By Christopher Lyke
Texas HS Football Chief Editor

The Houston ISD 5A District has had its fair share of success and struggles over the years. In the 2006 season, this district will have plenty of talented players looking to make room for themselves at the next level. A trip to the playoffs would certainly be the crowning jewel for many of the players in this district. At the top, look for Lamar and Madison to challenge for a district title. Right behind them will be Westside, Bellaire and 4A move up Westbury. Overall it should be a very exciting year for the HISD 5A teams on the gridiron.

The Lamar Redskins will be very hungry to not only repeat as a district champion but make even more noise in the playoffs. The return of Detmetrius Woods and Eric Eiland will almost certainly give the offense a much needed boost. Woods, a dual-threat quarterback, managed nealy 1,000 yards in the air while collecting 360 yards on the ground. RB Eric Eiland could be a very good sleeper in the college recruiting picture before the end of the season. With the offense reeling through good success, it will be the defense that shows the path through what the Redskins wish to accomplish. DE Chris Howdeshell and Plasee Conway are just a couple reasons why the Lamar Redskins are a favorite in the district race.

With the buzz on the Lamar Redskins possibly repeating as the district champion, the Madison Marlins will be looking to change that tune rather quickly. A promising defense and very good running game should give the Marlins a solid opportunity to make noise at the top. RB Corey Taylor, a 1,000 yard rusher, will be back in action and looking for even more production. He will be joined by Christian Comeaux, who is a quarterback that has shown plenty of promise. The strength of the Madison Marlins will be on defense and specifically in the linebacking core, where there is plenty of depth and talent. Expect players such as LB Asian Jackson to have a breakout season for the Marlins.

Westbury is moving up from 4A to 5A and with the amount of talent available for the Rebels, the transition should a rather smooth one. The strength of this team will be in the trenches, which should greatly benefit the inexperienced offensive skill players. OL Mickey Okafor and Derrick Zapata should help up front. On the defensive side, Russell Carter returns alongside junior prospect Stephen Triplett. If the defense can handle the 5A level with effectiveness, this team should be a very dangerous squad to deal with through the course of the season.

The Westside Wolves despite losing key components off last year's playoff team, should still be in the hunt for a playoff spot. WR Alonzo Adams and Jordan Johnson are a pair of very dangerrous threats to go deep on opposing defenses and should make junior quarterback Michael Goodnight's job that much easier. On defense the Wolves turn to its top linebacker prospects to grab the headlines. Javun Amao and Cory Houston can practically play anywhere on the field and be a threat. Between the two a total of 118 tackles, three interceptions and eight sacks were recorded.

Bellaire could be the biggest mystery in terms of what they could do from one week to the next. A pair of decent rushers and a dangerous quarterback could make this team a wild card in every sense of the imagination. Quarterback Max Flinn, last year's District MVP, should be as legit a threat as he was in 2005 where he compiled 1,661 yards of offense and 15 touchdowns. One of his key targets in Donovan Estes makes his return for his senior season after a 600 yard reception year. On the defensive side, youth and inexperience will be the focus of the Cardinals to work on the kinks and tweaks. If this team can overcome struggles defensively, then this Cardinal squad should be in for a playoff push.

Chavez, Milby and Houston will all be improved but with the rest of the district bringing enough firepower to compete for a playoff spot, these three will need to turn up their game another notch. Expect one or two of these teams to be a force and at least play a spoiler role.