FOOTBALL PREVIEW

2012

Community Christian | strawn | Perrin mineral wells | santo | millsaP | Gordon

R a m s l i k e ly to ground it out in 2012 page 3

For GORDON, its where you finish, not where you start page 8. STRAWN has unfinished business from 2011 page 12. SANTO wants to keep their 2011 momentum going page 14. CCS WARRIORS have high goals in 2012 page 16. BULLDOGS have new challenges in new district page 18. PIRATES more experienced in 2012 page 20.

2012 FOOTBALL EDITION MINERAL WELLS INDEX PAGE 2

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Ground Chuck ball in 2012 With big O-line, Castorena returning, Rams will run
By TONY EIERDAM

2012 FOOTBALL EDITION MINERAL WELLS INDEX PAGE 3

Gilbert Castorena

From Air Rams to Ram Tough could be the theme for the Mineral Wells Rams in 2012. Rams fans used to seeing footballs fly through the air may have to do a double check this season as the Rams will look to take advantage of their personnel by running the football. Rams head coach Chuck Lawrence will start five heavies on the offensive line blocking for senior alldistrict running back Gilbert Castorena, who this year will be the primary ball carrier for MWHS. Last season, Castorena rushed for 1,019 yards on 170 carries with 11 touchdowns while sharing the running chores. Running the football will also be necessary for the Rams early on as senior first-year starting quarterback Dan Reay Turk settles in as signal caller. Lawrence said the Rams offensive line is the largest he has had in his four years as top Rams boss. The Rams will start seniors Jacoby Prestwood (6-4, 290 pounds) and Wyatt Egan at the tackle spots, senior Jared Lenamon (6-1, 265) will start at center, and junior Jacob Pilkington and senior Jonathon Walker (6-3, 315) will be the starting guards.

Others vying for playing time are junior Enrigue Gamboa, senior Juan Saucedo, senior Marcus Tamez and juniors Javier Hernandez and Preston Hoskins. Jacoby is a two-year starter and returning all-district player, and he has a chance to play beyond this year, Lawrence said. Pilkington had a great month of practices, and he played on the JV last year and we are looking for big things out of him on the varsity. Lenamon got some playing time last year at guard, and he is a big kid who snaps the ball very well. We feel he will have a good year. Jonathon Walker is huge and will probably have a chance to play at the college level. He is a returning starter, and he is a very solid football player. Wyatt, Lawrence continued, will have to be a two-way starter. When Braden Shockley moved to Mississippi over the summer, that forced us to put Wyatt on the offensive line in addition to him being our starting nose guard on defense. Wyatt will get plenty of snaps, but I feel he can handle it. This is one of the biggest lines I have had here, and obviously with Gilbert Castorena in the backfield we are going to run the football. Coach (Sean) Harvey

See RAMS, page 4

twelfth

2012 FOOTBALL EDITION MINERAL WELLS INDEX PAGE 4

RAMS
Mineral Wells High School Football Schedule
Date Aug. 31 Sept. 7 Opponent Graham WF Hirschi Site Time T H H T 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30

From page 3
does a magnificent job with the offensive linemen, and when that chemistry gets going this will be a strong unit. When joking about the Rams offense, some have said it will be Gilbert left, Gilbert right, Gilbert up the middle, but the MWHS coaches also feel they have an offensive weapon in Turk, who was the Rams backup QB last year. Backing up Turk will be sophomores Chris Rapp and Caleb Acosta. Backing up Castorena will be sophomore Josh Hardee, senior Travis Mallory and sophomore Jarrett Masias. Dan Reay is a leader, and he has really taken charge of this team, Lawrence said. He understands the offense very well, and I was very impressed with him in the summer during seven-on-seven. Not only did he play well, but he was coaching some of the other kids, and it was very evident he understands what we are trying to do. We are very excited to have Dan Reay under center. Gilbert has had two good years (first team all-district, district offensive MVP), and we have big plans for him this season, Lawrence continued. He should be a premier running back not only in our district, but the state as well. He is fast,

Sept. 14 Glen Rose Sept. 21 Iowa Park

Sept. 28 Burkburnett# H Oct. 5 Oct. 12 Oct. 19 Oct. 26 Nov. 2 Nov. 9 Open Castleberry* T

7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30

Lake Worth* H Diamond Hill* H Springtown* Kennedale* T H

* District Game # Homecoming

and he hits the hole hard. The Rams starting wide receivers will be seniors Brandon Martinez and Isaiah Williams, with junior Kelly Williams starting at slot back. The coaches will also use several tight ends on offense. Jarrod Bennett has been named the starting tight end, but others who will rotate in are juniors Toby Almanza, Devon Edmond and Danny Ralls, and seniors A.J. Williams and Brian Craig. Others who will receive playing time at receiver are junior Omery Trevino, senior Cris Valdez, senior Sean McGuire, junior Colby Kissinger and senior Brian SanMigel. We will have several players rotate in and out at tight end, but Jarrod Bennett will be the starter, Lawrence said. We will need our tight ends to block well and run the intermediate routes. Brandon and Isaiah both have good speed, and this will be Brandons third year on varsity. But both of those guys will have to go both ways as each plays cornerback on defense. I am very excited about them, and they both have had good summers. K2 (Kelly Williams) really caught our eyes in the spring and during seven-on-seven. There will be other guys (Sean McGuire, Colby Kissinger) alternating at that position, but K2 has a lot of upside. The Rams have a new defensive coordi-

nator, former Millsap DC Chad Barron. He has installed a new defense, which will be anchored in the middle by Eagan at nose guard, with seniors Hunter Moss and junior Jarod Bennett at the starting defensive end spots. Backing up on the D-line will be Pilkington, Hoskins and Tamez. We will be a multiple odd-front defense, Lawrence said. We will go with the traditional two inside linebackers instead of the one linebacker and a hybrid that we played the last couple of years. We have a new defensive coordinator, Chad Barron, and I am very excited about his intensity, and we are hoping that will carry over to a young defensive unit. Moss is a returning starter, he runs a solid 4.8 40, and he had a great spring and summer, and he went to several college camps this summer. I am really excited about him. Bennett will start at the other end, and Marcus Tamez, who hasnt had a lot of varsity experience, will rotate in at end. Wyatt could be as good as a nose guard as there is in our district for sure, but maybe in the state. He had a great spring, and he really looked good in August practices. The Rams will be going with a pair of sophomores to start at inside linebacker,

See RAMS, page 5

2012 FOOTBALL EDITION MINERAL WELLS INDEX PAGE 5

Mineral Wells Rams

RAMS
From page 4
Hardee and Masias, both who starred on the freshman team last year. Backing up the young pair will be Ralls and senior Cody Harless. Both Josh and Jarrett had great years on the freshman team (in 2011), Lawrence said. They both have a nose for the football, and both played hard nosed. They only know one speed, and thats full speed. We are really excited about that tandem. The starting outside linebackers will be Craig and Valdez, with Almanza, Edmond and Mallory as the backups. We are excited about Craig and Valdez, but we are also excited about Almanza and Mallory as well, Lawrence explained. All of those guys are unproven, but Craig had a very good year last year on the JV. Mallory played on varsity last year, and we are excited about all of those guys and watching them grow into good varsity players. Valdez and Craig are seniors, they

COURTESY/LAURETTA POOLE

are both smart kids, and we are hoping they can make a lot of plays for us. The Rams will start Martinez and Isaiah Williams at cornerback, with Kissinger and SanMigel also seeing playing time. Brandon Martinez and Isaiah Williams will also start at cornerback, and since they will be going both ways, Colby Kissinger will fill in at cornerback as well, Lawrence said. We fell like we have three really good corners. They played zone very well, and they are good

See RAMS, page 6

2012 FOOTBALL EDITION MINERAL WELLS INDEX PAGE 6

RAMS

From page 5
in man coverage. We can also press man some, and that will allow us to blitz more. I really feel cornerback is one of the deepest and strongest positions on the team. Chris Rapp is a hammer, Lawrence continued.He flies to the football and hits people hard. He is fast enough to cover receivers one on one, and we are very excited to have his speed and tenacity at safety. Starting at strong safety will be Rapp, with Sean McGuire and Trevino splitting time at free safety. Kelly Williams will also see time at strong safety. Both Sean and Omery will play, Lawrence said. Sean is a smart player, and although he was hurt during sevenon-seven, he was out there calling the defenses and coaching the kids. He understands every position on the defense, and he is like a coach on the field. Omery gained a lot of confidence last spring in track when he earned a medal at the state track meet. He gives us a lot of speed in the secondary, and a lot of savvy. After a shaky first start at placekicker last year, Castorena was almost automatic on his extra points. He will once again

tee it up for the Rams. Gilbert will handle the place kicking and kickoff duties again, Lawrence said. Punter is still up for grabs between Valdez and Rapp, and both have strong legs. If he have to fall back to Brandon Martinez on deep snapping we can, but Danny Ralls has done a good job for us, and Craig can deep snap. I think our kicking game will be OK. Lawrence said the team has been practicing for the season opener Aug. 31 at Graham, but added that scrimmages and non-district games are only preparation for the games that really count district games. This year, the Rams will play in District 6-3A along with Castleberry, Lake Worth, Fort Worth Diamond Hill, Springtown and Kennedale. We wanted the first two scrimmages and our first five games to get us ready for the district opener at Castleberry, Lawrence said. We have an open week before district, and I really like having that time off. Last year, we played 10 games straight, and it was a grind. But having a week off before district starts will be beneficial. We have a good schedule and we are playing some good teams, and hopefully our past two scrimmages and our five non-district games ahead of us will get us ready for Castleberry.

Dan Reay Turk

2012 FOOTBALL EDITION MINERAL WELLS INDEX PAGE 7

JV cheerleaders

Freshmen cheerleaders

COURTESY/SNAPSHOTS OF A MEMORY BY DANIELLE

MWHS varsity cheerleaders

2012 FOOTBALL EDITION MINERAL WELLS INDEX PAGE 8

No. 9 Longhorns expect long playoff run

By TONY EIERDAM

GORDON The highest-ranked team in the Index coverage area is the Gordon Longhorns, ranked ninth by Texas Football magazine in its six man preseason poll. Longhorns head coach Shane Mallory is loaded with talent at running back, but will rely on his two productive backs from last season, four-year starters Michael Cherry and Pedro Lopez. Last season the Horns went 8-2, but missed the playoffs playing in a tough district. This season, Gordon will play in District 10, Division I along with Gustine, Lingleville and Evant. Other than his two main backs, Mallory wants the load to be shared by junior running backs Jonathan Jennings and Sam Hernandez, sophomore Caleb Johnston and freshman Coletyn King. Cherry and Lopez were all-district and all-region selections last year. It will be an interesting challenge for me to get everyone the ball, Mallory said. We have six guys who can score at any time, but we only have one football. This is a good problem to have. Mallory said the Longhorns, who were young last year, will not only bring in a season of experienced gained last season, but a new attitude as well. This year we will be a lot more physical, he said. The kids have worked crazy hard all offseason and summer, and these same kids were holding down summer

jobs. There was never a time in the summer when we didnt have 15-20 guys in the weight room. For us, that is unbelievable. I think the physical standpoint will be a lot different compared to last year. Our scheme wont change. Our seniors have either started or played a lot the last three years and our system wont really change, but our attitude will be one of being more physical than we have in the past. The players have a bit of a chip on their shoulders now. They understand they have a chance to be a special team. Last year they really started to believe that they are pretty good. But now they feel they have something to prove, and it has shown with their work habits. I have never had a group that has worked this hard. Despite a multitude of talent in the backfield, Mallory will let senior quarterback Emory Allen sling the pigskin. We try to stay fairly balanced running and passing the ball, and from game to game that may change, Mallory said. But we run quite a few different sets from spread formation, and that wont change. We want to show a lot of sets so our opponents will have more to do to prepare for us. We have kids who are skilled and good in space, so we will spread the field to take advantage of our speed. A big key to the Longhorns offense in 2012 will be spread back Cherry, a senior and three-year letterman who earned all-region and all-district, first-team honors last year. Mallory said Cherry blossomed last year and came out of nowhere to lead the Horns offense in 11.

Michael has done the biggest turnaround of any kid I have ever coached, Mallory said. When he was a freshman my first year here he was soft and didnt really compete hard. But last year he came out of nowhere. He was going to be a backup to a senior last year, but Michael just took over. It was the biggest turnaround I had ever witnessed. Michael has speed. He runs a 4.6 (40-yard dash), but that is good considering he runs that fast on grass. He is a smart player who can run and throw, and that is huge for us because our tailbacks throw a lot. The defense cant stack it against Michael or he will recognize that and throw it over them. We will pitch it to him and give him the option to run or pass. That will be a big part of our offense. We cant run what we want to run without a kid like Michael back there. Another back who will tote the mail for the Longhorns is Lopez, a three-year letterman who earned first-team, all-district honors as a running back in 2011 and was an all-region safety on defense. We call Pedro Shogun because he is a little ball of energy, Mallory said. He is not a big kid 5-8, 155 pounds but he is just everywhere. He has a nose for the football on defense. Also returning is three-year letterman Stephen Plowman, who earned all-district, second-team honors at center last year. Stephen is our bulldog on the front line, Mallory

See HORNS, page 9

2012 FOOTBALL EDITION MINERAL WELLS INDEX PAGE 9

HORNS
From page 8
said. He is super smart and understands the offense better than our running backs. He is like a line coach on the field, and he is in charge of calling our line audibles. Stephen can tell the split end what to do, the backs what to do, he knows the entire offense. Returning at linebacker is the Longhorns leading tackler in 2011, linebacker Alex Montelongo, who earned second team alldistrict honors last season. Alex is hard-nosed, and he likes to pop, Mallory said. He loves to strike you. He brings a huge physical presence to our defense. Returning for his third year as starting Gordon signal caller is Allen. The senior was a first-team, all-district selection last year. Emory is tall and has a great arm, Mallory said. He is also a smart player. He is the brains behind our offense. Emory knows our system very well, and we give him the authority to audible at any time. He is a good quarterback, and he can also block extremely well, which is important for a QB in six man football. He will throw and catch from that position. Our QB has to be versatile because we are not going to drop back in the pocket and look, look, look. Emory has the tools we need for our QB in our offense. Another player entering his fourth year on varsity is senior Ewodio Rodeo Rodea, who is a jack of all trades and plays several positions. Rodeo brings energy to the table, Mallory said. He has a motor that never quits. Rounding out the senior class is defensive lineman Tyler Pool, another player entering his fourth year on varsity. Tyler is the same as Rodeo, Mallory said. He is non stop

and has a motor that is always going. We pride ourselves on guys like this, and as a team we do not get tired in the fourth quarter. I really feel we got a lot of wins last year by wearing teams down. Like its senior class, Gordon will have seven juniors on varsity to begin the 2012 season, led by first-team, all-district defensive end Jake Wigington. The junior is entering his third year on varsity. He has a lot of speed, he runs a 4.6, and he is one of 15 players we have who run under 5.0, Mallory said. Jake is hard to double team because of his speed and agility, but a lot of teams choose to run away from him. Every offense we play has a game plan for Jake. Three new Longhorn juniors on varsity are newcomer Johnathan Jennings (running back/linebacker), Tristen Garcia (tight end/defensive end) and Blake Thompson (offensive lineman). Johnathan will bring an attitude to our team, Mallory said. He started last year both ways at Hico. He has been at our summer football camp the last three years, and last year decided to live here with his dad. We expect Tristen to start, continued the coach. He has good size, and he is a hitter. Last year on the junior varsity he was a beast. We couldnt bring him up to varsity last year because he was a transfer. Blake was actually an all-district performer at Bryson. We played Bryson, so we got to see him. He is solid. Rounding out the junior class are first-year varsity players Seth Wheeler (utility), Hernandez (running back/safety) and Garrett Collins (defensive end). Seth can backup at quarterback, play split end or play where ever we need him, Mallory said. Sam will also be a kind of utility guy, but he has played running back the last two years on

Gordon High School Football Schedule

Date Sept. 1 Sept. 7 Opponent Ira (@Hico) @Stephenville Faith

Sept. 14 @Blanket Sept. 21 Dallas Academy# Sept. 28 Strawn Oct. 5 Oct. 12 Oct. 19 Oct. 26 Nov. 2 Nov. 9 Brownwood V.L. Richland Springs OPEN Gustine* Evant* @Lingleville*

See HORNS, page 10

* District Game # Homecoming

2012 FOOTBALL EDITION MINERAL WELLS INDEX PAGE 10

HORNS
From page 9
JV. He is a tough kid. Big G (Collins) is about 6-4, 6-5, and he is a very good defensive end, continued Mallory. He came here his freshman year and had never played football. He went to an all-basketball school. He is still learning, but he is a good athlete and will be ready to play. The lone sophomore on varsity is running back/linebacker Caleb Johnson, who will enter his first year of varsity football. Caleb is an athlete and has great speed, Mallory said. He ran a 52.0 open quarter (400 meters) last year as a freshman. He is as quick as anybody we have he is just explosive. In fact, he came out for football late last year, and in his first JV game on his first touch he went 60 yards for a score. Mallory has placed freshman running back/safety King on varsity. He explained that King is too far advanced to play JV and can only improve playing every day against varsity competition. He was so far ahead of everyone in junior high football last year that we had to get him out of games to keep from beating teams by 100 points, Mallory said. He dominated the competition at that level. He will help us on varsity, and I think he is ready. He is a great athlete, and we want our best athletes on varsity no matter how old they are. Mallory said when Texas Footballs six man rankings came out his cell phone exploded with text messages and calls from his players who were excited to see their team ranked No. 9 in the state. Mallory down played it.

Gordon Longhorns
I told each one who called that I hoped they werent excited about finishing ninth in the state, Mallory recalled. But they all said, No, no, no, we wont finish there. But it is kind of neat to start in the top 10. They were excited, and honestly, I think that is nice, but it only matters where you finish, and if we finish the season ranked No. 9 in the state I will be disappointed. I am not saying we are going to win a state championship, but I want them to strive for that. Who says we cant? Our expectations this season are beyond just making the playoffs. We want a lot more. We have the ponies to go deep in the playoffs.

2012 FOOTBALL EDITION MINERAL WELLS INDEX PAGE 11

Greyhounds seniors have bad taste in mouths after early playoff exit in 2011
By TONY EIERDAM

Unfinished business
year we have the type of kids with speed, so we feel we can throw the ball and be successful. We will rely on (freshman) Ross Alison to throw the ball. We also have (sophomore) Harrison Nowak at quarterback, and we have kids like Bobby Wells and Cole Abbott who can run and catch the ball. We feel we are strong at the skill positions. We are basically going to be the same on defense, and this year we are going to bring a lot of pressure. Strawn is the favorite to win District 12, Division II. Other district members include Rising Star, Sidney and Moran. Wells and Abbott are expected to be the Greyhounds leaders on offense. Bobby has gotten a lot bigger, and he had a great off season, Lee said. He is also a lot faster because of the work he put in during the off season months. We are really counting on his breakaway speed on offense. He sees the field well and can catch the football. We are also counting on him defensively. We moved him to linebacker to make sure he can get in on most every play. Cole (running back/cornerback) is one of those guys who can play any position, Lee continued. He is a jack of all trades. He is effective as a running back, but if we need him to play quarterback he produces there as well. If we need him on the line he fits in well. He is also a good defender.

2012 FOOTBALL EDITION MINERAL WELLS INDEX PAGE 12

STRAWN Strawn head coach Dewayne Lee and the Greyhounds feel they have unfinished business as the team heads into the 2012 season. Last year, state-ranked Strawn fell in the first round of the playoffs, an unfamiliar way for the Hounds to finish a season. But the team was relatively young last season, and Lee is hoping a year of experience plus fire in their bellies will lead to a special season in 2012. We have a lot of seniors, and we have 11 returning varsity members who gained a lot of experience last year, Lee said. We started four freshmen last year, and we are not making any excuses, but we didnt have a year (in 2011) that is up to our standards. We are definitely looking forward to this year. Lee said that changes would be made this year on both sides of the ball. We are going to open it up on offense, Lee said. We usually run a tight formation, but we are going to mix it up a little this year and spread it out more. We will show more shotgun, and we will throw the ball a lot more than we did last year. We like to run the ball and control the game, but this

The other four seniors include center/defensive end Dub Little, lineman Jon Thomas, receiver/defensive back Owen Allison and receiver/defensive back Angel Berumen. Dub has really come along, Lee said. He is in his second year on varsity, and we are looking for big things from him. He is a good blocker, and he has gotten a lot bigger and stronger. We feel if he can gets his hands on people, play good technique, he can move some people around. I am excited about what he might be able to so. Jon has kind of come out of his shell, Lee continued. He is one that nobody really knows much about. He has a lot of potential that I think will come out this season. Owen has really improved catching the football. He will see his share of passes this year. Angel is another one of our go-to guys on offense. He can run the football, he is very quick, and he is exciting to watch. I also think he can help us on defense because of his quickness. Izaac Velasquez is the lone junior on the roster. He will play running back and linebacker. Izaac will be a guy who will give us a lot of energy when he gets in, Lee said. We will also depend on him on special teams. But he will fill in on offense and defense where we need him.

See HOUNDS, page 13

2012 FOOTBALL EDITION MINERAL WELLS INDEX PAGE 13

HOUNDS
From page 12
Lee was impressed with the improvement of Nowak. Harrison is bigger and faster than he was last year, Lee said. He started at quarterback in all 11 of our games last year, so he has 11 games under his belt. That is huge for us coming into this season. Rounding out the sophomore class are running back/linebacker Noel Martinez, running back/defensive lineman Jacob Trujillo and receiver/defensive back Abram Jarmillo. Noel started all 11 games last year for us on defense, Lee said. He is extremely tough to block, and he makes a lot of plays. He is one of our leaders on defense. Jacob has really come on as a running back. Last year, he got some significant playing time at running back and got some carries. Unfortunately, he missed the last two games with a broken bone in his foot. He will be a go-to guy for us this year in a lot of areas. Abram was our leading receiver last year as a freshman, Lee continued. He is a lot faster this year, and he has grown. We expect a lot out of him. Strawns lone freshman on varsity is running back/defensive back Ross Alison. Ross is extremely strong, and he has some size, Lee said. He only weighs 150 pounds, but he benches 235. We are counting on him to throw the ball and move our offense. The thing is, we have a lot of talent and experience around him, so he shouldnt feel too much pressure. With Bobby and Cole and Harrison surrounding him, he will have some help. Harrison will also throw the ball, so it all wont be just Ross. He will add to a good talent pool. Lee feels his six seniors will provide not only talent, but leadership as well. Any time you have a lot of seniors, especially hungry ones like we have, that makes a huge difference, Lee said. This class especially wasnt satisfied with our season last year, and they have set high goals. Of course, here at Strawn, our goal is to win the state championship. That has not and will not change. We are excited about this year.

Strawn High School Football Schedule

Date Sept. 1 Sept. 7 Sept. 14 Sept. 21 Sept. 28 Oct. 5 Oct. 12 Oct. 19 Oct. 26 Nov. 2 Nov. 9 Opponent Walnut Springs (@Hico) Jesus Chapel Bryson# @Lueders-Avoca @Gordon Newcastle @Brookesmith OPEN Rising Star* @Sidney* Moran*

Strawn Greyhounds

* District Game # Homecoming

Wildcats enter season with momentum from last year

By TONY EIERDAM

2012 FOOTBALL EDITION MINERAL WELLS INDEX PAGE 14

SANTO It was a special season last year for the Santo Wildcats, one of momentum they hope will carry over to this year. In 2011, Santo qualified for the playoffs for the first time in 17 years with a regular season-ending victory at home against De Leon. Santo head coach Randy Thornton, in his sixth year as Wildcats head coach, said he can see a new attitude with not only the players, but the school and community as well. The success has also led to more boys coming out for football. We carried our momentum gained last year through off season and the summer, and there is a lot of anticipation as we get ready to start a new season, Thornton said. We had a tremendous season last year, and it was really neat for our kids, program and community. There is a lot of excitement headed into this year. Our numbers are bigger we have 47 kids out for football and they are eager to build from last season and get another taste of it. We were very excited to be in a playoff game last year, and although we scored 44 points in that game, we also gave up 55. We realized we were not that far off from going beyond the first round. That was our motivation in the off season. Thornton, however, is constantly reminding his team that just making the playoffs should not be the goal in 2012. The Wildcats will play in District 5-A along with

Goldthwaite, San Saba, Hico and De Leon. There will come a point and time for us when just getting to them playoffs is not good enough, he said. But having missed the playoffs for the last 17 years ... we had to get there first. It (2011) is nothing but a great memory, the kids enjoyed it, and playing in November is what high school football is all about. Playing in a nice stadium with a chill in the air with a big crowd is what playoff football is all about, and our kids want to experience that again. The Wildcats will stick with what brought them to the playoffs last year a bruising running game designed to eat up clock and wear down opponents. We will stay pretty much the same offensively, Thornton said. We will still primarily run the ball, but we are also adding and tweaking things to the offense. But we wont be afraid to pass the ball. Defensively, because we gave up 55 points in a playoff game, we looked at things and evaluated things in the off season. We will make a couple of adjustments defensively to try and help the kids and put ourselves in position to win some ball games. Santo will be led by senior quarterback Zane Mauney, a three-year starter and an all-district choice in 2011. Last year, Mauney rushed for 1,000 yards. Sophomore Kyle Moore is listed as Mauneys backup, and he will also play defensive back. Zane is a three-year starter, and he and all of these seniors have come up through the program and have been with me since they were in seventh grade,

Thornton said. This will be Zanes third year as a varsity quarterback, and he knows what I am thinking before I think it. He is a great leader, a very unselfish kid, and he plays hard. He just wants to win, even if that means him handing the ball off every play. He has good speed, and that is certainly an asset, but he also makes good decisions. I have a lot of confidence in Zane and his abilities. To be a great football team you have to run the ball, and stop the run, but from that we are going to try and do some things that allow us to do that. That may mean putting the ball in the air, and although Zane is an option quarterback, he is an option quarterback with a strong arm and who throws a good ball. We will try to utilize that as well. Also toting the mail for the Cats will be seniors Bridger Seay, Colton Harris, Jarrod Mosier and Dakota Young, junior Garrett Nemeth and sophomores Keith Chalker and Dylan Price. Running the triple option (flexbone), we have a whole stable of backs, Thornton said. We put a lot of emphasis at the running back position. We have Seay coming back, and he actually played varsity for us at the end of his freshman year. He is in great shape, and he is healthy. He will lead our corps of backs. We also have Keith Chalker and Grant Gilbert, and also Garrett Nemeth and Colton Harris. All of these guys and a couple of others will get their share of carries. We dont have the style of offense that any one of those guys is going to carry the ball 30-40 times a game.

See WILDCATS, page 15

2012 FOOTBALL EDITION MINERAL WELLS INDEX PAGE 15

WILDCATS
From page 14
But they all may have eight-to-ten carries a game. We are going to try and run a balanced attack we want to attack from a bunch of different angles and any of

Santo Wildcats
those guys are capable of scoring on any given play. Santos offensive linemen include seniors Brett Birk, Ross Lopez, Tayler Jones, Andrew Watkins and Calvin Luttrell, junior Luke Bowling, and sophomore Jacob Masters. It all starts up front, Thornton said. We are not as experienced on the offensive line as we have in the past, but those guys are working hard and I expect them to do a great job. Jacob Masters played varsity as a freshman, and Andrew Watkins got a little playing time last year. We

See WILDCATS, page 23

2012 FOOTBALL EDITION MINERAL WELLS INDEX PAGE 16

CCS Warriors set goals high for upcoming season

By TONY EIERDAM

Last season, Community Christian School head football coach Bryan Horton had a young squad that gained valuable experience that should pay off for the Warriors in 2012. Horton welcomes back six players with varsity experience, including second-team, all-state running back Cole Van Kirk, the Warriors total yardage leader in 2011. The Warriors were 4-5 last season and were defeated in the first round of the playoffs. This season Horton expects the squad to go deeper in the playoffs. Horton said personnel has made him change the Warriors offense. In the last couple of years we were a spread team, but beginning last year we were transitioning out of it to try and find out what we had, Horton said. With Cole and Samuel Brazeal running the ball last year, we found we could run the ball. This year, in the running game, I dont think anyone can stop us. We should have the best blocking we have had in a long time. Birdville transfer Brandon Bolt will anchor the CCS line. Brandon will not have any trouble on the line, but I would like to see him be a part of the running game, Horton said. But it will depend on him developing a little quickness. If he develops, we will have a solid running game, and the worst case is if we move him up to the line we will be just that much better up front. We will be running the ball a lot from tight formations and passing the ball a lot less. I just dont see us getting back into the spread offense as much this year, but I am a

spread guy so we wont abandon it completely. The Warriors defense will be led by 6-4, 300-pound nose tackle Brazeal. On defense, we are a little slow, Horton admitted. But I dont think anybody will be able to run the ball up the middle on us. We will excel against tight formations. But if we play a team full of speedsters who like to throw the ball around, we are just going to try and stop them at the line of scrimmage and make them throw the ball over our heads. We just dont have that speed guy in the secondary. Horton feels Van Kirk should have another explosive year on offense. Cole should have a great year, no doubt, Horton said. He can do everything. He runs the ball well, he is a team leader, he is a gamer. The thing I like about him is his tenacity. We went to Heath Fulton last year to play a game we knew we were going to lose because we had so many kids banged up. Fulton gets a big lead and starts hollering a little too loud for Cole, so he single handily takes over the game. The next thing you know we are only down 10 points. They beat us by 45 in the fourth quarter, but I will never forget what Cole did in that game. If not for him the game would have been over at halftime. On pride alone, he kicked their tail for two quarters. He is that kind of kid. Bradley Norman, who earned all-district, secondteam honors last season, will be counted on at offensive end and linebacker.

If I quit coaching tomorrow, Bradley will be my proudest achievement, Horton said. When he was a freshman it was his first year to play football and he could barely walk on a football field. But he is a hard worker and had made himself into a good player. He has done everything he has needed to do to take the next step. I think he will have a breakout season this year on both sides of the ball. His blocking is improving, and he may be our go-to guy on the line that Isaiah Brazeal (out for the season with an injury) left. Tyler Nestorek will play end on both sides of the ball. Tyler had a good second half last year, Horton said. At the very least he will be a solid backup, but it will be up to him as whether he will be a starter or not. The Warriors most noticeable player is Samuel Brazeal, who towers over opponents. Samuel is a beast, Horton said.His only down side and he is the complete package who can catch, run, hit is that he is just not quite mean enough sometimes. He is a big teddy bear, and he can move those feet. He is learning to get aggression and control it. Honestly, there isnt anyone we will face this year that can beat him one on one. No one will have a chance. Horton has plans for Bolt other than just blocking. I am excited about Brandon, Horton said. He makes our line complete. I would like to have him carry the ball. He would me a nice compliment to Cole, or somebody to spell Cole here or there. We will see how it works, and I am excited about him whether he plays on

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2012 FOOTBALL EDITION MINERAL WELLS INDEX PAGE 17

CCS

From page 16
the line or in the backfield. Either way, he will score touchdowns. Joby Bradshaw leads a CCS sophomore class of five on varsity. He will play quarterback and linebacker, and was an all-district, secondteam choice last year at defensive end. I am super excited about Joby, Horton said. Joby came on last year, and he looked great. He has the skills to play quarterback, and I am not worried one bit. He is a great athlete and excels at everything he does. Sophomore Hamilton Brookshire will play end on offense and nose tackle on defense. Hamilton was new to football last year, and he paid his dues taking licks and learning, Horton said. Early this year he is looking better. He looks more natural this year compared to last year, and I am counting on him to, if not start on the offensive line, to get quite a bit of playing time. I think he has a big future. Tye Gage, a sophomore, will also play ends on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

Community Christian School Warriors

Tye will get in there and do anything you ask of him, Horton said. We will need him to come in and win a starting spot on defense. He has great awareness, but we need his feet to match that awareness. Sophomore Johnathon Rives will also carry the ball, and will play linebacker on defense. Johnathon is one of the smartest kids on the team, Horton said. We will work with him at running back and linebacker, and we want him to get his carries running the ball. He is a do-anything-you-ask kind of kid, and he is a natural leader. He will contribute a lot. Daniel Timmons, a center and nose tackle, rounds out the sophomore class.

Daniel is a hard-working country boy who likes to hit, Horton said. That is what you are looking for in centers and nose tackles. He will be a big contributor. The Warriors lone freshman on varsity is Caleb Bradford, an end on both sides of the ball. I am really excited about Caleb after the year he had in eighth grade last season, Horton said. He is a great athlete and a smart kid. I can see him doing just about anything for us this year with the exception of playing quarterback. He has a good skill set. Horton has set high goals for his team. We would be happy to be in the (state) semifinals, but to be honest our goal is to at least reach the state championship game, he said. It is wide open this year, there are favorites but no team is way out in front. Everyone is pretty much starting even, so it will be a dog fight. The team that is in the best shape, avoids injuries, plays smart and improves each week will have a chance to win it all. We like our chances. There are three things that need to happen to win it all

have talent, work hard and play smart. Like I told the guys, God is in charge of talent, and we didnt get much; but we can control hard work and brains. Those two things our on our side. They are out there working, and hopefully I will do my job and teach them to play smart.

Community Christian School Football Schedule

Date Aug. 31 Sept. 8 Opponent @Cleburne Christian Blum

Sept. 14 Nazarene Christian Sept. 21 @Comanche Paradigm Sept. 29 @Dallas Tyler Street Oct. 5 Oct. 12 Oct. 19 Oct. 27 Nov. 3 OPEN Borden Co. (@Abilene) @N. Central Texas Aca. Irving Faustina# Azle Christian*

* District Game # Homecoming

Bulldogs face new district, new challenges in 2012

By TONY EIERDAM

2012 FOOTBALL EDITION MINERAL WELLS INDEX PAGE 18

MILLSAP Millsap head coach Kyle Coker welcomes District 6-2A the Bulldogs have landed in. We are heading east in our new district, Coker said. Other than Tolar and Rio Vista, everybody is new to us. Our kids dont even know where these places (Mildred, Rice, Dallas Life Oak Cliff, ScurryRosser, Blooming Grove) are. But I think it is good for us to play new teams, and it will be a new challenge for our guys. We are excited about it. Coming off a 3-7 season in 2011, Millsap will once again be young with four seniors, but Coker also welcomes 13 juniors and a pair of sophomores to the varsity. We are young, and we only have four seniors, but we have a good mix of juniors and sophomores. We only have four guys who have varsity experience. Our defense will change to a 3-3 stack. I like the 3-3 stack because its not so much a technique-conscious defense, but rather a go-and-get-to-the-football defense with a lot of stunting. That will help because of our youth, and it will help us to be aggressive on defense. Offensively, we are going to add some sets, and we will be versatile by running the spread but also switching to the wishbone (triple option) at times. That will take pressure of our quarterbacks. Our starting quarterback is sophomore Bradley Bottoms. Bradley (5-10) has a good arm, and he is also a good runner. Millsap needs to replace four of five starting offensive linemen form last year. Senior Payton Vanderveer

will anchor the Bulldogs line at center, classmate Andrew Norman at one guard spot, and juniors Tr Newberry (6-3, 230 pounds), Mitchell Coker (6-1, 220) and Timothy Newberry starting up front. Other offensive linemen include senior Chase Dodson and junior Robert Newsome. Payton is the leader of the offensive line, Coker said. He is a big, strong guy, the strongest kid in the program. He works hard and is one of the leaders of our team. Andrew is another returning varsity player who will step in there on the O-line, and we will have Tr, Mitchell and Timothy step in to round out the line. We arent as big up front as we have been in the past, but we still have pretty good size. Coker explained the Bulldogs spread offense. Our spread offense is set up to where the same players will be fullbacks or inside receivers they are all running back-type kids, he said. That way if we switch from spread to the wishbone in the same series we will not have to run out new personnel. This will also confuse our opponents defense, and give them more to prepare for when they play us. When we are in the spread, Clayton Watson will be carrying the load at the two back, and we will run a two-back shotgun where Kristian Martinez will be the second back. When we go to the wishbone, Martinez and Dylan Burton will be our halfbacks. We want those kids out there so we can get them in some open space.

Dalton Thomas, a senior, is Millsaps leading returning receiver. Others Bottoms will be throwing to include juniors Kristian Martinez, Dylan Burton, Andrew Tyson, John Bodine, Coleman Hutchinson, Jaxson Martin and Thomas Richardson and sophomore Michael Rogers. Dalton is our leading receiver returning, Coker said. He has good hands, but he also has decent speed and quickness. If it hits is hands he will catch it. We will have a lot of receivers involved as they will shuttle the plays in. We also want to keep as many players fresh as possible. All of our receivers will see action. The guys enjoy this (spread) offense, but we can also keep the chains moving by switching to the wishbone when needed. Its nice to be versatile on offense. Coker said linebacker should be the strength of the Bulldogs defense. The linebacking corps includes juniors Dalton Norris, Clayton Watson and Burton and sophomore Rogers. We have a pretty solid linebacking corps, Coker said. We have quick guys who all will be getting after it. Up front we have some big guys, but the can also move well. We are also going to do a lot of rotating on the defensive line to keep everybody fresh. Coker said in the Bulldogs defensive scheme, the safety will get his share of the tackles. Bottoms and Coleman Hutchinson will be our cornerbacks, with Martinez at safety, Coker said. In our

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2012 FOOTBALL EDITION MINERAL WELLS INDEX PAGE 19

BULLDOGS
From page 18
Millsap High School Football Schedule
Date Aug. 31 Sept. 7 Opponent @Alvord Dublin
defensive scheme, our safety will be our big tackler. We also have a lot of outside linebackers doing battle for playing time. I would say linebacker is the strength of our defense, and thats what you want in a 3-3 stack. Coker said he feels rejuvenated after almost a month of practice, which included a pair of scrimmages, with a young team. It is fun to see the excitement of the players when you coach a young team, he said. They have that hunger, and they are excited to be playing on varsity for the first time. Playing under the Friday night lights is something they have been waiting for. I like seeing that excitement in their eyes, and the kids are working hard to take advantage of their opportunities and to win on

Sept. 14 OPEN Sept. 21 @Windthorst Sept. 28 @Rio Vista* Oct. 5 Oct. 12 Oct. 19 Oct. 26 Nov. 2 Nov. 9 Tolar*# Mildred* @Rice* Dallas Life* @Scurry-Rosser* Blooming Grove*

Millsap Bulldogs
Friday night. Doug Jones, Millsaps new defensive coordinator, replaces Chad Barron, who left to take the DC position at Mineral Wells. Doug was our offensive and defensive line coach last year, and he has been promoted to defensive coordinator, Coker said. He is excited, and he is bringing in a new style of defense for us. We will get after it in the 3-3 stack. Millsaps goal in 2012 will be to reach the postseason. Our goal is to make the playoffs, Coker said. I know we are young, but as long as the kids keep a good attitude and work hard I feel good things will happen. We are preaching to our guys that we need to win the turnover battle in each game, and that is how you win games. That is our No. 1 priority.

* District Game # Homecoming

Pirates will draw on experience gained last season

By TONY EIERDAM

2012 FOOTBALL EDITION MINERAL WELLS INDEX PAGE 20

PERRIN Perrin head coach Brad Hutton did not lose many players to graduation and will welcome a mix of veteran varsity players and varsity newcomers in 2012. Last year, the Pirates finished 2-8, but for the returning players their experience in 2011 will be valuable to the team this season. We lost four seniors to graduation, so we will have some experienced players returning, Hutton said. We are still young we will have many people playing in their first year on varsity but we should be better. We thought we would be deep on the offensive line, but I had two guys who never have shown up for practice so we had to move some guys around. Our numbers are still good we have 38 players (junior varsity and varsity combined) but we thought our depth would be in the line and we found out early we arent as deep as we thought in that area. But we will have four starters back on the offensive line. Senior Chance Brown and junior Jacob Rice will man the guard spots, with senior Jared Smith and junior Alfredo Cantero starting at the tackle positions. Junior Caleb Brock will be in his first varsity year at center. Also fighting for playing time on the offensive line will be senior Tommy Turner and junior Dakota Sulkowski. We are big up front so we are going to pound (run) the ball, Hutton said. We average about 250 pounds across the front, and that is the biggest we have ever been. Chance Brown is probably our best offensive lineman. He is relentless, and that is on both sides of the ball. He is

aggressive and he gets after it. He is on his man quickly. Three-year starting quarterback Josiah Cansler returns to guide the Pirates offense. Cansler is not very big (5-7, 140), but what he lacks in size he makes up in heart, Hutton said. We will use Josiah to run some option to take advantage of his speed and quickness, and the option is probably the best part of his game. We will also have him bootleg and bootleg pass. Running the ball for the Pirates will be junior Pepper Rasberry and senior Wes Guinn. Others who will carry the ball include sophomores Spencer Nunley and Gage Aguilar and junior Levi Galliher. Pepper has some speed and this will be his first year on varsity, Hutton said. Wes started for us last year before he got hurt two or three games into the (2011) season. Wes is healthy now and has really worked hard in the offseason and in August practices. He lost a little weight and got stronger. We will run a split backfield, and both Pepper and Wes will be getting equal carries. With the running game of huge ficus, Hutton will put in the tight end position into the Pirates offense. The starter is Galliher, with sophomore Brandon Bloodworth also getting snaps at the position. Tight end is kind of a new position for us this year, Hutton said. Levi Galliher will start at tight end, and he got big over the summer. He can go back to fullback if we need him there, and Brandon Bloodworth will also play at tight end. Hutton has big plans for converted tight end Forrest Francis, a senior who was moved to wide receiver. We moved Forrest from tight end to split end, Hutton said. Forrest is 6-2, so when we get in a bind or

in a short-yardage situation we will just throw the ball high toward him and he will go up and get it. We will use him like a post in basketball and have him post up against the defensive back. He will be pour possessiontype receiver. But we like all of our receivers. The Pirates will run a traditional 4-3 defense. Starting on the defensive line will be Brown, Rice, Smith and Cantero, with Galliher and Cannon starting at the inside linebacker positions.. We will have the same four returning starters on the offensive line as our four guys up front on defense, Hutton said. Alfredo and Jared will plug up the middle, while Chance and Jacob will play at the defensive end spots. Levi, Bloodworth and Casey Cannon will start at linebacker, so you can see we will be young at those positions. Levi is extremely strong, and our smartest linebacker is Casey. Casey will do exactly what we tell him to do, and he is going to be right on form, every time. He knows where to line up and where to go, and he is like a coach on the field because he knows where everyone is supposed to be. He is very intelligent. With Levi we have brawn, and with Casey we have brains. Levi enjoys hitting and he will bring the wood. Like he does in the offensive backfield, Cansler will lead the Pirates secondary at the safety spot. The other starting safety will be Francis, with juniors Cooper Young and River Martin starting at cornerback. Also seeing playing time in the secondary will be, Guinn, sophomore J.P. Monroe, Rasberry, sophomore

See PIRATES, page 21

2012 FOOTBALL EDITION MINERAL WELLS INDEX PAGE 21

Perrin High School Football Schedule

Date Aug. 31 Sept. 7 Opponent Meridian @Gorman

Sept. 15 Lake Country (Stwon) Sept. 21 OPEN Sept. 28 @Santo Oct. 5 Oct. 12 Oct. 19 Oct. 26 Nov. 2 Nov. 9 Frost# @Munday* Muenster* @Era* Electra* @Petrolia*

Perrin Pirates PIRATES

Cameron McClendon, senior Ty West and Aguilar. This will be the fourth year Cansler is a starter on defense, Hutton said. He is also our quarterback on the defensive side of the ball. He puts everybody in the right places, and he is going to be where he needs to be every time. Forrest is experienced. He played outside linebacker last year, but we decided to move him in the secondary to safety. We will have two new players at cornerback. Cooper is a returning starter, but he got hurt last year in the sixth game and didnt get to play much in district. River

From page 20

* District Game # Homecoming

will be the other starter, and we have not seen much of him. For the last two years, Perrin was placed in a district with Windthorst and Archer City, a pair of Class A powers. This year the Pirates find themselves in a district with Muenster and Munday, two other Class A successful football programs. The UIL did not do us any favors, Hutton said. Windthorst and Archer City will be down this year, and I would rather be in the district we were in last year. Now we are in a district that was a regional finalist last year (Muenster) and lost to Mart by one point, and they have everybody coming back. And they put us in with Munday, who was in the state cham-

pionship game last year. They lost one kid to graduation, and they are the real deal. Electra and Petrolia are also in it, along with Era. Perrin in playoffs 2008 and 2009. Perrin has qualified for the playoffs just five times in school history, and Hutton, in his ninth year as head coach of the Pirates, was a part of four of those teams, including two as a player. Our kids know what Munday and Muenster have got, Hutton explained. But right now our kids think that they can beat everyone else and reach the playoffs. If we win three district games we are in the playoffs. No question, our goal is to make the playoffs. But that is what our goal is every year. These kids believe they can do it, and I believe in them.

2012 FOOTBALL EDITION MINERAL WELLS INDEX PAGE 22

MWHS trainers

Rams Junior Varsity

Rams Freshmen

COURTESY/ LAURETTA POOLE

2012 FOOTBALL EDITION MINERAL WELLS INDEX PAGE 23

WILDCATS
From page 15
have some guys like that we want to fill in around Masters and Watkins, and Ross Lopez is one I expect good things from. Receiving the ball for Santo will be seniors Corey Steiner and Bryce Partlow, juniors Cotton Edwards, Zarmorris Cannon, Michael Henderson and Wesley Patteson and sophomore Grant Read. In our offense, our wide receivers have to be good blockers, Thornton said. If we have a big (running) play, then there was a wide receiver who threw a great block to benefit the run. We demand more from our receivers than just to catch the ball. Our receivers do need to run great routes and catch the ball, but they also have to be unselfish and be willing to sacrifice some catches to throw some blocks. Colton Edwards is a very smart player, and he is a former quarterback as a younger player so he understands our system. Corey Steiner is a scrappy kid who plays extremely hard. Zarmorris Cannon is a big guy who will be a big target for Zane. The Wildcats will primarily run a

3-3-5 stack defense. Most of our kids on offense will flip over and play defense, Thornton said. We will be in the 3-3-5 stack most of the time, but we will be multiple and show other looks. Harris will be our middle linebacker, and he really has a nose for the football. Seay is another one who will leads us defensively. Nemeth is another good defender, and he played in the secondary last year but we are moving him to linebacker this season. I also feel Cannon has a chance to be a force in the middle at nose tackle. We will be very athletic in the secondary, and we may start a couple of juniors and a couple of sophomores back there. All of our defensive backs have great ball skills, good hands and they will have the ability to pluck the ball out of the air. The strength of our defense is that we are an athletic group that can fly to the football. We have team speed on defense that we really havent had in the past. Thornton said because of last year s success the Mustangs went from a team that hopes it can win to a team that knows it can win. We fought, scraped and clawed our way in (to the playoffs) last year,

and it was great for our program, he said. But we have advanced to the stage to we no longer hope we get in the playoffs, we expect to make the playoffs. And we expect to be a player when we get in. Our kids have got a taste of it, and they expect to be back this year. Top to bottom, there are great coaches and programs in our district, Thornton said. I have coached at Hamilton, so I am familiar with the Goldthwaites, Hicos and San Sabas of the world. We have been in the same district with De Leon for awhile, but I can guarantee those coaches in our district will have their kids ready to play. Anybody can beat anybody in our district. If I had to give you a specific team goal, I would say that we want to practice on Thanksgiving, Thornton said. That means we will have won a first-round playoff game. I dont want to limit us, goal wise, to the second round of the playoffs, but the next step for our program is not only to get in the playoffs, but to win once we are there. If we get to have a Thanksgiving breakfast and practice, that would mean we at least won in the first round.

Santo High School Football Schedule

Date Aug. 31 Sept. 7 Opponent Ranger @Meridian

Sept. 14 @Dublin Sept. 21 Olney Sept. 28 Perrin# Oct. 5 Oct. 12 Oct. 19 Oct. 26 Nov. 2 Nov. 9 @Petrolia Hico* @Goldthwaite* OPEN De Leon* @San Saba*

* District Game # Homecoming

2012 FOOTBALL EDITION MINERAL WELLS INDEX PAGE 24