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Friday, August 29, 2008
What's Up With Wills: Southlake Should Fear Plano West
Collin County, TX
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By: Todd Wills
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Photo(s) By: Alex Lee
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Why Southlake Carroll Should Fear Plano West
Plano West has made the playoffs three of four years. The Wolves have one of the state's best players, defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat.
And the Wolves were rewarded for these things by being picked sixth in District 8-5A in Dave Campbell's Texas Football.
If you think that head coach Mike Hughes and his staff and players don't care, you're wrong. They are motivated by seeing stuff like this.
Most of these polls are based on coaches' district picks on questionnaires they turn in to various publications.
"I see it but I can't control it," Hughes said. "But I have too many things to stay on top of."
Hughes did note that in the Wolves' best season in 2004, when they went 10-2 and won their only playoff game, they were also picked around
sixth in district.
But Hughes is also a realist, and it's what makes him so interesting as a coach. He doesn't "beat around the bush." He knows that Plano West
deserves its status as an underachiever with one playoff win in school history. Just like the Wolves' baseball program did before winning a
state title last spring.
"Obviously we don't like it and we're trying to earn people's respect," Hughes said. "But we've got to win a big game. We have to win big."
Plano West has a chance to do just that at 4:30 p.m. Saturday in the Tom Landry Classic when the Wolves open up their season against the
state's baddest boy on the block, Southlake Carroll.
It doesn't matter that Carroll's championship run ended last season. This is a huge game for Plano West against a big-time program.
"If we win this game, it will be a big statement for us," Hughes said. "It will be the signature win we've been trying to get for this program
to take us to the next level."
Hughes has the personnel to get this done. Why people underestimate these Wolves is a total mystery to me.
Plano West will be dominant up front on defense with Jeffcoat and Ameen Behbahani. It might be the best defensive line in the state. The Wolves
will be young behind them, but remember this name and jersey, sophomore linebacker Nathan Broussard, No. 22 in your program.
Those in the know in West Plano were talking about this 6-4, 220-pound standout-in-the-making like Plano fans talked about Rex Burkhead a few
years ago. Coaches don't just throw out the names of sophomores unless they have supreme confidence.
There is a lot of confidence in safety-turned-quarterback Travis Wilson, who is the leader of this football team. And the Wolves have
another good quarterback in junior Michael Pruneau. And Hughes says his offensive line is huge and good, and remember Hughes is an old
offensive line coach at Plano under Tom Kimbrough. Hughes can be stubborn about establishing the run.
With all of this, here's why you should believe in the Wolves: they have a running back for Game 1 of the regular season – D.J. Cohen.
Plano West and Hughes have struggled to find the right guy. Hughes will admit he waited too long to put Jordan Pugh (Texas A&M) in the
backfield in 2005. He finally found his running back in the first game of the playoffs last year, Sean Sweeney, who like Pugh moved over from
the secondary. Sweeney had over 100 yards in the playoff game against Garland Naaman Forest. If not for a late fumble, Plano West wins that
game.
But Hughes believes Cohen will be the running back he's been waiting for. Cohen played a lot last year, but Hughes said his starting running
back never really bought into the program. That has changed since spring ball.
"He's mature, he's grown up," Hughes said. "His work ethic is tremendous. He has learned life lesson to compete better. He's bought
in and sold out for his teammates."
Cohen's emergence, it says here, will make Plano West more than a playoff team this year. They will win a few playoff games.
"I feel like we have a 1,000-yard rusher," Hughes said. "I don't want to take a defensive guy and do that again. Cohen solidifies our
offense.”
HOT TEAMS TO WATCH
Ennis and Corsicana. The two District 16-4A rivals are flying under the radar going into the season, but both came up with impressive wins Thursday night. Ennis demolished Belton in Waco, 43-8. And it wasn't just Deonte McDade who had a big day on offense. Blake Adams rushed for 148 yards and D.J. Betik threw for 197. McDade had 139 combined rushing and receiving yards. Meanwhile, Corsicana's defense smothered West Mesquite, allowing just eight first downs and 126 total yards. The Tigers' defense is fast, fast, fast and new quarterback Cameron Young was very impressive.
Richardson Berkner. Think the Rams aren't glad to be out of the Plano ISD/Allen district? Berkner played like they had a new lease on life Thursday, routing South Grand Prairie, 38-0, in what may already go down as the shocking result of the first week.
Euless Trinity. The Trojans haven't even played a game yet, but they are No.1 in USA Today's national poll and No. 1 in the state. It will be interesting to see how Trinity handles the early season hype. The Trojans are known as a slow starting team that peaks during the playoffs.
THE VYPE HOT 10 TOPICS -- ONLINE
1. It will be interesting to see how well Plano's offense clicks in tonight's opener against Irving MacArthur. Quarterback Carson Meger and receiver Kris Lott both sat out last week's scrimmage, and running back Rex Burkhead got limited carries. We'll also get to see the debut of head coach Jaydon McCullough getting to call all of the plays, instead of sharing the duties as he has in the past.
2. How quickly will Jeff Dicus get Duncanville going? I think we found out in a narrow loss 28-22 loss to Odessa Permian on Thursday night. Duncanville scored 15 points in the fourth quarter. Looks like it will be sooner than later for the Panthers.
3. You have to feel bad for West Mesquite, which may have lost sophomore quarterback Trevone Boykin to an ankle injury in Thursday's 14-3 loss to Corsicana. Boykin impressed Corsicana coach Dave Henigan on film: "He's special," Henigan said.
4. The Toben Opurum watch starts tonight. I say 145 yards, two TDS for the Plano East tailback against Flower Mound.
5. The one game no one is talking about this week is Allen and Longview. This should be a great game, a big early test for the Eagles. Longview may be 4A now, but this is still one of the top programs in the state.
6. Still think Amarillo and Highland Park should have played in the season opener. Both teams are going for the 800th win in school history to start the season. The Sandies and Scots should have played each other in the Tom Landry Classic. Now that would have received unreal hype.
7. I also don't care about seeing teams from Ohio or any other state coming in to play Texas teams. Boring! One game a year, like Carroll-Miami Northwestern is enough.
8. Corsicana tailback JaVonti Hines had 99 yards last night in the 14-3 win over West Mesquite. Hines is the younger brother of Omarius Hines, a freshman at Florida.
9. I'd love to hear your thoughts on whether or not you think live Friday night games on TV would hurt attendance.
10. I hope Kyle Padron has a great game tomorrow against Plano West tomorrow so he can put last year's fumbled snap against Abilene. Padron is my sleeper pick to be the area's Player of the Year. I just have a feeling he and Carroll are going to have a huge season if they can get past a really good Plano West team.
The Randomness that is me
1. I'm fine with baseball replaying home runs. Get it right. But the day they use instant replay on plays at home plate or first base is the day I'm done with my favorite sport. Umpires are a great part of the game, love them or hate them.
2. I saw where the infraction known in the NFL as horse-collar tackle is a new rule in college football. Why?
3 Josh Beckett has discomfort in his right elbow. I don't feel well today.
4. Hate to see you go Stu Barnes. I talked to Stu a dozen or so times at my local Starbucks, which he came to almost daily. A class, class act. The best. Every Stars fan will miss you, but we'll love seeing you on the bench.
5. I can't wait for the Sean Avery era to start.
6. "Hard Knocks with the Cowboys" is slowly improving, but I hate it when the players and coaches and especially owner Jerry Jones played up to the cameras.
7. See you next week with Top 10 rankings in the area and other items. If you have any other ideas for this column, email me at wtoddwills@yahoo.com.
If you agree or disagree with Todd Wills, share your comments on VYPE.com.
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