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From the desk of the Publisher: 2017 was an incredible year for Austin area high school football and IHSFAN. The historic DEEP playoff runs of Hendrickson, Cedar Ridge, McCallum, Westlake, Lake Travis, Hyde Park and Regents proved to the rest of the state what we have long known…The Austin area IS the capital of Texas high school football! Now in our FOURTH year, IHSFAN was able to partner with Austin’s #1 sports radio station 104.9 The Horn. In addition to our 18 week show UNDER THE LIGHTS (Wed. nights @7 during football season) we also were able to broadcast two key football playoff games and even dipped our toe in the water with high school HOOPS as we were part of a 6 week game of the week broadcast. We are excited and looking forward to our continued partnership with The Horn! IHSFAN and The Horn both share the common goal of shining the spotlight on area high school sports! The 2017 McCallum Knights captured the hearts of Austin as they marched within one game of Jerry World. The small AISD school stood toe to toe with the best 5A teams in Texas. Coach Charles Taylor received the second annual IHSFAN Coach of the Year presented by Bush’s Chicken. In January Coach Taylor left McCallum to fill the seat of retired long time Pflugerville coach George Hermann. Chase Griffin was awarded the coveted IHSFAN Player of the Year award. The Hutto QB will be back for his senior year with a team that is LOADED. UIL realignment saw some major changes for area teams. 5A districts are now divided by Division 1 and Division 2 based on enrollment size. Area 5A D1 districts will include 11-5A-D1 (7 Teams) and 12-5A-D1 (8 Teams) and the D2 district will be 13-5A-D2 (8 Teams) Area 6A districts will feature 13-6A and 25-6A both with nine teams fighting for four playoff spots. Weiss and Glenn high schools will play their first Varsity football games this season, as both will compete in 13-5A-D2. Everyone will get used to hearing about the Grizzlies and the Wolves. Our 2018 IHSFAN Top 10 Team presented by Bush’s Chicken is the most talented we have ever had. Led by Stud WR’s Garrett Wilson (Lake Travis), Elijah Higgins (Bowie), and Jaylen Ellis (Cedar Ridge) this group of 10 amazing players has College coaching staffs all over the country excited.

Rick Epstein

Publisher of IHSFAN

Locally owned & operated

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RICK EPSTEIN Publisher/Editor

CONTENTS

KEN WHALEN Freelance feature reporter

Letter from the Publisher........................... 4 FEATURE STORIES

SCOTT COLEMAN Scottwcoleman.com Cover and contributing photographer RONA MCDONALD Layout Design

Realignment...........................................8-9 Concussions /Dr. Smith............................10 What Texas Football is all about Craig Way........................................ 12-13 Regents Incredible Run............................14 IHSFAN TOP 10 Team........................ 16-22 2017 Coach/Player of Year ................... 24

SPECIAL THANKS

The Student Section – School Previews.... 26

Rocky Epstein

District 13 6A....................................28-36

Todd James

District 25 6 A...................................38-46

Scott Coleman Mike Barnes Shawn Clynch Jeff Power Craig Way Lise Hudson Erin Hogan Dr. Scott Smith Lee Penland Dwayne Weirich 104.9 The Horn All the area Coaches FOR ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES call: Rick Epstein 512.351.6661 or email at rickepstein48@gmail.com

District 11 5A D1...............................48-52 District 12 5A D1...............................54-56 District 13 5A D2 ..............................58-62 East Side Memorial................................ 63 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS

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UIL REALIGNMENT NEW NEIGHBORHOODS FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS By Ken Whalen Austin-area high school coaches gathered at Kelly Reeves Stadium in Round Rock on February 1 for the UIL’s biennial realignment announcement quickly realized they’d be facing a new world when the 2018 season kicks off. While most years the UIL mostly tweaks districts, this year it made major changes that will end longstanding rivalries, create others, and send some teams on long road trips to complete their district schedules. It also created several nine-team districts and one ten-team district, greatly reducing the non-conference schedule for those teams. Coaches from different regions traditionally meet for the UIL announcement so they can work out their non-district schedules once they know the makeup of their new district. Coaches in the nine-team districts will only have two non-district games next season and the ten-team district will only have one. Many of the changes are in 5A districts, where football programs across the state will be competing in two divisions based on enrollment for the first time. The divisions are designed to limit differences in enrollment within a classification and make games more competitive. Dripping Springs, which only lost one game the last two regular seasons while making playoff runs, should be the class of the new District 12-5A D1. It joins five Austin ISD schools and Seguin in the new district. Instead of making long road trips to play teams in Boerne, Kerrville and Castroville, the Tigers will play Austin schools at Burger Center, Nelson Field and House Park, all less than an hour’s drive from Dripping Springs. The adjoining District 11-5A D1 will include consistent playoff participants Cedar Park, Hutto, Georgetown, Rouse, Manor, Pflugerville and Connally. Pflugerville went down a class due to the opening of a new Pflugerville high school to join what looks to be a very competitive district. District 13-5A D2 looks to portend some travel challenges as Bastrop, Cedar Creek and Elgin are joined by Brenham, East View, Marble Falls and two new schools, Pflugerville Weiss and Leander Glenn. Brenham, which faces commutes of at least 60 miles to play its games, did not appeal its placement to the UIL but Marble Falls, 140 miles from Brenham, did. In 25-6A, long-time area high school powers Westlake and Lake Travis will continue to battle it out in the same district, joined next season by Akins, Anderson, Austin, Bowie, Del Valle, Hays, and Lehman in District 25-6A. Both Westlake and Lake Travis advanced to the 6A state championship game last season from different divisions and will only get two non-conference games in the nine-team district. The new 13-6A district will include Leander, Vista Ridge, Vandegrift, Hendrickson and the five Round Rock 6A schools making a very competitive Nine team district. Austin Eastside Memorial will be the only Austin school in District 14-4A next season. 8

AUSTIN AREA 5A AND 6A DISTRICTS AND REGIONS: 13-6A REGION 2

11-5A D1 REGION 3

Vista Ridge Vandergrift Leander Hendrickson Round Rock

Cedar Park Georgetown Hutto Rouse

McNeil Stony Point Westwood Cedar Ridge

Manor Pflugerville Connally

25-6A REGION 4

12-5A D1 REGION 3

Lake Travis Westlake Austin Akins Anderson

Crockett LBJ Lanier McCallum Reagan

Bowie Hays Del Valle Lehman

Travis Dripping Springs Seguin

13-5A D2 REGION 4 Bastrop Cedar Creek Brenham Elgin

East View Glenn Marble Falls Weiss

NEW COACHING FACES TO AREA VARSITY First year of Varsity competition: Weiss – Coach Tommy Aultman Glenn – Coach Rob Schoenfeld

CAROUSEL Anderson LBJ Reagan McCallum Pflugerville Hutto Lehman Hays

Coach Coach Coach Coach Coach Coach Coach Coach

Rhoads (reassigned) Jackson (passed away) Carey (stepped down) Taylor (to Pflugerville) Hermann (retired) Van Meter (retired) Kirkland (To Incarn. Word) LaHue (Retired)

Coach Coach TBA Coach Coach Coach Coach Coach

Dan Hunter Jahmal Fenner Thomas Gammerdinger Charles Taylor Brad LaPlante Bruce Salmon Les Goad 9

CONCUSSION IT’S MORE THAN A HEADACHE Scott A Smith, MD

The diagnosis and management of concussions has and is changing rapidly. In fact the name has recently changed from concussion to minor traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Approximately 1.4 million mTBI’s occur yearly in athletes. The best incidence data found that 0.64 mTBIs occur per 1000 football athlete exposures. For every 100 players who participate in 16 games or full pad practices one concussion would be expected.

and supervision is necessary during the acute phase of mTBI return to play and return to learn activities. This can be managed by athletic trainers, doctors and therapists. Input from teachers regarding cognitive improvement is also valuable. Difficulties with attention span and ability to concentrate can make returning to the classroom problematic. It may be necessary to decrease classroom demands and workloads until complete recovery is confirmed.

The scientific diagnosis is “a complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain, induced by biomechanical forces.” Yes, its complicated, but really comes down to an injury to the nerves that make up the brain. This “impact” changes the metabolic activity of the brain. This takes time to resolve and predisposes an injured brain to re-injury. After an injury a player should be removed from play and evaluated by personnel trained to recognize an injury.

Timing of recovery or return to “play” is variable. There is no return to play on the day of injury. NO RETURN TO PLAY the day of injury. Return is based on a gradual “stress” and careful observation for return of symptoms. Many protocols are established and must be implemented under close supervision of a health care provider. It impossible for return to play in one week but again entirely dependent on the lack of symptoms with exercise stress. Objective testing can be helpful but have not been universally accepted.

How an injury manifests can be as simple as a headache or as complicated as severe damage resulting in paralysis and death. Most mTBIs have the headache; and almost all have other symptoms such as confusion, dizziness, nausea, light sensitivity, emotional lability, and poor attention span. Since there really isn’t any specific medicine or therapy for a concussion, treatment centers on symptoms. Tylenol for the headache, maybe an antinausea medicine. Avoiding another injury, decreasing stimuli, “brain rest”and gradual increase in activity toward normal are the basis for recovery. Minimizing “noise” and stimuli is mandatory in the early stages of concussion recovery. Prevention of a “second impact’ which can be much more dangerous then the first one is also extremely important. For this reason significant precautions 10

Recently there has been much discussion regarding Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a condition of progressive brain deterioration thought to occur as a result of multiple concussions as well as sub-concussive forces. Research is ongoing to determine the exact amount of trauma that induces these changes and if they can be prevented. In summary mTBI’s are a common injury in contact sports. Prevention is possible with proper tackling and blocking techniques. Recognition, sideline evaluation, removal from play and proper rest/ recovery before return is essential. With these steps the safety of the players can be maximized and long term problems avoided.

- Craig Way

am often asked theasked question: "How did"How did I am often the question: ou get so much into highinto school you get so much highfootball? school football? ou're not even not from Texas, you?"are It'syou?" It's You're even fromareTexas, fair question, and while it is true that I a fair question, and while it is true that I as actually in another (North was born actually born instate another state (North arolina), I have spent most of my lifeofinmy life in Carolina), I have spent most exas--two-thirds of it, to be andexact, it and it Texas--two-thirds ofexact, it, to be dn't take me long to see what was so didn't take me long to see what was so ecial about theabout gamethe in the Lone StarLone Star special game in the ate. Yes--it's the game, and the players, the coaches. it's also State. Yes--it's the game, and theand players, and the But coaches. Butthe it's also the adiums,stadiums, the bands, the drill teams, the cheerleaders, the Moms and Dads,and the Dads, the the bands, the drill teams, the cheerleaders, the Moms milies,families, the towns--it's a community thing. the towns--it's a community thing.

istory tells us that sports, and team sports in specific, grew from small towns History tells us that sports, and team sports in specific, grew from small towns read out over the vast expanse of a young and growing United States in the spread out over the vast expanse of a young and growing United States in the 800's. First up was baseball. Versions of it were played as far back as the 1800's. First up was baseball. Versions of it were played as far back as the rival of the Pilgrims in 1620, and the Continental Army during the Revoluarrival of the Pilgrims in 1620, and the Continental Army during the Revoluonary War played various versions of "ball". It began to build in the early tionary War played various versions of "ball". It began to build in the early 800's, a few decades before Abner Doubleday apocryphally "invented" 1800's, a few decades before Abner Doubleday apocryphally "invented" seball at Cooperstown, New York in 1839, but there were also forms of baseball at Cooperstown, New York in 1839, but there were also forms of gby and rugby-style football played during this time period. The connective rugby and rugby-style football played during this time period. The connective sue was the small town, the community whose team gave the town an small town,versions the community whose the town an entity. tissue One ofwas the the more popular of baseball backteam then gave was actually identity. One of the more popular versions of baseball back then was actually lled "Town Ball", and the nickname also worked with the embryonic stages called "Town Ball", and the nickname also worked with the embryonic stages the game of football. But as the 19th century ended, football (a very rough of the game of football. But as the 19th century ended, football (a very rough rsion of it) had emerged on college campuses, and it had clearly separated version of it) emerged on college campuses, andwas it had elf from baseball as had a sport for young men, where baseball stillclearly identi-separated itself from baseball as a sport for young men, where baseball was still identied with boys and grown adults. fied with boys and grown adults.

hen the University Interscholastic League was established in 1910 in Texas, When University Interscholastic League was in 1910 in Texas, ne of the earlythe problems the fledgling governing body of established scholastic activities one ofwas the early problems fledgling governing offootball. scholastic activities d to address an almost "Wildthe West" approach to high body school had towas address wasinanTexas, almost "Wild West" he oil boom gigantic and towns quiteapproach often puttouphigh theirschool local football. Thefootball oil boom was against giganticothers in Texas, and towns quiteand, often up their local gh school teams for bragging rights, forput wagering school football teams others bragginglarge rights, and,of for wagering urposeshigh for wildcatters and oil fieldagainst workers with for a suddenly supply purposes wildcatters and oilteams field workers with a suddenly sposable income.for These "high school" quite often crossed the large supply of disposable income. These "high school" teams quite often crossed the 12

boundariesboundaries of true highofschool eligibility, in someand cases, even cases, even true high school and eligibility, in some enrollment--many players on players some ofon these teams weren't evenweren't high school enrollment--many some of these teams even high school students any longer.any It was a problem UIL addressed ultimately students longer. It was the a problem the UILand addressed andsolved. ultimately solve

Even though thethough UIL had up cleaned the sometimes-lawless nature of individual Even thecleaned UIL had up the sometimes-lawless nature of individ towns and towns their local teams, the passion remained in the local communities, and and their local teams, the passion remained in the local communities, a true high school football programs to emerge. the 1920'sofatthe 1920's true high school footballbegan programs began Dynasties to emerge.ofDynasties Waco High, withHigh, dominance in the 30's at 40's at Highland Waco with dominance inAmarillo, the 30's atthe Amarillo, the 40's atPark Highland Park and San Angelo, theAngelo, 50's at Abilene, Stamford, and Wichitaand Falls and San the 50's at Abilene,Breckenridge, Stamford, Breckenridge, Wichita Fa carried on carried the boom originally earlier. Evenearlier. today,Even today, onthat the had boom that hadexploded originallydecades exploded decades the traditions programs Brownwood from the 60's andthe 70s, Odessa the of traditions oflike programs like Brownwood from 60's and 70s, Odessa Permian and Plano from the 60's through the late 80s to early 90s, Southlake Permian and Plano from the 60's through the late 80s to early 90s, Southlake Carroll, Katy, and Celina fromCelina the 90s intothe the90s 2000s Carroll, Katy, and from intoand theAllen 2000sand andLake AllenTravis and Lake Tra into the current time represent only a fraction of the literally millions of people into the current time represent only a fraction of the literally millions of peop across Texas whoTexas investwho time,invest money, andmoney, a great and dealaofgreat blood, and tears across time, dealsweat, of blood, sweat, and te into what isinto truly the State Game of Texas. Whether you're a parent with a what is truly the State Game of Texas. Whether you're a parent with a student as student a player,astrumpet player in the band,inflag or member, dance or dance a player, trumpet player thecorps band,member, flag corps team lieutenant, you are definitely in invested the game.in the game. team lieutenant, you areinvested definitely

As high school football continues grow in Texas, continue. continu As high school footballtocontinues to growthe inmodifications Texas, the modifications One of theOne biggest hits yet for the sport is the single-site concept which was which was of the biggest hits yet for the sport is the single-site concept implemented just a few years ago of staging all 12 state championship games implemented just a few years ago of staging all 12 state championship games (Division I and Division II in each of the six classifications) at one site, which (Division I and Division II in each of the six classifications) at one site, whic has been at AT&T Stadium in Arlington in all but one of these years. The fact has been at AT&T Stadium in Arlington in all but one of these years. The fact that all of these games are now televised live adds an even greater level of that all of these games are now televised live adds an even greater level of excitement. And beginning in 2018, the addition of instant replay to the state excitement. And beginning in 2018, the addition of instant replay to the state championships will add yet another wrinkle to the game. For those who are championships will add yet another wrinkle to the game. For those who are concerned about what replay could mean in terms of a negative, it is probably concerned about what replay could mean in terms of a negative, it is probably an unfounded fear. It will only be employed in the state championship games, an unfounded fear. It will only be employed in the state championship games where the technology at AT&T Stadium exists, and there will be no where the technology at AT&T Stadium exists, and there will be no challenges--only booth reviews, which shouldn't slow down the game. challenges--only booth reviews, which shouldn't slow down the game.

The end game is this--the 2018 season should be every bit as exciting as what Theinend game is this--the season should be every bitcalls, as exciting we have seen prior seasons. There 2018 will be much-discussed games, and as wha we have seen in prior seasons. There will be much-discussed games, calls, an moments this fall, but that's the case every season, and we all seem to walk moments this fall, but that's the case every season, and we all seem to walk away at the end of the longest, and best, high school football season in the away at the end of the longest, and best, high school football season in United States pleased with another great campaign. There's no reason to believe the United Statesthis pleased with another great campaign. There's no reason to belie it will be any different autumn it is, after all, what Texas high school it will be any different this autumn it is, after all, what Texas high school football is all about. football is all about. Enjoy the games! Enjoy the games! Texas High School Football Hall of Fame Broadcaster Craig Way is the sports director for the Austin Radio Network, the voice of the Texas Longhorns and the voice of many UIL Championship Events. 13 13

REGENTS DYNASTY By Ken Whalen

Coach Beck Brydon wasn’t quite sure what to expect from his Regents squad last season after it lost most of its starters on both offense and defense, but he knew they would play hard. The result – a second straight trip to the TAPPS Division II State Championship game – left him optimistic about the upcoming season. “Last year was a surprise to everyone,” Brydon said, the head coach at Regents since 2000. “We only had one starter back on offense – Zack Roberts, our wide receiver – and should have struggled but we averaged 40 points a game and were ahead so far in most games we sat the starters in the second half.” The young Knights squad had an outstanding 2017 season, going undefeated in the regular season before dropping the State Championship game 62-30 to Cedar Hill Trinity Christian. Brydon said Regents lost three key players on defense and “were exposed a little bit” in the championship game by Trinity Christian. Brydon had reason to be optimistic going into the championship game as the most points his defense had given up was in a 65-24 win over St. Mary’s Hall of San Antonio. The Regents’ defense shut out five teams during the 2017 season. The Knights also beat rival Hyde Park twice, once during the regular season and once during the playoffs, which is hard to do. Regents’ second win over Hyde Park, a 30-8 thumping at House Park Stadium, gave the squad its spot in the championship game against Trinity Christian. The Knights faced a tough battle against Trinity Christian and its senior running back, Maurice Washington. They led 3-0 before Trinity Christian scored 35 straight points en route to its convincing win. The Regents defense couldn’t find answers against Washington, who finished with 272 and three touchdowns on 21 rushing attempts. Rated a three14

star recruit by Rivals.com, Washington was recruited by LSU, Missouri, Ohio State and USC before deciding to attend the University of Nebraska. Despite a lopsided score in the fourth quarter, the Knights never stopped fighting. The defense had a gritty goal-line stand before Trinity Christian scored its final touchdown and the offense came close to scoring on its last possession before time ran out.

In 2016, the Knights lost a double-overtime heartbreaker in the championship game against Grapevine Faith Christian when they failed to convert a two-point try. Quarterback Jace Franklin’s pass was just out of the reach of receiver Russell Hine as Faith Christian escaped with a 30-29 win. Brydon expects another strong showing this upcoming season as the Knights return seven starters on offense and five on defense. He said the squad will have to rely on some of its younger players on defense “which is a little scary.” Wilson Long, running back Zach Smith, wide receiver Will-Tyler Brydon, and center Ryan Duncan are expected to lead the Knight’s offense in 2018. “We’ve learned to keep doing what we are doing and do the best we can despite losing the championship game or even not making the playoffs,” he said. “We’re into winning the war, not battles.” Regents School of Austin is a private Christian school established in 1992 on an 82-acre campus in Southwest Austin. Although primarily an academic institution, it has won state championships in football (2010, 2006, 2003, 2002, and 2001), volleyball (2006), girls golf (2012), swim (2013) and cheerleading (2006).

'17 '16 '11 '10 '08 '06 '03 '02 '01

IHSFAN Top Ten Team Presented by

Garrett Wilson - WR Lake Travis Wilson enters his senior season as the top wide receiver in Central Texas after catching 98 passes for 1,773 yards and 26 touchdowns to help lead Lake Travis to the 2017 6A Division I state championship. The 6-foot, 185-pounder has speed to burn and is sure-handed. He was named to the Associated Press second-team all-state and was a unanimous District 26-5A all-district selection. “For 2018, I want to have 1,000 yards receiving again, 80 catches and 20 touchdowns,” he said. Wilson has interest from some 30-plus major college programs. On April 29th, Wilson announced via Twitter that he had committed to Ohio State.

Chux Nwabuko - RB Hutto After emerging as one of the top all-purpose running backs in the area in 2016 at Hendrickson, the speedy 5’ 6” 150 pound Nwabuko transferred before the season to Hutto. He was named the District 19-5A Utility Player of the Year in 2017 as he played running back, punt returner, kick returner and occasionally lined up in the slot. He racked up big numbers in 2017, rushing for 948 yards on 162 attempts, catching 51 passes for 439 yards, returning kickoffs for 275 yards ad punts for 79 yards. Nwabuko totaled 1,774 all-purpose yards and scored 20 touchdowns on the ground and two receiving. 16

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Isaiah Smallwood - RB Vandegrift

Smallwood established himself as one of the area’s top running backs in 2017, leading Vandegrift to the second round of the playoffs while rushing for 1,300 yards on 252 carries with 25 touchdowns. The 6-foot 215-pounder combines power with breakaway speed and will be the best running back in the competitive newly formed 13-6A 9 team district.

Jordan Kerley - WR McNeil

Kerley was McNeil’s player of the year in 2017 as he gained a spot on the District 13-6A First Team Offense as a junior. He finished with 73 catches for 1,018 yards with 12 touchdowns, averaging 13.9 yards per catch. Kerley was the district Newcomer of the Year in 2016 and showed his offensive versatility by taking snaps at quarterback, lining up in the backfield and returning kicks on special teams.

Ryan O'Keefe - QB/RB Round Rock

The versatile two-way multi-position Dragon totaled 1,067 rushing yards with 12 TD’s on 137 carries and also completed 54 of 91 passes for 793 yards and 4 TD’s in the 2017 season. His fantastic 2017 season included a school record 358 yards rushing against Westwood. After a down 2017 season O’Keefe will lead the Dragons back to chasing a district championship in 2018.

Jaylen Ellis - WR Cedar Ridge

The Cedar Ridge wide receiver had an outstanding junior year with 58 catches for 1,268 yards and 21 touchdowns and led his team on a historic 5th round playoff run. “My goal for 2018 is to get that one game we missed, get that championship,” he said. Although a Baylor commit, Ellis has continued to take official visits including visiting the University of Texas in February. 18

Chase Griffin - QB Hutto

Griffin was the 2017 IHSFAN Player of the year. Chase had some eye-opening stats as one of the State’s top quarterbacks as a junior: 4,102 yards on 270 completions, including 40 touchdown passes and 315 yards-per-game with just four interceptions. Griffin has the arm strength, pocket presence and understanding of the game to compete at a high level and has broken most of Hutto’s career and game passing records.

Elijah Higgins - WR Bowie

At an impressive 6’3’’ and 215 pounds, Elijah Higgins has the size and strength to dominate Central Texas defenses in 2018. In 2017, the junior receiver caught 26 passes for 425 yards and four touchdowns. In his two-year career as a varsity starter, Higgins has 66 catches for 1,053 yards and 15 touchdowns and was selected all-district both years. Higgins D1 offers lists like a who’s who in college football.

David Neil - DE Westlake

The 6’3’’ 240 pound defensive end’s intensity, technique and football IQ allow him to dominate opposing offensive lineman. As a junior, Neil helped lead the Chaparral defense on a deep 6A playoff run, finishing with 101 tackles, including 68 solo tackles, 13 sacks and one interception. The Associated Press named him to the 2017-second team all-state 6A defensive squad.

Sawyer Berry - WR Austin High

Berry is a 6’2’’, 175-pounder with great hands and the ability to always seem to get open. He was named first-team all-district in District 25-5A in 2017 as the Maroons advanced to the playoffs. Berry caught 66 balls for 1,003 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2017.

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2017

Post Season Awards Presented by

2017 Coach of the Year

2017 Player of the Year

Coach Charles Taylor McCallum Knights

QB Chase Griffin Hutto Hippos

Coach Taylor led his team to an an impressive 14-1 record and the longest playoff run in school history as they played in the 5A D2 Semi-Final game.

Chase Griffin finished the 2017 season with 270 completions for 4,102 yards, 40 Td's and just 4 interceptions. Chase added another 3 rushing TD's and even caught a TD pass.

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TEAM PREVIEWS 13-6A 25-6A 11-5A D1 12-5A D1 13-5A D2 26

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WESTWOOD Coach Anthony Wood, one of the most passionate coaches in Texas, enters his 14th season as the leader of the Warriors. Wood told IHSFAN, “I love what I do, I love the fact that I get to impact kids ages 14-18 on a daily basis and watch them grow. I believe that kids don't know how much you know until they know how much you care.” The 2017 Warriors finished 5-6 and made it back to the playoffs after a three-year absence. The 2018 team returns 6 on offense and 5 on defense. Westwood will be looking to replace long time starter Will Jennings at QB who graduated in May. Look for a QB competition with the edge going to Sr. QB/TE Ian Cox. Other leaders on Offense will be Sr. WR Matt Pravednikov, Sr. RB Mario Debs, and Sr. OL James Jarmon. The Warriors defense will be led by Sr. LB Will Clitheroe, Sr. DE Eithan Brown, and Sr. LB Vincente Ochoa. Coach Wood and his staff have been known to get the most out of the talent they have. Look for this new group of Warriors to compete in the very tough District 13-6A.

MCNEIL Coach McMahan heads into his fifth season as head coach of McNeil. Under his leadership the Mavs have been within a flip of the coin of making the playoffs for the first time since 2004. Coach Mac told IHSFAN, “ This season I expect us to be right in the mix. Our goal is to compete and get McNeil back in the playoffs…. it has been a long time.” The Mavs offense will return 2017 district Newcomer of the year Sr. QB Zane Kampfer, and IHSFAN Top 10 player and 1st team all district player Jordan Kerley who may be the most underrated player in the area. Look for Sr. WR Evan Ploch, Jr. WR Malik Gordon, and Sr. RB Donovan Brown to provide some explosive fire power on the newly installed offensive scheme. Sr. OL Tanner Owen will anchor the line. The Mavs defense will be led by a powerful defensive line that includes 2nd team All district Sr. DL Sammy Latham, Sr. DL Harley Peka, and Sr. DL Aidan Hurtado. Sr. LB Almarie Ezell looks to build on his great contribution from last year. The Mavs can’t afford many injuries if they expect to compete for a playoff spot in the tough 13-6A. Look for McNeil to try to get the ball each game into Kerley’s hands in several different ways.

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ROUND ROCK The 2017 season was an uncharacteristic disappointing season for the Dragons as the team went 2-8. Coach Jeff Cheatham, now in his 9th season as head coach, oversees one of the largest programs in the area with 350+ kids. Cheatham told IHSFAN, “ Our school enrollment has grown about 1,000 kids in the last 9 years. We are fortunate to have great participation in all of our sports. We are really proud of our community and how it has grown.” The 2018 Dragons are LOADED with offensive weapons. IHSFAN Top 10 player and 1st team all district Sr. QB Ryan O’Keefe will lead the Dragon offense. O’Keefe is a dual threat QB who is as explosive as they come. Jr. WR Collin Sullivan, who has started since he was a freshman, is already one of the most recruited players in the area. HUGE 6’6” Sr. WR Garrett Miller will line up at both WR and TE and will cause coverage nightmares for district defensive coordinators. Look for the Dragon defense to line up in a Four-man front for the first time in many seasons. Sr. LB Ashton Millers and Sr. D-linemen Julian Jones and Isaiah Hernandez will lead the defense. Look for the Dragons to get back in the playoffs after a one-year absence.

STONY POINT With 15 years at the helm of Stony Point football, Coach Craig Chessher is the dean of 13-6A coaches and has a coaching tree that includes 9 different head coaches with Stony Point roots. Chessher told IHSFAN, “The kids and coaches are the same as they were when I got my coaching start in 1984. I still love what I do.” The 2017 Tigers finished with a record of 7-5 and went two rounds into the playoffs. Last years squad led 13-6A in offense and finished 3rd in defense. The 2018 Tigers will feature 5 returning starters on offense and 6 on defense. The offense will have to replace the entire offensive line. Look for both Kyle Overton and Jackson Tingler to compete for the snaps at QB. Other offensive weapons will include Sr. RB Tyler Cleveland, Sr WR 2nd team all district Tyler O’Bannon, and Jr. RB Kendall Thomas. The Defense features 3 1st team all district players in Sr. DB Kellen Bishop, Sr. LB Cam Williams, and Sr. DB Kobe Sterling. Look for the D-line to be anchored by Sr. DL 2nd team all district Jared Ontiveros.

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CEDAR RIDGE Coach Sam Robinson enters his second season at the helm of the Cedar Ridge Raiders coming off of the schools best season, finishing 2017 at 13-2 and a state semi-final appearance. The 2018 Raiders will return 5 starters on offense and 1 on defense. The offense will be lead by three returning offensive lineman including 1st team all district linemen Tre Womble and Dewayne Brown. IHSFAN top 10 player and 1st team all district Sr. WR Jaylen Ellis is the most dangerous playmaker in 13-6A and is receiving scholarship offers from some of the best programs in the country. Jr. RB Deuce Vaughn will be the next in a long line of great Cedar Ridge Running backs. Coach Robinson told IHSFAN, “ We have two juniors who we are happy with at QB in Jalen Brown and Jack Turner. You can never have too many good quarterbacks.” The young raider defense returns 1 starter from last years squad in 1st team all district Sr. DL Edge Dillard-Williams. The coaching staff is very excited, as this group of seniors has been running this defense since the spring of their freshman year. The Raiders have won 15 straight district games and is 18-1 in district the past 3 years. Although they lost a lot of talented players look for the Raiders to compete for their 3rd straight 136A championship.

VISTA RIDGE 2017 saw the Vista Ridge Rangers finish with the record of 4-6, missing out on the playoffs it turns out by just one touchdown. Coach Rodney Vincent, heading into his 10th season as the Rangers head coach, told IHSFAN, “ This offseason we talked with our players about finding that extra touchdown. We are trying to build our depth and we have challenged out kids to get in a position where we can get back to the playoffs.” The Rangers return 5 on offense and 9 on defense. The Rangers offense will be led by Sr. OL Greer Geracci, Sr. QB Drew Cantu, and the very fast Sr. WR Naequwan White who will get some time on both sides of the ball. The strength of the Rangers will be their defense. The defense will be led by a talented group of LB’s in Sr. Oliver Marx, Sr. Darien Carter, and Sr. Alfredo Saenz. Other leaders on defense will be Sr. DB Naequwan White, Sr. DB Kellen Janda, Jr. DB Canon Kromis, and Sr. DB Elijah Jones. If the Rangers can find players to fill some of the offensive playmaker void left by the graduation of Jamil Pittman and Jake Taute look for the Rangers to compete for a 13-6A playoff spot.

HENDRICKSON Coach Chip Killian enters his 11th season at the helm of Hendrickson coming off a 10 win season that saw the Hawks go four rounds into the playoffs. Killian told IHSFAN,” It was fun to see the seniors and returning guys come back and respond to the disappointing 3-7 2016 season.” The ’18 Hawks return 6 on offense and 6 on defense. The defense boasts 5 all district players and what could be the most dominant defensive lines in Texas with 1st team all district players Sr. DL Curley Young and Sr. DL Shaylon Roberts and 2nd team all district Sr. DL Makody Robertson. In addition to the D-line returning 1st team all district Sr. LB Clifton Styles who had 121 tackles last season will provide nightmares for area offensive coordinators. On the offensive side of the ball 3-year starter and 2nd team all district Sr. QB Blaine Barker will provide leadership for an offense that returns all of the offensive linemen. The line is led by 2nd team all district Sr. OL Jace Chambers. Look for the Hawks to compete for a championship in this very tough 136A district.

VANDEGRIFT The Vipers finished 2017 with the record of 7-5 losing in the second round of the playoffs for the second straight year after moving up to 6A. Coach Drew Sanders enters his 10th season as the schools first and only head football coach. When asked about the newly formed district 13-6A coach Sanders told IHFAN, “ We are really looking forward to the season as we feel that we will be in the thick of things for a district championship along with the other solid programs of LISD, Round Rock ISD, and Hendrickson.” The Vipers will be led offensively by two big backs in IHSFAN Top 10 player and 1st team Sr. RB Isaiah Smallwood and Brenden Bennett. The competition for starting QB is between Jr. Dru Dawson and Sr. Davis Beall as both split reps with the 1’s during the spring. The Vipers defense is led by 4-year Varsity player and 1st team all district Sr. LB Spencer Jones who seems to always be around the ball. Look for the Vipers to have a strong defensive line as they return 1st team all district Sr. DL Evryn Smith. As always you can pencil Vandegrift in for one of the coveted playoff spots. The Vipers will definitely be in the hunt for the district championship.

LEANDER Coach Tim Smith heads into his Fourth season as the Lions head coach with a new DC and a new offense. The Lions finished 2017 at 1-9 and now find themselves in the newly formed 13-6A district. Coach Smith told IHSFAN, “We have been in the same district with the Round Rock schools and Hendrickson before and no doubt it will be a tough fight every game.” The Lions will be led offensively by Sr. QB Rashad Carter who has been an offensive weapon for the past few years. The Lions are installing a new offense that will find the QB under center a good percentage of the time. Carter told IHFAN, “ I really like the new offense. The reads are a little easier and I feel really comfortable.” The Lions hired a new defensive coordinator as Coach Hunter Ramsey arrived from state powerhouse Judson. The Lions defense will be led by Jr. LB Evan Smith and Sr. Bandit (DE) Diego Costa. Leander has the second smallest enrollment in the UIL 6A conference and combine that with the fact Leander is an International Baccalaureate school it really has smaller numbers with regards to football participation compared with other 6A schools. Regardless, Coach Smith, his staff, and all of the Lions players will surely compete well in 13-6A.

LAKE TRAVIS The past 11 years Lake Travis has won 6 State championships and played for 2 others. There is no doubt that the Cavs are the premier high school football dynasty in the state. All teams have dreams of winning a state championship before the season but lofty goals are a little more realistic at Lake Travis. When asked what his 2018 goals were, Coach Hank Carter told IHSFAN, “ To win a championship. I don’t know if that will be our goal every year but certainly with the kids in place and our experienced coaching staff, that should be our goal this year. “ The Cavs return 6 on offense and 5 on defense from a team that went 13-3 and played Allen in the championship game. The offense will be led by IHSFAN Top 10 player and the most exciting player in the country Sr. WR Garrett Wilson. 1st team all district Jr. QB Hudson Card will be the next in line in the famous LT QB1 carousel. The offensive line should be a strength as well as 1st team all district Jr. OL Dawson Weiss and 2nd Team all district Sr. OL Chad Wolf are both back. The defense will be led by Sr. DL Kaleb Wenson and Sr. LB Maui Trevino. The strength of the defense should be the strong linebacker group. Cavs are looking to fill needs on the defensive line and at Safety. Cav Nation, as always, should hold that third week of December open as another appearance in the UIL Football finals would not surprise anyone.

WESTLAKE In the 4 seasons that Coach Todd Dodge has been the head coach of Westlake he has compiled an impressive record of 46-10. In 2017 the Chaps went 14-1 going 5 rounds deep into the playoffs before losing a hard fought game to Cy-Fair. The 2018 Chaps return 3 on offense and 5 on defense. The offense returns 1st team all district Sr. QB Taylor Anderson who threw for 2909 yards and ran for 1136. Sr. Center Blake Webster who has started 29 consecutive games will anchor the line. 1st team all district Jr. WR Mason Mangum will be a prime receiving target. The running game is one question that needs to be answered as replacing Nakia Watson will be a challenge. The defense will be led by IHSFAN Top 10 and 1st team all district Sr. DL David Neil. Joining Neil on the DL is 1st team all district Sr. Will Robertson. The secondary will be led by district defensive newcomer of the year Jr. DB Sage Luther, Sr. LB Jake Ehlinger and Sr. DB Doak Wilson. Coach Dodge told IHSFAN, “We think we have the makings of a really young talented receiving group, Running back right now its looking more like running back by committee. We are really excited about 2018.”

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AKINS Although finishing 3-8 in 2017 the Eagles met one of their preseason goals by qualifying for the playoffs. Coach Humberto Garza, heading into his 9th season, told IHSFAN, “We wish our record was better but making the playoffs was a good thing for us, the boys were excited and when things come together good things happen.” The Eagles return 9 on offense and 6 on defense. The offense will be led by 1st team all district Sr. QB Nick Cagle, 1st team all district Jr. WR Antonio Lopez, and 2nd team all district Sr. OL Stephen Kates. The Eagles return most of their O-line. The Defense’s strength will be the D-line as three starters return. The defense will be led by Sr. DB Davis Ryan, Sr. DB Tripp Ryan, and Sr.DL Mario Renya. The Eagles will need to rely on their experienced personnel as they try to get back to the playoffs in this very tough district.

BOWIE Coach Jeff Ables enters his 31st season at Bowie (17th as head Coach). When asked what makes him so passionate about being head coach at Bowie, Coach Ables told IHSFAN, “ I am very blessed to be the head coach at Bowie, I really love working with the kids every day. It is very special here as I have 6 coaches on the staff that were former players here at Bowie. Coaching football and being around the kids is the best part of the day.” The Bulldogs finished at 8-3 last season losing in the first round of the playoffs to a tough Hendrickson team. The 2018 squad will return 6 on offense and 4 on defense boasting 6 1st team all district players including the highly recruited IHSFAN Top 10 player Sr. WR Elijah Higgins. The Bulldogs will be led on offense by Higgins, returning Offensive newcomer of the year Jr. QB Trinidad Sanders, Offensive district MVP Sr. RB Kyle Carter, and 1st team all district Sr. OL Cooper Laake who will most likely start on both sides of the ball. Other key contributors on offense will by 1st team all district Sr. TE Jackson Green and Sr. WR Jackson Lord. The defense will be led by 1st team all district Sr. DL M’Elijah Wesley and Sr. NG Laake. Other defensive leaders will be Sr. DB Terance Durst, Sr. LB Nick Powers and Sr. DL Ethan Dougherty. If they can stay away from injuries Bowie should compete for a district championship.

LEHMAN The Lehman Lobos have a new coach and nowhere to go but up after posting a 1-9 record last season. Bruce Salmon is the new leader at one of the Austin area’s newer high schools, which opened in 2004. He’s coming to the Austin area from 3A Marion, where he spent six years and posted a 37-30 record, to take over at 6A Lehman. Salmon runs a balanced offense and Marion averaged more than 200 yards per game passing and rushing last year. The Lobos have seven returning offensive starters, including wide receiver Zack Harris, athlete Bryant Lewis and running back Diego Romero. The offensive line should be a strength, where linemen Seth Sanchez, Gilbert Partida, and Cesar Sustaita will be returning. There are also seven returning starters on defense, including defensive tackle Tyvione Roaches, outside linebacker Jacob Cude and free safety C.J. Scott. Salmon is known as a defensive-minded coach. “We are excited about the upcoming season,” Salmon told IHSFAN. “We are putting work in daily to become a fundamentally sound football team that is going to play every snap with great effort and energy.”

HAYS The good news at Hays High School is that new coach Les Goad and his stellar 107-28 record at 4A Geronimo Navarro are creating excitement for Rebels fans. The bad new is that being in District 25-6A with perennial state powers Austin Westlake and Lake Travis leaves Hays with little room for error in attempting to improve on its 4-7 record in 2017. Former Coach Neal LaHue announced his retirement in January after succeeding legendary Coach Bob Shelton in 2012 and leading to a 25-28 record at Hays. Hays’ season ended with a loss to San Antonio Reagan in the bi-district round of the playoffs. The Rebels will return four starters on offense and just two on defense. The offense will be led by quarterback Xavier Martinez, 1st team all district Sr. C Brandon Garcia and 1st team all district Sr. TE Bayler Jordan. On defense, Hays will be counting on free safety Jaiden Bialaszewski, linebacker Michael Mireles and nose guard Hamid Julbe. “We have great work ethic and we look forward to the challenges of a new district,” Goad says simply.

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AUSTIN HIGH Coach Mike Rosenthal heads into his 7th season as head coach of the Austin High Maroons coming off an exciting 7-4 ’17 season. The Maroons were down by just 7 points headed into the 4th quarter against Boerne Champion with a chance to win their first playoff game since 1957. Rosenthal told IHSFAN “It took us a quarter to realize we could play with them and we just could not get over the hump.” The 2018 Maroons return 8 on offense and 3 on defense. The offense will be led by IHSFAN Top 10 player and first team all district Sr. WR Sawyer Berry. Other offensive weapons will include So. QB Charles Wright, first team all district players Sr. RB Jordan Mitchell, Sr. WR Ben Koch and Sr. OL Juan Quezada. The Maroons defense will feature 8 new starters and will be led by Sr. DB first team all district Tevin Wooten who will get a chance to match his talents against some of the best receivers in Texas. The Maroons open the season against Connally and will play 10 straight weeks as their off week is week 11.

ANDERSON The Trojans finished 2017 at 1-9. Long-time assistant coach Daniel Hunter took the reigns of the program when Coach Rhoads was reassigned. Coach Hunter told IHSFAN, “ Looking back at last year we are making a big push on getting back to the fundamentals of blocking and tackling and the things that if you do well you will be in most ball games.” The Trojans will be led on offense by Sr. WR Trevor Marek and Sr. RB Coy Fullmer both of whom were 2nd team all district players from 2017. Jeremiah Byers has moved from defense to the O-line, look for the huge 6’6 300lb Byers to open up some big holes. The defense will be led by 1st team all district Sr. DB Andre Jackson. Other defensive players to watch will be Jr.DB Kam Langford and Sr.LB Nathaniel Velez. Coach Hunter’s first year as a head coach will see him compete in the very difficult 9 team 25-6A.

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DEL VALLE Coach Charles Burton enters his 6th season as head coach of the Cardinals. His 2017 squad sprinted out of the gate with 4 straight wins before finishing with a 5-5 record. Coach Burton told IHSFAN, â€œ We were really happy that we finished the season with a win and we had a chance at still making the playoffs if some things happened. Our kids fought hard all year long. The kids were coming to every practice wanting to improve each week.â€? The 2018 Cardinals offense will be led by two-way 2nd team all district player in Sr. QB Elijah Washington, in addition to QB look for Washington to line up as a DB on certain occasions. Sr. RB Marcus Barr and So. RB Taviar Dunlap will be the primary ball carriers in the Wing T system. The defense lost a few great players to graduation including star DL Scale Igiehon but the Cardinals return two of their 3 man front defensive line in Jr. Andres Gomez and Jr. Dareylan Sinegal. The defense will be led by Sr. LB Nick Chavez who led the team in tackles in 2017. The Cards did not go through spring ball and will get an extra week in August to prepare for the very competitive 25-6A schedule.

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GEORGETOWN 2017 was another incredible season for the Eagles who finished 9-3. The three losses were by a combined 6 points. Coach Jason Dean, going into his 10th season as Georgetown’s head coach told IHSFAN, “ We had a really special year last year. We were excited for the kids who did a great job, we felt like we just didn’t finish off where we had hoped as we lost in the second round, by 3 points, to the eventual state champion team.” The Eagles return 7 on offense and 6 on defense. The next in line for the always-productive Eagles QB1 slot is Sr. Jackson Sioson who takes the reigns from graduating QB Cooper Bell. The Eagles return four on the offensive line including 1st team all district Sr. Center Zane Haas. Jr. RB RJ Moreno who had 620 yards last year returns along with two of three receivers back with Seniors Noah Drum and Dylan Cahill. The defense will be anchored by a great defensive line that includes 1st team all district Sr. DL Mason Meyer, and 2nd team all district Sr. DL Tyler Noles. Coach Dean is also excited about his DB’s which will be led by returning leader in tackles and interceptions, 2nd team all district Sr. DB Gage Leggett. Look for Georgetown to claim one of the four coveted 11-5A D1 playoff spots in November.

MANOR The big news in Manor is that the Mustangs have dropped a classification. After spending two seasons as a 6-A school, the UIL assigned Manor to District 11-5A Division I for the 2018-19 seasons. The Mustangs will be competing against Cedar Park, Georgetown, Hutto, Rouse, Pflugerville and Pflugerville Connally. Coach Jimmie Mitchell’s squad finished 5-6 last season, 2-3 in District 14-6A, which was mostly Austin-based, in his third season at Manor. They lost to Stony Point 45-0 in the bi-district round of the playoffs. The Mustangs offense will be led by a trio of all district players in 1st team all district Sr. QB Courtney Patridge-Lee. 1st team Jr. RB Tahj Brooks, and 1st team all district Sr. RB Ezekiel Charles. The defense will be led by 1st team all district Sr. DE Tre’Jon Lewis. The drop was mainly due to a drop in enrollment at Manor High with Manor New Tech High School playing varsity football beginning next year.

HUTTO Expectations could not be higher in Hutto for the 2018 Hippos. Finishing the 2017 season at 11-2, the squad went 3 rounds deep into the playoffs. The 2018 team returns 8 starters on offense and 6 on defense. Hutto ISD announced on April 13th that Coach Brad LaPlante would be the new head coach replacing the great Coach Steve VanMeter who is retiring. Coach LaPlante told IHSFAN, “With no staff changes there is no reason for us to make big changes to something that has obviously been working.” The Hippos are LOADED on offense with TWO IHSFAN top 10 players in 1st team all district Sr. QB Chase Griffin and 1st team all district Sr. RB Chux Nwabuko. Other weapons include 1st team all district Sr. WR DJ Baptiste and Sr. WR Caleb Forrest. Griffin has a chance to become Texas high school football’s all-time passing leader. The huge OL returns 4 including 1st team all district Sr. Aaron Castro and will provide a great foundation for the high-octane offense. The defense returns 6 and is led by 1st team all district Sr. LB Jacob Berry and 2nd team all district Sr. DB Jared Herrick. The 2018 11-5A D1 district championship goes through Hutto. Hippo nation may want to look into December hotel rooms near Jerry World.

CEDAR PARK The Timberwolves finished 2017 with the record of 11-2 going three rounds deep into the playoffs before losing to a tough Manvel team for the second straight year. A key moment of the season was the Georgetown game where Cedar Park headed into halftime down by 20 having lost their starting QB Mak Sexton to a season ending injury. When asked what was said to the team in the locker room at halftime Coach Carl Abseck told IHSFAN, “We basically talked about believing in the process and believing in each other. We talked about if you don’t believe we can get it done than you should stay inside the locker room.” The Timberwolves shut out the Eagles in the second half and got the win. The 2018 squad will be led on offense by Sr. QB Ryan Fiala and a pair of senior WR’s in Brandon Breed and Carson Neel. Sr. RB Will Lipscomb will be the featured runner. Look for Sr. TE Logan Mayou to step in to fill the Tight End position. The strength of the defense will be up front as the T-Wolves return two 1st team all district lineman in Sr. DL Jesiah Whittington, and Sr. DL Jacob Munoz who both are three-year varsity players. The young group of LB’s will be led by Sr. Jackson Rogers who will be the only LB with varsity experience. Interesting fact: Cedar Park has not lost a district game since October 17, 2014. 49

ROUSE Coach Josh Mann heads into his 11th season as head coach of the Rouse Raiders with 7 defensive starters returning from the 2017 playoff squad that finished 5-6. The Raiders will be led on offense by returning starting 2nd team all district Sr.QB Ethan Moore, Offensive newcomer of the year Jr. RB Mylan Mitchell, Sr. RB Tavian Tate and three year offensive line starters in 2nd team all district Sr. OL Alex Bagley, and Sr. OL Ayden Sharp. Look for the Raiders to open up the offense with more run pass option plays than we have seen in the past. Coach Mann told IHSFAN, â€œI am really excited about our defense as we return 7 starters and two more that saw a lot of snaps. This could be the best defense we have seen.â€? The defense will be led by Sr. DB Conner Shields, Sr. DB Ugo Osemene, and Jr. LB Lane Bresnehen.

PFLUGERVILLE For the first time in over two decades Pflugerville will have a new head football coach as Coach George Herrmann retired after 21 years. The Panthers reached out and grabbed one of the great area coaches as they hired the 2017 IHSFAN Coach of the year Charles Taylor who just led McCallum to a historic season. The Panthers finished a disappointing 2-8 in 2017 competing in a very tough 13-6A district. The UIL realignment placed the Panthers in the new district 11 5A D1 as the October enrollment snapshot made the Panthers the second largest 5A enrollment in all of Texas. The 2018 squad will return 5 on offense and 3 on defense. The offense will be led by 2nd team all district Sr. OL Jace Wooten, Sr. WR Casey Washington, and Sr. RB Ik Evbayiro. The defense will be led by Sr. DL Vincent Ume-Ezeoke, Sr. DB Jaylon Fuller, and Jr. Ath. Dayron Butler.

CONNALLY Coach Jason Cecil enters his 5th season as head coach of the Connally Cougars. 2017 was a tough one for the Cougs as they finished the year at 3-7. There is a lot to be excited about for 2018. Coach Cecil told IHSFAN, â€œ I really think we have an opportunity to be the best offensively than we have been. Musue now has a year of starting QB under his belt and our offensive line is the best it has been in a long time.â€? The Cougars will be led on offense by Sr. QB Ernest Musue, Sr. RB Lanz Menendez, and Sr. WR Bobby Hancock. Look for Musue to line up at WR from time to time as the Cougars try to find ways to get the ball in the hands of the speedy playmaker. The defense will be let by 2nd Team all district Jr. DB Jahdae Barron, Jr. LB Devante Scott, and Sr. DB Keith Williams. Look for Connally to be in the hunt for one of the four coveted 11-5A D1 playoff spots.

LBJ 2017 was an emotional year for the LBJ Jaguars. New head coach Jahmal Fenner who was named to the position on February 22nd told IHSFAN, “ When I look back at 2017 I look at it as a successful year because our kids overcame a lot of adversity. Coach Jackson prepared me for the moment and I feel like he knew what he was doing all along in helping me prepare for this position.” The Jags finished 2017 at 7-5 going two rounds into the playoffs. The 2018 Jags return 6 on offense and 7 on defense. The offense will be led by 1st team all district Sr. RB Brian Batts. Look for Hunter Scott to take the snaps as QB. Two way star and Tulsa commit Aundoy Johnson to be a big playmaker for the Jag offense. On the defensive side of the ball the Jags will be led by 1st team all district Sr. DL Devon Jones, 1st team all district Sr. DB Aundoy Johnson, and a young transfer from Manor So. DB Latrell McCutchin. The newly formed District 12 5A D1 will be very competitive but look for LBJ to compete for the district title.

CROCKETT Coach John Waugh led the Cougars to the playoffs in 2017 finishing with the record of 3-8. Coach Waugh told IHSFAN, “ Everyone in our new district is very familiar. We have played both Dripping Springs and Seguin in the past. It should make for a very exciting district.” The Cougar offense will be led by QB’s Sr. Joe Lopez and Jr. Patrick Ray with Lopez also lining up at WR. Carrying the ball will be Sr. RB Nick Baca and Jr. RB Andrew Jones. The line will be led by 2nd team all district Sr. OL Robert Jean. The defense will be led by 1st team all district Sr. LB Sylvestor Lopez. Sr. DB Robert Pellete will anchor the secondary. Look for a few players including Sr. Robert Jean to play both ways for the Cougars. Look for Coach Waugh and the Cougars to try to build on their playoff run last year as they will compete for one of the 12-5A D1 playoff spots.

MCCALLUM The 2017 McCallum Magical Mystery Tour (14-1) saw a scrappy team from AISD make it 5 rounds deep into the playoffs just one game from Jerry World. The historic run will be remembered for years to come. IHSFAN Coach of the year Charles Taylor took the job at Pflugerville in January and long-time assistant Thomas Gammerdinger took the reigns as the new head coach for the Knights. Coach Gammerdinger told IHSFAN, “You can’t say enough about last year’s team. All the players and coaches were pulling in the same direction and were all committed to the success of the team.” The Knights offense will return 1st team all district Sr. WR Deron Gage who will be the #1 playmaker. Other leaders on the offense will be Jr. QB Cole Davis and Sr. RB Jalen Sutton. The Knights defense will be led by district newcomer of the year Jr. DL Alvino Carbajal, 1st team all district Sr. DL Lloyd Barriere, and 2nd team all district Sr. DB Gabe Williams. The Knights will compete in a very tough 12-5A D1 with some familiar foes and a few new teams. Look for Coach Gammerdinger and the Knights to compete for one of the Four-playoff spots.

LANIER The Vikings finished 2017 with the record of 2-8. Coach Jonathan Hayhurst, now in his 5th season as head coach of the Vikings told IHSFAN, “We have a bunch of young kids that are really hungry and doing a good job this offseason from a leadership standpoint and we are really excited.” The Vikings will feature Sr. RB Khile Shores. Coach Hayhurst is really high on Sr. OL Balmore Palacious who he believes will really have a breakout year. The defense will be led by Jr. LB Abraham Arellano.

TRAVIS Joe Frank Martinez enters his 5th season as head coach at Travis. Last year was pretty tough on the Rebels as they finished 1-9. They gained a lot of experience as last year they only had 5 players with Varsity experience. Coach Martinez told IHSFAN, “We have a bunch of kids who work hard and do things right. We gained a lot of experience with being able to play a lot of younger kids.” 2nd team all district Jr. RB Darian McFerrin will be the featured weapon in the Rebels offense. Jr. QB Stephen Lopez is back from his season ending broken collarbone injury last year. The defense will be led by 2nd team all district Sr. LB David Rodriguez and Sr. DL Cameron Craft Cannon. Travis players and coaches will not be outworked and although participation numbers have been down the last few years the passion and heart has never been better in the Rebels lockerroom.

REAGAN The Raiders finished 2017 with the record of 2-8 missing out on the playoffs for the first time in four seasons. Coach Keith Carey told IHSFAN, “Last season our players learned that the playoffs were something that were not guaranteed. We have been fortunate the last several years. They learned that they have to put the work in to make the playoffs.” The 2018 Raiders will head into the newly created District 12-5A D1 with several offensive weapons. Look for Sr RB Vontrey Harper to be the primary ball carrier. Sr. QB Uriel Montelongo will take the snaps and Sr. OL Patrick Thomas will anchor the offensive line. The Raiders defense will be led by Jr. DB Wiljy Salomon who was the 2017 defensive MVP. On May 10th Coach Carey announced that he was stepping down as head coach due to family reasons.

DRIPPING SPRINGS The Tigers completed their second undefeated regular season in 2017 as members of District 26-5A before losing to Richmond Foster 28-21 in the area playoffs. On offense, Dripping Springs has four returning starters, including wide receiver Parker Alford, running back Jake Cox and Jake Williamson. Look for Ryan Davenport to take the snaps at QB. The defense will be led by linebacker Nico Ramirez; he’ll be joined by Lance Dominey and Nathan Koch. Dripping Springs returns only two starters on defense. “We have a lot of new players that will be fighting for starting roles, but we expect to complete for a district championship,” Zimmerman said. “Our players’ expectations are still to go to the playoffs and make a run in December.

SEGUIN The Matadors finished 2-8 last year in District 26-5A. Coach Travis Bush’s squad will be loaded with upper classmen, with seven starters returning on offense and eight returning on defense. Seguin’s outstanding offensive players include wide receiver Hayden Haas, running back Jacob Berkley, both seniors, and quarterback Jhalen Mickles. On defense, the Matadors will be led by linebacker Kyle Kolbe, defensive back Deryn Taylor and defensive back Jordan Parker.

MARBLE FALLS The Marble Falls Mustangs will be competing in a new district while looking to improve on last year’s 3-7 mark. The Mustangs are in a tough spot geographically for a 5-A school and they will have as many long road trips this year as they did last year in District 26-5A, when Castroville Medina Valley and Kerrville Tivy were among their rivals. Their longest trips in District 13-5A DII will be to Brenham and three Bastrop County schools: Elgin, Bastrop and Bastrop Cedar Creek. Coach Michael Birdwell will enter his second year as the Marble Falls head man with nine returners on offense and seven returners on defense. He’s hoping the veterans can lead the Mustangs to more wins this year. Quarterback Andrew Stipling will lead the offense and his two top weapons will be wide receiver Brock Linder and running back Dillon Mayberry. The Mustangs’ defense will feature linebacker Zach Fearn, defensive end Josh Whitecotton and linebacker Reece VanHoose. “We are excited about the 2018 season,” Coach Birdwell told ISHFAN.com “We have many returning starters that have played for 2 years on varsity. Our QB will be a three-year starter and our offensive and defensive lines have great depth. “

WEISS In 2017 Coach Tommy Aultman, long time assistant at Hendrickson, was named the first head football coach of the brand new Weiss high school. When asked about starting a new program Aultman told IHSFAN, “It’s been a lot of fun, we have established a great tradition and culture at our school already and we have created a lot of excitement on our campus.” Weiss heads into their first ever varsity schedule in district 13 5A D2. The Wolves will be led on offense by RB Jaden Askew and QB Jackson Sandlin. Other leaders on offense will be WR’s Stewart Miller, Jaylen Sapenter, and Dylan Kaufman. The Wolfpack defense will be led by MLB Zack Lenz and S Ronald Caldwell. The defense will be anchored up front by DL Christian Hamilton and Marcus Lyons. Even without a senior on the roster look for the Wolves to compete for a district title in 13-5A.

GLENN Coach Rob Schoenfeld leads the Grizzlies into the first ever Varsity season in 2018. Schoenfeld spent four years as offensive coordinator with Cedar Park prior to taking the job at Glenn. He also has head coaching stops at Boling and Edna. Glenn opened in the fall of 2016 and has spent its first two seasons competing as a sub varsity team. Last season the Grizzlies finished at 6-4 and played a schedule against mostly Varsity level competition. Schoenfeld told IHSFAN, “ We have worked hard and are one of a handful of teams that is actually returning our whole team. I could not have asked for a better group of Seniors to be our first ever graduating class.” The 2018 Grizzlies will be led on offense by Sr. QB Drew McGuire, Sr. WR Sam Martin (Team offensive MVP), and Sr. TE Nate Hatter. The entire offensive line returns and features: Trent Brown, Jacob Trim, and Thomas Hardin. Look for the Grizzlies to run a balanced offense similar to Cedar Park. The defense will be led by Sr. LB’s Brian Creel (Team Def. MVP) and Lee Pollock. Sr. Safety Noah Holmes joined the squad midway through last season coming from the Basketball team. The two-sport star will provide great size and athleticism at Safety.

EAST VIEW Coach Rob Davies and his Patriots finished 2017 at 4-6 in the very tough 19-5A district. On February 1st UIL realignment saw the Patriots move to the newly formed 13-5A D2 district. The Patriots will be competing in an 8-team district with teams from 7 different school districts. Coach Rob Davies told IHSFAN, “I think it’s a great district, we all think we can compete. There is a lot of parity and we are all on a level playing field as far as enrollment numbers. It should be a lot of fun!.” The Patriots offense will be led by 1st team all district Sr. RB Zion Hester and Jr. QB Jackson Coulson. The Offensive line will be anchored by Sr. OL Mike Rodriguez, and Sr. OL Joey Gonzales. The kicking game is in great shape as 1st team all district Sr. K Reed Honshstein returns for his senior year. The Patriots defense returns 2017 team MVP LB Stefon Reyes. Other leaders on the defense will be Sr. DL Ben Simons and Sr. DL Trevon Watts. Look for the Patriots to get back on the playoffs in 2018 and compete for the 13-5A D2 district championship.

CEDAR CREEK The Cedar Creek Eagles had only one win last year, but it came in district play against East View High School by a 21-17 score. After landing in District 13-5A Division II, the Eagles will be looking to rack up more district wins this season against some new opponents. The second high school in the Bastrop ISD, Cedar Creek opened in 2010 and is located on Austin side of Highway 71. The Eagles narrowly lost to the more-established Bastrop Bears, with whom they share a stadium, by a 23-21 score last year. Another narrow loss came by a 28-26 score to Pflugerville Connally. Coach Jon Edwards’ squad will return five starters on offense and six starters on defense. The Eagles will be led offensively by quarterback Hunter Hughston, center Brian George and tight end Alfred Collins. The defense will be looking to shut down some high-powered offense and will feature 1st team all district Jr. LB Cade Edwards, 1st team all district Jr. DL Alfred Collins and 2nd team all district Sr. DL Jacob Turner. Coach Edwards is a big believer in preparing for the season the same way you want to play it. “Train the way you want to fight, because you’re are going to fight the way you train,” he said.

BASTROP The travel will be tougher but the competition a little easier for the Bastrop Bears as they move to the 13-5A Division 2 district and try to improve on 2017’s 2-8 record. The Bears will say goodbye to four perennial playoff programs in last year’s district: Cedar Park, Georgetown, Hutto and Rouse. Each of those schools made playoff runs last year and are regularly state-ranked. Bastrop will return nine starters on offense. They include 1st team all district Sr. RB Jhe’Quay Chretin, slot receiver Hanan Jones and wide receiver Chris Henderson. Seven starters will be back for the Bears on defense. They are led by cornerback Tyson Tarver, strong safety Tyrin Smith and linebacker Zevon Burnet. “We are looking forward to the challenges of our new district, while continuing the rivalries of our old,” Coach Todd Patmon told IHSFAN. “These seniors have started for two years and are excited about the 2018 season.”

ELGIN Coach Jens Anderson’s squad heads into his second season as head coach hoping to improve on last season’s 3-7 record as they move into District 13-5A Division 2. “We feel like the hard work we have put in this off-season is going to really make a difference in the fall,” said Anderson, who arrived in Elgin last year after a stint as offensive coordinator at Fort Bend George Ranch. Elgin returns five starters on offense and five on defense. They will be led on offense by running back Jerome Wreh, offensive lineman Cedric Truitt and athlete Daniel Gonzales. On defensive, defensive back Ty McFarlin, defensive lineman Xavier Nuells and inside linebacker Mike Price will try to contain the high-powered offenses in the district.

BRENHAM Brenham has hired former Houston Stratford head coach Eliot Allen to replace long-time head coach Glen West. Brenham, about a hundred miles from Austin, will compete in District 13-5A Division II next season. The Cubs were 6-4 overall in 2017.

EAST SIDE MEMORIAL Formerly Johnston High School, Eastside Memorial will be looking to improve on last year’s 1-7 mark as they compete in a far-flung district. The only 4-A school in the Austin ISD, Memorial competes in District 13-4A DII with Bandera High School, Cuero High School, Geronimo Navarro High School, Llano High School and Wimberley High School. Memorial’s lone win last year came in non-conference action against San Antonio Brooks Academy, winning by a 21-6 score. The Panthers were winless in the conference and opened the season with a 22-8 loss to Austin Lanier. The most persistent problems Memorial had last year were on defense, were they gave up 56, 55 and 49 points in different games. Coach Darrell Crayton will return five starters on offense and three on defense. The top offensive players include Jeison Otano, Roberto Perez, and Carlos Mendez. On defense, Roberto Perez, Jeison Otano and Paul Ekanga are the standouts. Coach Crayton vows to be persistent in search of more victories this year. “Keep sawing the wood and the tree will fall!” he says.

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