dekevius Johnson with a 29 yard scoring pass with under two minutes to go in the third quarter.

Elysian Fields scored again with just over three minutes to go in the game to tie the score at 13. Then on Elysian Fields’ final possession, with no time left on the clock, Tim Curry hit Micah Smith with a 35 yard touchdown pass to win the game 19-13 and end Arp’s season in a most painful fashion.

Arp enjoyed another great season in 2008. This time Arp rolled through the regular season, going 9-0 and even achieved a short-lived #1 ranking in the 2A AP poll. After wins against Teague and Jefferson in the first two rounds of the playoffs, Arp faced off against the Kirbyville Wildcats in the quarterfinal round. The contest between the two highly ranked unbeaten teams lived up to the considerable hype.

Kirbyville forged a 15-0 lead over the Tigers on a Linwood Crawford 14 yard touchdown reception and a Broderick Jackson 4 yard touchdown run. Arp answered with a 15 play touchdown drive to get on the board. Arp took advantage of a muffed punt by Kirbyville to reach the end zone for the second time in the half and cut the lead to 15-14. Kirbyville scored on a 69 yard touchdown reception by Josh Hughley to take a 22-14 lead at halftime.

Kirbyville seemed ready to extend its lead in the third quarter when the Wildcats drove the ball deep into Arp territory before fumbling the ball on the one yard line. Arp cut the lead to 22-20 after another Kirbyville fumbled punt set the Tigers up at the Wildcat 21 yard line. Arp took its first lead of the game with under three minutes to play when quarterback Will Allen capped off an 11 play drive with a one yard touchdown run, making the score 26-22. Then, with under two minutes to play, Randy Musgrove hauled in a pass from Aaron Hazlewood and raced 50 yards for a touchdown to regain the lead for the Kirbyville Wildcats. Arp had one last chance, but Allen’s pass was intercepted in the endzone and Kirbyville hung on to beat the Tigers 28-26.

Two heartbreaking losses in the quarterfinals may serve to motivate the 2009 version of the Arp Tigers as they begin preparation for another football season. Arp fans have plenty of reason to be excited about the upcoming season. While the Tigers lose Will Allen, a two year starter at quarterback, they return several key skilled position players and most of their offensive line. Leading rusher, Lavocheya Cooper, returns along with backfield mate Michael Wade. The two combined to rush for more than 2000 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2008. Also returning is leading receiver, Clint Copeland, who tallied 32 receptions for 602 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Although the Tigers lose all-state linebacker Garrett Williams, the defense should remain solid. Two-way starters, Wade, Cooper and Copeland will pull double duty and form a very talented defensive secondary. Standout sophomore, Jamie Warren, will return for his Junior campaign to anchor the defensive line and linebackers Kendall Scott and Seth Stroupe will be asked to fill the void left by Williams’ departure.

Arp figures to be a heavy favorite to win their district which includes: Elkhart, Franklin, Garrison, Troupe and West Rusk. Arp will likely compete in division 1 of the 2A playoffs because, Elkhart, the only school with a higher enrollment than Arp in district 19-2A, is unlikely to make the playoffs. This would mean a likely early round matchup against White Oak or Jefferson. If the Tigers can get past this early playoff test, they could find themselves within reach of the school’s first ever state title in football.

These are indeed the good old days for Arp football. Expectations are high and for good reason. Arp begins the 2009 football season on August 28th with a very tough test against tradition rich Paul Pewitt. The Tigers hope to keep the good times rolling and end the most successful decade in school history with the most successful season in school history.

By: Doug Reeder (a.k.a. franksnbeans)
www.franksfootball.blogspot.com