Football Preview 2009 - Wise County Messenger

Wise CountyMessengerThursday, Aug. 27page 44FootballPreview20095-3A District PreviewBurkburnett BulldogsLast year’s record:9-2, 4-1 in districtReturning lettermen: 21Offensive starters: 4Defensive starters: 5The Bulldogs fell a game shy ofwinning a second straight districtchampionship last season, but managedto make it to the state playoffsfor the third time in as many years.Burkburnett has its hands full thisyear if it plans to keep the recentplayoff tradition alive. The group lostall its skill-position players and itshead coach Bill Dalke resigned thissummer to take an assistant job atEnnis.The new coach knows a littlesomething about grooming playersto fills in at the skilled positions.Offensive coordinator Scott Boswellwas promoted to the top job. Hetakes over a 9-2 Bulldog team thathas four starters back on offense.The top players in that unit includelineman Robert Blackmon (6-3, 250) and tight end Jerrod Topte(6-1, 195). Burk will try to rebuildits running game with quarterbackCanon Cornelius (6-0, 185) and runningback James Lorenzo. The deepthreat on the team will be receiverTemi Ogunleye.Defense will be the strength of theteam this year. Five players are backon a unit that allowed less than 12points a game in 2008. The leaderof the pack is nose guard LorenzoBarnes, a 6-foot, 300-pound seniorwho creates a lot of problems for opposingcenters.Another name that will be heardoften this year is linebacker MalachiNaef (6-2, 235), who posted 110tackles last year. The secondary willbe led by cornerbacks Gavin Whittaker,Ben Cahayla and Lorenzo.The defense is quick but undersizedin the backfield. If the Bulldogscan solidify the line around Barnes,they will be a title contender onceagain.Hirschi HuskiesLast year’s record:0-10, 0-5 in districtReturning lettermen: 20Offensive starters: 8Defensive starters: 8There is nothing but good newsfor the Huskies this season becauseafter going 0-10 last season and 1-19 the last two years, the group canonly get better.Even better news for fans is thatthe Huskies bring back eight starterson each side of the ball and alsowill bring in JV players who went 6-4a year ago.The strength of the team is expectedto be the offense where thereis plenty of speed to give defensesmany problems. Leading the groupwill be quarterback Darius Thorton,who racked up 466 yards rushingand 525 passing in part-time worklast year. At 5 foot, 8 inches and 160pounds, the senior is small but thefastest athlete on the team.Hirschi could have the fastest receivingcorps in the district as theyhave a trio that possesses 4.6 speed.The biggest targets are veteran seniorsTevin Edwards (6-3, 185) JaysonScroggins (6-2, 180) along withjunior Damon Ferguson (5-8, 165).In the backfield will be newcomerShane Clement, a 5-8, 175-pound juniorwho has breakaway speed.The biggest concern on offensewill be on the front line where twostarters are gone. Taylor Lee, TerryBradley and Joe Barron are expectedto anchor the group.Defensively, linebacker DevinCriss is the leader of the pack. The 6-1, 210-pound junior led the Huskiesin tackles a year ago and will be thesparkplug of a unit that was shreddedin District 5-3A play in 2008. Thortonwill also split time on defense at cornerbackwhile sophomore defensiveback Anthony Toliver is expected tohelp improve the defense.Just like on offense, Hirschi willhave to improve on the front line ifit expects to compete for one of thethree playoffs spots in district.Iowa Park HawksLast year’s record:1-9, 1-4 in districtReturning lettermen: 16Offensive starters: 8Defensive starters: 8The Hawks steadily improved lastseason and should battle for the thirdplayoff spot this season. After experimentingwith the spread offenseearly last season, coaches scrappedthat idea and went back to a runninggame and it made a difference.One reason Iowa Park could makethe playoffs — or be a spoiler andruin any team’s postseason hopes— is the return of standout runningbackRichard Smoak. The 6-2, 170-pound senior is dangerous when hetakes off with the ball, and there willbe a lot of that again this year afterrushing for 919 yards and nine touchdownslast season.When Smoak does not take theball, it’s likely that junior runningback Eric Stanley will be looking fortouchdowns. The Hawks, who willnot throw the ball much this year,have to find receivers that will keepdefenses honest.Under center for the Hawks will beLee Clubb.The offense will have an experiencedline back which will be ledby senior Justin Thacker (6-1, 270).Juniors Caleb England and Dai Le willalso make room for Smoak to breakthe line of scrimmage.Defense is where the Hawks needto improve the most. They gave upmore than a dozen touchdowns onplays that went for more than 50yards in district play last year. However,with eight starters back, IowaPark has reason to think that theexperience will pay off and lead toat least two more district wins whichcould be enough to get into the playoffs.The strength of the unit is in thesecondary where all the defensivebacks are back in action. StaffordDyer, Kris Tucker and Clubb are theDBs, while the group will also gethelp from veteran linebackers J.D.Cuatt and John Elliott.Iowa Park lost its front line and isusing its two scrimmages to fill thoseGO ! FIGHT ! WIN !Good luck to all teams and fallsports participants.Open 7 days a week2803 S. Hwy. 287Decatur940-627-7179www.thefirehousegym.comspots. If coaches can find three goodones, then the Hawks will put upmore of a fight in 2009.Vernon LionsLast year’s record:6-6, 3-2 in districtReturning lettermen: 16Offensive starters: 5Defensive starters: 5Vernon was responsible for endingDecatur’s six-year playoff run whenit upset the Eagles last year 47-30.The third playoff spot could comedown to the winner of that game thisyear.The Lion defense did not strikefear into any teams as it allowedmore than 400 yards a game. Theunit lost several key players to graduationand will have plenty of workto do to earn a third straight trip tothe playoffs.The defense’s best athletes areJesus Lora (5-7, 175) and JonathanNeuberger (5-11, 185). The linebackerduo combined for 147 tackles in2008, and Lora is the fastest playeron the team with 4.4 40-yard speed.Vernon’s 4-2-5 defense will alsofeature free safety Elton Watson(5-11, 160) and cornerback LouisTubbs (5-10, 170). Just like most ofthe district, the Lions lost most oftheir linemen, and finding the talentto fill those spots will determine howgood this team is.The offense has a little more workto do as it lost all of its skilled players.However, the line could be thebest in the district with all-districtstandouts Adrian Hernandez (senior)and Tate Methvin (junior) returning.The only returning player with extensiveplaying time in the high-profilepositions is tailback Eric Wilson(5--6, 140). The senior, who will takeover for the speedy Craig Whiteside,chalked up 687 yards and seventouchdowns last year.Everything else is up the air forVernon. No decision has been madeon a quarterback and its receivers.PROUDLY SUPPORTINGWISECOUNTYATHLETESFIRST STATEBANKChico201 S. Weatherford940-644-2218Bridgeport1709 9th Street940-683-6300Motor Bank809 WW Ray CircleParadise630 Main St.940-969-2265Runaway Bay258 Hwy. 380 W.940-575-2265