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| District 3-5A Preview |
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By Christopher Lyke
Texas HS Football Chief Editor
If certain things can be said about the off-season of the Little SWC, there would be several ways of putting it's fate. Dodging the bullet is one of them. With Abilene Cooper having the second lowest enrollment of non-opted up teams in Class 5A, the Little SWC dodged a huge bullet of being merged with the Panhandle-Plains district as it retained its six team status.
In other major off-season news, the Little SWC has two new head coaches joining the battle for the storied District Bell. Mike Spradlin takes over at Abilene Cooper while Odessa promoted Ron King into the head coaching position. And as the old saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. That sentiment will very likely hold itself to be a true statement for the 2006 season.
Looking into the crystal ball for the 2006 edition of the Little SWC, the competition should be fierce and very competitive. It is highly likely that the entire district's playoff picture will come down to the final week of the season. The recent Friday Night Lights movie brought the question to many whether Odessa Permian can find its way back to the State Championship glory it had in the 1970's and 80's. To answer that question, the 2006 edition of the Permian Panther program is definately headed in the right direction towards recapturing the possibility of that return to the top.
As the Panthers seemingly begin to turn the corner, the offense could be the big story of their chances. Permian has the return of quarterback Tate Smith and wide receiver Bront Bird, who also starts at the defensive back position. After a year under Darren Allman's system and a solid group of returnees back into play, Smith himself could be primed for bigger and better things to come if he can keep the focus on the task at hand. Not only could Smith have a breakout season, Bront Bird could also have a huge year as the Panthers go-to wide receiver and defensive back. Joining Bird in the backfield will be an experienced Robert Murray, who will also see action at the running back position. Alex Lujan could be a true sleeper that could potentially make a big impact at the linebacking position. If the Panthers have the wheels going in the right direction, they could be a solid sleeper and darkhorse to not only win the district, but make a deep playoff run as well.
One of the favorites win the District Bell could be the Midland Bulldogs despite returning only one starter from last year's squad. And despite not having a solid quarterback inked into the starting line up, the Bulldogs dual quarterback threat could be a potential to send mixed signals to the opposition, which is what has made Class 4A Waxahachie into a headache to many opponents over the years. The quarterback tandem of Joe Roberson and John Burns could be just what the Bulldogs need to capture the District Bell for the very first time.
In front of Burns and Roberson will be a solid offensive line led by Wade Goode and Forrest Deatherage. And replacing Baron Batch at running back will be no easy task but the transition out of his spotlight could have a transition made easy with the blood lines continuing to bring in the yards. Enter into the picture Baron's brother Brandon, who saw plenty of time as a back up last season. Over on defense, the Bulldogs will have an excellent backfield led by T.J. London and Michael Flores.
The Abilene Eagles look to keep its rein atop the district going, but they will have to do it without the services of Lyle Leong and Taylor Potts. The Eagles will have a superb offensive line to help faze off the inexperience and butterflies early. Not only will the Eagles be looking towards replacing Potts and Leong, they will also be looking towards maintaining a strong defensive prescence. The Abilene quarterback will be Spens Lackey while the new go-to wide out will be Courtney McDow. Defensively, Garrison Hardin returns and will be the key leader up front and Brian Johnston is at defensive back.
If the Eagles have a shot at repeating and keeping the district bell, they must be able to work in the inexperienced skill position players and make sure the defense is up to the standard it has held the last couple years. Steve Warren's Eagles will have a big bullseye on them after winning the District Bell the the last two seasons. They are more than capable of repeating as the champion once again, but five other teams in the district and the Eagle players on the field will have a lot to say on whether Abilene three-peats.
Abilene Cooper, Midland Lee and Odessa should all make the race for the fourth playoff spot extremely interesting. Abilene Cooper will have a brand new coach in Mike Spradlin on the sidelines as Odessa has Ron King stepping in to replace Scott Phillips.
Spradlin's Cooper Cougars may have an excellent chance to open some eyes before it is all said and done. A strong prescence on the line as Nick Castleberry is back on the defensive side and Taylor Insall on the offensive side. The leadership on the line will be there for Cooper and as they say, if you have a good talented line, chances are you will compete. Protecting Zack Stewart at the quarterback position will be the Cougars top priority. If they give Stewart the protection and time he needs, the Cougars could be better than most anticipate.
The Midland Lee Rebels suffered through a gruelling non-district schedule the previous two years and as a result, the Rebels have run out of gas late in the season for a good run in the playoffs. And while they did make the playoffs in their first season under Quisenberry, the shock of the opening round loss to Summit in 2004 is still felt in the stomach of many. If the Rebels are intent on competing for a playoff spot in 2006, junior rusher Jasper McKee and his explosive running game will have to be on top of its game. The Rebels do have a solid defense with Gabe Garcia, Kyle Logsdon and Cody Rogers. If they can improve off last season's performance defensively, the Rebels could be a strong force to be reckond with. However, they are still young on several key areas of the field. Just how hungry the younger players are, will determine the Rebels fate.
Odessa's season could hinder on how deep and skilled the quarterback position is after Mason Munguia suffered a torn ACL in spring ball. Under new head coach Ron King, the Bronchos will be looking to make an appearance in the playoffs after missing it in 2005 with a 7-3 record. Byron Monahan and Darrell Gibbs are two players King and the Bronchos will be looking at to provide solid leadership and guidance in a stacked Little SWC race. |
| Key Players & Team Information |
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4027.9 |
5-5 |
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Pos |
Name |
Ht |
Wt |
40 |
Yr |
QB |
Tate Smith |
6'1 |
190 |
4.7 |
Sr |
WR/DB |
Bront Bird |
6'4 |
190 |
4.6 |
Sr |
RB/LB |
Alex Lujan |
5'9 |
185 |
4.6 |
Jr |
WR/DB |
Robert Murry |
5'9 |
165 |
4.5 |
Sr |
OL |
Stephen Boyles |
6'4 |
260 |
5.1 |
Sr |
RB |
Jarvas Morris |
6'1 |
220 |
4.7 |
Sr |
OL |
Jason Jones |
6'1 |
270 |
5.2 |
Jr |
TE/LB |
Landon Sissell |
6'1 |
185 |
5.0 |
Jr |
WR/DB |
Lavorick Williams |
6'3 |
180 |
4.6 |
Sr |
RB/DB |
Andrew Amoyaw |
5'10 |
180 |
4.6 |
Jr |
WR/DB |
Melvis Pride |
5'10 |
160 |
4.5 |
Jr |
|
|
 |
3916 |
7-3 |
|
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Pos |
Name |
Ht |
Wt |
40 |
Yr |
QB |
Mason Munguia |
6'0 |
175 |
4.8 |
Sr |
WR |
Byron Monahan |
5'11 |
175 |
--- |
Sr |
DL |
Darrell Gibbs |
5'11 |
240 |
5.1 |
Sr |
OL |
John Brightman |
6'7 |
290 |
5.7 |
Sr |
LB |
LaShon Harris |
6'0 |
200 |
5.0 |
Jr |
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2813 |
4-7 |
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Pos |
Name |
Ht |
Wt |
40 |
Yr |
RB |
Jasper McKee |
5'8 |
190 |
--- |
Jr |
LB |
Gabe Garcia |
5'10 |
190 |
--- |
Sr |
DB |
Kyle Logsdon |
6'0 |
178 |
--- |
Jr |
DB |
Cody Rogers |
6'0 |
178 |
--- |
Jr |
WR |
Brandon Edgerton |
6'3 |
175 |
-- |
Sr |
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2741.8 |
10-3 |
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Pos |
Name |
Ht |
Wt |
40 |
Yr |
QB |
Joe Roberson |
6'2 |
190 |
4.7 |
Sr |
QB |
John Burns |
6'1 |
190 |
4.5 |
Sr |
RB |
Brandon Batch |
5'4 |
165 |
4.4 |
Sr |
OL |
Wade Goode |
6'3 |
260 |
5.3 |
Sr |
OL |
Forrest Deatherage |
6'0 |
245 |
5.3 |
Sr |
WR |
Troy Tatum-Carroll |
5'10 |
175 |
4.5 |
Sr |
DB |
T.J. London |
6'1 |
207 |
4.5 |
Sr |
DL |
Nick Neinast |
6'1 |
235 |
5.2 |
Sr |
LB |
Cameron Smith |
5'10 |
210 |
4.6 |
Sr |
DB |
Michael Flores |
6'1 |
185 |
4.6 |
Sr |
|
|
 |
2478 |
12-1 |
|
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Pos |
Name |
Ht |
Wt |
40 |
Yr |
OL |
Kegan Carey |
6'1 |
280 |
--- |
Sr |
OL |
Mitch Harvey |
6'0 |
230 |
--- |
Sr |
OL |
Grant Zeller |
6'2 |
250 |
--- |
Jr |
WR |
Courtney McDow |
5'10 |
165 |
--- |
Jr |
DL |
Garrison Hardin |
6'1 |
220 |
--- |
Sr |
DB |
Brian Johnston |
6'0 |
175 |
--- |
Sr |
DB |
Keith Brown |
5'10 |
165 |
--- |
Sr |
|
|
 |
1989.5 |
4-6 |
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Pos |
Name |
Ht |
Wt |
40 |
Yr |
QB |
Zack Stewart |
6'0 |
185 |
4.7 |
Sr |
OL |
Taylor Insall |
6'4 |
255 |
4.9 |
Sr |
DL |
Nick Castleberry |
6'1 |
255 |
4.9 |
Sr |
RB |
JoJo Jones |
5'9 |
175 |
4.5 |
Jr |
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| Projected Finish |
1 |
Midland |
2 |
Odessa Permian |
3 |
Abilene |
4 |
Abilene Cooper |
5 |
Midland Lee |
6 |
Odessa |
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| Pre-Season Awards |
District Darkhorse |
Odessa Permian |
District MVP |
Bront Bird
Odessa Permian |
Offensive MVP |
Tate Smith
Odessa Permian |
Defensive MVP |
T.J. London
Midland |
Diamond In The Rough |
Nick Castleberry
Abilene Cooper |
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| 2005 Records |
| Odessa Permian |
5-5 |
| Odessa |
7-3 |
| Midland Lee |
4-7 |
| Midland |
10-3 |
| Abilene |
12-1 |
| Abilene Cooper |
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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