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| District 4-3A Preview |
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By Christopher Lyke
Texas HS Football Chief Editor
The Lubbock Cooper Pirates seem to be the odds on favorites to take yet another district crown. But as always, when the districts are small, like many of the districts in Class 3A, the chances to pull away from the rest of the competition become rather difficult. The odds-on favorite to challene the Pirates for the district's top spot should be Seminole. But can Brownfield and Levelland make a legitimate push to the top of the district? One thing is for certain, races like what we have in 4-3A are almost always unpredictable when the competition level is rather close on two ends of the stick.
The Pirates in 2006 should have a much improved and more experienced defense that should be strong in the front lines. On the lines, Lubbock Cooper will bring back Nathan Teeter and Gabe Martinez. Teeter will also double as the team's star defensive lineman while T.J. Sheppard and Charles Finch do the same in the backfield. Offensively T.J. Sheppard will be looking to fill in the rushing attack needed to help the Pirates succeed. If the Pirates are able to maintain a strong defensive prescence, then look for them to become a solid playoff team that has the potential to be a sleeper in regional play.
Seminole returns a majority of its offensive starters and returns its leading rusher and passer in Eric Boyd. Boyd rushed for nearly 800 yards and passed for nearly 1,600 yards in 2005. The key will be whether the youth of the frontlines will be ablen to protect Boyd and whether or not Boyd will be able to put up a similar or better performance over last season. If the Indians can grow quickly as a unit and fight off its youth early, some very good things should be in the mix for this group.
The third and final playoff spot will likely come between the Levelland Lobos and Brownfield Cubs. Levelland will play this season with a brand new head coach in Ryan Rhoades, who is taking over for Brad Thiessen, who took the head coaching job at 5A Amarillo High. Offensively, the Lobos have speedy running back Bryce Golightly and wideout Shelton Taft. With an improved running game and receiving core, the Lobos could ultimately become a key sleeper in the district race and player a big spoiler role.
Brownfield will be hanging its hopes on an improved offense with plenty of experience and solid talent. One of the key items to watch out of Kevin Pittman's I formation offense will be the production of running back Greyson Holt. Big things will be on the horizon for Holt if he is able to put up bigger numbers and unite the team as a cohesive unit. On defense, the key player to watch will be DE Josh Burkett, who should become a key in the Cubs chances for a playoff berth. |
| Key Players & Team Information |
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821 |
3-7 |
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Pos |
Name |
Ht |
Wt |
40 |
Yr |
RB |
Bryce Golightly |
5'9 |
165 |
4.4 |
Jr |
QB/DB |
Brian Ashley |
5'10 |
170 |
4.8 |
Sr |
WR |
Shelton Taft |
6'1 |
175 |
4.6 |
Sr |
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|
 |
677 |
7-4 |
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Pos |
Name |
Ht |
Wt |
40 |
Yr |
OL/DL |
Nathan Teeter |
6'4 |
262 |
5.2 |
Sr |
RB/DB |
T.J. Sheppard |
5'10 |
170 |
4.6 |
Sr |
QB/DB |
Charles Finch |
6'2 |
170 |
4.6 |
Sr |
LB |
Julian Carbajal |
5'7 |
192 |
4.8 |
Sr |
LB |
Tim Salazar |
5'7 |
192 |
4.8 |
Sr |
DL |
Tanner Langston |
6'0 |
250 |
5.4 |
Jr |
OL |
Gabe Martinez |
6'1 |
260 |
5.4 |
Jr |
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625 |
5-6 |
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Pos |
Name |
Ht |
Wt |
40 |
Yr |
QB |
Eric Boyd |
6'0 |
160 |
4.6 |
Sr |
LB |
William Brown |
5'11 |
185 |
4.7 |
Sr |
WR/DB |
Corbin McDaniel |
6'0 |
160 |
4.6 |
Jr |
OL/DL |
Brad Moriel |
5'10 |
260 |
5.1 |
Jr |
OL/DL |
Hadley Mann |
6'4 |
250 |
5.3 |
Jr |
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537 |
2-8 |
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Pos |
Name |
Ht |
Wt |
40 |
Yr |
RB |
Greyson Holt |
6'1 |
180 |
-- |
Sr |
TE/P |
Chris Martinez |
6'0 |
180 |
-- |
Sr |
DE |
Josh Burkett |
6'0 |
175 |
-- |
Jr |
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| Projected Finish |
1 |
Lubbock-Cooper |
2 |
Seminole |
3 |
Brownfield |
4 |
Levelland |
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| Pre-Season Awards |
District Darkhorse |
Seminole |
District MVP |
T.J. Sheppard
Lubbock-Cooper |
Offensive MVP |
Eric Boyd
Seminole |
Defensive MVP |
William Brown
Seminole |
Diamond In The Rough |
Greyson Holt
Brownfield |
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| 2005 Records |
| Levelland |
3-7 |
| Lubbock Cooper |
7-4 |
| Seminole |
5-6 |
| Brownfield |
2-8 |
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| Recruiting Key |
| THSF Top 200 Player |
| Top '07 Prospect |
| Top '08 Prospect |
| Top '09 Prospect |
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