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Friday, August 1, 2008
20/20 Vision
Collin County, TX
By: Todd Wills
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Photo(s) By: Kyle Danztler/MyActionPortraits.com
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Who’s going to win state in 2008? VYPE ranks the hottest area public and private school teams.
As we count down the days until the kickoff of the 2008 high school football season, it’s fitting that VYPE High School Sports comes up with its own unique countdown of the top 20 teams capable of making a run at a state title.
Here’s a look at the area public and private school teams ranked in order of the best chance to win a state championship:
No. 20
PARISH EPISCOPAL
Why they’re a team to watch: Few coaches are as good as a motivator as Parish’s Scott Nady. So factor in that the Panthers made it to the regional finals last year – where they lost to Liberty Christian – and that their starting quarterback and running back are returning and Parish will be a formidable opponent in TAPPS Division II. Quarterback Brant Costilla passed for 1,463 yards and 12 touchdowns and will only get better. Meanwhile, running back Trey Morse is a 5-7 workhorse and all he did last year was rush for 1,746 yards and 24 touchdowns. Parish is a rising program under Nady.
No. 19
DALLAS CHRISTIAN
Why they’re a team to watch: Dallas Christian made it to the Division II state title game last year and coach Mike Wheeler has virtually all of its starters back, including quarterback Corey Brooks and running back Garrison Baker. Brooks passed for 2,214 yards and 20 touchdowns last year. Baker had 1,095 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns. The defense is also stacked with defensive back Caleb Withrow, who had seven interceptions last season. Dallas Christian will have enough trouble surviving a district that includes up-and-coming Parish Episcopal and a Prestonwood Christian program due for a turnaround. Survive this district and who knows how tough it will make a team.
No. 18
DUNCANVILLE
Why they’re a team to watch: You might be asking, why Duncanville? In two words, Jeff Dicus. It probably won’t happen this year, but the new Panthers coach will bring Duncanville its first state title since the outstanding 1998 champion coached by the late Bob Alpert. Duncanville has a bunch of starters returning – 16 to be exact – including standout talents like wide receivers Chase Joubert and Jordan Selexman. Add in better team chemistry that Dicus promises, and the fact that this guy beat Highland Park’s Randy Allen in a state championship game at Lake Travis, and the prediction here is that Duncanville will again be the team no one wants to schedule.
No. 17
MANSFIELD TIMBERVIEW
Why they’re a team to watch: If one player is going to lead a team to a state title, it may well be running back Eric Stephens. He is only 5-8 and 175 pounds, but Stephens is a dominant player. He rushed for 1,906 yards and 23 touchdowns last year against 5A opponents, so imagine what he might do in 4A. The same goes for Timberview. Coach Terry Cron’s team went 9-4 last year and advanced to the regional finals and has 14 starters returning. Just getting a chance to see Stephens play once this year is enough to make this a team to watch.
No. 16
ALEDO
Why they’re a team to watch: The Bearcats did lose standout Cole Loftin, who is at SMU now. But they also return seven all-district players from a state semifinalist team, so there is no reason to believe Aledo and coach Tim Buchanan can’t be right back in the picture for a state title. The defense should be a bear, especially in the secondary. Cornerback Joel Hasley returns after 70 tackles and an interception last year. Strong safety Jesse Wright had 102 tackles last season. Aledo should continue its run up top linemen with left tackle Daniel Meyer and right tackle Christian Miller, both of whom weigh in at close to 300 pounds.
No. 15
ARGYLE LIBERY CHRISTIAN
Why they’re a team to watch: The Warriors are stacked with skill players returning from their TAPPS Division II state championship team. Running back Reid Fitzgerald had 2,100 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns and he is back. Wide receiver Adam Smith caught 11 touchdown passes and he is back. Linebacker Bailey Brown will anchor the defense after 112 tackles last season. Liberty Christian did lose an absolute standout in Oklahoma signee Ben Huber, but coach Mark Bowles still has the talent to make this a team to beat once more in TAPPS Division II.
No. 14
CADDO MILLS
Why they’re a team to watch: If ever there was a team to root for, this is it. Caddo Mills has not had a great playoff history, but coach Steve Sumrow and his staff helped turn that around with a regional final appearance last year, where the Foxes lost to eventual state champion Farmersville. The rival Farmers have moved up to Class 3A, so that leaves Caddo Mills as one of the North Texas area’s best hopes for a 2A state championship. Caddo Mills graduated 18 seniors, but there are still good football players left. High on that list is standout running back Nathan Jeffrey, who rushed for 2,239 yards and 37 touchdowns last season.
No. 13
PILOT POINT
Why they’re a team to watch: Pilot Point is out of the long shadow of archrival Celina, making the drop from 3A to 2A, where the Bearcats will be one of the largest schools in the classification. With this comes the pressure of being a state title contender. The Bearcats have several all-district players returning, including running back Cooper Guthrie, wide receiver Jarman Johnson and linebacker Karl Anderson. The quarterback position was unsettled at the end of the spring, so if coach Blake Feldt can find the right guy to lead the offense, they may be celebrating state titles in Pilot Point and Celina.
No. 12
CEDAR HILL
Why they’re a team to watch: This is the darkhorse for 2008. Cedar Hill crushed everyone in 2006 on the way to its first state title. Then the Longhorns went quietly in the night last year with a playoff loss to Southlake Carroll. Cedar Hill will be young this year, but there are athletes everywhere and coach Joey McGuire is a master at figuring where to play people. There is a top veteran – offensive tackle Thomas Ashcraft, who has verbally committed to Texas. Watch for sophomore quarterback Driphus Jackson to take off. He has a talented receiver to work with in Laquan Harper and a top running back in junior Ben Malena. Cedar Hill is the ultimate sleeper pick in 2008.
No. 11
GARLAND NAAMAN FOREST
Why they’re a team to watch: It all starts with Jonathon Miller, one of the top running backs in the state. Miller, who has verbally committed to Oklahoma, was sensational in 2007, rushing for 1,884 yards and 25 touchdowns. Miller can’t do it alone, so what makes Naaman Forest a state title threat? Well, the defense should be improved with safety Terrence Bullit and linebacker Derrick Schkade anchoring the unit. And Miller will have help on offense. The offensive line is solid and wide receiver John Harris caught nine touchdown passes last season. Naaman is a program that is coming on under coach Bill Patterson.
No. 10
SKYLINE
Why they’re a team to watch: Coach Reginald Sample and Skyline offered a glimpse of what could be ahead for the next several years with last year’s trip to the state quarterfinals. Now comes the challenge of replacing five players that signed with Division I-A schools. Don’t feel sorry for Samples, a proven program builder. He has an experience quarterback returning in Javia Hall and a talented running back James White ready for another season. All-district defensive end Arthur Washington had 10 sacks last year. And cornerback Steve Williams runs a 4.4 40 and is a playmaker. Skyline, now DISD’s marquee 5A program, is poised for another deep run in the playoffs.
No. 9
ARLINGTON BOWIE
Why they’re a team to watch: Coach Kenny Perry has 16 starters to replace. That will be tough. At least he has one of his best starters back for his senior season, quarterback Christian Matthews. Matthews is that dual-threat QB who can make everyone around him improve quickly. He passed for 2,806 yards and 26 touchdowns last season. Matthews has some help with returning receiver Trae Hawkins, who caught five touchdowns passes. The question is can Bowie build a championship defense with only two starters returning? It will be up to all-district players like Chris Hank to make that happen.
No. 8
ALLEN
Why they’re a team to watch: No team in the area has more to prove that the Allen Eagles. Last year’s playoff loss to Rowlett was one of the biggest first-round shockers in some time. Just don’t go underestimating what coach Tom Westerberg and his staff can get done. They are really good, and there is tons of talent back. Junior quarterback Matt Brown passed for 2,420 yards in a superb sophomore season that was wrecked by a poor showing in his first playoff game. He will be motivated. And wide receiver Uzoma Nwachkuwu and tailback Jeremiah Willams will more than be able to help Brown forget last year’s nightmare against Rowlett.
No. 7
SOUTHLAKE CARROLL
Why they’re a team to watch: It feels ridiculous putting Carroll this far down in the VYPE Hot 20. But for once, the Dragons have a few things to prove. There’s no questioning that second-year Hal Wasson is a quality coach, but how quickly can he and his staff rebuild the Dragons? It doesn’t matter who Carroll lost (Riley Dodge, Tre’ Newton, Blake Cantu). What matters are the five starters returning and the group of new players who must carry on the Carroll mystique that took a small ding with last year’s 22-21 playoff loss to Abilene added with the regular-season loss to Miami Northwestern. No one will be surprised by another state title.
No. 6
EVERMAN
Why they’re a team to watch: Everman sat around last year as district rivals Stephenville and Aledo got all the press and used that as motivation for a state semifinal run. Everman and underrated coach Dale Keeting will be in the limelight this year. The defense should be terrific with six starters back, including defensive end Keith Rushton, who had nine sacks last season, and linebackers Lee Langston and Devin Woods, who combined for 133 tackles in 2007. Everman also brings back a 1,000-yard rusher, Ryan Smith, and wide receiver Chris Franklin, who was 65 yards shy of a 1,000 yards receiving.
No. 5
CARTER
Why they’re a team to watch: This is a hunch play, but something tells us that Carter is going to be a force to be reckoned with in 4A. Let’s face it, for the longest time Carter avoided the 4A level because it wanted to compete at the state’s highest level. But there is nothing wrong with competing for 4A titles, as Highland Park can testify to. Carter coach Allen Wilson knows what it takes to win titles. He had seven starters back on offense that won three 5A playoff games last year. Quarterback Jarvis Phillips and running back Anthony Miller should provide enough experience and skill to make Carter’s offense difficult to stop. Watch out.
No. 4
CELINA
Why they’re a team to watch: If Celina had any monkey left on their back, the Bobcats lost the last one while picking up their first 3A state championship during a 16-0 run last year. Oh, and it was Celina’s eighth state title. So, can the Bobcats repeat? Celina and coach Butch Ford must replace a lot of starters, especially on the offensive line. There will be a new quarterback, possibly Troy McCartney, an all-district running back last year who had 1,138 yards. It should help that another all-district running back, Charley Waldrep returns after gaining 1,779 yards and scoring 35 touchdowns.
No. 3
HIGHLAND PARK
Why they’re a team to watch: For starters, Highland Park will go for its 700th all-time victory in the opener against Red Oak. Once the Scots get that accomplished, it will be time to focus on another state title. There is still some sting from losing last year’s 4A Division II state title game to Lake Travis, not to mention losing 50 seniors and 19 starters. But reloading is nothing new to the area’s best coach, Randy Allen, and he’ll have another strong group ready to go. The quarterback position is wide open with junior Luke Woodley, sophomore Jake Howeth and senior Dillon Zweifel.
No. 2
PLANO
Why they’re a team to watch: Plano will be scary good on offense with “The Triplets” returning – quarterback Carson Meger, tailback Rex Burkhead and wide receiver Kris Lott. Meger set a school record for passing yards last year, going over 3,000 yards. Lott had over 1,000 yards receiving and nine touchdowns. Burkhead, a.k.a. “Superman,” is the toughest player in the state. He rushed for 29 touchdowns last year. There are two questions for the Wildcats? One, can they find the unsung heroes that were so prominent in last year’s state semifinal run? And needing two yards with two downs for a state title like last year against Trinity, will new coach Jaydon McCullough play it safe or go for the win? Only time will tell.
No. 1
EULESS TRINITY
Why they’re a team to watch: Want to hear something scary? Trinity coach Steve Lineweaver has told people that the Trojans will be improved from last year’s 5A Division I state championship team. Frightful, right? You know the Trojans are going to be stocked full of dominant interior linemen. But they are equally dominant at the skill positions. Quarterback Denarius McGhee is back after showing tremendous poise in the playoffs while throwing 14 touchdown passes. Running back Tray Robinson, who is a sturdy 6-foot, 205 pounds, is ready to break out. And don’t forget about the defensive side where state championship game MVP, linebacker Elikena Fieilo, is back to lead that unit.
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