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| Preview Guide 2007 |
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By Christopher Lyke
Texas HS Football Chief Editor
After a slow start to the 2006 season, the general public began to write off the Corsicana Tigers and a possible playoff bid. But Tigers fought through the tough times of misfortune and found themselves in the playoffs. That is just one of the many surprising storylines of last season. Another key note from last season saw the continued success of the Waxahachie Indians after many began to write them off at the start of the 2006 season. Now its 2007 and Waxahachie and Ennis are the district's co-defending champions. Do the Indians and Lions have enough to make a repeat of the district championship? Can Corsicana make run without the early season jitters? And will any of the district foes outside of the big three make a run at a playof berth? Overall among the coaches within the district, there is uncertainty at the top and in the middle of the pack. With that said, this season could be a very interesting one.
Despite having key losses in key areas of the field, the Waxahachie Indians should be the district favorite. The Indians do return reigning District MVP Boomer Collins at the quarterback postioin. Collins, in the 2006 season, threw for 1,219 yards and nine touchdowns through the air and 1,170 yards on 153 rushes, 12 touchdowns on the ground. Other key offensive players to watch for in Lumpkins Stadium includes WR Ryan Wilson, WR Sam Gagliano, an TE Drew Harrison. If the Indians can shore up the backield and offensive lines, then the Indians could potentially be a team that sees its stock rise late in the year. Defensively, the strength of David Ream's squad should be felt in the linebacking core with Gary Mason, Duke Bohall and Colton Cain coming back. However it will be critical that the defense and linebackers stay healthy to ensure a solid defense of their district crown.
The battle for second place should be a tug of war between the Ennis Lions and Corsicana Tigers. Ennis, which has been a staple in the district playoff picture over the past decade, will have a solid mix of veterans and youth on both sides of the ball for the 2007 season. Offensively, the Lions should see the return of Lee King in the backfield and Sam Chmelar on the line bring some hope. There will be plenty of depth on the receiving end but most of that is inexperienced, but talented sophomores. On the opposite side of the ball, expect Robb Rose and Andy Laza to be the key leaders alongside junior defensive back Deonte McDade. If the Lions intend to make a run at the top of the district, the younger players must be ready to perform under the lights at a solid level.
For Corsicana, the concerns are of similarity to that of the Ennis Lions. A new quarterback in the wings and in key areas of defense are of question. And like that of Ennis, the Tigers do have a solid rusher in the mix named Scotty Bryant. Bryant in 2006, posted similar numbers to that of Ennis Lions RB Lee King with 746 yards and six touchdowns. But the Tigers do have one of the state's top wide receivers in Omarius Hines. Defensively, the strength of the Tigers will be in the defensive back areas with Wylum Bivins and Gary Gibson. In fact the Tigers may have one of the state's top one-two punches at the defensive back position. The key for the Tigers will be to find an identity in the trenches. If the young guys up front, do not step up to plate, it could be a long middle of the season.
If there is any team in the middle of the pack in the district outside of the big three that will be able to make a solid run at a playoff berth, it could very well be the Panthers of Midlothian. Junior quarterback Bryce Petty, with a year under his belt, is expected to show significant improvement amid the return of most of his offensive weaponry and efensive supporting cast. Depth in the backfield and up front in the trenches should give Midlothian a chance to control the clock and grind out the tempo of the games in their favor. On the defensive side, expect UL-Monroe commit Michael Autwell and Kalan Jenkins to be the key leaders and top playmakers. If the Panthers can feed off last season's strong finish and carry that momentum into this season, the Panthers may turn out be one of the state's top surprises.
Lancaster and Arlington Seguin could also play a big role in the district race as spoilers. And like most of the teams in the district, the type of season to expect out of this season's group, is rather mysterious. Look for Jason Callahan of Lancaster and DeAundre Brown of Seguin to be the high impact flavored leaders of their respective teams. |
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1929 |
5-5 |
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Team Radio |
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Pos |
Name |
HT |
WT |
40 |
YR |
WR |
DeAundre Brown |
5'11 |
185 |
--- |
Sr |
OT/DT |
Hector Negrete |
6'3 |
280 |
4.9 |
Sr |
DT |
Frankie Lopez |
5'10 |
240 |
--- |
Sr |
CB |
Junior Osunde |
5'10 |
170 |
--- |
Sr |
DE |
Michael Martin |
6'1 |
200 |
--- |
Jr |
LB |
Tony Barrett |
5'11 |
215 |
--- |
Sr |
LB |
DeKembre Barrett |
6'0 |
190 |
--- |
Sr |
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1911 |
7-4 |
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Team Radio |
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Pos |
Name |
HT |
WT |
40 |
YR |
QB |
Boomer Collins |
6'0 |
191 |
--- |
Sr |
WR |
Sam Gagliano |
5'9 |
157 |
--- |
So |
TE |
Drew Harrison |
6'4 |
250 |
--- |
Jr |
DT |
Tom Flores |
6'0 |
220 |
--- |
Sr |
LB |
Gary Mason |
6'5 |
230 |
--- |
Sr |
LB |
Colton Cain |
6'2 |
230 |
--- |
Jr |
S |
Duke Bohall |
5'11 |
188 |
--- |
Sr |
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1877 |
3-7 |
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Team Radio |
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Pos |
Name |
HT |
WT |
40 |
YR |
QB |
Bryce Petty |
6'3 |
205 |
4.9 |
Jr |
RB |
Caleb McEachern |
5'10 |
195 |
--- |
Sr |
RB |
Greg Mason |
5'10 |
175 |
--- |
So |
FB/TE |
Caleb Russell |
6'3 |
245 |
--- |
Sr |
WR |
Eddie Johnson |
6'2 |
185 |
--- |
Sr |
OT |
Allen Hale |
6'4 |
290 |
--- |
Sr |
OG |
Garrick Smitherman |
6'3 |
300 |
--- |
Sr |
OG |
Clint Mentzel |
6'5 |
285 |
--- |
Sr |
DE/TE |
Michael Autwell |
6'4 |
200 |
--- |
Sr |
DE/TE |
Kalan Jenkins |
6'5 |
215 |
--- |
Sr |
LB |
James Jackson |
5'11 |
200 |
--- |
Sr |
LB |
Cody Coffee |
5'11 |
210 |
--- |
Sr |
LB |
Landon Freeman |
5'11 |
210 |
4.6 |
Jr |
CB |
Dante Floyd |
5'7 |
150 |
--- |
Jr |
S |
Brandon Reichenau |
5'9 |
160 |
--- |
Sr |
K/P |
Vince Frawley |
5'9 |
150 |
--- |
Jr |
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1655.5 |
7-3 |
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Team Radio |
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Pos |
Name |
HT |
WT |
40 |
YR |
RB/DB |
Jason Callahan |
5'11 |
185 |
--- |
Sr |
RB |
Chris Russell |
5'11 |
180 |
--- |
Sr |
RB |
Joshua Hunt |
5'9 |
175 |
--- |
Jr |
WR |
Daniel Skinner |
6'3 |
190 |
--- |
Jr |
DE |
Jonathan Jacobs |
6'0 |
190 |
--- |
Sr |
DE/LB |
Joseph Grisby |
6'4 |
210 |
--- |
Sr |
LB |
Britt Williams |
5'10 |
185 |
--- |
Sr |
CB |
Phillip Harvey |
5'9 |
150 |
--- |
Jr |
S |
Roberto Williams |
5'9 |
170 |
--- |
Sr |
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1636 |
3-7 |
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Team Radio |
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Pos |
Name |
HT |
WT |
40 |
YR |
RB |
Nic Boyd |
5'10 |
175 |
--- |
Jr |
OT |
Jeffrey Wallace |
6'1 |
260 |
--- |
Sr |
DE |
Taylor McCuller |
6'0 |
195 |
--- |
Sr |
LB |
Tim Hooper |
5'8 |
185 |
--- |
Sr |
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1519.5 |
5-6 |
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Team Radio |
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Pos |
Name |
HT |
WT |
40 |
YR |
RB |
Scotty Bryant |
5'10 |
185 |
--- |
Sr |
WR |
Omarius Hines |
6'2 |
190 |
--- |
Sr |
OG |
Andrew Blackwell |
6'5 |
285 |
--- |
Sr |
DT |
Taylor Mario |
5'8 |
205 |
--- |
Sr |
S |
Gary Gibson |
5'9 |
170 |
--- |
Sr |
S |
Wylum Bivins |
5'10 |
200 |
--- |
Sr |
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1504.5 |
7-4 |
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Team Radio |
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Pos |
Name |
HT |
WT |
40 |
YR |
RB/LB |
Lee King |
5'11 |
200 |
--- |
Sr |
WR |
Cortney Brooks |
6'1 |
165 |
--- |
Sr |
WR/LB |
Jason King |
6'0 |
180 |
--- |
So |
WR |
Kyle Guinyard |
6'1 |
180 |
--- |
So |
OT |
Canon Flynt |
6'3 |
250 |
--- |
Sr |
OT |
Sam Chmelar |
6'5 |
340 |
--- |
Sr |
OG |
Micah Kemp |
6'4 |
285 |
--- |
Jr |
C |
Kory Bragg |
6'0 |
200 |
--- |
Sr |
DT |
Jose Sanchez |
6'0 |
235 |
--- |
Sr |
DE |
Robb Rose |
6'2 |
235 |
--- |
Sr |
LB |
Andy Laza |
5'11 |
175 |
--- |
Sr |
DB |
Jason Vavra |
5'10 |
185 |
--- |
So |
DB |
Deonte McDade |
5'10 |
165 |
--- |
Jr |
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| Arlington Seguin Cougars |
Wilemon Stadium
2000 Sam Houston Dr.
Arlington, TX 76014 |
Surface: Grass
Capacity: 8,500 (approx.)
Directions To Stadium |
| Corsicana Tigers |
Tiger Stadium
3701 West Hwy 22
Corsicana, TX 75110 |
Surface: Field Turf
Capacity: 10,000 (est.)
Directions To Stadium |
| Ennis Lions |
Lion Memorial Stadium
1405 W Lake Bardwell Dr.
Ennis, TX 75119 |
Surface: Field Turf
Capacity: 10,000 (est.)
Directions To Stadium |
| Lancaster Tigers |
Tiger Stadium
West Main St & S Stewart Dr.
Lancaster, TX 75134 |
Surface: Artificial Turf
Capacity: 9,800 (est.)
Directions To Stadium |
| Midlothian Panthers |
Midlothian ISD Stadium
1800 S 14th St.
Midlothian, TX 76065 |
Surface: Field Turf
Capacity: 8,176 (approx.)
Directions To Stadium |
| Red Oak Hawks |
Billy Goodloe Stadium
154 Louise Ritter Rd.
Red Oak, TX 75154 |
Surface: Grass
Capacity: 6,000 (est.)
Directions To Stadium |
| Waxahachie Indians |
Lumpkins Stadium
Indian Dr. & Brown St.
Waxahachie, TX 75165 |
Surface: Astro Play
Capacity: 8,000 (est.)
Directions To Stadium |
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Preview Guide Line Up |
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| Projected Finish |
1 |
Waxahachie |
2 |
Ennis |
3 |
Corsicana |
4 |
Midlothian |
5 |
Lancaster |
6 |
Arlington Seguin |
7 |
Red Oak |
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| Pre-Season Awards |
District Darkhorse |
Midlothian |
District MVP |
Boomer Collins
Waxahachie |
Offensive MVP |
Lee King
Ennis |
Defensive MVP
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Wylum Bivins
Corsicana |
Diamond In The Rough |
Landon Freeman
Midlothian |
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| 2006 Records |
| Arl. Seguin |
5-5 |
| Waxahachie |
7-4 |
| Midlothian |
3-7 |
| Lancaster |
7-3 |
| Red Oak |
3-7 |
| Corsicana |
5-6 |
| Ennis |
7-4 |
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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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