Spring Football Preview
2C Midlothian Mirror, Wednesday, April 28 , 2010
Four players to watch in spring practice
Alex Riley, Sports Writer 469-517-1456 | alex.riley@wninews.com
Spring practice schedule Week 1: May 4, 5, 6, 8 Week 2: May 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 Week 3: May 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 Week 4: May 24, 25, 26 Spring game: May 28, 6:45 p.m. Weekday practices will begin after school and run through 7:10 p.m. the first week and 6:30 p.m. every week afterwards. The Saturday practice on May 8 will start at 7 a.m. and wrap around 10 a.m. All Friday practices will be in the stadium, which opens at 5:30 p.m. with activities for the community with practice starting at 6:45 p.m. and ending at 9:30 p.m.
Dillon Fairbanks, quarterback
A year after playing his first season as a varsity starter, the senior signal caller returns as the district passing yards leader from last season. Fairbanks was a gunslinger who finished with 2,382 yards last season. He also led the team in rushing with 97 attempts for 428 yards. A lot of eyes will be on him this season as Fairbanks is the most experienced offensive weapon the Panthers have coming back. The problem might be having to adjust to three different teams and systems in three years.
2010 Panther schedule
Aug. 20 @ Richland (Scrim) Aug. 27 vs. Grapvine Sept. 3 @ Saginaw Sept. 10 vs. Justin Northwest Sept. 17 OPEN Sept. 24 @ S. Grand Prairie
Oct. 1 vs. Duncanville Oct. 8 @ Mansfield Legacy Oct. 15 vs. Cedar Hill Oct. 22 @ Grand Prairie Oct. 29 @ Mansfield Timberview Nov. 5 vs. Mansfield High
Photo by Mike Sackett/Special to the Mirror
Here we go
The Panthers enter the field prior to a home game last season. Spring football practice begins on May 4 for Midlothian under first-year coach Lee Wiginton. The Panthers are making the move to 5A for the first time in school history.
Trevor Pinson, offensive lineman
Pinson and Blake Lunday both garnered all-district honors last fall for their work up front. Lunday’s efforts on the gridiron might be limited as the baseball team will still be playing in the playoffs for the first part of spring practice making Pinson the leader of the unit. At 6-foot3, Lunday is one of the biggest bodies up front and he got in great shape playing on the basketball team. If he can bulk up and remain healthy, Pinson has a shot at being one of the best lineman in the district. He can force players around when necessary but adjusting to 5A will be the key.
Jarmon Jackson, defensive end
Jackson shined in a scrimmage against Denton Guyer last year and appeared to be headed for stardom. Injuries marred those dreams but when he is healthy things change up front for the Panthers. With speed on the end to burn, Jackson has the ability to turn the corner on blockers and get into an opponent’s backfield. Coupled with teammate Vincent Panza, the duo could be formidable on the front line in pressuring the passer and stopping the run. Keeping them both healthy might be hard but when they are both on the field they can be playmakers.
Five questions heading into Midlothian spring football By ALEX RILEY Mirror sports writer
The schedule is out, the turf is pruned and new systems are getting installed. Spring football practice is set to kick off for the Midlothian football program with the first day set for May 4. With new coach Lee Wiginton taking over, the departure of key players and the move to 5A looming, many questions abound for the Panther program this season. Here are five of the biggest ones the team faces this spring.
1.
Eddie Johnson was the team’s biggest playmaker and offensive threat last fall. Who steps up to fill his shoes? Saying Johnson was a key cog in the team’s offensive game plan might be an understatement. At times last season, he was the only reliable and healthy cog they had. With his graduation, there is a huge void in the game-changing playmaker area for the team. Rising senior Derrick Agbaroji appears to be the next in line for the job. At 6-foot-3, the wide receiver was a good combo player with Johnson last season as the two could line up on opposite sides and be major threats. But a foot injury Photo by Gary Puckett/Special to the Mirror kept him off the field in the last Rising senior Derrick Agbaroji weeks to limit his production. will have a lot of attention as Sophomore Alec Humphries, an all-district utility player in the top receiver coming into 2009, could be a slot guy but next season. Replacing Eddie baseball figures to limit his Johnson won’t be easy. time in the spring. The depth issue doesn’t get any clearer with Mason York, Kolby Hibbits and Joey Rodriguez all graduating. It remains unclear if Wiginton plans to use players on both sides of the ball like the team did last year. Expect some junior varsity players to step up and make an impact.
Other notable names to keep an eye on: Michael Glenn, Chris Lampkins, Nathan Fisher, Myron Hanson, Jesse Rios, Vincent Panza, Heath Lemoine, Chase Stokes. –Alex Riley (photos by Mike Sackett)
4.
The defense struggled at times last season in stopping the run. What will be different this year? The good news is a lot of starters on all levels of the defense are coming back. The bad news is that it remains unclear how good the unit can be. At times the Panther defense looked like world beaters and at other time looked like they had been beaten by the world. Often the squad was undersized in comparison to the offense they were facing. That doesn’t figure to change going into 5A but with some veteran players the outcomes just might. Players like Gage Windsor, Jarmon Jackson, Nathan Fisher, Vincent Panza and Myron Hanson should be healthy at the start of the season after battling through some pain last year. Defensive back Eric Agbaroji, a three-star prospect by Scout.com, is considered one of the best cornerbacks in the DFW area by most recruiting analysts. He had a bit of a down season in 2009 but is expected to bounce back from injury. Agbaroji, Windsor and Victor Gonzales might be the most experienced secondary in the area and could end up being the backbone of the defense. The problem will be if teams run on the defense. Can the front seven battle up front? Only time and practice will tell.
2.
Victor Gonzales, defensive back
All eyes will be on Derrick Agbaroji when it comes to recruiting and Gage Windsor might not factor into spring practice as he still recovers from shoulder surgery. That makes Gonzales one of the primary defensive leaders and it’s a role he seems to have embraced. During the off-season, Gonzales has been vocal in his support of new coach Lee Wiginton’s systems and teachings and has been a motivator during team workouts. The rising senior also serves as a kick returner but it’s his defense that will be counted on during the spring workouts.
making the majority of the plays. Speedy Brent Middleton is gone leaving current sophomore Michael Glenn as the most experienced running back on the roster. Glenn has shown glimpses of why he made varsity at a young age but was limited in his numbers last season. This year, the load could fall on him to start while junior Chris Lampkins will get a look after finishing his season out on a strong note. That duo might split time to start but a junior varsity player could make a push to challenge them for playing time. Giving each player enough reps to evaluate them in spring will be one of the top priorities for Wiginton and his staff.
Photo by Andrew Branca/The Mirror
New coach Lee Wiginton talks with Myron Hanson, Vincent Panza and Heath Lemoine during his introduction party.
3.
What will change under the leadership of newly hired coach Lee Wiginton? So far it appears everything might have changed. Before the former Mexia coach even thought about schemes, lineups or formations, he went to work on the mentality around the program. His athletic period workout during the school day addressed mental toughness more than anything as that appears to be what he feels needed the biggest upgrade. The Panthers lost ballgames early last year in the waning moments, a topic Wiginton has brought up early and often with his players. Making them remember that feeling is key to helping them overcome it this season.
After struggling with the run last season, can Midlothian be a multifaceted offensive team? Wiginton likes to run a more balanced scheme so establishing a run game will be vital. Last season, the Panthers relied heavily on Dillon Fairbanks to sling the ball around with Johnson and Company Photo by Mike Sackett/Special to the Mirror
Rising junior running back Michael Glenn got a lot of varsity experience last season and could be the primary back this fall.
Photo by Gary Puckett/Special to the Mirror
Stopping the run was the Achilles heel of Midlothian’s defense last fall. Getting better up front should lighten the load for secondary players Victor Gonzales (8) and Gage Windsor (22).
5.
Midlothian is now a 5A school playing in a district with some talented teams. How will the season shake out? Don’t hit the panic button yet. Just because the Panthers moved up into the big leagues doesn’t mean they can’t win. Of the 10 teams Midlothian plays next fall, six had sub-.500 records with Northwest (010), Mansfield (1-9) South Grand Prairie (2-7) and Grand Prairie (2-7) headlining the low end of the win spectrum. Mansfield Legacy (8-4) was a 4A team last fall while Cedar Hill (12-1) was the most dominant team in the pack. The odds are Midlothian is going to lose some games to bigger, faster and stronger schools. But there is a chance the team could produce a better win-total season as a 5A team than as a 4A team. Setting high expectations might be unreal but a handful of wins might not be out of reach. Contact Alex at alex.riley@wninews.com or at 469-517-1456.