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| District 9-4A Preview |
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By Christopher Lyke
Texas HS Football Chief Editor
Last season in this district the Hebron Hawks grabbed the headlines and grabbed a state championship in the process. The two teams that were on their heels in district play each of the last two seasons are now the favorite favorites with the Hawks moving up to Class 5A. Making the move from different classifications to join the district are The Colony from 5A and Little Elm from 3A. Then a brand new school has surfaced and will be playing varsity football for the first time. Who will come out on top and who will be left out in the cold?
McKinney North may have lost one of its top assistants to McKinney Boyd across town and its star receiver/kicker/punter to graduation. But the Bulldogs should end up as an overwhelming favorite in district play and a potential darkhorse in the regional playoff picture. The return of quarterback Eric Herbel and Chase Barrett are just two of the reasons this squad will be extremely exciting to watch in 2006. Herbel is a quarterback that has all skills needed to be a solid D1 prospect and should be able to back up the 2,100+ yard passing performance in 2005. Herbel's keys to the offense could come off the rushing abilities of the ever-explosive Chase Barrett. In the 2005 season, Barrett rushed for 1,619 yards and found the endzone 24 times. One of Herbel's top targets in the air could come between WR David Douglas and TE Jeff Olsen. Olsen has turned out to become one of the state's top tight end recruits.
Defensively look for the McKinney North Bulldogs to be even better than they were last season. The return of DB Brandon Dunn, DE Ryan Selby-Karney and LB Kenny Alexander gives the Bulldogs excellent size, speed and leadership. If Brandon Dunn has anythin close to a season like he had in 2005 with 100+ tackles, this North defense will be headed in the right direction.
Like that of McKinney North, the Lake Dallas Falcons will be returning a pair of offensive playmakers themselves. A dual-threat quarterback in Chase Baine and a 1,000+ yard rusher in Justin Hill just may be the recipe the Falcons will be cooking up to reach the playoffs again. In 2005, Hill and Baine combined for 1,800+ yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground. With a solid offensive line coming back, the Falcons will be looking to make those numbers even more impressive. On the defensive side, Issac Tauaefa and Colby McQuillan should be the leaders that the Falcons need to make a deep run. Don't be surpised if the Lake Dallas-McKinney North game goes overtime for the district title.
With their move to 4A, the Little Elm Lobos also bring a load of of experience and talent that should have enough in the tank to become an instant playoff contender at the 4A level. Mike Beasley's squad will bring back 19 of 22 starters including his son Cole, who will be a junior, at quarterback. Beasley in 2005 passed for 1,481 yards and rushed for 1,480 yards. His ruunning back Thomas Stauts also gave a balanced performance with 668 yards on the ground and 456 through the air. If this type of production remains the same in the 2006 season with an improved and very solid sized offensive line up front, the Lobos will become a very tough team to solve and stop. Defensively, three guys to be on the look out for will be LB Kyle Wood, LB Albert Marsh and DL Bo Holcomb. And although they are all juniors, the backfield featuring Justin Johnson, Trevante Rhodes and Adrian Patton could be as talented as they can come.
The Colony moves from 5A to 4A and Dan Burk's squad will be looking to find a load of success with the drop and plenty of experience back from last year's squad. On the offensive side of the ball, the headliner should be RB Austin Baker. Baker's speed and rushing style should help the offense on more than a few aspects than you would expect. With the return of a majority of the line including Joey Johnston, the Cougars just might have enough to help turn things around on the scoreboard and in the win column. But a lot of that success on offense will be determined by how much the defense matures and grows. Led by LB Dane Burk, the defense should be much more physical and mentally prepared than they were last season.
Counting Frisco out of the district playoff picture could be a mistake in itself. With half of their starters back from last season's squad, Vance Gibson will be eyeing some improvements. The key for the Raccoons will be to at least stay in the game both offensively and defensively. If they can hang around on the scoreboard, there is a promising future ahead for them. Like Frisco, the McKinney Lions will be hurt with the opening of new schools in the area. If the Lions can make the adjustments with what they have, then they will be playing more than a spolier role.
When you see a new program begin, the instant success doesn't always come right away. For both Frisco Centennial and McKinney Boyd, the success they have will come with a virtue of patience and hope. If the morale stays high on both squads, they will and could become a factor in a very competitive district race. The Boyd Broncos may be starting off with no seniors, but don't expect them to lay down quite that easily. |
| Key Players & Team Information |
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1976.5 |
0-10 |
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Pos |
Name |
Ht |
Wt |
40 |
Yr |
RB |
Austin Baker |
5'9 |
180 |
4.4 |
Sr |
OL |
Joey Johnston |
6'1 |
265 |
5.1 |
Sr |
DL |
Jeremy Wiseman |
6'3 |
240 |
4.8 |
Jr |
DE |
A.J. Guiette |
6'2 |
220 |
4.6 |
Sr |
LB |
Dane Burk |
6'0 |
195 |
4.5 |
Jr |
DB |
Anthony Wise |
6'2 |
185 |
4.5 |
Sr |
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 |
1912.5 |
New |
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|
|
|
Pos |
Name |
Ht |
Wt |
40 |
Yr |
WR/DB |
Jeff Fuller |
6'5 |
210 |
4.5 |
Jr |
RB/DB |
A.J. Jones |
5'10 |
205 |
4.5 |
Jr |
DL/OL |
Norman Seibel |
6'2 |
330 |
5.5 |
Jr |
DL/OL |
Reese Redmond |
6'2 |
210 |
5.2 |
Jr |
RB/DB |
Nate Hill |
5'10 |
175 |
4.6 |
Jr |
TE/DE |
Robert Sparks |
6'4 |
240 |
5.0 |
Jr |
FB/LB |
Jamel Minor |
5'11 |
220 |
4.8 |
Jr |
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1893 |
3-7 |
|
|
|
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Pos |
Name |
Ht |
Wt |
40 |
Yr |
DB/KR |
Eddie Morgan |
6'0 |
180 |
4.5 |
Sr |
DE |
Major McGee |
6'5 |
230 |
4.8 |
Sr |
QB |
Zane Allcorn |
5'11 |
185 |
4.5 |
Sr |
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1754 |
8-4 |
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Pos |
Name |
Ht |
Wt |
40 |
Yr |
QB |
Eric Herbel |
6'3 |
200 |
-- |
Sr |
TE |
Jeff Olsen |
6'5 |
270 |
-- |
Sr |
RB |
Chase Barrett |
5'9 |
190 |
-- |
Sr |
WR |
David Douglas |
6'1 |
170 |
-- |
Jr |
OL |
Dan Holt |
6'5 |
300 |
-- |
Sr |
OL/DL |
Bret Davis |
6'0 |
230 |
-- |
Sr |
DL |
Kurston Williams |
5'11 |
275 |
-- |
Sr |
DE |
Ryan Selby-Karney |
6'3 |
250 |
-- |
Sr |
LB |
Kenny Alexander |
6'4 |
200 |
-- |
Sr |
DB |
Brandon Dunn |
5'10 |
175 |
-- |
Sr |
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1679 |
6-4 |
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Pos |
Name |
Ht |
Wt |
40 |
Yr |
WR/DB |
Denszell Brown |
5'9 |
160 |
-- |
Jr |
OL |
Broc Chalker |
6'2 |
285 |
-- |
Sr |
TE/OL |
Daniel Hale |
6'1 |
245 |
-- |
Sr |
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|
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1659.5 |
2-8 |
|
|
|
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Pos |
Name |
Ht |
Wt |
40 |
Yr |
WR |
Rashid Baker |
6'4 |
200 |
-- |
Sr |
OL |
Tommy Brooker |
5'11 |
260 |
-- |
Sr |
OL |
Collin Wilson |
6'7 |
270 |
-- |
Sr |
DL |
John Burke |
5'10 |
280 |
-- |
Sr |
LB |
Brent Holtrop |
5'11 |
175 |
-- |
Sr |
LB |
Max Marr |
6'0 |
180 |
-- |
Jr |
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1075 |
6-5 |
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Pos |
Name |
Ht |
Wt |
40 |
Yr |
QB |
Chase Baine |
6'0 |
180 |
4.6 |
Sr |
RB |
Justin Hill |
6'0 |
195 |
4.5 |
Sr |
OL |
Gavin Carr |
6'4 |
250 |
5.1 |
Sr |
OL/DL |
Issac Tauaefa |
6'0 |
265 |
5.0 |
Jr |
DE |
Chris LeBlanc |
6'3 |
215 |
4.9 |
Sr |
LB |
Colby McQuillan |
5'10 |
210 |
4.8 |
Sr |
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1029.5 |
8-4 |
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Pos |
Name |
Ht |
Wt |
40 |
Yr |
QB |
Cole Beasley |
5'9 |
160 |
4.6 |
Jr |
RB |
Thomas Stauts |
5'10 |
183 |
4.7 |
Jr |
FB |
Jason Hanson |
5'10 |
206 |
4.9 |
Jr |
WR |
Wesley Story |
5'11 |
183 |
4.7 |
Jr |
OL |
David Rodriguez |
6'5 |
228 |
5.1 |
Sr |
OL |
James DeWitt |
6'3 |
235 |
5.2 |
Sr |
LB |
Tomas Gonzalez |
6'0 |
175 |
5.0 |
So |
DL |
Bo Holcomb |
6'3 |
305 |
5.3 |
Sr |
DB |
Trevante Rhodes |
5'10 |
173 |
4.6 |
Jr |
DB |
Justin Johnson |
5'8 |
160 |
4.6 |
Jr |
DB |
Adrian Patton |
5'10 |
170 |
4.6 |
Jr |
K |
Tony Herrera |
5'8 |
160 |
4.8 |
Jr |
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| Projected Finish |
1 |
McKinney North |
2 |
Lake Dallas |
3 |
Little Elm |
4 |
The Colony |
5 |
Frisco |
6 |
McKinney |
7 |
McKinney Boyd |
8 |
Frisco Centennial |
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| Pre-Season Awards |
District Darkhorse |
Little Elm |
District MVP |
Eric Herbel
McKinney North |
Offensive MVP |
Cole Beasley
Little Elm |
Defensive MVP |
Dane Burk
The Colony |
Diamond In The Rough |
Chase Barrett
McKinney North |
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| 2005 Records |
| The Colony |
0-10 |
| McKinney Boyd |
New |
| McKinney |
3-7 |
| McKinney North |
8-4 |
| Frisco |
6-4 |
| Frisco Centennial |
2-8 |
| Lake Dallas |
6-5 |
| Little Elm |
8-4 |
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| Recruiting Key |
| THSF Top 200 Player |
| Top '07 Prospect |
| Top '08 Prospect |
| Top '09 Prospect |
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