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| District 12-5A Preview |
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By Christopher Lyke
Texas HS Football Chief Editor
Unlike last season, the 125 seems to be as competitive as ever with seemingly every team looking to be in the mix of a shot for the playoffs. Mesquite brings back a majority of their squad. Tyler Lee has the pressure off their back. Longview is reloading and have probably learned a valuable lesson on winning. Tyler John Tyler still has plenty of talent waiting to blossom further. North Mesquite has a legit case that the close results of last season did not equal their win-loss status. And Mesquite Horn has a team that is hungry to win now. The competitive balance of the district is so close, that it is not out of the question that we could very possibly see a three-way first place tie to finish the season.
The Mesquite Skeeters will be returning nearly half of their starters on offense and a majority on defense. The Skeeters offensively have some of the best kept secrets in the state for college recruiters with quarterback Kelly Page taking the snaps for his junior season, star wide out and Baylor commit Krys Buerck returning and a key leader up front in the trenches with Jeff Guinn. On the defensive side of the ball, the big strengh of Mesquite can be found at defensive end with Larry Bradford and Corey Eddleman. But the key to the Skeeter success will be out of the defensive backfield where depth is at a good stand.
Tyler Lee, with the weight off their shoulders from last season, should fair much better in 2006 with a solid defense and promising offense. On the offensive side of things, Marcus Jackson takes reigns at quarterback while the Red Raiders bring in Jaz Mitchell to the varsity level at running back. Mitchell, who possesses plenty of speed and style, could easily become a blue chipper before the next season rolls around. But the Red Raiders already have a couple of solid recruits in TE Tyler Fleet and two way starter Jacob Amie. Amie will be spliting his time playing both tight end and defensive end. Speaking of the defense, the Red Raiders could very possibly have one of the top backfields in the state with Tim Hayter and Tekerrian Cuba. This season's Tyler Lee squad will be quicker, more focused and hungrier than ever.
The Longview Lobos will be looking to put the playoff experience of 2005 behind them as they also bring in a new starter at every position of the field. The only two starters back from last tear's squad are Gordon Booker on the offensive line and kicker/punter Zack Decker. Stepping into the shoes left behind by Vondrell McGee at running back will be junior Jazmon Moon. Moon in limited action as McGee's back up, rushed for 165 yards and scored one touchdown. And taking the snaps for the Lobos will be D'Marcus Miles. On the defensive side, look for LB Marcus Davis to have a solid season. Davis, although was not a starter, saw plenty of action and returns as the most experienced player. Although the experience may not be there right away for the Lobos, the speed and skill will be there. Look for this group to get the Lobos back in the playoffs and perform at a much better rate than last season.
Tyler John Tyler lived up to the hype of last season in a certain way. The Lions enjoyed success through most of last season even as they lose their star rusher to injury. RB Kendall Hunter rushed for 800 yards in five games before Leland Malina took over the load rather nicely. With a good offensive line, the Lions just may have the necessary tools to repeat last year's performance. But they will have to find some replacements on the defensive side if they are going to be anywhere close to the 2005 Lions. There is hope with DL Adren Dorsey up front. If the young defense can keep the offense on the field, the Lions should be just fine in terms of getting back into the playoffs.
With that said, the Lions will have their work cut out for them when it comes to competing for the fourth and final playoff spot. North Mesquite and Mesquite Horn should both field fairly better squads this season. The Mustangs of North Mesquite saw five of their six games end within a touchdown, but they would go on to have a district record of 1-5. The offense should be much improved with the return of RB Aaron Williams and a solid offensive line led by Grant Garner. On the defensive side of the ball, look for DB Larry Rosebud and LB LaRon Elmer to take in the leadership role and find some improvement. With an inexperienced front on the defensive side, the Mustangs will have their work cut out for them, but if they can grow cohesively, they should be right there in the end.
Mesquite Horn also will be looking to be much improved over last season's 4-6 squad. With a strong offensive line and a fast, experienced defense, the Jaguars may have enough to pull off more than the spoiler role on the district. If the Jaguars can work on the inexperienced skill set on the offensive side, they will be in good shape. Look for Bruce Hatton, DeMarcus Smith and Chuck Oputa to carry the the offensive production to a maximum. On the defensive side, Tony Watkins and Jody Owens are two players that will be key to the success of Horn's playoff chances. If they can be leaders on the field and keep the Jaguar offense on the field, then there is no reason Horn should not be in the mix. |
| Key Players & Team Information |
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2810 |
4-6 |
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Pos |
Name |
Ht |
Wt |
40 |
Yr |
DB |
Tekerrian Cuba |
6'3 |
190 |
4.5 |
Sr |
TE |
Tyler Fleet |
6'2 |
225 |
4.7 |
Sr |
DB |
Tim Hayter |
6'1 |
180 |
4.4 |
Sr |
WR/DE |
Jacob Amie |
6'4 |
225 |
4.6 |
Sr |
RB |
Jazsman Mitchell |
5'9 |
170 |
4.4 |
So |
QB |
Marcus Jackson |
6'2 |
185 |
4.5 |
Sr |
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2487.5 |
6-5 |
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Pos |
Name |
Ht |
Wt |
40 |
Yr |
WR |
Krys Buerck |
5'10 |
170 |
4.4 |
Sr |
QB |
Kelly Page |
6'3 |
193 |
4.6 |
Jr |
DE |
Larry Bradford |
6'3 |
230 |
5.1 |
Sr |
DB |
Jamaal Washington |
6'0 |
195 |
4.5 |
Sr |
DE |
Corey Eddleman |
6'1 |
230 |
5.0 |
Sr |
OL |
Jeff Guinn |
6'3 |
295 |
5.5 |
Sr |
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2424.5 |
3-7 |
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Pos |
Name |
Ht |
Wt |
40 |
Yr |
OL |
Grant Garner |
6'3 |
265 |
5.3 |
Sr |
RB |
Aaron Williams |
6'3 |
205 |
4.6 |
Sr |
WR |
Colton Morris |
6'0 |
180 |
4.6 |
Sr |
WR |
Darryl Malone |
6'0 |
180 |
4.5 |
Sr |
DB |
Scott Flick |
6'0 |
180 |
4.6 |
Sr |
DB |
Larry Rosebud |
5'10 |
173 |
4.4 |
Sr |
LB |
LaRon Elmer |
5'8 |
170 |
4.4 |
Sr |
LB |
Brandon Noble |
6'0 |
195 |
4.8 |
Sr |
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2217 |
10-1 |
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Pos |
Name |
Ht |
Wt |
40 |
Yr |
QB |
D'Marcus Miles |
5'10 |
170 |
4.8 |
Sr |
RB |
Jazmon Moon |
5'10 |
175 |
4.5 |
Jr |
RB |
Mark Johnson |
5'9 |
170 |
4.6 |
Jr |
OL |
Gordon Booker |
6'0 |
285 |
5.2 |
Sr |
WR |
Travis Brown |
5'10 |
170 |
4.5 |
Jr |
DL |
Brandon Brown |
6'1 |
265 |
4.9 |
Sr |
DE |
Dimitrian Thomas |
6'0 |
200 |
4.9 |
Sr |
LB |
Marcus Davis |
5'10 |
180 |
4.8 |
Sr |
DB |
Michael Harnage |
5'11 |
180 |
4.5 |
Sr |
DB |
Chris Lacy |
5'9 |
155 |
4.4 |
Jr |
K/P |
Zack Decker |
5'11 |
175 |
-- |
Jr |
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 |
2106 |
8-3 |
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Pos |
Name |
Ht |
Wt |
40 |
Yr |
RB |
Kendall Hunter |
5'9 |
180 |
4.4 |
Sr |
RB |
Leland Malina |
6'1 |
215 |
4.5 |
Sr |
OL |
Marquis Franklin |
6'5 |
320 |
5.4 |
Sr |
DL |
Adren Dorsey |
6'3 |
270 |
4.8 |
Jr |
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2055 |
4-6 |
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Pos |
Name |
Ht |
Wt |
40 |
Yr |
OL |
David Dishman |
6'0 |
245 |
5.1 |
Sr |
LB |
Jody Owens |
6'0 |
175 |
4.8 |
Jr |
DL |
Tony Watkins |
5'11 |
240 |
5.2 |
Sr |
RB |
Bruce Hatton |
5'4 |
140 |
4.5 |
Jr |
RB |
Chuck Oputa |
5'9 |
176 |
4.6 |
Sr |
OL |
Gary Green |
6'3 |
230 |
5.2 |
Jr |
QB |
DeMarcus Smith |
5'9 |
170 |
4.6 |
Jr |
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| Projected Finish |
1 |
Mesquite |
2 |
Tyler Lee |
3 |
Longview |
4 |
Tyler John Tyler |
5 |
North Mesquite |
6 |
Mesquite Horn |
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| Pre-Season Awards |
District Darkhorse |
Longview |
District MVP |
Tekerrian Cuba
Tyler Lee |
Offensive MVP |
Krys Buerck
Mesquite |
Defensive MVP |
Marcus Davis
Longview |
Diamond In The Rough |
Tyler Fleet
Tyler Lee |
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| 2005 Records |
| Tyler Lee |
4-6 |
| Mesquite |
6-5 |
| North Mesquite |
3-7 |
| Longview |
10-1 |
| Tyler John Tyler |
8-3 |
| Mesquite Horn |
4-6 |
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| Recruiting Key |
| THSF Top 200 Player |
| Top '07 Prospect |
| Top '08 Prospect |
| Top '09 Prospect |
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