IHSFAN

AUGUST 2015 INAUGURAL ISSUE IHSFAN.COM

BRILES & MORRIS “BACK IN THE DAY”

PREVIEWING AREA TEAMS Area football factories

IT’S GAME TIME!

TOP 10 TEAM PRESENTED BY FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @IHSFAN 1

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FROM THE DESK OF THE PUBLISHER No two words offer more hope to sports fans than “season opener.” Every team is undefeated, every team believes this is the year and every team has not had to deal with disappointment. The preseason offers blue skies and visions of district and state championships with gold footballs on the horizon. In the publishing world, an equally hopeful and relatable term would be “inaugural issue.” A magazine’s first issue is the foundation for all future issues — the hope that what we create will be well-received by both our readership and our advertisers. I often describe myself as a “pre-MoPac” Austinite. Growing up in Austin in the 1970s and 80s, I am a product of the Austin Independent School District. I have seen the city grow from a small town of 250,000 to the 11th largest city in the country with more than a million people. My passion for high school sports and my love of my hometown helped me create IHSFAN Magazine. Our inaugural issue of IHSFAN — short for “I am a high school fan” —will shine the spotlight on local area high school football teams, players and communities. Whether you are reading our print or digital version it’s my hope you will enjoy reading our feature articles written by local writers as well as our individual school snapshots, some of which are written by area high school students. It’s now time for kick-off of both the season and the magazine….Enjoy!

Rick Epstein Publisher iHSFAN

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Rick Epstein Publisher/Editor Jackson Wolek Sean Shapiro Freelance feature reporters Jamie Harms RoundRockSportPhotos.com Cover photographer Kenzie Hensley Vanessa Aguirre Matthew Toming John Detamore Logan Kuenstler Student Reporters Rona McDonald Layout Design Joe Harrington Rocky Epstein Charles Stone Todd James Joe Taylor Special Thanks

Letter from the Publisher............................. 4 Feature Stories Rivalries................................................... 8 Hydration............................................... 10 Former Coaches..................................... 12 ACL info ............................................... 14 Alumni Football games............................ 16 Football Factories.................................... 18 Top Ten team.......................................... 20 Most influential list................................... 25 Taco Shack Bowl..................................... 26

The Student Section – School Previews District District District District District Private

13 6A......................................... 30 14 6 A........................................ 38 17 5A......................................... 46 25 5A......................................... 48 26 5A......................................... 54 Schools....................................... 58

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CONTENTS

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WHAT MAKES A CENTRAL TEXAS RIVALRY? By SEAN SHAPIRO | info@ihsfan.com It’s a tried, and frankly, overused word in sports. NAMING A RIVALRY Brother Bowl: Rouse vs. Vandegrift Battle of the Bell, Travis County: McCallum vs. Travis Battle of the Bell, Williamson County: Round Rock vs. Westwood Battle of the Lakes: Westlake vs. Lake Travis Battle for 290: Manor vs. Elgin Battle for the ’Ville: Pflugerville vs. Hendrickson

A series of close games? Let’s call it a rivalry. Two teams in close proximity playing each? Rivalry. Teams meeting for the second time in the playoffs? Count that as a rivalry, too. It’s a term that’s evolved into coach speak and a motivational tool, often thrown around to fire up teams and fan bases for a Friday night. But what makes a rivalry stand out and not just a simple tag for a game, but a tried and true, Capulet vs. Montague level feud, with less bloodshed? “It has to have a combination of factors,” Manor coach Sadd Jackson said. “It can’t just be playing often. The teams also have to be playing for something — and that could be pride — but it has to be something where both teams have a chance.”

Whataburger Bowl: Cedar Ridge vs. Stony Point

Jackson is referring to Manor’s annual rivalry game with Elgin, often referred to as the Battle for 290, which dates back to a 13-13 tie in 1934.

Taco Shack Bowl: McCallum vs. Anderson

The Mustangs and Wildcats have traded wins in the series — and often district titles — including a 23-17 overtime game last season that nearly cost Jackson’s team a playoff berth.

Have a rivalry game and name not here? Want to change the name? Tweet us your thoughts @IHSFAN

UIL.

Eight decades of games will solidify a rivalry; in a similar way Liberty Hill and Burnet have clashed since a 6-6 tie in 1914. Nearing the 100-year anniversary of the first game, Liberty Hill and Burnet weren’t going to play last season after the schools were surprisingly drawn into different districts by the

But after lengthy playoff runs by both teams, the rivalry took care of itself when the Class 4A schools met in Region IV semifinals. “It writes itself,” Liberty Hill coach Jerry Vance said at the time. “It’s ‘Burnet Week.’ Even when the UIL tries to separate these two teams, we find a way to go knock each other around.” Similar things could be said about Round Rock and Westwood high schools. If familiarity truly breeds contempt, the Dragons and Warriors have a back story Shakespeare would be proud of. 8

Westwood opened in 1981 as the second school in Round Rock ISD — way before the population explosion in Central Texas that seemingly opens a new school every year — splitting the population at Round Rock. The split created a divided fan base. Round Rock alums now had to root for Westwood while — even to this day — Dragons and Warriors often compete side-by-side in youth football. “Our kids know their kids and vice versa,” Westwood coach Anthony Wood said. “It’s a situation where the kids on our sideline can look across and either know all of the Round Rock kids, or at least know most of them.” And its led to some entertaining, highly important games with playoff positioning often on the line. One district over, the “Battle of the Lakes” often takes top billing as the rivalry game to watch — even if the results have been heavily in one team’s favor. Dating back to 2007, Lake Travis has won seven straight against Westlake, in a game that defines two fleeting eras. For years, Westlake stood out as the top program in Central Texas. That mantle was passed to Lake Travis in the 2000s when a long-floundering program won five straight Class 4A state championships. The Chaparrals are well aware the Cavaliers stole their title as “Kings of Central Texas,” and the annual matchup not only comes with bragging rights, but typically the District 14-6A title. “This rivalry is what Texas High School Football is all about,” Westlake coach Todd Dodge said before the 2014-edition of the game. To be fair, a game doesn’t have to mean much in the standings to escalate to rivalry status. McCallum and Anderson have met in non-district play since 2004 — they were prior district foes — in “The Taco Shack Bowl” and is televised on opening night each season. “That’s a big game, and it’s stayed that way since both teams have gone in with a chance to win,” McCallum coach Charles Taylor said. “But it’s not our only rivalry.” Taylor was quick to point out the game between McCallum and Travis — the Battle of the Bell (which is also what Round Rock and Westwood’s rivalry is dubbed) – has been ongoing since 1953. “I think if you talk to older alumnus from McCallum they’ll think of Travis first,” Taylor said. “You have the television and hoopla with the Anderson game, but that doesn’t overshadow Travis for us.” What’s most impressive about those rivalries is they’ve been able to sustain a competitive nature, and maintain meaning — something that’s cost Central Texas some of its better rivalries. Cedar Park and Lake Travis had a burgeoning rivalry that was simply wiped off the schedule when the latter made the jump to Class 6A. District twins Buda Hays and Kyle Lehman have met for eight straight seasons, but Hays run of eight straight wins washed away any chance of a classic game. “Rivalries are great in high school football,” Taylor said. “And the ones that really stick, those are the ones that build upon themselves and when you think about them, you don’t even have to question it.” So, overused? Yes. But rivalries that cut through the clichés — and elevate above them— are well worth the price of admission. ••• 9

HYDRATE TO AVOID HEAT EXHAUSTION OR STROKE By DANIEL HOWARD, M.D. | Pediatrician, The Austin Diagnostic Clinic Cedar Bend Heat-related illnesses, which includes heat exhaustion and heat stroke, can be caused by dehydration and fatigue. They can develop suddenly when the heat is high and a person’s body can’t cool down fast enough. Children and teens are more apt to dehydration, because they are excited to participate in activities and often overlook or are to distracted to remember to hydrate properly. How can you make sure to stay hydrated at sports events? The best thing to do is schedule outside activities for the coolest times of the day – early morning or late evening. But when that’s not possible, hydration is key – both before, during and after outside activities. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following: Generally, 3 to 8 oz every 20 minutes for 9- to 12-year-olds and up to 34 to 50 oz per hour for adolescents is enough to minimize sweat-induced body-water deficits during exercise as long as pre-activity hydration status is good. Here are some ideas for ways to keep hydrated before your child begins an outdoor activity. • • • • •

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Drink fluids at every meal and snack Choose cold water and sodium-free seltzers. Try using an infuser water bottle which allows you to add fresh fruit to flavor water, naturally. Avoid sodas, sports drinks or drinks with added sugar or artificial sweeteners. Fruit punches, sports drinks, sweetened ice teas can be a source of caffeine and sugar. Added sugar can slow down the body’s ability to absorb fluids, and caffeine can raise the heart rate and cause headaches. As for sports drinks, experts say they’re only helpful for intense activities that last more than an hour. Water is a better choice. It’s OK to dilute 100 percent juice, but limit it to just 6 oz a day for kids 6 and under and 12 oz a day for kids over 6.

Hydrate with snacks? • • •

Yes, snacks are a great way to get more water in your system. A healthy midmorning and mid-afternoon snack will help keep energy levels up. Fruits and vegetables are up to 90 percent water, so they’re a great way to keep hydrated as well. Melon, berries, sliced bell peppers or cucumbers are all great hydro-snacks! Yogurt is also a good source of water and protein. Blend plain yogurt with fruit to keep the sugar levels low.

What does dehydration look like? • • • • • • • 10

Be alert for the following warning signs of dehydration, and notify your pediatrician or call 911 if any of them develop. Has extremely dry mouth or no tears Is lethargic Is older and does not urinate in 12 or more hours Isn't alert or able to think clearly Passes out Is too weak or dizzy to stand

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COACHING LAUNCHING POINT: CENTRAL TEXAS Baylor’s Briles, SMU’s Morris climbed through Austin area By SEAN SHAPIRO | info@ihsfan.com If you look at dissenting opinions, Central Texas is an underrated hot bed of high school football. Quote un-quote big-name recruits often reside in the greater Dallas or Houston areas. Yet one of the top players in college football last season, Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine, honed his craft at Pflugerville Hendrickson. Central Texas also boasts alumni guiding Division I programs. Baylor’s Art Briles made a stop at Georgetown on his way to recent back-to-back Big 12 Championships.

10 coaches who may be next These “youngish” Central Texas coaches could be the next “Briles” and “Morris” 1. Hank Carter, Lake Travis 2. Todd Ford, Cedar Ridge 3. Drew Sanders, Vandegrift 4. Chip Killian, Hendrickson 5. Anthony Wood, Westwood 6. Jason Dean, Georgetown 7. Matt Green, Marble Falls 8. Josh Mann, Rouse 9. Sadd Jackson, Manor 10. Jason Cecil, Connally

Farther north, former Lake Travis coach Chad Morris is ready to build his own legacy at SMU, where he recently accepted his first collegiate head coaching job. After four years as an assistant, Briles accepted his first head coaching job at Hamlin High School, a suburb of Abilene, in 1984. The then 28-year-old Briles was an instant success. In two years at Class 2A Hamlin he posted a 271-1 record, grabbing attention from larger schools – including then Class 5A Georgetown. At Georgetown he was dealt a tough hand. The Eagles were one the smallest schools in Class 5A, then the largest classification, and posted a 4-15-1 record in two seasons in Central Texas. “He was always so animated, even more so than he is now if you watch a Baylor game,” said Butch Hart, a longtime Central Texas reporter who covered Briles. “Not in a bad way. But he was always animated getting excited on the sidelines. “Even though they didn’t win many games, they did a good job. They were overmatched and were stuck playing in the wrong size class.”

Briles left Georgetown for Stephenville High School, where his famed spread offense took off. And the spread took the rest of the state by storm. Powered by the speed-based attack, Briles posted a 135-29-2 record at Stephenville between 1988 and 1999, a stretch that included four state champions— including back-to-back titles in 1993-1994 and 1998-1999. That caught the attention of the collegiate ranks, where Briles started coaching running backs at Texas Tech. 12

From there he took his craft to the University of Houston, which he spun into his current position at Baylor. And that’s been an asset for coaches in Central Texas. “It’s great to see guys make the move up through the high school ranks to a job like that,” Westwood coach Anthony Wood said. “We’re all very connected in the coaching world, so more guys that advance the better.” Morris is the most recent coach to make the ascension from the high school ranks to pacing the sidelines of a Division I program. After stints at Eustace, Elsyian Fields, Bay City and Stephenville, Morris arrived in Lake Travis before the 2008 season. He took over a program with lofty expectations — the Cavaliers had won their first state title in 2007 — and he set them even higher. Morris didn’t lose a game in two years at Lake Travis, going 32-0 and won back-to-back Class 4A state titles. That was the middle part of a legacy for Lake Travis, which concluded with five straight championships, the final two by current Cavalier head coach Hank Carter. And it helped Morris get his first collegiate job when he was named the offensive coordinator at Tulsa in 2010. From there he was hired by Clemson in 2011 and was eventually named the 2013 AFCA Assistant Coach of the year. That résumé helped Morris land the job at SMU, where he’ll take over the struggling program this fall. Morris told IHSFAN that recruiting Central Texas is key and that he has already started focusing on recruiting Texas. He plans on working closely with high school coaches, who appreciate having a fraternity member running the collegiate program. Morris has talked openly in the past about his high school coaching experience being essential his success. "As a high school coach, this is one of the most unique fraternities — because it is a fraternity — and you're either one of them in this state or you're not," Morris told the USA Today. "If you're not one of them, you better try to be one of them. If you don't, you won't survive. You just won't. I've lived it. I've seen it. I know it. If you don't embrace them or you embrace them the wrong way, they'll kill you. Career-wise, they won't help you." While Morris and Briles used Central Texas as launching pad, other coaches have arrived in Central Texas after stints in the college ranks. Westlake coach Todd Dodge and Cedar Ridge coach Todd Ford were the architects of one of the greatest high school football runs ever at Southlake Carroll. Dodge and Ford — both former University of Texas quarterbacks— took their spread attacks to North Texas University in 2007. Eventually, Ford returned to high school football to take the Cedar Ridge job in 2010. Two years later, Dodge followed him by taking the Marble Falls job before being hired at Westlake in 2014. So who will follow in Dodge, Briles and Morris’ footsteps? Lake Travis’ Carter was rumored to be mulling a position on Morris’ staff this past offseason, but instead he chose Central Texas. If football success continues in the Austin area, he won’t be the last one to have that decision to make. •••

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THE OTHER ACL FEST By DR. SCOTT A. SMITH Tom Brady, Jamal Charles, Jordan Shipley, Adrian Peterson, Von Miller, Tyrann Mathieu, Brian Cushing, Sam Bradford, Jeremy Maclin.....the list goes on. But it is not a list anyone wants to be on. These athletes have all sustained ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT (ACL) TEARS. The anterior cruciate ligament is a large ligament in the center of the knee that controls translation and rotation of the knee. Its function is essential for high performance activities that involve start-stop and cutting movements. An injury to the ACL will affect an athlete’s performance, is a season ender, and may even be a career ender for some. Anterior cruciate ligament tears are not uncommon in athletes of all ages but are especially common in football players. There are approximately 12 injuries for every 100,000 player exposures. Another way to look at this is a team of 100 players practicing 5/week for 16 weeks can expect to have one tear per season. Girls’ soccer and basketball have very similar rates. Injuries occur most often with a deceleration and external rotation, non-contact mechanism. A change of direction or cut on a fixed foot can result in a tear. A direct blow to the knee causes 20% of ACL injuries. After a knee injury most players are evaluated by their trainers and physicians. Usually the diagnosis is made on the sidelines by exam and frequently confirmed via MRI within the next week or two. Most high school athletes undergo a surgical reconstruction of the ACL shortly after the injury but there is no urgency as to timing. The operation is called a reconstruction as a graft from elsewhere is used to reconstruct the torn ligament. It is not a repair. Graft choice is surgeon/ patient preference and there are multiple options: patellar tendon, hamstring, allograft (cadaver) and others. The procedure itself is complicated and requires expertise; however, most sports orthopedic surgeons perform numerous reconstructions per year and consider it routine. The surgery itself takes approximately 60-90 minutes. Surgery time can also depend on other injuries which require repair (meniscus, cartilage, and other ligaments). ACL reconstruction is an outpatient surgery and patients can usually return to school in 2-5 days. Pain medication and crutches for 2-4 weeks following surgery can be expected. Recovery and rehabilitation are very important to a patient’s final outcome. While each surgeon has their own protocols and procedures, patients can expect activity protection and modification for at least six months postoperatively. Active range of motion is started early and progressed as pain allows. Running, cutting and change of direction activities can be delayed for 2-5 months. Return to full participation and active sports depends on regaining full motion, strength, coordination and confidence. This routinely takes six months or more. Data suggests that between 70-85% of athletes return to sport at the same level they were at pre-injury. Unfortunately, there is a very high re-injury rate in high school athletes as well as an inordinate rate of tearing the other knee’s ACL. Prevention is better than reconstruction. There now are multiple programs all with variable success at preventing knee and specifically ACL tears. These typically involve quadriceps, jump and balance training. These programs should be a standard part of all sports training. Scott A. Smith, M.D. is a board certified orthopedic surgeon, specializing in sports medicine. Dr. Smith sees patients at Texas Orthopedics Northwest Austin, Cedar Park, and Round Rock locations. To request an appointment with Dr. Smith, call 512-439-1001. ••• 14

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GLORY DAYS REVISITED info@ihsfan.com For the majority of athletes, football ends with their final game in high school. Sure, there may be intramural or flag football options later in life, but a chance to play “real football” — with hitting, blocking and tackling – is virtually non-existent. How cool would it be to relive the experience of playing under the Friday Night Lights well into your 30's and 40's? The answer is Gridiron Glory Alumni Football. An Austin-based Alumni football organization that was established in 2012 ,that provides former high school football players the opportunity to Get Back To The Gridiron! The games are slightly modified — no blitzes allowed ,no cut blocking below the knees but it still gives the players a chance to relive those glory days. The goal is that everyone can come together after the game at the 50 yard line to say “Good Game” and go home healthy. George Cox, owner of Gridiron Glory Alumni Football, has received great feedback from participants. “I’ve had guys tell me this has changed their life,” “It’s great. You’ll see guys level each other, run into each other at full speed and then turn around and help the guy up. It’s been awesome.” Gridiron Glory Alumni Football takes out the difficulty of organizing an alumni game by assisting with recruiting the alumni players , providing the equipment , uniforms , stadiums and assigning the Officials. Gridiron Glory Alumni Football strongly suggests that the Alumni Team Captains do their best to recruit at least 22-25 players. Many of the teams go above and beyond and purchase their own custom jerseys, many provided by Full Bore Sportswear. It is suggested that the alumni teams hold non contact practices at least 4-6 times before their games. A representative from Gridiron Glory Alumni Football will attend as many as two practices to explain the modified rules and to stress the importance of working on their flexibility, conditioning and building that feeling of a team. "We want the guys to be involved for the right reasons." Anyone who’s finished high school and is over 18 is eligible to play but the typical demographic is “25- to 35-years-old,” but there have been players in their 40's and 50's. Gridiron Glory Alumni Football might have it's roots in Central Texas but it has rapidly moved into the Abilene & Beaumont areas."I've talked to alumni players all over the state of Texas that want to participate in our games for many different reasons. We've assisted with raising funds for the American Cancer Society , American Red Cross and local high school scholarships." In the first year Gridiron Glory Alumni Football hosted only four games. Now they've hosted 30 games in 34 months of business. For more information, visit gridironglory.com Mark your Calendars for 2015 important games: Kelly Reeves Alumni Foundation game at KRAC in November Keith Tuck Memorial Football Game in November (location TBD) (Contributing to the story-Sean Shapiro) 16

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CENTRAL TEXAS FOOTBALL FACTORIES BY JACKSON WOLEK | Info@ihsfan.com Central Texas has always been known to produce great football players at the college and professional level. It seems like almost every team has had a great football player come through their program at least once or twice. However, some programs seem to specialize in one particular position over others — not only at their own school, but all around Central Texas. We call these the “football factories,” that produce well at a certain position year in and year out. Here are notable football factories in Central Texas. Running back: Hendrickson High School Hendrickson opened in 2003, but since their inception the Hawks have produced some of the finest running backs to come out of the Austin area. “Pflugerville itself has always had good running backs before Hendrickson was opened,” Hawks coach Chip Killian said. “We’ve been very fortunate the last eight or nine years to always have that feature back that can dominate on offense.” It began with running back Kenny Williams. He was selected as second-team All-State in Class 4A his senior season in 2010, in which he rushed for 1,373 yards and 13 touchdowns. Williams went on to play at Texas Tech and produced 16 rushing touchdowns his career before moving to defense last year. Following Williams is current Texas running back Daje Johnson. At Hendrickson, Johnson totaled 2,976 yards on the ground and 34 touchdowns as a junior and senior. 2015 graduate Tazh Maloy is headed to the Naval Academy after rushing for 1,172 and 16 touchdowns last season. The biggest name to come out of Hendrickson is Samaje Perine Oklahoma. Perine rushed for 1,492 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior at Hendrickson and 1,993 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior. However, it’s what he did in his first year as a Sooner that is most impressive. Perine was named Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year for his 1,713 yards gained in the ground and 21 touchdowns. He broke an FBS record single game rushing yards with 427 against Kansas. “We’ve just been very fortunate, there must be something in the Pflugerville water,” Killian said. Wide receiver: Austin High Yes, Mr. Maroon made the list. Austin High has produced several talented receives during its long history. The first being Emory Blake, who played for Auburn University. Blake played under coach Rodney Vincent, now at Vista Ridge, and as a senior caught 64 passes for 936 yards and nine touchdowns. Cayleb Jones played his freshmen year at University of Texas before transferring to University of Arizona, where he is today. Jones posted 213 receptions for 3,025 yards and 27 touchdowns as a Maroon and led all Wildcats receivers last year with 1,019 yards receiving and nine touchdowns. Jones’ younger brother, Isaiah Jones, also plays college ball at East Carolina University. He caught 36 passes for 439 yards and six touchdowns his senior season as a Maroon and as a freshmen for the Pirates was named to the Conference USA All-Freshmen team. “I think Isaiah is one of the finest individuals I have ever been around,” Maroons coach Mike Rosenthal said. “He could and should be president one day. He took an entirely different route than Cayleb and was a late 18

bloomer, who willed and worked himself into the player he is today.” Quarterback: Lake Travis Although Westlake boasts two NFL quarterbacks in Drew Brees and Nick Foles, Lake Travis has had its run of talented Division-I quarterbacks the past decade. Starting with former Kansas University quarterback Todd Reesing, the Cavilers have had a run on quarterbacks unmatched by any program in the area. When coach Hank Carter came to Lake Travis as a defensive coordinator in 2008, Garrett Gilbert, former backup quarterback of the New England Patriots, was in charge of the offense. Gilbert, who later played for Texas and SMU in college, helped lead the Cavaliers to two consecutive state championships, including a perfect 16-0 season in 2008. He finished his career by setting a state record of 12,534 passing yards and had a 39-4 record since beginning his sophomore year. He was the National High School Player of the Year his senior season. “He was an amazing player and best high school player I’ve ever seen,” Carter said. “I look forward to him hopefully getting an opportunity to show what he can do at the NFL level.” Following Gilbert has been Michael Brewer (Virginia Tech), Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma) and Dominic De Lira (Iowa State). “I would love to be able to take credit for it but I can’t, the parents give us great kids,” Carter said. “We’ve had offensive schemes and mindset that makes it exciting for kids to want to throw the football but we have great kids and athletes to work with and that all are parents that are doing that.” Defensive line: Pflugerville The Panthers have two notable defensive lineman currently in the NFL with Alex Okafor of the Arizona Cardinals and IK Enemkpali of the New York Jets. Okafor was recognized as an All-American when he graduated in 2008 from Pflugerville and went on to play at the University of Texas from 2009-2012. Okafor helped the Panthers reach the state title game in 2007. Enemkpali was named All-District 25-5A first team his senior season with the Panthers in which he recorded 64 tackles and 14 sacks. He later went on to Louisiana Tech University and got drafted by the New York Jets in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL draft. “Both worked extremely hard and didn’t just rely on their athletic abilities to get them through,” Panthers coach George Herrmann said. “That’s what made them as successful as they are today.” Offensive line: Cedar Park Opposing teams fear Cedar Park for a variety of reasons, but none bigger (no pun intended) than the Timberwolves’ offensive line. Carl Abseck, the first-year head coach and former offensive coordinator who has been at Cedar Park since the school opened, said it was a clear choice to have the Timberwolves represent the offensive line position of the football factories. It’s easy to see why. Dominic Espinosa might be the most recognizable name on the list. The University of Texas offensive lineman is one of the best in the Big-12 conference. Another Big-12 conference player, Spencer Drango, also hailed from the Timberwolves and now plays at Baylor University. He was recently named the Big-12 conference CO- Offensive Lineman of the Year. Matt Wofford of Rice University, Felix Romero of Texas State University and Austin Hisler, Riley Mayfield and Cole Baughman of Abilene Christian also top the list of notable offensive lineman to make it through the program. ••• 19

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IHSFAN TOP TEN TEAM

Presented by

The best of the best in Central Texas Travis Brannan, senior running back, Vandegrift All -State running back Travis Brannan is a lucky guy. The same offensive line he used to gain 2,450 yards and 27 touchdowns last year didn’t go anywhere. “We have all five guys returning and their looking like animals,” Brannan said. “The only change is they’ve grown up a little bit and are bigger and better than last year.” Brian Bullock, senior defensive back, Round Rock Brian Bullock enters his third season as a starter for Round Rock with a college commitment and a new position. The standout Dragon is a future Northwestern Wildcat but before he gets there, he’ll be trying to fill the void left by all-state safety Mason Ramirez on the Dragons’ defensive backfield. Northwestern defensive backs coach Jerry Brown, who visited Bullock in the spring, told Bullock the he liked the fact that he was playing safety and that it showed how versatile he was. Mulbah Car, senior running back, Reagan Mulbah Car scored 23 of Reagan’s 27 touchdowns last year at running back and had an astounding 1,946 yards on the ground. He didn’t win offensive player of the year in his district but is the favorite to win it this year. Unless he wins defensive player honors. Car had 67 tackles, eight for a loss and four forced fumbles. Erick Fowler, senior outside linebacker, Manor Erick Fowler makes the top 10 list for good reason: he’s on another highly notable list as well. Fowler, currently ranked 194th in the nation for the class of 2016 by ESPN, is a 6-foot-1-inches and on just about every Division-1 team’s radar. Fowler, who committed to LSU over the summer after recording 16 sacks and 94 tackles in 2014, didn’t always play on the defensive side of the ball, and actually played running back before converting. “Freshman year I started out at running back and then got moved up to varsity scout team,” Fowler said. “I’ve always liked to hit people instead of receiving it.” Tyler Herrick, senior quarterback, Hutto Herrick is the lone quarterback on the list and will be a force to be reckoned with this season. Herrick had an outstanding 39 touchdowns and just six interceptions for the Hippos and completed 205 of 299 pass attempts for 3,145 yards. “It feels great to be chosen amongst the other guys especially those who have D1 offers,” Herrick said at the iHSFAN cover shoot in May. Part of Herrick’s success has been his teammates, who have helped him become the talented player he is. “You want to work hard every day but whenever you have those guys around you and looking up to you it helps you out a lot,” Herrick said. (cont. p 24)

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Sammy Ochoa, junior defensive lineman, Lake Travis Sammy Ochoa didn’t exactly have the type of spring football season he would’ve liked. “I was going in for a tackle and our running back ducked down and I caught a piece of his helmet and it sliced open my thumb and I had to get 11 stitches,” Ochoa said. “I was kind of bummed because there were college scouts there at the time.” He has plenty of time to make up for it. Ochoa recorded 71 tackles and 11 sacks for the Cavs as a sophomore and has yet to decide on what college he will play at, however, he has a few in mind. “My top three dream schools would be University of Oregon, University of Texas and University of Florida,” Ochoa said. Ben Purcell, senior offensive lineman, Georgetown Ben Purcell is the lone offensive lineman on the list, but in his freshmen year he wasn’t sure what position he would be playing. “I thought I was going to end up playing defensive end or defensive tackle but I was picked to play offensive line by the offensive line coach,” Purcell said. “After my sophomore year is when I really started to gain weight because I knew for my position and size it was an issue.” Purcell gained the weight, going from 185 pounds in his sophomore year to 215 pounds at the start of his junior year. Injuries and other issues prevented Purcell from playing every game last season, but he still managed to register 52 pancake blocks and allowed just one sack. “In the first week of practice, in the second day of pads, I got a concussion which held me out for about two weeks,” Purcell said. “The first game of the season I wasn’t properly hydrated which put me in the emergency room but I bounced back and by the fourth game I was playing substantially again.” Jon Shannon, senior running back, Liberty Hill Not many people around Central Texas knew the name Jon Shannon before last season. It’s hard to find someone in the high school football world in Central Texas that doesn’t know his name now. After rushing for 2,105 yards and 26 touchdowns, he was named the All-Central Texas Newcomer of the Year by the Austin American-Statesman. Ke Shawn Somerville, senior safety, Hendrickson Hendrickson is known for their running backs, but defensive backs are just as prevalent. Following the footsteps of Chance Waz (Baylor), Trai Mosely (Nebraska) and P.J. Mbansor (Oklahoma) is Somerville. Ranked 65th in the state and already headed to Texas Christian University, Somerville is a versatile player who can play corner and safety for the Hawks. Quarterbacks are going to try to stay as far away as possible from “Somerville Island” this season. Matthew Wright, senior safety, McNeil Matthew Wright earned first -team All –District for the second year in a row for the Mavericks and was named second team All-State at safety. The two-sport star (he also plays baseball) had 97 tackles and seven interceptions for the Mavs in 2014. Those numbers are on par with his standout sophomore season, when he had 98 tackles. Even though he’s only been his coach for a season, McNeil coach Howard McMahan said Wright brings more than just tackles to the field. “Matt doesn’t just bring that leadership as far as being a football player, he brings that character you like on the football field too,” McMahan said. ••• 24

5 JOURNALISTS IMPACTING CENTRAL TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL By SEAN SHAPIRO Whoever coined the phrase, “games aren’t played on paper,” was right. Media coverage isn’t going to win or lose a game. But that media coverage is a valuable tool at promoting high school football in Central Texas. The five individuals below, in alphabetical order, have been amongst the best at championing and driving the conversation around high school football in Central Texas. Mike Barnes, KVUE, @MikeB_KVUE Barnes is the face of KVUE’s high school football coverage since 1989, and along with being the sports director at KVUE is the host of Friday Football Fever — a whip-around coverage show with scores and updates from Central Texas. And it’s a point of pride for Barnes, so much, that he’s even needling some of television’s biggest names in an effort to promote high school football in Central Texas. On the eve of David Letterman’s final show this past May, Barnes sent the longtime talk show host a parting shot. “Friday Football Fever routinely beat David Letterman in Ratings every fall, but don’t blame us for him quitting. We’ll miss the challenge,” Barnes tweeted on May 20. Snoop Daniel, Friday Night Fanstand, @snoopdaniel His real name is Jonathan Daniel, but he’s more commonly known as Snoop Daniel. Daniel is the driving force behind Friday Night Fanstand. He edits and posts videos, hosts a weekly radio show, and mentors an army of student reporters at nearly every school from around Central Texas who cover games on Friday nights. Danny Davis, Austin American-Statesman, @aasdanny

What’s going on out there? Here are a few more people to follow on Twitter for the latest Central Texas High School updates: @IHSFAN — New to 2015, just like the magazine @joepflag — Pflugerville Pflag sports editor Joe Harrington @ShapiroInGame — Freelancer Sean Shapiro covering sports in Travis and Williamson counties @rickyprep — Austin AmericanStatesman prep sports writer @varsity_news — Austin AmericanStatesman prep sports @RRLeaderSports — For the latest on Round Rock ISD sports @picayunesports — For the latest on Westlake sports @LTViewSports — For the latest on Lake Travis sports

The go-to sources for high school football in Central Texas, Danny Davis helps drive the weekly conversation. A Montana native, Davis often picks his games of the week, and once his schedule has been made — and sometimes announced on Twitter — the rest of the media contingency follows. Davis also tackles the local prep scene in print and online. In addition to his must-read stories, his “Prepped And Ready” blog on Statesman.com is required reading for Austin high school sports fans. Roger Wallace, KXAN, @rwallacekxan If you’re watching live football on a Thursday night you’re probably welcoming Roger Wallace into your living room. The KXAN sports director is the play-by-play voice for Thursday night games on KBVO-TV, which showcases one of the biggest games each week. Wallace also makes sure to give high school football some added attention in his broadcasts at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. each night. Craig Way, Fox Sports Southwest, @craigway1 If you’re looking for a score on Friday night, flip over to Craig Way’s High School Scoreboard Live on Fox Sports Southwest. On his show, Way keeps viewers updated on the big games, stories and news from around the state. He’s also more than willing to call a game — the biggest games, since he’s the voice for the biggest games in the UIL state football finals. When he’s not calling high school football, Way is the voice of the Texas Longhorns. ••• 25

14 YEARS OF TACO SHACK FUN By JACKSON WOLEK The Taco Shack Bowl between Anderson and McCallum turns 14 this fall. How it started, the highlights of years past and the future of the game are all intertwined in the sense of community between both longtime rivals. Orlando Arriaga, who attended McCallum, and his wife Yoli are the owners of Taco Shack, but before that they were teachers. When they decided to enter the restaurant business, they did so knowing that they still wanted to be a part of the community and stay connected to high school athletics. Thus, the Taco Shack Bowl. Before the bowl was created, the rivalry had begun to get out of hand, Arriaga said. Fights had been occurring between both fanbases and parents and Arriaga wanted to change the atmosphere of the game and give it a positive touch. “It was taking something negative and channeling the energy into the Taco Shack Bowl, “he said. “That involved the cheerleaders decorating the stores and have t –shirt designs be created which we still have today. Year after year we added another function and present day it entails a weeklong of activities.” The Taco Shack Bowl began with both teams playing in the same conference, but eventually the Trojans moved to a class higher than the Knights. However, the rivalry stays intact thanks to the annual game. “They’re not really cross town rivals. They’re more of a neighborhood rival,” Austin ISD Athletic Director Leal Anderson said. “Usually the stands are completely filled and it’s a great environment for the first game of the season.” Anderson, the former head basketball at Anderson High School, has been the athletic director for one Taco Shack Bowl -- last year’s 33-23 Trojan victory. It was also Trojans coach Jeff Rhoads’ first foray in the rivalry. “I have only been here 16 months, but I definitely understand the importance of this game,” Rhoads said. “We approach the game with great care because it is so important to our community.” As the creator of the Taco Shack Bowl, Arriaga has fond memories of the 13 years its been played. He’s seen players, coaches and principals all pass through both schools and the new ones who automatically get placed in the rivalry just by association. As tradition, every year the Taco Shack Bowl has been played at historic House Park in downtown Austin. Due to the torrential flooding that occurred on Memorial Day 2015, it hadn’t been decided if the game would be able to take place at the stadium. “We’re still waiting to get back some of the details on when the stadium is going to get fixed and we’re hopeful,” Anderson said. “If not we’re going to have to potentially play it somewhere else.” Where ever its played, one thing is sure: Arriaga will get to experience his favorite thing about the Taco Shack Bowl all over again—kickoff. “That to me is the crescendo to all the activities and that takes place: with the band and the cheerleaders and the drill team and everything else,” Arriaga said. “When I see that ball kicked off and the games starting, I just sit back and reflect every year.” ••• 26

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STUDENT SECTION

13-6A 14-6A 17-5A 25-5A PRIVATE 28

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13-6A ROUND ROCK By Kenzie Hensley, Westwood grad District 13-6A has always been a tough district within itself — each team competing for the district title knowing that each game is going to be a battle. One team however fought from the beginning, with the goal of a district championship and a playoff run. Round Rock went undefeated in district and ending with an overall record of 10-2, with losses to Temple (the Class 5A, Division I state runner-up) in Week 1 and Klein Collins in the Class 6A, region II area round. With a pretty senior heavy team, the Dragons know they’re losing a few key players, but expect the up and coming underclassmen to fill their shoes. The Hendrickson game was a big win for the team this year (49-7) after a heartbreaking loss to the Hawks in the previous season. Coach Jeff Cheatham has his team fighting with a dragon heart that they hope will continue in the 2015 season. “We feel pretty good coming into the next year,” Cheatham said. The Dragons have been successful with their up and coming underclassmen and are looking to show they are not going to let up and stop competing. The Dragons had a notable win over Westlake in bi-district round— winning 16-14 following a Parsa Kosari field goal. Round Rock returns a massive offensive line that will protect first-year starting quarterback Liam Beard. The defense is led by iHSFAN Top 10 defensive back Brian Bullock, who will play safety this season. Also returning for the Dragons are receiver Zecharius Nash-Kelly offensive lineman Tyler Castaneda and defensive lineman James Lynch.

MCNEIL By Kenzie Hensley, Westwood grad McNeil is a team with tons of heart and lots of up and coming ability. They struggled in District 13-6A play but knew they were fighting with tough teams after its 3-0 start to the 2014 season. The Mavericks had notable pre-district wins over Austin High, Del Valle and Ellison. While the team didn’t have as much luck in district play, McNeil was known for their fighting spirits, and are looking to come back for 2015 better than ever. Coach Howard McMahan entered his first season with the Mavericks, and while they didn’t have the record they had hoped to finish with, they knew they were still in the beginning stages of a new era. “We have quite a few returning guys and a goal of advancing farther than what we accomplished last season,” McMahan said. McMahan, previously coached at Connally, and his team are looking to come out in the 2015 season and surprise the district. With Key players like quarterback Hayden Cooper (entering his third year as a starter) and all-state and iHSFAN Top 10 selection Matthew Wright (97 tackles and seven interceptions last season) at safety, the Mavericks have some experienced players returning. McNeil is losing some key returning seniors who played well for the 2014 team but the underclassmen are looking to prove what they have to show. Offensively, Cooper will have plenty of talent in the backfield with Jaden Lepisto (615 yards and five touchdowns) and Justin Ward (283 yards). He also has receivers David Pleites and Jonathan Boozer to throw to while Jesse Rivas anchors the line. •••

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13-6A ROUSE By Jackson Wolek, iHSFAN In the Rouse Raiders’ first season in District 13-6A with schools from Round Rock and Pflugerville, they showed that they belonged by finishing in third-place and making the playoffs. This season, the Raiders will try to show that it wasn’t a fluke. “Any time you move into a different classification or different district it is important that you compete well,” Raiders coach Joshua Mann said. “It allows the community and the underclassmen understand that with hard work you can compete.” Those underclassmen have big shoes to fill. First team all-district running back Andre Alger and second team all-district quarterback Billy Ray McCrary (a Cal Bear this fall) are both gone along with other notable starters. “Billy Ray McCrary, Chris Hoad, Ryan Heinrich and Will Noble will be some tough guys to replace,” Mann said. “All four guys played between 30-40 football games over the past couple of seasons and helped build the foundation to our young program with their work on and off the field.” However, the Raiders will still be returning six defensive starters and five offensive starters. Juniors Gavin Sharp and Michael Foster will battle alongside senior Jax England for the starting role at quarterback. Senior Marquise Simmons made the move from quarterback to running back and will lead the Raiders backfield. The most depth will come from the defensive line, which will be anchored by seniors Kyle Guyton, Jordan Hayes, Marcus Ervin and junior Adam May.

CEDAR RIDGE By Jackson Wolek, iHSFAN The Cedar Ridge Raiders’ record will show that they finished 4-7 last season, but in reality it was 7-4. After forfeiting the first three games the Raiders won last season due to playing with an ineligible player, they fought through the adversity to make the playoffs in District 13-6A at 4-3. They’ll have to battle through some more adversity this year after losing their starting quarterback, Travis Malesky, who threw for 1,547 yards and 15 touchdowns last year. “Garrett Sharp has had a really great spring and we’re really pleased with how he’s developed,” Raiders coach Todd Ford said in May. “Tyler Bailey is also going to be a junior as is Garrett so we feel like we have two elite quarterbacks. If one of them gets hurt you have to have another one ready.” Almost all of the Raiders receiving core is returning, which will help the next quarterback that takes over. They lose their top receiver and first team all-district selection in David Racine, but bring back three receivers who had more than 300 yards last year, including second team all-district receiver Kadarius Daniels. Running back Ronald Dogan and Nicholas Morello have graduated, but the Raiders have the offensive line to get just about any running back to succeed. It starts with the offensive newcomer of the year Shea Baker. “We’ve got a lot of returning starters back and that’s nice because experience really helps playing together,” Ford said. Defensive back and kick returner Ian Peterson also returns and, as Ford believed he would, will become the first Raider player to compete for a Division I program after committing to Kansas University in June. •••

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13-6A PFLUGERVILLE By Jackson Wolek, iHSFAN The Panthers finished in sixth-place in District 13-6A last year but were just one half away from possibly making the playoffs. Senior defensive tackle Tyler Turner will lead a potent Panther defense this year as he returns after being selected as a first team all-district defensive tackle in 2014. “Defensive tackle Tyler Turner and defensive backs Louis Kelley and Alex Shillow look to lead an experienced defense,” said Panthers coach George Herrmann, who enters his 19th season at Pflugerville. The Panthers will need to replace running back Daymond Johnson, who rushed for 634 yards and five touchdowns while catching 18 passes for two touchdowns in 2014. Junior Jaylan Merriweather looks to be the next player in line to take Johnson’s spot. Another key spot that the Panthers will be looking to replace on offense is quarterback, and should be another Merriwheather. Justyn Merriweather is the leader to replace Zach Milner, who threw for 1,492 yards and nine touchdowns. Receiver Dawson Tamaz returns for this senior season after providing 14 catches for 226 yards and three touchdowns last year. The Panthers had a fairly balanced offense last year and passed for 1,551 yards while rushing for 1,693 yards. “I’m looking forward to an exciting season with growth from our underclassmen and great leadership from our returning letterman,” Herrmann said. “These kids are hungry and want to get back into the playoffs.”Usually a playoff regular, Pflugerville has been on the outside of the playoffs and looking in for two years in row.

HENDRICKSON ByJackson Wolek, iHSFAN The Hawks are one year removed from getting secondplace in District 13-6A and making it to the second round of the playoffs. Hendrickson enters the season as one of the projected favorites to win the district. Although they lose the District13-6A Offensive Player of the Year in running back Tazh Maloy, they have the pieces to replace him.The Hawks have four returning running backs that saw action last year, with Lawrence Hill and Trent Howard being the larger backs and Austin Fonseca and Dominic Distefano being the smaller of the four.“All of them bring a skill set to the offense and can play in the backfield or in the slot,” Hawks coach Chip Killian said. “We look for increased production from all of them.” Quarterback Carrington Kearney, who also plays basketball and runs track and field, will be the returning starting quarterback for the Hawks. Last season, he threw for six touchdowns and just one interception. He also rushed for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns. “He takes no days off and last years’ experience gives him a greater understanding of the offense,” Killian said of the senior who received a scholarship offer to the UTSA in June. “His passing has improved through the spring and 7-on-7 competition.” On defense, the Hawks return three of four defensive lineman in tackle Isaiah Collins and ends Anthony Ekpe (committed to Rice) and Austin Deshay-Scott. Also on defense is iHSFAN top 10 selections Ke Shawn Somerville, who is committed to play football at TCU and is expected to anchor the defense at safety. •••

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13-6A WESTWOOD By Kenzie Hensley, Westwood grad The Westwood Warriors have always been a fighting team and while they didn’t reach the ultimate goal they wanted in 2014, they proved to never give up. In the 2014 season the Warriors went 2-8 with notable wins over Anderson and McNeil. Coach Anthony Wood lead a senior-heavy team with hopes of obtaining a playoff spot, but ultimately falling short, ending Westwood’s five-year appearance streak. Quarterback Jack Swensen— who returns for his senior year in the fall of 2015— developed as the season evolved and threw for a season-high 306 yards against Pflugerville in Week 10. Running back Prince Ugwu had 95 carries for a total of 474 rushing yards in his first year of varsity action. Wood notes his young team as “ready to compete”, adding “no one team is more important than the next.” Westwood had its best season in school history in the 2012 season with a notable area playoff win over The Woodlands behind quarterback Bear Fenimore (currently playing for Houston). The Warriors hope to ultimately reach their goal of getting back into district title contention and making it farther in the state playoffs than 2012 year. Westwood ended its 2014 season with a heartbreaking 28-21 loss to Cedar Ridge. Key players for 2015 Warriors are Swensen, Ugwu, senior offensive lineman Joseph Frankovsky, senior receiver Ian Lee (who also saw action at quarterback last season), junior linebacker Ethan Twining and standout senior kicker Josh Burton.

STONY POINT By Jackson Wolek, iHSFAN Stony Point has the lowest amount of students than any other school in District 13-6A. Don’t let the numbers fool you though, the Tigers were just one game away from making the playoffs last year. “We know that we’re real close —whether we can go out and just truly beat somebody handily remains to be seen,” Tigers coach Craig Chessher said. “We’re the smallest school in this district and we used to be the largest. When were the largest we were two points, seven points and four points away from the state title game and made the state semi-final game three years in a row.” The Tigers should be strong on defense this year, especially with junior linebacker Dante Smith anchoring the unit. Smith was Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 2014. On offense, the Tigers lose one of their two quarterbacks that saw action last year, Damian Lindley, and their top receiver Justin Gamble, now at Texas State. “We have guys that are ready to take their place and frankly we have more depth— if I could use that word, I don’t normally use that word —at our skill positions on offense,” Chessher said. Taking over the quarterback spot is Tanner Aenchbacher, who threw five touchdowns and 782 yards last year. “We’re a little bit more optimistic than we have been but at the same time it kind of grounds you when you look at who you have to play and realize you can win those games but you can also lose them,” Chessher said. •••

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14-6A AUSTIN By Jackson Wolek/ iHSFAN Making the playoffs last year in the nine team District 14-6A brings a wealth of confidence for Austin High heading into this season. However, it’s not to say the Maroons haven’t lost a good amount of talent from that team. “We do have a certain amount of confidence from last year, but each season is different,” Maroons coach and former NFL offensive lineman Mike Rosenthal said. “We lost some really talented players and leaders from last year’s squad, so we will have to adjust and have other kids step up.” The Maroons have been known for producing stellar receivers and they have one returning this season in first team all-district Jacob Traudt. He caught 11 touchdowns last season but brings more than just catching to the table.“He really wants to set the tone of the game with his blocking, which is different than most wideouts,” Rosenthal said. He has great ball skills, so he is able to make adjustments in the air for the ball.” The Maroons are out to prove they belong in contention for the district title and starting quarterback Beau Kalbacher could be the one to take them there. He’s also got something to prove to Division 1 coaches his senior season.“We look for him to have a big year as a quarterback and as a leader,” Rosenthal said. “I think he has the potential to play Division I football, so I am looking for him to prove that to all the schools looking at him.”

ANDERSON By Jackson Wolek/ iHSFAN In the first full off season for Anderson, coach Jeff Rhodes put his players to the test to prepare for the four month final the Trojans face this fall.“We view our season as test day and we are preparing for our test day,” Rhodes said. The Trojans have much needed utensils from last season on both sides of the ball that will help them study for the big exam. Second team all-district running back Jacory Nelson will be on opponents’ study guides for the numbers that he put up last season as a junior. Nelson may have only rushed for 410 yards, but that equaled a quarter of the Trojans’ ground totals. He also provided six touchdowns. Someone who will take opponents minds off of Nelson is wide receiver Jack Gaines, who Rhodes mentioned as being a player coming back offensively as well.On the defensive side, middle linebacker Ryan Miller and defensive end Michael Onouha are going to have an impact on opposing teams.Before the season begins, the Trojans will have some fun of their own in an intersquad scrimmage at Old Yellow Jacket stadium in August. “We will tie Anderson’s past and present history with a great community event,” Rhodes said. From there, it’s off to a string of rivalry games with the Taco Shack Bowl against McCallum (a game that will likely not be played at House Park) and then against Westwood, a game that pits two teams battling for Jollyville Road supremacy in North Austin. •••

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14-6A AKINS By Jackson Wolek/ iHSFAN Akins has a long way to go get to the playoffs. The Eagles, who made the playoffs in 2013, went 0-8 in District 14-6A (2-8 overall) in 2014, but the good news is half of their losses were by 10 points or fewer points. Senior receiver Jermaine Thomas is their deep threat again, having made first team all-district with 773 yards on 48 catches and six touchdowns. With Ryan Medrano gone as quarterback, it looks as though Mike Gonzales could have sole responsibility under center this season. The Eagles will need to depend on Gonzales to get the ball to Thomas as much as possible. Kenan Lockhart has a chance to provide more yards on the ground than his 3.68 yards per carry last year. The Eagles will need all the yards they can get from Lockhart to pick up the first downs to give the defense rest. “I watch films of myself a lot and study the game,” Lockhart said. “I eat a lot different than before and I also like to run to better myself.” Akins also has to count on its defense to hold opponents long enough for the offense to keep up. Last season they gave up 69 points to Lake Travis and 70 points to Westlake. The Eagles only have two games to prepare for district play since they’re in a nine team district. Last season they beat Crockett 28-25 and Reagan 32 -19, both Class 5A opponents. They’ve lost eight games in a row heading into the first game of the year.

BOWIE By Jackson Wolek/ iHSFAN Just one year removed from a second-place finish in District 14-6A, the Bulldogs will have some making up to do. They graduated 41 seniors from last season.“We lost quite a few at offensive line, linebacker and our all-district kicker and punter Connor Flanigan graduated,” Bulldogs coach Jeff Ables said. “We’ve got some spots to fill but we feel good about the guys coming back and we have 24 returning letterman and four offensive and defensive starters.” It starts at quarterback, where they must make up for the loss of Preston Wheeler, who threw for 2,281 yards and 27 touchdowns last season. “Wade Smith is our leading candidate right now and he was our backup last year,” Ables said. “He’s had a good spring and I think he’s going to be ready to go for us.” Helping out Smith on offense is second team all-district running back Quirin Laracuente, who rushed for 523 yards and two touchdowns last season. Josh Wainwright should be the leading target for Smith at receiver. Wainwright caught 30 passes for 664 yards and five touchdowns in 2014. On defense, the Bulldogs are losing second team all-district defensive back Brandon Anderson. Coming so close to winning the District 14-6A championship over Lake Travis, the Bulldogs now have some added pressure. “I think anytime your successful the guys coming up behind them want to keep it up,” Ables said. “I don’t know if you call it pressure or if you call it expectations but they definitely want to continue the success we’ve had.” •••

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14-6A DEL VALLE By Jackson Wolek/ iHSFAN Del Valle has something that not many other teams can claim. The Cardinals have not one but two quarterbacks who got significant playing time last year returning. David Gutierrez, who threw for 398 yards and three touchdowns, and Elijah Duran, who threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns, are both going to be seniors this year. “It’s always good to have guys returning who have thrown balls in a varsity game,” Cardinals coach Charles Burton said. “They are continuing to grow with the offense and expanding their football IQ which is going to go a long way.” The running backs are going to be solid for the Cardinals as well with second team all-district running back Manny Grear returning along with Fred Wilson, who rushed for 405 yards and two touchdowns. “People have heard of Fred Wilson but last year he was coming back from year removed from an ACL injury,” Burton said. “With a great spring and hopefully a great summer he should have a dominate year.” The Cardinals had a tough last stretch last year and lost three consecutive games to Austin, Westlake and Bowie by giving up over 30 points in each game.

HAYS By Jackson Wolek/ iHSFAN Hays fell just short of making the post season last year despite going 4-4 in District 14-6A (4-6 overall) in its first year in the district since moving up from Class 5A.It won’t be easy for the Rebels to get over the hump this year, but the returners on offense and defense will make the task a little bit less difficult to accomplish. “Our kids have worked extremely hard and last year we had only 19 seniors —going up to 6A, which is not a very big number,” said veteran second-year Hays coach Neal Lahue. “We have 58 seniors in our athletic program right now and 38 returning letterman, eight on each side of the ball.” Lahue took over Hays last season after successful stints at Kerrville Tivy and San Antonio Roosevelt. Lahue was also the offensive coordinator at Westlake during the Drew Brees era. The most important returning starter for the Rebels in 2015 is running back Cody Gandy, who rushed for 950 yards and 12 touchdowns as a first team all-district selection. Also returning is starting quarterback Breaden Kent, who threw for 1,478 yards and 12 touchdowns last season and is committed to Texas State University.

LEHMAN By Jackson Wolek/ iHSFAN Jeremy Schilhab was the starting quarterback and leading rusher last year for Lehman (1-9 overall in 2014). The Lobos will have to find a new offensive force to lean on now that Schilhab is gone and that could wind up being second team all-district tight end Tyler Henderson. Henderson may have only caught three catches for 62 yards and one touchdown but is still considered one of the best in District 14-6A. Receiver Jaren Sayles should still be the top option for the Lobos however, as he caught 41 passes for 832 yards and 12 touchdowns. The Lobos will have to find someone on the defensive side of the ball to step up this year to help their offense, as they had nobody make first or second team all-district last season. Jameson Castillo can keep the chains moving and prevent the defense from constantly being on the field this season at running back. He rushed for 192 yards and five touchdowns in 2014. Castillo can pick up where Schilhab left off on the ground attack but they’ll still need to find a replacement under center to be able to compete. •••

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14-6A WESTLAKE By Joe Taylor of Chaps Illustrated With a full year under the hood of the Chaparral engine, Todd Dodge and his staff look to have the Chaparrals (7-4 in 2014) firing on all cylinders. And although Dodge is known offense, the defensive coordinator Tony Salazar’s defense is ready to shine. Salazar’s theory of defense begins in the secondary where Max Mangum and Mack Kelley return as starters as does corner Stephen Rioux along with a seasoned Barrett Chambers. Up front, Elias Garcia became a threat to be reckoned with in 2014. Garcia’s seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss laid a foundation for quarterback pressure in 2015. Per the cliché, turnover ratio is a stat that Salazar maintains is key in Dodge’s overall team identity.“Our goal is to get the ball back into our offense’s hands,” Salazar said. “That’s our focus.” Quarterback Sam Ehlinger’s sophomore campaign delivered on all platforms. He could throw and run all while getting better every week. Ehlinger completed 64 percent of his passes and 25 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He was the mainstay in the Westlake running game gaining, 694 yards along with 10 touchdowns.2015 features the return of Reed Klubnik who caught 11 touchdown passes a year ago while racking up 915 receiving yards. Klubnik might be the go to target, but Westlake fans and opponents alike will have to keep an eye on the emerging Chase Cokley, a receiver who has transformed himself into a mismatch nightmare for defensive coordinators.

LAKE TRAVIS By Jackson Wolek, iSHFAN Lake Travis (10-2 in 2014) shouldn’t be too disappointed in losing its starting quarterback from last year and District 146A Offensive MVP, Dominic DeLira (now at Iowa State). The Chaps have Charlie Brewer, brother of two -time state high school champion Michael Brewer to take over this year. “I think he’s prepared. He had a great spring and I’m excited to watch him develop,” Cavaliers coach Hank Carter said. “He started three games for us last year and performed well, so it’s his chance to go do what his brother did and the guys that came before him.” Helping him out will be returning first team all-district running back Abe Willows who rushed for 1,128 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior. Cade Green also returns for the Cavaliers as a second team all-district receiver who caught 57 passes for 703 yards and eight touchdowns. Not only will the Cavaliers have to replace DeLira, but also the MVP of the district in defensive back Chris Roller, three first team all-district players and six first and second team all-district players on defense. Helping the turnover is the return of iHSFAN’s top 10 standout Sammy Ochoa, who had 11 sacks in 2014. “Just like we do every year, we have kids that graduate and go on to the next level but we have another group that comes in and works towards winning those spots,” Carter said. “What we do in the spring and off – season is try to figure out the guys that are going to give us the best opportunity to compete at a high level.” •••

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17-5A HUTTO By Jackson Wolek/ iHSFAN Hutto quarterback Tyler Herrick is thought of around many circles as one of the best quarterbacks right now in Central Texas – including by iHSFAN. There’s good reason for that. He threw for an astounding 3,145 yards and 39 touchdowns while only giving up six interceptions last year and led the Hippos to an 11 -3 record and 4 – 2 finish in District 17-5A. “You want to work hard every day but whenever you have those guys around you and looking up to you it helps you out a lot,” Herrick said. Herrick will be back for his final stint with the Hippos this season although most of the top – level talent he had with him won’t. Four first team and second team offensive players and six defensive players were all seniors. The only player returning from last year’s list is offensive lineman Marcus Simpson. Simpson was named first team all-district offensive lineman last year protecting Herrick and is going to be in charge on the making sure nobody gets to him again. Herrick was the leading rusher with 955 yards and 13 touchdowns but he has junior running back Dearyon Milligan back to provide another ground option. A huge chunk of the receiving core is gone, leaving senior Ishmal Williams as the top returning receiver. He posted two catches for 42 yards and one touchdown last season. The Hippos scored less than 20 points just once in 2014 — a 21-17 loss to Elgin — so the despite the losses on defense, they don’t have too difficult a job.

CONNALLY By Jackson Wolek/ iHSFAN Connally coach Jason Cecil is entering his second season with the Cougars after a tough first year in which they finished 2-8 and 1-5 in District 17-5A. However, the Cougars return quarterbacks Mitchell Mooreman and Robert Patterson along with their top running back and second team alldistrict selection Laquinn Sorrells. “I was at Stony Point for a long time and we played two quarterbacks every snap there and I wouldn’t rule that out,” Cecil said. “Those two are going to continue to battle in camp and if one guy emerges as clearly being better then the other, one is going to play another spot.” Sorrells rushed for 879 yards and three touchdowns last season and provided the bulk of the Cougars’ offense. However, there’s more running power than just Sorrells. “I think that the returning offensive linemen are going to help,” Cecil said. “Adrian Williams moved from linebacker to running back last year and he had a 100-yard game against Waco and is a big power back with speed.” Jalen Broussard, the first option at receiver, is also returning for the Cougars along with Kameron Scott, Gabe Robert and 6-foot-5-inch Aneas Jackson. All off those options also play for the boys’ basketball team, along with linebacker Calvin Britton. Although the Cougars gave up 36.3 points per game, the defense improved towards the end of the year and gave up just 17 points in the last three games. “Given the returning experience from the defense last year and the productive offseason well be a better team this year,” Cecil said. •••

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17-5A MANOR By Jackson Wolek/ iHSFAN Manor is likely to scare any offense that comes across its path this season, especially the quarterback. District 17- 5A Defensive Player of the Year and iHSFAN Top 10’s Erick Fowler returns for his final season and is sure to disrupt many of his opponent’s plans on offense. Fowler recently pledged to Louisiana State University after recording 94 tackles and 16 sacks last season. Along with Fowler is inside linebacker Adrian Hunter, outside linebacker Xavier Zamora and cornerback Eric Brewington who all made first team all-district. Defensive end Carlos Chester made second team. With that kind of talent, it’s no wonder the Mustangs only allowed 21 points a game last year. The Mustangs aren’t lacking on offense either. First team all-district running back Lyndemain Brooks, who rushed for 249 yards and two touchdowns last season is expected to be work horse in 2015. First team fullback Isaiah Feaster, who ran for 286 yards and scored two touchdowns, the Mustangs have talented running game. To help with the air attack is second team all-district receiver Kevin Waites, who made 18 catches for 418 yards last year. The Mustangs finished with the last of four spots in District 17-5A and just squeaked into the playoffs. The defense that brought the Mustangs that far never showed up in the 48-27 loss to Bryan in the first round of the playoffs though. With the stable of defensive players returning this year, the main focus will be getting back to the playoffs to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

ELGIN By Jackson Wolek/ iHSFAN Elgin is going to miss Jordan Smith and the 1,284 yards he gave them on the ground last year as a first team all-district running back. The Wildcats offense ran through Smith who touched the ball 206 times. The back that they have replacing him, Donovan Thomas, had 34 carries. Not only will the Wildcats be without Smith but they’ll also have two first team offensive linemen in Jesse James Tamez and Ty Norton to replace. The Wildcats have one all-district player returning on offense — fullback Josh Gordon, who was on the second team with 15 carries for 72 yards. Although they rushed the ball for more yards than they went through the air, they’ll also be without key parts to their passing game. Second team all-district quarterback Kyle Snell is gone and his weapons went with him. Receiver Tariq Buchanan will fill the void left behind along with receiver Kristufer Wyche. The Wildcats were undefeated in District 17-5A until the last game of the season, in which they lost to Temple (the Class 5A, Division I state runner-up) for first-place in the district, 42-14. They made it two rounds deep into the playoffs and lost to Brenham 45 - 42. The potential showdown with the “other Wildcats”, Temple, will be circled on every Elgin coach and players schedule this season, along with the “Battle for 290” with Manor. •••

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25-5A DRIPPING SPRINGS By Jackson Wolek/ iHSFAN Dripping Springs may not have had the greatest season last year, having finished 3-7 and 2-5 in District 25-5A. But the Tigers can hang their hat on the fact that they beat one of the best teams in the state at the Class 5A level, Cedar Park, 23-0.“I think you go into every game with the expectation to win and if you don’t you set yourself up for failure,” said first-year Dripping Spring coach Galen Zimmerman. Former Tiger coach Joe McBride left this spring after just one season to become the Coppell ISD athletic director, and Dripping Springs promoted offensive coordinator and former Frisco Liberty coach, Zimmerman, to the top job. Also heading to Coppell is last season’s Offensive Newcomer of the Year, junior running back Joe Fex, who transferred to Coppell High. He provided 1,412 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. “We’ve got to make sure that we’ve got guys who step up and I think we do,” Zimmerman said. “It gives different opportunities to different kids and obviously the running game is a big part of what we did last year and Joe was a big part of that.” Starting quarterback Shep Shepard returns for the Tigers and threw for 1,309 yards and six touchdowns in 2014.

GEORGETOWN By Jackson Wolek/ iHSFAN Georgetown coach Jason Dean knew how difficult of a position the Eagles were in before they entered a new district. Now he really knows what it takes to make the playoffs following a 7-3 season with a 4-3 record in District 25-5A and still missing the playoffs. “We worked our tails off to put ourselves in a position to be in the postseason but it just didn’t quite happen,” Dean said. “I think you just go back to the drawing board and try to do better this year.” First team all-district running back Dakota Cahill rushed for 1,179 yards and 13 touchdowns for the Eagles in 2015 and will be someone they depend on to help carry the load once again.“He’s the leader of our team and we’re probably going to put a little more on his plate and he’s going to play about 15 to 20 snaps as free safety,” Dean said. The passing game should be able to help the running game, with the return of first team all-district receiver Jo’Vonta Grimble. Chandler Herman is in line to replace Ben Bottlinger under center. “We had a good competition this spring and I really felt like Chandler Herman kind of rose to the top of that,” Dean said.

EAST VIEW By Kenzie Hensley/ Westwood Grad East View is an up and coming powerhouse, a team that knows how to compete and got its name out early. With a varsity program that is entering its fourth year, the Patriots reached the area round in the Class 5A UIL 2014 playoffs in 2014. East View ended their season 9-3 overall, with notable wins over Vandegrift and a shutout against Bastrop in bi-district. Coach Rob Davies has led his very athletic team to the playoffs twice in three seasons. With key players like running back Cornelio Garcia and receiver Apollos Hester, the Patriots had a very successful 2014 season. However, East View was a very senior heavy team, leaving only five returning players for the 2015 season. “We’re still young, we’re still getting our name out, but we feel we have a pretty solid team with boys ready to compete,” Davies said. Quarterback Austin Moreno saw limited action in the 2014 season, but had 180 passing yards and was 9-for-9 passing in his only start of the season against Crockett, a 50-16 win. Looking to come out and prove his ability, the senior signal caller said he’s excited and ready for the season. ••• 48

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25-5A LEANDER By Kenzie Hensley/ Westwood Grad The Leander Lions are starting a new era in for their 2015 season. Assistant coach Tim Smith was announced as the new head coach for the Lions in May of 2015 after Lee Bridges was promoted to Leander ISD athletic director after just two seasons. Leander is another one of those teams competing in the tough District 25-5A. The Lions went 0-10 in 2014 but are looking to start a rally and come out strong for 2015. Quarterback Parker McNeil is looking to lead his team to a successful season as the Lion’s fulltime starter. McNeil had a total of 781 passing yards in his three starts last season. Smith said he feels pretty good on where his team is at when interviewed at the end of spring football. “We have a lot of leadership coming from the senior class,” he said. “We’re looking at turning the program around in the right direction, with our biggest goal being the ‘winning process.’” The Lions are hoping to turn their team into the powerhouse they’re accustomed to being. Leander had a struggling 2014 season, but knows they can turn it around with their great coaching staff and key returning players like McNeil, safety Matthew Long, running back Ray Gibson, tight end Michael Berry and receiver Gabe Sanchez. Leander knows it’s in a tough district and notes there isn’t an off week in district play because every team is a playoff contender. Smith notes they’re learning how to practice with intensity and learning how to compete with that same fire.

CEDAR PARK By Jackson Wolek/ iHSFAN The last time Cedar Park changed coaches, the new guy went 37-8 in three seasons and won a state title and played for another. Carl Abseck, beat that. Abseck, the former offensive coordinator, arrived at Cedar Park 10 years ago and has been a vital part of the program’s success. He was named the new head coach in mid-June and follows Joe Willis, who led the Timberwolves to Class 4A, Division II state championship during his first season as the coach in 2012. After leading the Timberwolves back to the state title game. Willis left for Colleyville Heritage. “First thing you’ve got to consider is that coaches don’t like to stay in comfort zones and that’s kind of the case here,” Willis said. Abseck will first have to decide how he’ll make up for the loss of running back and linebacker Thomas Hutchings, who was named MVP of District 25 -5A and rushed for 1,047 yards and 10 touchdowns. A good place to start would be with senior Jack Grimm, who rushed for 534 yards and three touchdowns last year and should emerge as the top back at the start of the season. Grimm was also named second team all-district at receiver. Tyler Levine, who averaged 7.68 yards per carry and was named second team all-district is another option the Timberwolves are likely to go with.Cedar Park won five playoff games last year and if it makes it to the postseason again, experience is on their side. •••

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25-5A VISTA RIDGE By Kenzie Hensley/Westwood Grad The Vista Ridge Rangers were one of those teams that everyone counted out prior to the start of the 2014 season. They proved, however, to never underestimate their team as they went 8-3 overall ending the season as co-district champs with a final loss in the bi-district round of the playoffs to LBJ. With notable wins over Vandegrift and East View, Vista Ridge never let up on any play in any game. The Rangers’ key weapon was quarterback Matthew Snow, who ended his season with 1,549 passing yards— an average of 155 a game. Snow was a first team all-district quarterback and is looking to come back stronger for his senior season. The Rangers ended their season with 54 touchdowns and averaging 288 rushing yards a game. Coach Rodney Vincent led his team to a great season and a district championship. “We were excited to prove what we could do on the field and we’re excited to show it again next season,” he said. The Rangers have a lot of players coming back and they feel that with an experienced team, they could have another successful season. With key returns like Snow and linebacker Jeremiah Chambers, Vista Ridge will continue being a contender in District 25-5A. Other key players for next season include receiver Jamil Pittman, corner and receiver Tyler Harris and running back Isaiah Villaire.

VANDEGRIFT By Kenzie Hensley/Westwood Grad District 25-5A is known in the state of Texas for producing athletic teams known for their fighting spirits and their amazing athletic ability. The Vandegrift Vipers are one of those football teams with that ability which led them far in the 2014 Class 5A playoffs. The Vipers had an overall record of 12-3 and a district record of 5-2 with losses against East View and Vista Ridge. The Vipers ended their season with a total of 135 touchdowns and averaging 244 passing yards and 293 rushing yards a game. Vandegrift has always been a physical team and proved it this year with the way they performed on the field. The team had an extremely solid offense led by quarterback Jaime Hudson who graduated in 2015 and running back Travis Brennan and receiver Paxton Segina, both players will return for their senior season in 2015. Coach Drew Sanders notes that 25-5A has a lot of competitors who will be tough next year, but he believes that with a fighting offense and solid defense, his team can be ready to compete. “We have a lot of guys coming back, and a pretty strong offense with a couple guys battling for the quarterback position,” Sanders said. The Vipers made it one game shy of the Class 5A, Division I title, losing to Temple 76-35. Sanders said he thought his defense had room for improvement following last season and said his coaching staff is working hard to get them to where he knows they can be. “With seven guys coming back, that experience —we hope — will make them better and give them that ‘Viper Attitude’ that we know the Vandegrift defense has,” Sanders said. The Vipers start their 2015 season with Elgin with key players being Brennan, Segina, quarterback Alex Fernandes, center Holton Greenfield and kicker Jackson Harris. ••• 52

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25-5A CROCKETT By Jackson Wolek/ iHSFAN Crockett (3-7 in 2014) missed the playoffs by one spot last year in District 26 -5A despite only getting outscored by 32 points in district. Reagan on the other hand, who was one spot ahead of the Cougars, was outscored by 84 points. It goes to show that the points don’t matter as much as one would think.The Cougars need to get past the fact that all four of their first team all-district offensive players won’t be back this year along with both of their second team selections. The good news is none of those players is Zach Ochoa, their starting quarterback from last season who threw eight touchdowns and 956 yards. Jordan Toupin, who ran behind senior running backs Justin Miller and Isjalea Greene in 2014, should take over the starting role this year and has a good chance of gaining more than 1,000 yards, just like both running backs did last year. The Cougars didn’t have a spectacular defense last year, which was led by first team all-district inside linebacker Seth Riojas, who graduated. Therefore, in order for the Cougars to compete for a playoff spot, they’ll need to count on Toupin (also a defensive player) and Ochoa to get them there.

LBJ By Jackson Wolek/ iHSFAN LBJ has a lot to look forward to entering the 2015 season. They

also have a lot to get past. The Jaguars are returning the Lineman of the Year in District 26- 5A, Johnnie Williams, and Newcomer of the Year, running back Kahlil Thomas. Thomas rushed for 518 yards and seven touchdowns last year for the Jaguars, who went 11 – 3 and 5 – 1 in district. Starting quarterback Avery Jackson has graduated, leaving it up in the air to whom will take over the district Offensive MVP’s spot. Jackson threw for 1,722 yards and 18 touchdowns last season. Making the loss of Jackson a little easier is the return of first team all-district receiver Deandre Wytaske, who caught 29 passes for 446 yards and five touchdowns. With their top receiver and running back returning and a strong defense, the Jaguars have a good chance of winning the district despite the loss of Jackson. Last season, the Jaguars rushed the ball for twice as many yards than they gained through the air and there may not be a difference in the offense this year either.

LANIER By Jackson Wolek/ iHSFAN Lanier has everything to prove and nothing to lose after their 1-9 finish in 2014. The Vikings still have a big mountain to climb to be able to compete for a district championship, but they have the potential of upsetting some teams at the top.It starts with the ground attack, which produced 1,142 of the 1,481 total yards they had last season.Senior running back Juanye Johnson rushed for 751 yards and seven touchdowns and is the main threat for the Vikings.What the Vikings need to work on is the passing game, which provided just one touchdown with six interceptions. If the Vikings can get the same amount of numbers from the air as they do on the ground, they’ll be able to compete with opponents in shootout type games. They’ll need all the points they can get this season if the Vikings’ defense plays the same way they did last year by giving up an average of 46 points per game. The Vikings won their first game of the year last season and our heading into their season opener on a nine-game losing streak. •••

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25-5A TRAVIS By Jackson Wolek/ iHSFAN This year’s off -season at Travis wasn’t a cakewalk by any means. Just ask head coach Joe Frank Martinez. “This off-season was by far the toughest off-season we have had at Travis in 11 years,” Martinez said. “We started a boot camp that focused on doing your job and doing it with a great effort. Our discipline and focus should be better this season which will lead to better execution.” That kind of work could pay off for the Rebels, who were one game removed from making the playoffs last season.An outstanding statistic from the Rebels last year came on offense. They rushed for 3,181 yards while only passing for 792 yards, a huge difference. “We always want to be able to run the ball, that is our main focus. But we have worked hard this spring on getting more out of our passing game,” Martinez said. “A well balanced offense is important but everyone knows you have to run the ball and stop the run in order to win championships.” Both of the Rebels’ leading rushers, Vondel Hargrove and Eric Strait, have graduated. Last season was the first time in seven years the Rebels hadn’t made the playoffs.

REAGAN By Jackson Wolek/ iHSFAN District 26-5A second team all-district running back Mulbah Car rushed for 1,946 yards last season and 23 of the Raiders 27 touchdowns. Lucky for the Raiders, he’ll be back again this season. Reagan (4-7 in 2014) managed to make the playoffs last year on the back of Car and have a good chance of repeating a run to the playoffs this year on his numbers alone. Not only did Car put up huge numbers on offense, but he was also first team defense as a defensive end with 67 tackles. Unfortunately for the Raiders, he’s the only returning player that made either first team or second team on offense and defense. Starting quarterback Amado Aguilera does have another year under his belt and an opportunity to show what he has to offer in his senior season though. If Car can get the Raiders two touchdowns per game like he did last year, and Aguilera can get the Raiders one per game, the defense will need to hold opponents less than 21 points (they gave up 46 ppg. last year) and they could have a successful season.

MCCALLUM By Jackson Wolek/ iHSFAN McCallum came into a first-place tie with LBJ last season and beat the Jaguars 42 -23. It’ll take a lot of work for the Knights (7-4 in 2014) to get back into a battle for first-place this season after losing so much from last year. In Charles Taylor’s second year as coach of the Knights, he’ll have to go through his first quarterback change as reigning district MVP Sabian Cannon graduated after coming for 27 touchdowns last season. The only other player to make a pass last year was Carter Fowler, who went 5-of-7 for 58 yards and an interception. Fowler was named second team all-district as an inside linebacker and is returning for his senior season. The Knights’ second-leading point getter, running back Clement Jones, is gone as well. Jones and Cannon combined for 48 touchdowns in all. The Knights will need to depend on their defense to get them through all of the offensive losses they have. Last season, the Knights gave up 36 points per contest. Unfortunately for the Knights, the only player returning from first and second team on defense is Fowler. •••

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PRIVATE ST. DOMINIC SAVIO By Logan Kuenstler/Savio student In the fall of 2014, the St. Dominic Savio High School football team recorded its first winning season in school history, sporting a 5-4 record and included notable victories against Austin Lanier and Eastside Memorial. Prior to that season, the Savio Eagles’ record was a combined 5-33. In prior seasons, the team had talented players, but struggled with a roster of mainly underclassmen playing against larger schools with upperclassmenfilled football programs. However, once Joseph Gutilla was hired as the new head coach, the program began to change. The team began to work together in a way it never did before. The Eagles struggled at the beginning of the season and dropped its first two games in 2014. However, coach Gutilla had a vision and the team stuck to his plan. The Eagles finished the year winning five of the remaining seven games, including Savio’s first homecoming victory. According to coach Gutilla, the biggest struggle for the 2015 season will be overconfidence. “We had our best season last year” Gutilla said, “but that was last year. This team must prove itself every day throughout the summer, and each day this season to be better than last year’s team.” The 2015 team has several key players returning, including quarterback John Richard Flores, running backs Nick Isaacson, and George Miksch, and lineman Simon Scales. The 2015 season will see notable opponents such as Waco Reicher, Austin St. Stephen’s, and an Oct. 2 homecoming game at Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex against Hyde Park.

REGENTS SCHOOL OF AUSTIN By Vanessa Aguirre /Regents student Photo by Regents student Hunter Long Regents School of Austin’s Knights operate on the three core values of character, commitment, and community—all while striving for excellence—and these values were especially shown in this 2014 season. Despite lacking seniors and having juniors who didn’t have much varsity experience, the Knights ended up coming together as a team amazingly and in many ways exceeded expectations. The most notable wins of the 2014 season were against Hyde Park (35-23), St. Stephens (32-28), and St. Andrews (40-17). The Knights finished as TAPPS 4A District runner-up. The season ended with a record of 8-3 and scored 36 points per game and gave up 21 points per game. The football team will still be a young squad in the 2015 season, but the players are working hard this off-season for a better, more experienced playoff run. The coaches leading the Knights, including head coach Beck Brydon expect many incoming juniors and sophomores to have break-out seasons in 2015. “I expect our quarterback, incoming junior Jace Franklin, to have a great year. I also expect our senior class to have the best year they’ve had yet, both individually and cumulatively,” Brydon said. •••

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PRIVATE HYDE PARK By John Detamore / Student Seeking its first state championship, the Hyde Park football team (5-5 in 2014) feels confident in its experienced coaching staff and its strong team chemistry which has led this team to multiple TAPPS Division II playoff runs in previous years. When asked about the upcoming season, players provide one reason for this undoubted sense of certainty: Hyde Park’s head football coach Dean Campbell. Campbell began coaching at Hyde Park in April of 2010, and has since yielded five consecutive years of playoff appearances, including a semi-final appearance in 2013. When asked about his consistent success, Campbell shrugged off any notion of recognition. “True success is measured by the character we develop in these young men,” he said. Campbell credits his on-the-field success to his defense. Campbell’s defensive philosophy is backed by five straight years of having a top-3 run defense in the state. This year, led by senior linebacker Brooks Benkendorfer, the defense plans to maintain its feared reputation. Senior defensive tackle Stormey Barton will be leading Hyde Park’s stout defensive line. On the other side of the ball, two-year starters Garrett Yarborough and Travis Stanford will direct the offensive line. In the backfield, first team all-district running back Seth Devries is expected to receive the majority of carries. All in all, the upcoming season looks good for the Panthers, and the veteran crew holds high hopes that, for the first time, the team will end its season as a contender for the “big dance.”

ST STEPHEN’S By Matthew Toming / St. Stephen’s student Led by the biggest senior class the St. Stephen’s Spartans (5-4 in 2014) have had in quite some time, the 2015 football program looks to build off of recent success. After dealing with a losing season for three years straight and a combined record of 12-15, the Spartans have turned the tables over the last two years with back-to-back winning seasons and a combined 11-7 record. The Spartans have learned to rely on a consistent offense with a stifling defense. With experience on their side, the Spartans are confident they are capable of pulling out another very successful year. The strength of the Spartans is their defense. With 10 of the 11 starters returning, the Spartans are confident that they can rely on their experience and chemistry to lead the team to victories. Many of the seniors have been playing together for seven years. Dual threat quarterback Matthew Toming is set to lead the offense next season and everyone is excited to see how he takes over. Toming will be throwing to a group of wide outs that have all been together since the middle school days. These receivers include Gray Sutton, Jordan Smith, Brandon Tan, Robert Allen, and Michael Joseph. The Spartans do have hopes to build on in their running game though as four out of the five o-line men are multi-year returning starters •••

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