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| Preview Guide 2007 |
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By Christopher Lyke
Texas HS Football Chief Editor
Last year we learned that the Garland Owls were not as invincible as originally thought when it came to district play. Instead of the Owls winning the district, it was the surprise of the Rockwall Yellow Jackets. And despite losing the district title, Garland proved to many that it had one of the best teams in the state with a solid playoff run that ended a goal line stand away from entering into the state championship game. Now the Owls will be looking for revenge on the Yellow Jackets and making a return to the state-semifinals with a different result on the scoreboard. Can Rockwall repeat as the district champ? Can a team such as South Garland, Rowlett or anyone out of the middle of the Garland ISD dogpile make a run and challenge the Owls and Yellow Jackets at the top?
The district favorite should be the Rockwall Yellow Jackets. Despite losing some key talents to graduation, Scott Smith's Yellow Jackets should see much improvement. The return of Braden Smith at quarterback should help smooth things over on the offensive side. Smith's top targets will include WR Michael Patterson, Royce Miller and RB Robert Carter. Carter enters the 2007 season making the move from back up to full time starter. The offensive trenches may be the strength of the Jacket offense outside of Smith's skills at quarterback. Chance Willard and Josh Jagielo will be out to improve their pancake and blocking produucton and expect Jagielo to be a solid prospect playing on Saturdays in the near future. Defensively, Trevor and Aaron Arterburn headline the defensive efforts. The Arterburn brothers will be joined by Ty Duncan and James in the linebacker and defensive backfield while Garrett Henderson supplies the force up front.
Garland over the years has had some superb talent laced them up on the football field and this year having superb talent in an Owl uniform is no different. The strength of the Garland Owls is expected to be the defensive side of the ball, where up front, size and speed is a big advantage for them. With Casey Walker, Joel Wlson in the middle and Chance Aghayere, one of the top recruits in the state, on the end, look for Garland to force the issue and succeed in short yardage and rushing plays. Up the middle and in the backfield, Garland will be counting on Steven Baker, John Lynch and Jacques Caldwell to bring home the bacon. On the other side of the ball, look for Caldwell to be the go-to back alongside A.J. Walker to rack up the yards and give the Owls some scoring punch. If the Owls can find the replaceable parts on offense from last year, look for a team with a district title on its mind.
Third place in the district should end up in the hands of a potential sleeper for the district title if the Owls and Yellow Jackets are caught napping. That sleeper being the South Garland Colonels. The Colonels probably have the most returning talent and depth coming back for the 2007 season. With that said, do not expect the Colonels to have a sub .500 record or wavering in the middle of the pack of this district this season. One of the top quarterbacks in the state, Nick Florence, is back at the helm and is expected to put up far better numbers than the 3,341 total yards he posted last season. Florence will be stocked with plenty of weapons including RB Terry Asante, RB Aventae Mathis, WR Corneilius Wilson and WR Steven Osborne. And Florence isn't the only top recruit on this year's Colonels squad. Joseph Ibiloye is another top notch recruit at linebacker and is expected to make some moves at the safety position for some time. Senior Courtney Osborne will join Ibiloye in the backfield as will some top notch underclassmen such as Austin Moss at linebacker and Jamal White in the backfield. The bottom line on South Garland, if teams get caught napping, the Colonels will and can make them pay. This year's squad could be one of the most dangerous teams to play in all of the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.
Fouth place in the district could come down to North Garland, Rowlett and possibly Namaan Forest. North Garland could be the odds on favorite to grab that fourth place spot. With an experienced offense and an explosive C.J. Cox back in the drivers seat at running back and cornerback, the Raiders could see lots of improvement on the horizon. Although sophomore Patrick Timberlake does not have a wealth of experience, he should begin to find comfort in the role quickly with plenty of weapons of his choosing at the wideout positions as Clinton Akunne, Justin Langrum and Jeremy Franklin man those spots. Timberlake and Cox should also see plenty of protection up front with again, an experienced front line. Jimmy Chase and Ben Beam are expected to improve on the front line paving the way for Cox and Tmberlake to produce their magic. Defensively, the Raiders will be counting on Cox to help Markus Cooley and Matt Ellerbrock. The key for the Raiders as a team would be to avoid the lengthy shootouts, if they can avoid shootouts and make improvement on defense, expect this team to contend.
Rowlett should be a playoff contender despite fielding a mostly young or inexperienced team on the field in 2007 in various key skill areas. Taking over at quarterback for the Eagles is Brandon Loy. Loy, who did see some spot time in the saddle, moves from back up to full time starter and will see some good wide outs to throw at this season. Among the key wide outs, Reed Graham is the one that probably stands out the most. With 54 receptions and nearly 900 yards last season, Graham is likely Loy's top target. The focus of the offense may not be in the skill areas as the line will be starting three juniors. With solid size and talent, the line should fair relatively well, but the younger guys up front will have learn how to adjust to varsity play on a full time basis. The defense will be counting on Micah-el Mumba to provide them the spark in the leadership position. While most of the front line guys are in their senior season, they will need to younger guys in the back to step up a notch or two. This defense does not have a great deal of size or speed, so sticking to the fundamentals of the game should help keep the Eagles right in the thick of things.
Namaan Forest could be the one team that turns some heads and makes some noise in the district race as a contender or possibly a spoiler. With plenty of experience on this year's squad, the Rangers may be ready to surprise a lot of people this season. If Levi Keffer, a dual-threat at the quarterback position, can muster through the grinds of the defenses and improve in passing production, the Rangers may have a chance to compete for fourth. But that also hinges on the promise of an experienced defensive unit chopping thier own licks. Look for Jonathan Jenkins-Dill and Chris Shinnault to be the high impact play makers on defense this season. |
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2714 |
4-7 |
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Team Radio |
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Pos |
Name |
HT |
WT |
40 |
YR |
QB |
Brandon Loy |
6'1 |
180 |
4.5 |
Sr |
WR |
Reed Graham |
6'3 |
175 |
4.5 |
Sr |
WR |
Marquise Goodwin |
5'8 |
155 |
4.4 |
Jr |
TE |
Taylor Jackson |
6'2 |
195 |
4.7 |
Sr |
OL |
Keith Williams |
6'1 |
270 |
5.1 |
Sr |
DT |
Zach Johnson |
5'10 |
210 |
4.9 |
Sr |
DT |
Hendric Chatman |
6'1 |
245 |
5.0 |
Sr |
LB |
Marquale Pierson |
5'8 |
170 |
4.5 |
Jr |
S |
Dexter Imade |
5'11 |
180 |
4.6 |
Jr |
S |
Mica-el Mumba |
5'8 |
160 |
4.5 |
Sr |
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2468 |
8-3 |
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Team Radio |
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Pos |
Name |
HT |
WT |
40 |
YR |
QB |
Braden Smith |
6'1 |
190 |
--- |
Sr |
WR/CB |
Michael Patterson |
6'0 |
170 |
--- |
Sr |
OL |
Josh Jagielo |
6'3 |
290 |
--- |
Sr |
C |
Chance Willard |
6'1 |
270 |
--- |
Sr |
LB |
Aaron Arterburn |
6'2 |
210 |
--- |
Jr |
CB |
Trevor Arterburn |
6'0 |
160 |
--- |
Sr |
K |
Brett David |
5'10 |
155 |
--- |
Sr |
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2404 |
12-3 |
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Team Radio |
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Pos |
Name |
HT |
WT |
40 |
YR |
RB/S |
Jacques Caldwell |
5'9 |
175 |
4.3 |
Sr |
DT |
Casey Walker |
6'1 |
290 |
5.2 |
Sr |
DT |
Joel Wilson |
6'1 |
255 |
5.5 |
Sr |
DE |
Chance Aghayere |
6'4 |
245 |
4.7 |
Sr |
LB |
John Lynch |
5'11 |
180 |
4.8 |
Sr |
LB |
Steven Baker |
5'11 |
190 |
4.5 |
Jr |
CB |
Jarrett Ben |
5'9 |
175 |
4.3 |
Sr |
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2358 |
3-7 |
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Team Radio |
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Pos |
Name |
HT |
WT |
40 |
YR |
QB |
Henry Hunter |
6'0 |
195 |
4.5 |
So |
RB |
Brandon Mondy |
5'10 |
185 |
4.5 |
Sr |
WR |
Troncias Banks |
6'1 |
175 |
4.6 |
Jr |
DT |
Gabe Cruz |
5'10 |
235 |
4.6 |
Jr |
LB |
Joseph Wright |
6'0 |
200 |
4.8 |
Jr |
LB |
Bobby Melton |
5'11 |
205 |
4.6 |
Sr |
FS |
Chevy Bennett |
6'1 |
175 |
4.6 |
So |
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2275.5 |
5-5 |
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Team Radio |
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Pos |
Name |
HT |
WT |
40 |
YR |
QB |
Patrick Timberlake |
6'0 |
190 |
4.7 |
So |
WR |
Justin Langrum |
6'4 |
220 |
4.7 |
Sr |
WR |
Clinton Akunne |
5'11 |
190 |
4.5 |
Sr |
WR |
Jeremy Franklin |
5'11 |
155 |
4.5 |
Sr |
OT/DE |
Jimmy Chase |
6'3 |
260 |
5.0 |
Sr |
OG |
Ben Beam |
6'3 |
310 |
5.0 |
Sr |
OG/DT |
Deon Jones |
6'1 |
280 |
5.4 |
Sr |
LB |
Matt Ellerbrock |
6'1 |
200 |
4.6 |
Sr |
LB |
Marcus Cooley |
5'9 |
210 |
4.6 |
Sr |
RB/CB |
C.J. Cox |
6'0 |
195 |
4.5 |
Sr |
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2267 |
3-7 |
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Team Radio |
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Pos |
Name |
HT |
WT |
40 |
YR |
QB |
Levi Keffer |
6'2 |
175 |
--- |
Sr |
RB |
Jonathan Miller |
6'0 |
180 |
--- |
Jr |
WR |
Derrick Osborn |
5'10 |
155 |
--- |
Jr |
DT |
Jonathan Jenkins-Dill |
6'2 |
265 |
--- |
Sr |
LB |
Sheridan Avant |
5'10 |
175 |
--- |
Sr |
S |
Chris Shinnault |
6'2 |
175 |
--- |
Sr |
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2175 |
1-9 |
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Team Radio |
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Pos |
Name |
HT |
WT |
40 |
YR |
QB |
Cameron Brewer |
6'4 |
180 |
4.8 |
Jr |
RB |
Vance Thomas |
5'8 |
160 |
4.5 |
Jr |
RB |
Anthony Maddox |
5'9 |
185 |
4.5 |
Sr |
OL |
Kadeem Moss |
6'2 |
298 |
5.5 |
Sr |
OL |
Xavier Pete |
6'4 |
331 |
5.7 |
Sr |
DB |
Corrigan Powell |
5'11 |
170 |
4.6 |
Sr |
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2140 |
4-7 |
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Team Radio |
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Pos |
Name |
HT |
WT |
40 |
YR |
QB |
Nick Florence |
6'2 |
175 |
4.6 |
Sr |
WR |
Cornelius Wilson |
6'0 |
190 |
4.5 |
Sr |
WR |
Steven Osborne |
6'5 |
195 |
4.5 |
Sr |
LB |
Joseph Ibiloye |
6'4 |
200 |
4.5 |
Sr |
LB |
Austin Moss |
6'2 |
215 |
4.7 |
Jr |
DB |
Jamal White |
5'11 |
175 |
4.4 |
Jr |
DB |
Courtney Osborne |
6'4 |
185 |
4.5 |
Sr |
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| Garland Owls |
Williams Stadium
720 Stadium Dr.
Garland, TX 75040 |
Surface: Artificial Turf
Capacity: 15,000 (approx.)
Directions To Stadium |
| Lakeview Centennial Patriots |
Homer B. Johnson Stadium
1209 E. Centerville Rd.
Garland, TX 75041 |
Surface: Artificial Turf
Capacity: 15,000 (approx.)
Directions To Stadium |
| Naaman Forest Rangers |
Williams Stadium
720 Stadium Dr.
Garland, TX 75040 |
Surface: Artificial Turf
Capacity: 15,000 (approx.)
Directions To Stadium |
| North Garland Raiders |
Homer B. Johnson Stadium
1209 E. Centerville Rd.
Garland, TX 75041 |
Surface: Artificial Turf
Capacity: 15,000 (approx.)
Directions To Stadium |
| Rockwall Yellowjackets |
Wilkerson-Sanders Stadium
1435 T.L. Townsend Dr.
Rockwall, TX 75087 |
Surface: Artificial Turf
Capacity: 8,500 (approx.)
Directions To Stadium |
| Rowlett Eagles |
Williams Stadium
720 Stadium Dr.
Garland, TX 75040 |
Surface: Artificial Turf
Capacity: 15,000 (approx.)
Directions To Stadium |
| Sachse Mustangs |
Homer B. Johnson Stadium
1209 E. Centerville Rd.
Garland, TX 75041 |
Surface: Artificial Turf
Capacity: 15,000 (approx.)
Directions To Stadium |
| South Garland Colonels |
Homer B. Johnson Stadium
1209 E. Centerville Rd.
Garland, TX 75041 |
Surface: Artificial Turf
Capacity: 15,000 (approx.)
Directions To Stadium |
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Preview Guide Line Up |
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| Projected Finish |
1 |
Rockwall |
2 |
Garland |
3 |
South Garland |
4 |
North Garland |
5 |
Rowlett |
6 |
Namaan Forest |
7 |
Sachse |
8 |
Lakeview Cent. |
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| Pre-Season Awards |
District Darkhorse |
South Garland |
District MVP |
Nick Florence
South Garland |
Offensive MVP |
Braden Smith
Rockwall |
Defensive MVP
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Chance Aghayere
Garland |
Diamond In The Rough |
Reed Graham
Rowlett |
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| 2006 Records |
| Rowlett |
4-7 |
| Rockwall |
8-3 |
| Garland |
12-3 |
| Sachse |
3-7 |
| North Garland |
5-5 |
| Namaan Forest |
3-7 |
| Lakeview Cent |
1-9 |
| South Garland |
4-7 |
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| Recruiting Key |
THSF Top 200 Player |
Top 2008 Prospect |
Top 2009 Prospect |
Top 2010 Prospect |
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| Preview Sponsor |
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