Pigskin Preview 2009 Issue

James Bowie Pirates
Players to Watch
Garrett Kruse Senior OL/DL
Zac Pistolis Soph QB
Colby McCullough Junior RB
Mascot:
Pirates
School Enrollment: 186
Maud Cardinals
No introduction is needed for the Maud Cardinals. The
boys in red have only lost three games the past two
seasons and have walked away with the district 17-1A
title the past two years.
A 12-1 season ended last December with a tough 18-27
loss to Cayuga in the regional finals. Their bruising run
oriented offense led the way racking up thousands of
yards on the ground. The Cardinals of ’09 though will
have to make their mark in the Maud history books a
little differently.
“We’ve had to totally pull out the playbook and put in the
spread attack and we’ll see what that does for us,” says
head coach Josh Finney.
Graduation took some size away from the Cardinals,
the most notable being the loss of the “Maud Squad”
consisting of James Dunbar, Ray Burns, and Bryant
House.
“We lost three not good ones but great ones,” says
Finney, “This season we’ll be more of a finesse team.”
Leading the offensive change will be junior quarterback
Jake McClain who finished up the 2008 season 83-
Union Hill Bulldogs
Head coach John Woodard summed up his 2009 Bulldog
team in three words: bigger, faster, stronger.
“We had a great offseason and our junior class has
stepped up to be great leaders,” says Woodard.
In 2008, the Bulldogs started strong with two straight
wins against Fruitvale and Cumby, but only managed to
put one more “W” on the board for the rest of the season,
beating Detroit 8-0.
A very young team, Woodard believes the 3-7 season
did nothing but help his players.
“Last year’s experience with our youth will help us with
our confidence. We are looking forward to a great
football season,” says the Bulldog coach.
The Bulldogs lost almost no one to graduation and bring
back 23 returning lettermen. Offensively six starters will
resume their roles and on the other side of the ball eight
starters are back, ready to wreak havoc on opponent’s
offenses.
Woodard’s second season at Union Hill looks to be
a promising one. He says now that the players have
gotten adjusted to his veer offense, execution will be
smoother, equaling more points being put on the board.
District 17-1A
Superintendent:
Head Coach
Schedule
Rex Burks
Open
8/29 Carlisle Away 7:30
9/5 Rivercrest Home 7:30
9/12 Alba Golden Home 7:30
9 / 1 9 C u m b y H o m e 7 : 3 0
141 for 1600 yds. This season Finney expects his arm
to get a little more use.
“He’s (Mclain) gonna have 3500 yards by himself,”
Finney estimates.
The new offense does require a new type of player,
one that Maud is blessed with an abundance of this
year.
Finney says this is one of the fastest teams he’s had
and will look to capitalize on it through the new spread
offense.
A team heavy with fifteen seniors, the Cardinals
posess the experience to return to the postseason and
talent wise Finney is confident with the new faces on
the varsity roster.
“We’ve got some JV kids to step up and fill some
shoes,” says Finney.
Players to Watch
Jake McClain Junior QB
Clint Freeman Senior OL
Mascot:
Cardinals
Look to JaQuavian Cummings to carry the ball more
than a few times for the Bulldogs as he finishes up his
high school career.
Players to Watch
Matt Johnson Senior OL/DE
JaQuavion Cummings Senior RB/DB
Mascot:
Bulldog
School Enrollment: 89
Superintendent: Sharon A. Richardson
Head Coach: John Woodard
Returning Offensive Starters 6
Returning Defensive Starters 9
Schedule
8/28 Fruitvale Away 7:30
9/4 Cumby Away 7:30
9/11 Carlisle Home 7:30
9/18 Overton Home 7:30
9/25 Quinlan Bole Home 7:30
9/26 open
10/3 Boles Away 7:30
10/10 Big Sandy* Away 7:30
10/17 Hawkins* Home 7:30
1 0 / 2 4 M a u d * Aw a y 7 : 3 0
10/31 Union Hill* Away 7:30
11/7 Detroit* Home 7:30
*district games
School Enrollment: 144
Superintendent:
Head Coach:
Robert Stinnett
Josh Finney
Returning Offensive Starters 4
Returning Defensive Starters 4
Schedule
8/29 Tenaha Away 7:00
9/4 Waskom Away 7:30
9/11 Open
9/19 Linden Home 7:30
9/26 Cumby Away 7:30
10/3 Ore City Home 7:30
10/10 Hawkins* Away 7:30
10/16 Union Hill* Away 7:30
10/23 James Bowie* Home 7:30
10/30 Detroit* Away 7:30
11/6 Big Sandy* Home 7:30
*district games
10/3 Open
10/9 *Detroit Away 7:30
10/16 *Maud Home 7:30
10/23 *Big Sandy Away 7:30
10/31 *James Bowie Home 7:30
11/6 *Hawkins Away 7:30
*district games
17 1-A Pre-Season
Coaches’ Poll
1. MAUD
2. BIG SANDY
3. JAMES BOWIE
4. HAWKINS
5. UNION HILL
6. DETROIT
Beckville Bearcats
Beckville fell from a playoff team to 1-9 in 2008,
but they hope the experience gained will help them
to bounce right back up into the playoff picture this
season.
“That’s really going to be our strength coming into the
season,” Beckville coach Donald Hubbard said. “We
have so many coming back and even though we took
in on the chin last year, we feel really positive about
this season.”
The Bearcats return eight starters on defense and
seven on offense, and will trust the ball to freshman
quarterback James Donald.
“Donald’s got great arm strength,” Hubbard said, “He
had a great spring and looked good in our 7-on-7
games.”
“He’s a unique freshman. He’s not that big but he’s just
a great athlete. We feel like we can run the ball with
him, he’s a very strong kid and mature for his age.”
Donald will have three returning seniors as weapons
at the skill positions, with running back Rico Marshall
and receivers Steven Robinson and Sam Rutherford
coming back for their final campaigns.
Joaquin Rams
The Joaquin Rams stumbled last year, finishing 4-6
overall. However, all four wins came in the district, which
earned them their seventh straight playoff appearance.
“When I got here in 2002, I looked at the
kids and I couldn’t believe they weren’t winning,”
Joaquin Rams head coach Wayne Gandy said. “They
had forgotten about the winning attitude you have to
have. We taught them how to do things right, and
stressed the details.”
“It’s carried on from that first year.”
The Rams have a lot of returning firepower from last
year’s playoff team, with seven starters on offense and
ten on defense.
“We were young last year, “Gandy said, “but we’ve had
a great offseason. Those guys are ready to go.”
District 19-1A
Reid Kerr - KLTV News
“Big” District Hopes to Make a Bigger Impact In Playoffs This Season
In 2008, the main problem for 19-1A was their playoff draw.
Mt. Enterprise, Tenaha and Joaquin earned playoff spots only to fall to their first round opponents in 20-1A.
This year, the district looks to be even tighter than last season.
“I think it’s a tossup,” Mt. Enterprise coach Louie Johnson said, while new Tenaha coach Terry Ward thinks the competition will be even rougher.
“I think it’ll be a lot better. Mt. Enterprise has two of the best athletes in the district coming back, Gandy’s (Joaquin) always got his kids going, and West
Sabine and Timpson are both going to be stronger. “
Gandy’s Joaquin Rams take the preseason honors in our coaches’ poll as the favorites to return to the playoffs for an eighth straight season.
“Yeah, Joaquin is Joaquin,” Waskom coach Brian Lowe laughs. “They’re always going to be right back where they are.”
“He’s the strongest kid in our program,” Hubbard said
of his tailback Marshall. “He’s very aggressive, and
sees the field well.”
“He’s a power runner, he just loves to run between
the tackles.”
The strength of the Bearcats should be up front, with
four of their five starters returning. Juniors Nolan
Hodges, Dillon Etheridge and Lawrence Mercer will
be joined by sophomore Josh Smiley on the line.
Defensively, the Bearcats will be a quick team that can
cover the field.
“We’re going to have the best speed on defense we’ve
ever had,” Hubbard said. “We felt good about getting
to the ball. Last year we were in our places but we
didn’t tackle very well, so this year we’re working the
basics again to make sure we can take advantage of
that speed.”
Players to Watch
Steven Robinson Senior WR/FS
James Donald Freshman QB/SS
Rico Marshall Senior RB/SS
Sam Rutherford Senior WR/DB
On offense, the Rams will have to replace Dillon
Grafton and Corbin Obregon, two three-year starters on
the line. The Rams return senior running back Jeffery
Rico, an all-district performer with 1500 yards rushing
and 20 touchdowns in 2008. Senior Justin Lewis
was an All-District tight end last season, and center
Jeremy McDaniel has collected back-to-back all-district
honors.
Joaquin’s double wing offense is a unique threat in
East Texas football. The tight formation is almost the
complete opposite of the spread formation many teams
use.
“We love it,” Gandy beams. “The double wing lets us
play smash mouth football and we love it because
everybody else hates it.”
“By the time we show up on someone’s schedule,
they’ve been playing against passing teams. Now,
Mascot:
Enrollment: 150
Superintendent:
Head Coach:
Bearcats
Devin Tate
Donald Hubbard
Returning Offensive Starters 8
Returning Defensive Starters 7
Schedule
8/28 Union Grove Away 7:30
9/4 Cushing Home 7:30
9/11 Ore City Home 7:30
9/18 Sabine Away 7:30
9/25 Tenaha* Home 7:30
10/2 Open
10/10 Joaquin* Away 7:30
10/16 Timpson* Home 7:30
10/23 Waskom* Away 7:30
10/30 West Sabine* Home 7:30
11/6 Mt. Enterprise* Away 7:30
*district games
they’ve got to change their defense to play us. We’re
balanced, so the defenses against us have to be. “
On defense, the Rams return a pair of All-District inside
linebackers in senior Cole Leflett and junior Tyler
McSwain, who was the district’s Freshman-of-the-
Year two seasons ago. They’ll be joined by all-district
outside backer Shane Taylor and defensive end Dustin
Bloodgood.
Players to Watch
Jeffery Rico Senior RB
Justin Lewis Senior TE
Jeremy McDaniel Senior OL
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