2012 Johnson County Football Section

1
Johnson County Football

2012
Special supplement to the Times-Review
A New Era
Burleson Centennial
ready for frst
UIL season
From left, TE Curtis Amos,
Head Coach Kyle Geller
and QB Tanner Hodges.
alvarado burleson centennial godley grandview joshua rio vista
2012 Johnson County Football Page 2 Thursday, August 30, 2012
2
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Johnson County Football 2012
is a publication of the
Cleburne Times-Review
Johnson County Football 2012
Publisher Kay Helms
Managing Editor Dale Gosser
Design/Layout AJ Crisp
Sports Editor AJ Crisp
Contributing Photographers Laura Zamora
Contributing Writers Laura Zamora
Cover Photo AJ Crisp
Advertising Kay Helms, Mgr
Advertising Executives Eric Faught
Sherri Jouet
Tammy Kay
Alyssa Dyer
Graphics/cover Ashley Garey, Mgr
Cleburne Times-Review
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Cleburne, TX 76033
Johnson County Football Index
Page 4-5 Alvarado
Page 6-7 Burleson
Page 8-9 Centennial
Page 10-11 Godley
Page 12-13 Grandview
Page 14-15 Joshua
Page 16-17 Rio Vista
Page 20 Team schedules
2012 Johnson County Football Thursday, August 30, 2012 Page 3
3
The 2011 football season in Johnson
County was one to remember, especially for
the fans of the Alvarado Indians, who made a
run all the way to the Class 3A state champi-
onship game
Despite losing to Chapel Hill, the Indians
gave their fans a season theyd never forget
While its tough to make back-to-back ap-
pearances in the state championship in any
sport at any level, Alvarado is aiming to do
just that, and I wouldnt bet against Coach
Jeff Dixon and the purple and gold
Cleburne rebounded from a 1-9 campaign
in 2010 with a 4-6 mark last year, missing
the playoffs in the fnal week of the regular
season With a new head coach in Jeff Mer-
ket and senior quarterback Quade Coward,
the Jackets expect to end a decade-long
playoff drought in 2012
But the Jackets arent the only team
expecting to still be playing after week 10,
as District 8-4A rivals Burleson, Centennial
and Joshua all have high expectations of their
own
Elks Coach Gary McElroy said that any
season that doesnt end with a playoff berth
is a huge disappointment, and with star run-
ning back Ayinde Alaajiy back for his senior
season, Burleson may be a tough out
The buzz surrounding the Centennial
Spartans is as loud as can be Thats because
this marks the frst season Centennial is play-
ing in an offcial UIL district after playing
an outlaw schedule last year The Spartans
had a successful season last year, and Coach
Kyle Geller hopes to build on that Gellers
expectations are for his Spartans to be in
the playoffs, as well, despite the Centennial
football program still in its infant stages
While Joshua has struggled the past few
seasons, the Owls losing ways are in the
past, said Coach Jerry Bird He said he is as
excited as hes ever been at Joshua, and the
Owls not only look for their frst win in two
years, but once they do get that frst win, they
look to keep the wins coming
Godley and Grandview both look to con-
tinue a high level of regular season success
The Wildcats and Zebras, who have made
the playoffs a combined 12 straight years,
are picked to fnish 1-2 in District 12-2A in
any magazine you pick up Who fnishes 1
and who fnishes 2 is the big question The
two teams square off in week 10, and judging
from their recent success, it could be for the
district championship
For the frst time in four years, Rio Vista
will have a bit of continuity in its program as
Head Coach John Odell returns for a second
straight season after the Eagles went through
four head coaches in four years
It should be an intriguing year, for sure
Football season is fnally here!
A.J. Crisp can be reached at 817-645-2441,
ext. 2334 or sports@trcle.com
A.J. Crisp
Sports Editor
Story lines abound in Johnson County football for 2012
A.J. Crisp/CTR
Will Joshua junior quarterback Garrett Hoffman be able to help snap the Owls 27-game
losing streak and have a successful season?
File photo
After a state championship game appearance in 2011, how far will senior quarterback
Kenny West (18) lead the Alvarado Indians?
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By A.J. Crisp
SPORTS@TRCLE.COM
If the steps that Alvarado has
taken the previous couple of years
are any indication of what to ex-
pect from the Indians this season,
it would appear they are headed to
a state title
Two years ago, the Indians
lost to Henderson in the Class 3A
state quarterfnals, and last year
Alvarado lost to Chapel Hill in
the Class 3A state championship
game Logic would suggest if Al-
varado takes the next step, theyd
be state champions, but head coach
Jeff Dixon realizes that type of suc-
cess doesnt come easy
We wont slide under any-
bodys radar, thats for sure, Dix-
on said Those great programs that
win all the time, they dont always
win with talent, they win with guys
stepping up and flling roles Weve
had some good talent over the last
couple of years that weve lost to
graduation Now its these other
young mens turn to step up and
well see where we are I feel very
confdent that well be just fne
The Indians will be hard-
pressed to fll the void left by
3,000-yard rusher Wayne Onder-
donck, but Alvarado will have a
three-year starter at quarterback in
Kenny West
Were going to certainly ride
his leadership, Dixon said We
lost a really good tailback from a
year ago We relied on Wayne quite
a bit last year Well, were going
to rely on Kenny to do a lot for us
this year other than lead, whether
its throwing the ball or running the
ball, hell be very involved with
the offense
Despite being a run-frst foot-
ball team out of the I-formation,
West threw for 1,800 yards last sea-
son The majority of the offensive
line and tight end corps will return,
which should help West Tight ends
Jake Geeo and Michael Vanderhoff
fgure to be intricate pieces to the
Indians success on offense both
blocking and receiving
We run the football, Dixon
said We focus a lot on tight ends,
and run play-action pass Kenny
threw for a lot of yards last year, so
we do throw the ball Were going
to establish the run frst, and Kenny
manages that very well Well ask
him to throw the football and to run
it, as well Hell be involved quite a
bit this year
Dixon said they will move last
years starting fullback, Lee Hardy,
to the starting running back posi-
tion, and move Hayden Walraven
to fullback
While the offense will focus
on trying to replace Onderdoncks
production, a big area of concern
for Alvarado will be on the defen-
sive side of the ball, which lost the
majority of its starters to gradua-
tion and will be inexperienced
We have a lot of experience on
offense, but not a lot on defense
We are young defensively, Dixon
said Weve got Marcus McNeil,
hes a returning free safety and hes
been on varsity since a freshman
And weve got Marcus Villareal,
whos a senior outside linebacker
Everybody else will be young on
the defense
Dixon said that the secondary,
especially, will be inexperienced
and young, but he expects players
to step up and fll those roles
The goal is to plug players who
have been in the program and let
them step in and play, Dixon said
The Indians went undefeat-
ed until their state title matchup
against Chapel Hill last year, but an
undefeated regular season will be
a tougher task to accomplish this
season as Class 4A powerhouse
Stephenville makes the move down
to Class 3A to join Alvarado and a
tough-nosed Glen Rose team
Stephenville has a great histo-
ry, Dixon said They were a good
4A team, so stepping down certain-
ly brings with it challenges Were
looking forward to it and I can as-
sure you that well go play them
Who knows what will happen, but
were going to get after their tail
By the time we get to Stephen-
ville, hopefully weve built some
confdence and gotten better Cha-
pel Hill and Henderson, they can
play with anybody Its not like
this is our frst time to go against
Indians 2012 path to success presents new challenges
File photo
Alvarado Head Coach Jeff Dixon said he likes playing in December, and he hopes to lead his Indians to a
third straight year of doing just that.
See INDIANS, Page 18
5-ALVARADO
Creating Better Places to Live!
Good
Luck
On Your
Season
Indians!
A Great Place To Work.
www.jameshardie.com
-DPHV+DUGLH
By A.J. Crisp
SPORTS@TRCLE.COM
Alvarados Kenny West
and Marcus McNeil, both se-
niors, will have a combined
seven years of varsity experi-
ence this season
McNeil, who plays safety
full-time and sees some ac-
tion as a running back, has
been a member of the var-
sity Indians since his fresh-
man year West has been the
starting quarterback since his
sophomore season
Im just looking for us to
having a good run with my
fellow seniors, McNeil said
Were hoping some juniors
and sophomores can step up
and help us have the run we
had last year
McNeil has spent his en-
tire life in Alvarado, and said
the majority of his fellow
senior classmates have spent
the most of their lives grow-
ing up in Alvarado, as well,
and they are looking to a spe-
cial season together in their
fnal year as Indians
We grew up together and
have played together forev-
er, he said
Expectations for the In-
dians this season are as high
as seemingly possible after
making an appearance in the
state championship game and
semifnals over the past two
years West said he is used
to the expectations and they
dont bother him
Since I was a sopho-
more, expectations have
been pretty high, West said
And now with the past two
years weve been deep in
the playoffs, expectations
are even higher now The
town is behind us Every-
one expects us to go far The
coaches have our backs and
they expect us to do good
Of course, with us going
to state the year before and
high levels years before, you
start off the year and youre
not as good as you were when
you ended the previous sea-
son, but you know what it
takes to get to that level I
expect, myself, as a leader to
lead everyone and help get
the team to the same level
again
West, McNeil and Alvara-
do Head Coach Jeff Dixon
all echoed the same goal of
making it to the playoffs and
playing into December For
this team, the majority of the
players on the roster wouldnt
know otherwise
Were looking to play
in the postseason, McNeil
said But were also looking
to play for one another and
to play for the man above
Looking to get better each
week and standing together
as a team
With three years of ex-
perience entering his senior
season, McNeil, along with
fellow senior defender, Mar-
cus Villareal, takes on lead-
ership roles on the defense
And West, with two years of
experience entering his senior
season, will lead the offense
I take being a leader very
seriously, West said I have
to as the quarterback of this
team
West is 26-3 during his
tenure as the teams starting
quarterback and passed for
1,590 yards and 20 touch-
downs
Were a run-frst team
and we mainly run the ball
out of the I-formation, West
said Even though were
a running team, when the
coaches call to throw the ball,
I trust the O-line to block and
the receivers to catch the ball,
and I trust myself to make the
right play
Alvarado opens the 2012
season against Bridgeport,
and West thinks itll be a
good matchup
Its a good test to see
where were at, he said
Theyre well-coached
Theyll be a good measuring
stick for us
File photo
Alvarado senior Marcus McNeil (11) has four years of varsity experience and looks to lead
the Indians deep in the playoffs one last year.
Alvarado to rely on seasoned leaders
6-BURLESON
By A.J. Crisp
SPORTS@TRCLE.COM
Playoffs or bust Thats the expectation
set forth by Burlesons new head coach, Gary
McElroy, for every football season
McElroy takes command of the Elks this
year after serving as the offensive coordina-
tor in recent years, as the Elks former head
coach, Jason Tucker, left for a position at
Saginaw Chisholm Trail High School
I fully expect for us to be a playoff team,
McElroy said Thats what were going to
compete for year in and year out, and thats
what motivates me Thats what motivates
our staff, thats what we tell our kids, thats
what were geared for and anything less will
be a disappointment for us The year that we
dont make the playoffs wont be a success-
ful season, it doesnt matter if we fnish 7-3
and miss the playoffs
Burleson went 6-5 in 2011 and lost to
Waco Midway in the frst round Midway ad-
vanced to the Class 4A state championship
game
Perhaps the biggest challenge facing Bur-
leson this year is the Elks return only two
starters from last year: Ayinde Alaajiy on of-
fense and Cameron Chamberlain on defense
The Elks will rely heavily on running
back Alaajiy, who was the district newcomer
of the year last season Alaajiy ran for 1,319
yards and 11 touchdowns as a sophomore
Burleson will have a new signal-caller
this season as former quarterback Barrett
Cain is now at McMurry State Junior Isaiah
Hall will take control of the Elks offense,
and McElroy is confdent in his abilities
Hes a very knowledgeable kid, McEl-
roy said Hes a student of the game He
commands the offense well and hell do fne
this year
I wasnt sure about [his dual-threat abil-
ity] in the beginning, but he did a great
job this summer getting in the weight room
and conditioning his body to where it needs
to be I think he is going to be a dual-threat
quarterback for us Well be able to utilize his
legs as well as his arm
Along with Alaajiy, Chamberlain and
Hall, McElroy said he expects Austin Craw-
ford, Chris Rybka and BJ Mays to step up
and become key contributors for Burleson
Crawford plays right tackle and hes a
great kid, McElroy said Hes big, physi-
cal and smart Hes going to anchor that of-
fensive line Rybka plays defensive end for
us and hes a big, physical, athletic kid Hes
really going to be a force for us defensively
Mays plays corner and wide receiver, and
hes our fastest and most athletic kid on the
team
The Elks, like many teams in Johnson
County, run a multiple-based offense Theyll
use multiple-receiver sets and primarily op-
erate out of the shotgun
On defense, Burleson primarily plays the
3-4
While McElroy has his sights set on the
postseason, he knows that in District 8-4A, it
wont be easy
I think Waco High and Everman are al-
ways in the mix, he said I think you al-
ways have to account for them But its not
a district where the teams are greatly sepa-
rated There are eight teams in district and
its an eight-team race for four spots I would
be hard-pressed to say someones one, two,
three or four Its going to be an eight-team
race
The Elks open their season at 7:30 pm
on Friday at Azle Burlesons home opener is
Sept 7 against Haltom, and the Elks District
8-4A opener is Sept 28 against Everman
A.J. Crisp/CTR
One of the strengths for the Burleson Elks in 2012 will be their play in the trenches, Coach Gary McElroy said.
Expectations always high for new Burleson head coach
By A.J. Crisp
SPORTS@TRCLE.COM
One of the biggest story lines in Dis-
trict 8-4A and Johnson County will be
the birth and evolution of the Burleson
High School Elks versus the Centennial
High School Spartans rivalry
Centennial enters its frst season of
UIL district play in only its third year of
existence, and the February realignment
placed both schools in the same district,
essentially creating a cross-town rival-
ry between two schools less than four
miles apart
Everybody knows that Burleson
High was basically split in half with
the creation of Centennial, said Burle-
son head coach Gary McElroy I think
there are some that feel that Burleson
High has been severely affected by that
Could we use 3,000 kids in school?
Sure, but we have 1,500, and were go-
ing to coach our rears off with those
kids
If BHS and CHS turns out being
a big rivalry, thats awesome Thats
good for the kids from both schools
Thats great for the entire community I
welcome it, and Im sure [Centennial]
Coach [Kyle] Geller does, too
Despite being rivals, the coaches
opinions of the others respective team
are mirror images of one another
I wish Burleson High School noth-
ing but the best, Geller said Ill pull
for them every game until week 10
McElroy echoed Gellers feelings
nearly word-for-word
I hope were both in the playoffs,
McElroy said I have no problem help-
ing him out any way possible and Im
sure he feels the same way Hes a good
man, a good coach and he does a good
job I hope they beat everybody but us
While the excitement level surround-
ing the new rivalry is apparent, Geller
said that Burleson isnt on his mind
Well worry about the Burleson
Elks in [week] 10, Geller said I wish
them nothing but the best up until that
point I know our seniors and their se-
niors want to play each other and have
been waiting for it But if we went 0-9
and beat them to go 1-9, would that be a
good season? It is what it is Its a cross-
town rivalry and its going to be like
that forever We cant worry about that
right now Weve got to worry about En-
nis High School in zero week
The seniors at BHS and CHS shared
a locker room as freshmen before Cen-
tennials frst year in 2010, and both
Geller and McElroy said they realize
that the seniors are looking forward to
fnally playing each other
It ought to be a high-octane game,
McElroy said
The teams square off Nov 9 at BISD
Stadium
7-BURLESON
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A.J. Crisp/CTR
Burleson Coach Gary McElroy is well aware of the impending rivalry between
Burleson High School and Centennial High School.
A rivalry is born
2012 marks frst round of chs versus bhs
Nov. 9, 2012
8-BURLESON
By A.J. Crisp
SPORTS@TRCLE.COM
Burleson Centennial begins its frst sea-
son of UIL district play this year after play-
ing an outlaw schedule last year as the Spar-
tans went 6-3-1 in just its second year of
existence While the program is in its infant
stages, Coach Kyle Geller said he expects
the Spartans to be playoff contenders
A playoff spot gives us extra incentive
and extra motivation, Geller said Weve
been waiting for that for two long years
Also, the level of competition is going to be
a lot stiffer and our kids have to recognize
that I told them the very frst day of prac-
tice, we have to prepare like a championship
team
I told them youve got to watch extra
flm, youve got to know your assignments,
study your scouting reports, and those types
of things That wins games as much as being
out on the practice feld banging against each
other I think weve gotten better in those ar-
eas I think if we try to be our very best every
week, were going to be OK
Despite being in its early stages, the
expectations surrounding the Centennial
Spartans football program are high Many
football fans, including the famous Dave
Campbells Texas Football Magazine peg
the Spartans as a playoff team But Geller
isnt interested in getting worked up in all
of the hype
I tell our kids that the people who make
those predictions are not coaches or havent
ever seen you practice, he said Thats
just for fun Thats for people outside of
the teams that do that I told them Ive been
picked last and fnished frst, and Ive been
picked frst and not fnished frst Again, its
just something people put out there, and its
great for excitement and creates a buzz, and
thats what its for
Geller, who helped build a football pro-
gram earlier in his coaching career, said that
his goals for the team dont only revolve
around wins and losses
I just want to coach a team thats hun-
gry, he said I want to coach a team that
plays together and sticks side by side with
one another Thats it Its not about having
X number of wins We all want to win ev-
ery game Ive coached teams that won a lot
of games and it was just miserable to coach
Ive coached teams that didnt have a lot of
talent that would work together and had a
good attitude, and we won a ton of games
Every coach wants to be the best you can be
Ive talked to different coaches that
have opened new schools, and some of
Spartans aim is high in frst UIL season
See SPARTANS, Page 18
File photo
Centennials team philosophy on defense in 2012 is swarm and punish, and that is how Coach Kyle Geller said his defense will play.
By A.J. Crisp
SPORTS@TRCLE.COM
For the Centennial Spar-
tans to make the playoffs
in their frst season of UIL
district play, they will need
a number of players to step
up and lead the team, on and
off the feld, and Coach Kyle
Geller said that he has players
who fll that role: quarterback
Tanner Hodges and tight end
Curtis Amos
Guys like Tanner are
what motivate me as a coach,
Geller said You want to
coach well for him He cer-
tainly has paid his dues He
deserves success I want him
and all our seniors [to experi-
ence] success Its been a long
road for them They were
0-10 as freshmen It would
be really special for them to
have a successful year after
going 0-10 as freshmen then
two years of non-district
play building a program, this
would be really special It
motivates me
Hodges led the Spartans
to a 6-3-1 record playing an
outlaw schedule last season
He threw for 1,017 yards and
14 touchdowns Six of those
passing touchdowns went to
Amos, who had 301 receiving
yards as a sophomore
I want to show that we
werent as bad as we showed
we were as freshmen, Hodg-
es said regarding the 0-10
record I want to show that
we are good, that were real,
and that were a contender
We want to show that we can
be just as good as anyone else
in our district
Hodges will lead a group
of 26 seniors, the frst senior
class in Centennial history,
and hes looking forward to
establishing a tradition for
younger Spartan football
players to follow
Were trying to set a tra-
dition that we work hard in
practice, that were not going
to be a mediocre [program],
he said Were working to
be a great program and were
looking forward to laying
down a foundation for that
When asked about outside
perception from what others
think of the Spartans entering
their frst season in district
play, Hodges pointed out one
publication in particular that
Centennial is using as moti-
vation
Its kind of good to be the
underdog, he said It moti-
vates us when people doubt
us Were picked to fnish
seventh in the Friday Night
Football magazine, and it
motivates us to prove them
wrong and show them we can
make the playoffs
Geller said he wrote a let-
ter to Tanner during the sum-
mer motivating his quarter-
back, and his expectations of
his signal caller are high
Hes certainly got great
ability, he said Hes got a
bright future ahead of him He
can run Id probably consider
him more of a pro-style type
player But he can pull the
ball down and make some-
thing happen Hes pretty nif-
ty with the ball, but we wont
run him a ton
Tanners a good leader
The best thing about Tan-
ner as far as his leadership
qualities is that hes a shin-
ing example for everybody
He works hard, hes up here
in the offseason throwing on
his own, he gets the receiv-
ers together I dont hear
any negative stuff out of his
9-BURLESON
1 mile west of Hulen Mall, Exit 431,
1 mile south on Bryant Irvin Rd., under
the giant American flag.
1 il t f H l M ll EE iit 431
5000 Bryant Irvin Road Fort Worth, Texas
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File photo
Centennial quarterback Tanner Hodges (18) and running back DeMarcus Williams (22)
hope to lead the Spartans to the playoffs in their first season of UIL district play.
See HODGES, Page 18
Centennial to feature a trio of stars offensively
10-GODLEY
By A.J. Crisp
SPORTS@TRCLE.COM
Godley, like their District 12-2A
rival, Grandview, is in the midst of
a long playoff run The Wildcats are
looking to make the postseason for
the sixth straight season
The Wildcats have experienced
a wealth of success in the regular
season over the past several years,
including a 32-4 record under Head
Coach Randy Brawner the past three
seasons
Weve had a pretty good stretch
of winning, Brawner said
Despite the regular season suc-
cess, which includes high rankings
in numerous state polls, Godley has
had its share of struggles in the play-
offs
We just want to get in [the play-
offs], Brawner said We want to
be one of those three teams in dis-
trict to get in the playoffs Hopefully
once we get in the playoffs, we can
get on a roll and win some games I
dont want to put a specifc number
of wins on the season, but obviously
making the playoffs and making a
run is goal No 1
If Godley does make a playoff
run, itll be with a different version
of Wildcat football compared to its
predecessors Godley has averaged
18 seniors on the team the past three
seasons, but this year the Wildcats
will only have eight seniors
Weve got a real small senior
class this year and we will be pretty
young, Branwer said Almost ev-
ery one of those seniors will be play-
ing, if not on both sides of the ball,
at least one side full-time
We lost 18 seniors from last
year, and a lot of them have went on
to further their career Theyre go-
ing to be tough to replace Probably
the biggest concern coming into this
football season is replacing our skill
kids We lost a lot of good skill kids
from last years team
Replacing talented players due
to graduation is a yearly obstacle
for all high school coaches in every
sport, but Brawner said they have
some talented young players who
will be counted on this year
We have some young guys
moving up from the JV that havent
really been counted on in varsity
situations, and we need them to
perform, Branwer said So thats
going to be the key to the season is
how quickly those younger kids can
come on the scene and make an im-
pact on a Friday night level
While Godley lost a lot of tal-
ent at the skilled positions, Brawner
is confdent in what he has in the
trenches on both sides of the ball
I think weve got a chance to
have a really good offensive line
and defensive line, he said Were
not really deep at any position The
depth at all positions, offense and
defense, is a concern I really think
the strength of our team will be the
offensive and defensive lines
Aside from a lack of senior pres-
ence compared to previous years,
the other glaring difference between
this years team and last years will
be speed or lack thereof
I think what fans are going to
see is that we dont have quite the
explosiveness that weve had in re-
cent years, Brawner said Last
year, we probably had six kids that
ran a 46 [40-yard dash] or better,
and that number will probably be
only one kid this year The overall
team speed will probably be the big-
gest glaring difference between this
years team and last years team
While Godley gives up an
edge in speed, something the team
has counted on for several years,
Brawner said that the Wildcats will
A.J. Crisp/CTR
Left: Ricky Jean will receive the majority of the carries as Godleys starting running back in 2012. Right: Jay Mathis moves under center after play-
ing wide receiver for the Wildcats in 2011.
Young Wildcats look to take Godley over the hump
See GODLEY, Page 18
11-GODLEY
Good
Luck
On Your
Season
Wildcats!
www.jameshardie.com
-DPHV+DUGLH
By A.J. Crisp
SPORTS@TRCLE.COM
When Godley Wildcat fans
go to the season opener on
Friday at Ferris, they will no-
tice a new, but familiar, face
at quarterback That familiar
face would be Jay Mathis,
who played wide receiver last
year
And when Mathis receives
the play calls this year from
the offensive coordinator,
hell be receiving them from
someone hes known his en-
tire life his brother, Billy
Mathis
The bond between Billy
and Jay goes beyond broth-
erhood and that of a typical
quarterback-offensive coordi-
nator relationship Last year
during football season, their
father, Jack Mathis, passed
away
Billys had to have more
input in Jays life due to the
passing of their father, said
Godley Head Coach Randy
Brawner
Its great having my big
brother as a coach, Jay said
Hes a really big infuence on
me He takes a big spot in my
life and he reminds me a lot of
our dad
While the two share that
special bond, Billy said he
has to make sure and treat his
little brother just like the other
players on the team, but hav-
ing that special relationship
does help with their work and
play on the feld
Ive got to make sure
that Im not harder on him
just because he is my brother
since Ive been used to beat-
ing up on him as the little
brother growing up, Billy,
34, said with a laugh But I
have to look at him as one of
our players Hes the same as
all of those guys out there He
listens to me well and does a
good job
We have that brother
bond He trusts me and I trust
him Last year with Rhett
[Brawner], we grew into that
bond because we worked to-
gether every day But with Jay
and I, luckily were brothers
so weve had that bond since
day one Its been a good mesh
between he and I He knows
what I expect and I know what
hes able to do
Changing positions is al-
ways a hard thing to do at any
level, but Jay is ahead of the
game in several areas, includ-
ing some prior experience at
quarterback as he has played
the position before
Hes been doing well,
Billy said Hes still young,
and hes still learning Hes
got a lot of kinks to work out
Overall, hes doing a good job,
though Were working on fx-
ing all of those little things
that you have to fx to be a
good quarterback Hes run-
ning the offense effciently
To be the big-time playmaker
that we need him to be, he still
has some work to do Grow-
ing up, he played quarterback
He played in Pee-Wee and
junior high During his fresh-
men year, he also played quar-
terback Last year he got in at
the end of some games and he
did a good job
While Jay, 17, saw some
snaps at quarterback last sea-
son, he spent the majority of
the year last season catching
passes from Rhett Brawner,
not throwing them But that
experience at wide receiver
should give Jay some help in
his transition back under cen-
ter
Luckily for him, playing
the receiver position last year,
he knows all of the routes, so
thats helped him, Billy said
But still, the speed of the
game at playing quarterback,
and being able to get through
his reads [is new] Hes doing
better at it, but we still have a
lot of work to do Hes doing
a good job of knowing where
people are supposed to be and
putting the ball where its sup-
posed to be
Even with his knowledge
of routes and where the wide
receivers line up, Brawner
said that the quarterback po-
sition is so responsible with
everything offensively, that
it will take some time before
Jay is fully settled into the po-
sition
Hes got to do so much
pre-snap, Brawner said He
didnt have to worry about the
run game at receiver last year,
A.J. Crisp/CTR
Jay Mathis, left, and Billy Mathis, right, share a connection that goes beyond a quarter-
back-offensive coordinator relationship theyre brothers. Godley Head Coach Randy
Brawner is also pictured.
See MATHIS, Page 18
Godleys QB shares special bond with coordinator
12-GRANDVIEW
Go Get 'Em Zebras
You're #1
1828 N. Main
Cleburne, TX
817-202-0430
Mon.- Sat. 8-5
Closed Sun.
Owners
Clark & Tina Russell
Kevin & Susan Childress
By A.J. Crisp
SPORTS@TRCLE.COM
The Grandview Zebras will look to make
an impressive eighth straight trip to the post-
season in 2012, but if it happens, it will come
under new Head Coach Casey Walraven
The Zebras previous head coach, Aubrey
Sims, left Grandview to take the head coach-
ing position at Snyder High School in west
Texas, and Walraven, who had been offensive
coordinator for the past seven years, slides in
as head coach for the black and white
Offensively, theres obviously not going
to be many changes, Walraven said Theres
a few adjustments we need to make for per-
sonnel reasons And defensively, weve kept
our staff intact, so theres not a whole lot of
change there, either But what we do have is
some inexperienced players coming out that
need to gain some experience at the varsity
level
The inexperience Walraven referred to is
one of the biggest hurdles facing the Zebras
this season, especially on the offensive side of
the ball, where Grandview only has two full-
time starters returning from last years team
that went 8-2
We have a couple offensive players that
rotated, but for the most part, we only have
two experienced offensive players returning
from last year, Walraven said On the offen-
sive side, its something we were well aware
of coming into the season We just have to fnd
the strengths we have and go from there
The inexperience is pretty well dispersed
through the entire offense But thats not to say
that they havent been in the system or played
Its just seeing the speed of going from JV to
varsity, it takes a little adjusting They saw
that [in a scrimmage on Aug 16] against Glen
Rose
While the Zebras may be inexperienced of-
fensively, Walraven said that the defense has
plenty of experience and should be fairly stout
this season
Defensively, were ahead of the game, he
said Weve got some experience on that side,
and were progressing at the rate we should
Our linebackers, all three of them, should
be the strength of our defense Youve got
Caleb Armstrong, Caleb Hollingsworth and
Peyton Mayhan All three of those have been
starters the last three years Theyre extremely
experienced Its great to have your lineback-
ers be that experienced
The secondary will need a little work
Theyre a little inexperienced But the D-line,
specifcally Austin Wylie, our defensive end,
is going to be something to watch, too Hes
pretty special
Armstrong, Hollingsworth, Mayhan and
Wylie all earned all-district honors last season
Last season, Grandview lost to Dainger-
feld in the playoffs for the second year in a
row, but despite their lack of success against
the Tigers, Walraven said he would gladly
play them again come playoff time
If we can play Daingerfeld again, wed
be in good shape because thatd be in the state
championship because we got put in different
regions [after realignment], Walraven said
with a laugh Theyre a great team with rich
tradition and history
While Walraven and his Zebras would
A.J. Crisp/CTR
Casey Walraven, right, takes over head coaching duties at Grandview, while quarterback
Ryan Breton, left, looks to build on last years success which earned him district MVP.
Zebras hope experience at QB and defense results in 8th straight postseason
See ZEBRAS, Page 19
13-GRANDVIEW
Best Of
Luck On
Your
Season
Zebras!
www.jameshardie.com
-DPHV+DUGLH
By A.J. Crisp
SPORTS@TRCLE.COM
Leadership is an important
quality in all sports Leader-
ship from coaches, especially
high school football, is ex-
tremely critical But when a
coach can rely on two lead-
ers on the feld in the form of
experienced players, one on
offense and one on defense, it
has the makings for a success-
ful season before the team
even steps on the feld
Ryan Breton and Caleb
Armstrong are defnitely the
leaders of the team, said
Grandview Head Coach
Casey Walraven Those are
the two who lead our offense
and defense, and theyre both
getting looks from colleges
When your leaders are not
only experienced, but also the
best players on the team, its
the best scenario a coach can
dream of
Those two, they know
theyre leaders, Walraven
said They know they can
play They dont need to do
more than were asking them
to do They just need to do
their part and lead in that role
and not put so much pressure
on themselves Theyre going
to make plays
Breton, the Zebras quar-
terback, is the reigning district
MVP, and Armstrong, the Ze-
bras middle linebacker, was
an all-district performer last
season, as well, as he racked
up 115 tackles
Breton threw for 2,238
yards, 24 touchdowns and
only six interceptions with
a QB rating of 135 last year
In the Zebras 49-22 win over
Chilton last season, Breton
threw for 377 yards and fve
touchdowns In Grandviews
35-3 win over Eustace, Bret-
on showed he can run the ball
as well as he can throw it as
he had fve carries for 133
yards and a touchdown
And while hes likely to
play at the next level, he isnt
as concerned about any indi-
vidual goals as he is with what
the team does this season
We want to come out,
win district, go to the playoffs
and make a good run, Breton
said Id like to play at the
next level, but [Im focused]
on just making a good run
Being a leader is some-
thing that Breton takes as se-
rious as his play on the feld,
and with him being an expe-
rienced and successful player
as a senior, the team listens
My job this year is to be
the leader of the offense and
take control, he said I have
a fun side, but when its prac-
tice or game time, I take it se-
riously and make sure every-
body else is there with me
While many young ath-
letes have a professional or
collegiate player they model
their games after or look up
to, Breton said he doesnt
have anyone in mind, but
Walraven compared his quar-
terbacks style of play to the
No 1 overall pick in the 2012
NFL Draft
Id say hes an Andrew
Luck-type of player, Wal-
raven said He can tell the
line what to do, where the re-
ceivers line up He knows ev-
erything And hes deceiving-
ly fast like Luck I think hes
that type of a quarterback
Ryan is going to do well
running and passing Hes go-
ing to be a dual threat Offen-
sively, in the system we have,
it takes a lot of commitment,
a lot of flm study and under-
standing reads
While Breton keeps com-
mand of the offense, Arm-
strong, who led the Zebras
with 115 tackles in 2011,
always keeps the defense in
check
He has to make sure the
defense is lined up in their
correct spots every play or
we have the potential to get
gashed, Walraven said Ca-
leb is going to make a ton of
plays Hes going to be diff-
cult for other teams to block
While Armstrong is the
leader of the defense, he has
two teammates on both sides
that he can depend on in line-
backers Peyton Mahan and
Caleb Hollingsworth All
three starting linebackers
have a combined nine years
of experience
It means a lot to be next
to those guys because we all
have three years of experi-
ence, Armstrong said It
helps because we know what
were doing and weve been
in certain situations so well
know what to do It helps a
lot Im really looking for-
ward to us coming together as
a team on defense
I expect us to do real
good this year At frst we
might have some issues here
and there, but towards the end
of season, well come togeth-
er when it really counts
Armstrong not only leads
by example during games,
practices and in the weight
room, but hes the vocal lead-
er and he makes sure every-
one on defense is being held
accountable, Walraven said
If Armstrong and Breton
see somebody missing or
slacking, theyll take respon-
sibility, Walraven said But
thats not really been a prob-
lem here Ive never seen a
group that dedicated to do the
very best they can do every
day
Ive been working all
summer trying to get peoples
Leading the black and white
A.J. Crisp/CTR
Senior linebacker Caleb Armstrong leads the Zebras with
his actions on and off the field, Grandview Coach Casey
Walraven said.
See BRETON, Page 19
14-JOSHUA
By A.J. Crisp
SPORTS@TRCLE.COM
While the Joshua Owls begin the
2012 season with a 27-game los-
ing streak hanging over their heads,
Coach Jerry Bird said that the losing
streak is in the past, and his teams
expectations for this season are high
I dont think [the losing streak]
is weighing heavy on them because
we dont talk about it, Bird said
We just believe in seizing the day
and making ourselves better every
day When we break that streak, I
think the foodgates will open and
great things will happen They be-
lieve they can win, and were work-
ing towards that
Despite the 2-28 record during
Birds frst three season at Joshua,
he said he absolutely loves being
the Owls head coach and he expects
things to turn around sooner rather
than later
We can only change whats in
the future, he said We teach one
play, one minute at a time, where
you have an opportunity to do some-
thing good If youre always looking
in the past, you cant change the fu-
ture or what youre doing in the mo-
ment In coaching and athletics, you
have your ups and downs, and the
neat thing about is you can build it
up and good things will happen
One of the biggest components
of the Owls hopeful turnaround
season will come in the form of ju-
nior quarterback Garrett Hoffman,
who started as a sophomore last sea-
son and threw for 1,561 yards and
12 touchdowns while rushing for
360 yards and three touchdowns
Offensively, we put a lot of
decision-making on his shoulders
with our running game and pass-
ing game, Bird said I believe that
he has the ability to be great Hes
grown up and matured a lot from his
sophomore year Hes got to learn
how to be a decision-maker, like a
point guard in basketball, and dis-
tribute the ball He doesnt have to
make plays all the time by himself
Hes such a competitor, he wants
to make plays Once he realizes his
job is to distribute the ball and get
everybody involved, and not be so
hard on himself, hes got the ability
to be as good as anyone weve had
here at Joshua
I believe in his ability 100 per-
cent and were going to continue
putting the offensive decisions in his
hand Thats exciting to know that
you have a quarterback who can do
that We believe in our kids and their
ability to make decisions out on the
feld to take advantage of what the
defense gives you
Two critical players joining
Hoffman in the Owls rebuilding
season this year will be KJ Evans
and Devon Scoggins
Both will see time at running
back, and both will lead the defense
The duo combined for nearly 200
tackles last season In the Owls
scrimmage against Red Oak on
Aug 17, Evans was relentless in
pass rushing, where he recorded two
sacks and numerous quarterback
hurries
Colin Radford rounds out the
Owls three-headed monster at run-
ning back He had 330 rushing yards
and three touchdowns to go along
with 17 catches for 227 yards and
one receiving touchdown
Were going to have three or
four of those guys, KJ Evans, Dev-
on Scoggins, and Austin Barna, that
just because of our depth were go-
ing to have to count on both ways,
Bird said Its not what we really
would like to do, but to put our-
selves in a situation where it gives
us a chance to put our best players
on the feld and win, they need to be
there
Bird said the work put in during
the summer has been the best since
hes been in Joshua The Owls also
went 8-3 in 7-on-7 play at the same
league Cleburne participated in at
Fort Worth Nolan
We have high expectations,
Bird said We feel like these kids,
the KJs, the Garrett Hoffmans,
theyve been in our system for three
years now They understand the sys-
tem Were going to take it one game
at a time, but we believe we can
have a great season Im as excited
as Ive been since Ive been here
The Owls open the season at
7:30 pm when they host Fort Worth
South Hills Joshuas District 8-4A
opener is Sept 28 at Waco Univer-
sity
A.J. Crisp/CTR
A host of Joshua defenders tackle a Red Oak player during the Owls scrimmage Aug. 17. Coach Jerry Bird
said he is encouraged with what hes seen out of Joshuas defense.
Owls confdent winless streak will end in 2012
15-JOSHUA
*RRG
/XFN
2Q<RXU
6HDVRQ
www.jameshardie.com
-DPHV+DUGLH
By A.J. Crisp
SPORTS@TRCLE.COM
Losing can weigh on the
best of people Losing 27
in a row and 28 of your 30
games can be devastating
to some, but Joshua head
coach Jerry Bird keeps on
plugging with a positive at-
titude and belief in his Owls
Despite the Owls re-
cent history, Bird believes
Joshua is prime for a great
season
We just have to play as
a team and believe in what
were doing offensively,
he said The thing we talk
about is playing with more
enthusiasm and excitement
Were going to be in better
shape
The energy level sur-
rounding the Joshua foot-
ball program is much higher
than one might envision of
a team thats lost so many
games in a row But at the
Owls scrimmage against
Red Oak on Aug 17, there
was plenty of support in the
stands Attendance at scrim-
mages is usually miniscule,
but nearly half of the home
side of Owl Stadium was
flled with Joshua faithful
Were really pushing
[community involvement],
Bird said Were doing
everything to sell the com-
munity You dont create
a winning program from
just within the athletes or
coaches Its community,
its administration, its par-
ents, and were really push-
ing that Theyre all behind
us and believe in what were
doing, and it makes all the
difference in the world
Were going to turn this
thing around as a commu-
nity Weve worked hard
on creating that community
support, so were excited
about that
Along with the support
from the community, Josh-
uas coaching staff un-
derwent some changes
during the summer,
and Bird is ex-
cited in what
the Owls new
coaches bring to
the table
Weve got
some new staff
members and its really all
gelling together, he said
Weve got a great coach-
ing staff We have
a great group
of kids We
have ab-
s o l u t e l y
no disci-
pline is-
sues, they
do what
we ask They
just need to believe in what
theyre doing and execute it
on the feld, and they have
the ability to do that I be-
lieve were going to get it
done, and once we get it
done, were just going to
keep building on it and
were going to have a great
season, but its going to take
a lot of hard work
Great things are hap-
pening here and weve just
got to turn this thing around,
and I believe it will happen
100 percent
A.J. Crisp/CTR
Coach Jerry Bird, left, is confident in his quarterbacks abilities this year, and with the sup-
port of the Joshua community, he said the Owls will turn the football program around.
Bird optimistic amidst Joshuas hardships
16-RIO VISTA
/WWL
4]KS
7VAW]Z
;MI[WV
-IOTM[
www.jameshardie.com
-DPHV+DUGLH
By Laura Zamora
REPORTER3@TRCLE.COM
The Rio Vista football
team isnt letting last years
one-win season hinder this
years expectations
After an 0-6 district fn-
ish and a 1-9 overall record
in 2011, Coach John Odell is
confdent his team can bounce
back in a new district
This years Division II
6-2A district consists of Rio
Vista, Blooming Grove, Dal-
las Life, Millsap, Corsicana
Mildred, Rice, Scurry-Rosser
and Tolar
In our district as a whole,
were fairly evenly matched,
Odell said One of the big-
gest things we talked about in
our district meeting is the tie-
breaker We have three teams
we get in, and we all have the
ability to beat each other
Corsicana Mildred made it
to the Division II state semif-
nals last season The new dis-
trict has a few familiar faces
for Rio Vista Millsap and To-
lar were in District 4-2A with
the Eagles
Last year was Odells frst
year commanding the Eagles,
who have six returning start-
ers on offense and seven on
defense Prior to his arrival,
the team had four coaches in
four years
Odell said hes hoping his
teams record looks a lot dif-
ferent this year
The frst year is always
the struggle, he said Its
the year where youre get-
ting them to understand what
your system is and how we
do things, how hard we work
We have a good offseason
under our belt now Our ex-
pectations are a lot higher
Theyre a lot higher for me,
theyre a lot higher for the
kids They know the work-
load we have to put in to be
successful now
Having the same coach
for longer than a year makes
a world of difference, Odell
said The team kept the same
fundamentals and philosophy
on how to play and what the
attitude of the team is instead
of dealing with a learning pro-
cess on a daily basis Having
some consistency helps the
team know what to expect
It also gave the Eagles a
more productive offseason,
where the team emphasized
strength
Weve put in a few wrin-
kles that we need to get into
Some pre-district games will
iron those wrinkles out,
Odell said
The team is lacking in
the depth department, which
could be a problem if any key
players get injured throughout
the season
We dont have a lot of
kids playing in different posi-
tions, Odell said We have
to have a little luck and not be
injury-prone this year
But Odell has a roster of
determined players, which is
a key asset and strength this
season
We have kids that want to
win Theyre hungry, Odell
said They havent had a
lot of success in the past, but
theyve put the work in to
hopefully get to a point where
they can be successful
The Eagles are developing
leaders in the 11 senior var-
sity players on this seasons
roster Odell said he expects
them to take on more of a
leadership role after they fn-
ish their scrimmages
Some of those players
Odell expects to be contribu-
tors includes defensive back
Jacob Stanley, lineman Zach
Sanders, quarterback Nick
Russell and tight end and de-
fensive end Chase Hailey
We have a good group
of seniors who are very hard
workers Once we get through
the dog days of two-a-days
and get our legs back under-
neath us, theyll become more
of a vocal group As long as
we get to that and have a little
success while focusing on
what we need to do, our lead-
ers will develop
Rio Vista starts its regular
season schedule off at home
against Itasca on Aug 31 be-
fore kicking off district play
against Millsap on Sept 28
Rio Vista Eagles ready for redemption year
Laura Zamora/CTR
The Rio Vista Eagles enter their second consecutive season under the same coach for the
first time in four years.
17-RIO VISTA
By Laura Zamora
REPORTER3@TRCLE.COM
Before John Odell took the head
coaching job at Rio Vista in 2011, the
Eagles went through three coaching
changes in three years
Last years one-win season showed
the Eagles werent just lacking vic-
tories, but lacking consistency after
struggling to make progress through the
coaching staff shuffe Before Odells
inaugural season, the team went 3-7
under head coach Seth Hobbs, whose
contract was not renewed in early 2011
But Odell didnt go anywhere after his
frst season with the Eagles, giving the
team a chance to make a big impres-
sion in the new and improved Division
II District 6-2A
Rio Vista had fve all-district selec-
tions last year, including linebacker
Jared Wilson and defensive back Jacob
Stanley, who are both seniors this year
Adjusting to a new coach every year
was especially challenging for Wilson,
who is entering his fourth year on var-
sity
It was incredibly frustrating, Wil-
son said This will be the frst time I
get to run the same playbook I havent
been able to run the same one year to
year Weve been going through grow-
ing pains, but were fnally starting
some tradition and starting to get a
foundation built
Odell came in as Wilsons third
coach in three years at the beginning of
last season
I expected [last season] to be re-
ally shaky as far as wins and losses,
but Coach Odell came in and showed
leadership, Wilson said He gave us a
little bit of leeway, but now hes start-
ing to put his foot down and expect a
lot more from us
His arrival as the Eagles new coach
brought a new philosophy and work
ethic to the team He heightened the
level of intensity, Wilson said
Were going at it longer and hard-
er, he said Hopefully that can turn
this team around
Stanley, starting his third year on
varsity, said the teams whole offense
changed when Odell arrived, includ-
ing switching his position from outside
linebacker to cornerback
The team was able to take what
they learned from last years inaugu-
ral season with Odell and work on it in
the spring before starting practice this
August, where Stanley said the team
focused on strength and lifted plenty
of weights Wilson agreed with Odell
when analyzing the amount of progress
theyve been able to accomplish having
the same coach for more than a year for
once
Practices are getting done fast-
er, more effciently, and we feel like
we can actually get a foothold Now
were starting to make gains on other
teams Theyre experienced, but for
as far back as we were, were starting
to make larger gains We may not be
there, but were getting there quick,
Wilson said
Now that the team is able to move
forward instead of being taken back to
square one for another straight season,
Wilson said the expectations have been
raised both within the team and new
district, while he also expects his team-
mates to be more motivated
I feel like we came together as a
team more, Stanley added
The team has a unanimous goal in
mind for this season: to reach the play-
offs
We can win through hard work,
Wilson said Its a game of who
wants it more and were going to show
we want it more
Senior all-district leaders look forward to consistency
Laura Zamora/CTR
Rio Vista looks to rebound from a one-win season in Coach John Odells first
year as the Eagles coach last year.
18
a great team Our kids wont
back down from anyone
While many people ex-
pect Stephenville to roll
through its 3A schedule,
Dixon said theyre not going
to give anyone anything, and
that he expects Glen Rose to
compete at a high level
Glen Rose will battle us
hard, too, he said Theyre
not going to lay down to
Stephenville or us They
think they should be district
champs, too Their kids play
hard and are well-coached
Itll be a battle, too It ought
to be a good district I dont
think anybodys going to
say, Lets let Stephenville
be champions and lets play
for second and third I dont
see that happening
Dixon said hes interested
in seeing how his team per-
forms this year with so many
high expectations on their
shoulders after the success
the program has experienced
recently
I sure do like playing in
December, he said When
you get to December, any-
thing can happen Were
coaching to get back there
Our expectations are high
Alvarado opens the sea-
son at 7:30 pm Friday at
home against Bridgeport
The Indians frst District
7-3A game is Oct 12 at Hill-
sboro
them have had instant suc-
cess and some of them have
struggled for years Hebron
High School [was] 0-10 its
frst year and then won a
state title six years later We
certainly have high expecta-
tions Were not expecting to
go 0-10 But we know who
we are, were the new kids
on the block, and well have
to fght for everything we
get Anyone on our schedule
could beat us Its up to us
to go out there and earn our
success
The Spartans will run
a multiple-based offense
Geller said they may line up
with as many as two running
backs or go with an empty
backfeld depending on per-
sonnel and what the defense
shows Centennial ran the
ball about 60 percent of the
time last year, but Geller
said hed rather it be an even
50-50 pass-run ratio
Defensively, the Spar-
tans motto is swarm and
punish, and thats how
Geller said he expects his
defense to play
Geller spoke with his
team a week into practice
and laid out his team goals
While most coaches and
players are concerned with
wins and losses when setting
team goals, Gellers team
goals were of a different va-
riety
Our team goals are we
have to play with great dis-
cipline, we have to prepare
with maturity, and we want
to be able to stay even-keel,
Geller said Meaning if you
lose a game, you dont fall
apart and if you win a game,
you dont get too high An-
other one of our team goals
is, team above self We
cant worry about our own
individual needs and stats
and numbers If we take
care of those things, then
the season goals of making
the playoffs will take care of
itself
And making the playoffs
is something that Geller and
the Spartans are striving for
after not being able to have
the opportunity to qualify
for the postseason the previ-
ous two years
No 1, I want to be in the
playoffs, he said Since we
opened the school, I told the
kids that in year three, we
really have to hit the ground
running One of our goals is
to make the playoffs One
of our goals is to win the
district championship And
then one of our goals is to
win game 11 You want to
reach those goals and do the
best you can If we hit on all
three of them, Ill be very,
very happy But were just
trying to be the best we can
be
Centennial opens its
season at 7:30 pm Friday
against Ennis at BISD Sta-
dium The Spartans District
8-4A opener is Sept 28 at
Crowley
mouth Hes a great leader by
example, and he talks to the
guys in his own way
As far as what Geller
expects his star tight end,
Amos, to bring to the table,
he said that even before kick-
off, he expects Amos to be an
impact player
I feel like Curtis is going
to be a force, Geller said A
lot of people will just look at
him and say, We got to do
something about this guy be-
cause he can hurt us bad
Curtis has great, great
ability He runs routes well
Hes really turned it on as
far as his blocking Hes got
good speed, hes tall, hes got
great hands and hes a great
blocker Hell be a guy that
gets recruited for sure Cur-
tis is a great leader, too Hes
out there and he busts his tail
every day He holds his team-
mates accountable In a year,
Id say hes matured more
than anybody in our team,
and thats a credit to him and
his family
Amos said he has no per-
sonal goals that hes striving
for this season, other than
what he can do for his team
as a whole
Im just going to give it
my all, Amos said I need
to make sure Im going 110
percent on every play and
never take a play off Im
going to make sure I can do
everything possible to help
us win as many games as
possible
I love playing for Coach
Geller He brings something
new every day He brings us
excitement and something to
live off of
Another player that
Geller, and especially Hodg-
es, will rely on will be junior
running back DeMarcus Wil-
liams, who rushed for 1,677
yards and 25 touchdowns last
season as a sophomore
DeMarcus is as good
of a young back that Ive
coached, and Ive coached
some good ones, Geller
said DeMarcus does some
really nice things with the
ball His hands are good so
we can throw him the ball out
of the backfeld and throw
some screens to him
The thing that DeMarcus
has gotten better at is play-
ing without the football, with
pass protection and fakes
Hes doing a much better job
with those things than he did
as a sophomore, and that will
help the team
be stronger in another area
The fip side of that is
were a bigger team, he said
Our O-line and D-line, and
even my skill-position kids,
are bigger than they were last
year, so well be a bigger and
stronger team, but probably a
little slower
One of the skill-position
players that Brawner lost
from last years team was
his own son and quarterback,
Rhett Brawner Jay Mathis
will take over quarterback
duties after playing wide re-
ceiver last season
Rickey Jean and Taylor
Luce will split carries at run-
ning back while offensive
tackle Blake Washington,
who was voted the district
lineman of the year in 2011,
is expected to be one of the
top linemen in the area
Despite having so many
new pieces to work with,
Brawner said he is confdent
in the system hes established
at Godley to remain an elite
program
We feel real confdent
that weve put the foundation
for what we consider a good
program, so our philosophy
is just to plug new pieces in
where the old pieces left,
he said And we feel like
weve got a program that can
sustain itself by doing that
Obviously we may throw the
ball a little less, we may run
the ball a little more, or we
may run between the tackles
more than we ran outside, but
our scheme lends itself to a
lot of fexibility We believe
we can plug in new parts and
still be successful
While many expect Dis-
trict 12-2A to come down
to fnal week of the regular
season between Godley and
Grandview, Brawner said
that the district has improved
greatly
I think Grandviews al-
ways going to be formida-
ble, he said Theyre well-
coached and they work their
tails off over there
Last year in district play,
Godley had a relatively easy
path to the playoffs But
Brawner doesnt expect that
to be the case this year
I really look for more
parity, he said I think
theres going to be a lot more
closer games this year than
as opposed to years past
Last year, most of our district
wins came by a margin of 40
points and you can say the
same about Grandview This
year, I think the margin will
close down and there will be
a lot tighter games through-
out the district schedule
Godley opens its season
at 7:30 pm Friday at Ferris
The Wildcats home opener
is Sept 7 against Grapevine
Faith, and their District 12-
2A opener is at Maypearl on
Sept 28
INDIANS
cont. from pg. 4
SPARTANS
cont. from pg. 8
HODGES
cont. from pg. 9
GODLEY
cont. from pg. 10
and theres a lot of things in-
side the tackle box that hes
got to be coherent of be-
fore the ball is snapped The
quarterback is the toughest
position to play by far, but I
believe hes done a great job
transitioning
Brawner said that during
the teams scrimmages, Jay
looked good, especially run-
ning the ball, something hes
used to after making defend-
ers miss once he got the ball
in his hands last year
Jay probably had 90
yards rushing on six or sev-
en carries [against Brown-
wood], Brawner said He
made a couple of mistakes
in the passing game that
are very correctable But he
looked good
Jay said that the transition
is going alright, and that
hes looking forward to an-
other successful season, beat-
ing rival Grandview in week
10 and then making a run in
the playoffs
MATHIS
cont. from pg. 11
19
love a trip to the state cham-
pionship, they have to play
the regular season, frst, and
clinch a playoff spot to get
there, and that is something
he is confdent they will do
I expect to be back in the
playoffs, he said The ex-
pectations have been raised
since Ive been here and for
good reason The work has
been put in and confdence
has been gained I think, now,
its just expected, and thats
where you want to get to You
want to be that program thats
consistently doing well, not
just every other year or every
few years I expect more of
the same, but we got a lot of
work to do
While Walraven is looking
forward at the chance of lead-
ing Grandview to the playoffs
for the eighth straight season,
hes also looking forward to
experiencing his frst season
as the man in charge and see-
ing the team he has helped
mold play on the feld
For myself personally,
Im looking forward to get-
ting the experience of a head
coach and seeing all the work
weve put in the offseason
into play and transition that
to the football feld, he said
Being the best team we
can be each week, not worry-
ing about anyone else but us
Weve got to be better each
week, progressively
The Zebras offensive at-
tack will come out of the
spread with multiple forma-
tions Walraven said theres
a lot of options on every play
for the quarterback to sort
though
Most of my learning
came indirectly from [Art]
Briles at Baylor when my
brother played college for
him at Houston, Walraven
said I picked up a bunch of
stuff when he was there, and
Ive kind of added my own
things
As far as potential on the
feld, our running back, Jor-
dan Martinez, has all the po-
tential in the world Hes just
going to have to gain more
experience As far as receiver
and safety, I expect big things
from Colby Lee Up front,
weve got Dusty Holt, our
center, and pretty much the
whole line is going to have to
gain experience
Grandviews margin of
victory last season was close
to 40 points per game in
district play, but Walraven
doesnt expect that to be the
case this year
I think its going to be
the most competitive district
weve had since Ive been
here, he said At times, I
think weve had the percep-
tion of having a weak district
by some But, this year,
across the board, youve got
Whitney, Palmer, Godley,
Clifton Weve been stressing
that every game will be tough
every week, every second of
the game will be crucial Its
going to come down to the
fourth quarter, and we know
that, and thats what we work
for in practice is making sure
we can win that thing at the
end of the fourth
Grandview opens its sea-
son at 7:30 pm Friday at
Paradise The Zebras home
opener is Sept 14 when they
host Eastland Grandviews
District 12-2A opener is Oct
5 against Maypearl
ZEBRAS
cont. from pg. 12
attention and telling them
what to do here and there,
Armstrong said Eventually,
itll all fall into place
When a teams two best
players are also the teams
two leaders, the work ethic
and accountability becomes
contagious, and that is some-
thing Walraven said both
Armstrong and Breton bring
to the team
I expect them to both do
very well, Walraven said
I think with them being the
leaders, itll only help others
around them to do better and
work harder
BRETON
cont. from pg. 13
JOHNSON COUNTY FOOTBALL
District 8-4A
Burleson Elks
Head coach: Gary McElroy
2011 record: 6-5
Centennial Spartans
Head coach: Kyle Geller
2011 record: 6-3-1
Cleburne Yellow Jackets
Head coach: Jef Merket
2011 record: 4-6
Joshua Owls
Head coach: Jerry Bird
2011 record: 0-10
District 7-3A
Alvarado Indians
Head coach: Jef Dixon
2011 record: 14-1
Rio Vista Eagles
Head coach: John Odell
2011 record: 1-9
District 6-2A
District 12-2A
Godley Wildcats
Head coach: Randy Brawner
2011 record: 10-2
Grandview Zebras
Head coach: Casey Walraven
2011 record: 8-2
20
Alvarado 2012 schedule
Date Opponent Time
Aug. 31 Bridgeport 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 8 Mexia at Waxahachie 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 15 at Southwest 10:30 a.m.
Sept. 21 China Springs 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 28 at Waco Connally 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 5 at Decatur 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 12 at Hillsboro* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 19 Stephenville* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 26 at Glen Rose* 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 9 Venus* 7:30 p.m.
*denotes District 7-3A game
Burleson 2012 schedule
Date Opponent Time
Aug. 31 at Azle 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 7 Haltom 7 p.m.
Sept. 14 at Weatherford 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 28 Everman* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 5 at Waco High* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 12 Cleburne* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 19 Crowley* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 26 at Waco Univ.* 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 2 Joshua* 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 9 at Centennial* 7:30 p.m.
Centennial 2012 schedule
Date Opponent Time
Aug. 31 Ennis 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 7 at Lake Ridge 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 14 TC Byron Nelson 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 28 at Crowley* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 5 Waco Univ.* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 12 at Joshua* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 19 at Cleburne* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 26 Everman* 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 2 at Waco High* 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 9 Burleson* 7:30 p.m.
Cleburne 2012 schedule
Date Opponent Time
Aug. 30 at Southwest 7 p.m.
Sept. 7 Weatherford 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 14 Azle 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 28 Waco High* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 5 at Joshua* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 12 at Burleson* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 19 Centennial* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 26 at Crowley* 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 2 Everman* 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 9 at Waco Univ.* 7:30 p.m.
Godley 2012 schedule
Date Opponent Time
Aug. 31 at Ferris 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 7 Grapevine Faith 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 14 at Boyd 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 21 Cisco 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 28 at Maypearl* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 5 Whitney* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 12 at Red Oak Life* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 19 Palmer* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 26 Clifton* 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 9 Grandview* 7:30 p.m.
Grandview 2012 schedule
Date Opponent Time
Aug. 31 at Paradise 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 6 at Lago Vista 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 14 Eastland 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 21 at Lorena 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 5 Maypearl* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 12 at Whitney* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 19 Red Oak Life* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 26 at Palmer* 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 2 Clifton* 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 9 at Godley* 7:30 p.m.
Joshua 2012 schedule
Date Opponent Time
Aug. 31 South Hills 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 7 at Azle 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 13 Paschal 7 p.m.
Sept. 28 at Waco Univ.* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 5 Cleburne* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 12 Centennial* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 19 at Everman* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 26 Waco High* 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 2 at Burleson* 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 9 Crowley* 7:30 p.m.
Rio Vista 2012 schedule
Date Opponent Time
Aug. 31 Itasca 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 7 at Hico 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 14 at Hubbard 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 28 Millsap* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 5 at Mildred* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 12 Rice* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 19 at Dallas Life* 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 26 Scurry-Rosser* 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 2 at Blooming Grove* 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 9 Tolar* 7:30 p.m.
* denotes District 6-2A game

2012 Johnson County Football Section

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