GAMES
RANKINGS
The stars of 2025-26 Needville Football
DISTRICT 12-4A-DI: Needville, Navasota begin on top; FB Crawford, Stafford trending upward
Needville Blue Jays
Navasota Rattlers
Fort Bend Crawford Chargers
Stafford Spartans
Fort Bend Willowridge Eagles
Brazosport Exporters
(Bold Denotes Playoffs)
...VYPE PRESEASON AWARDS
Most Valuable Player: Jace Jablonski, Navasota
Co-Offensive Player of the Year: Cameron Hall, Needville
Co-Offensive Player of the Year: Kobie Campbell, Needville
Defensive Player of the Year: Khaidyn Hopson, Fort Bend Crawford
Breakout Player of the Year: Alvin Mosley, Fort Bend Crawford
On the Cusp: Fort Bend Willowridge Eagles
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Fort Bend Crawford Chargers
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
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Needville posted a 7-5 record in 2024 and reached the Area Round of the playoffs before falling to Kilgore. The Blue Jays bring back plenty of firepower to the field for 2025. First-team, all-district picks QB Cameron Hall and RB Kobie Campbell will pace the offensive attack. Hall passed for 1,402 yards and 17 touchdowns, while Campbell rushed for 1,350 yards and 16 touchdowns. This dynamic duo will make gameplanning for Needville a nightmare. Also returning on offense is first-team, all-district OL Kameron Krejci. Defensively, first-team, all-district selection Diego Hernandez (ILB) is coming off a great season that saw him rack up 90 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and four sacks. Second-team, all-district pick Colton Butler led the Blue Jays with 97 tackles in 2024. Leo Garcia was an honorable-mention, all-district pick after racking up a team-leading nine sacks and 75 tackles from his spot on the defensive line. Other players to watch include safety Kase Vacek (3 INT, 53 tackles), center Kaden Jakubec, DL Santiago Gonzales (3 sacks, 54 tackles) and K Jesus Miranda.
Navasota reached the Regional Semifinal round last season after posting a 7-6 record. The Rattlers will have to replace the rushing performance of Artavian Rutherford but have plenty of firepower back in the air attack. First-team, all-district receiver Da’Quan Pratt was on the cusp of a 1,000-yard season in 2024 finishing with 920 yards and eight scores to lead the team. The man throwing him the rock will be Jace Jablonski, who is coming off a stellar sophomore season. Jablonski passed for 2,124 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2024. Other key returners include second-team, all-district utility selection Valentin Castaneda and second-team, all-district defensive end Rodney Spinks (24 tackles, 1 sack). Also watch for ILB Davyn Torres and OLB Ashten Myles.
Fort Bend Crawford is coming off its first year of varsity play and the Chargers already have a playoff appearance under their belts. The Chargers went 5-6 a year ago under head coach David Jackson and the squad returns 21 starters. University of Minnesota-commit Trason Richardson (DB) is coming off a first-team, all-district performance where he registered 39 solo tackles, forced one fumble and recovered three. District 12-4A-DI Newcomer of the Year Braylen Fisher passed for 1,673 yards and 17 scores, while rushing for another 247 yards and two scores. Co-Defensive Newcomer of the Year Khaidyn Hopson had 42 tackles (21 solo), five sacks, four forced fumbles and three recoveries coming off the edge. Other key returners include WR Alvin Mosley (first-team, all-district; 830 yards, 11 TDs), OT Osagie Obaseki (20+ pancakes), LB Camron Alakija (34 solo tackles, 17 assisted tackles), and RB Dedrick Polk (490 yards, 5 TDs, 10 rec., 125 yards).
Stafford reached the Regional Round of the 2024 playoffs and finished 8-5 overall. Ken Savanah (89-52 at Stafford) returns 13 starters as they seek an eighth-straight year of playoff football. The Spartans return Defensive Newcomer of the Year Denim Steed along with first-teamers Ja’Bron Sonnier and Hatangmana Olivier on that side of the ball. All-District receiver Aiden Seals is also back. Other names to remember include Jaidyn Torres, Jayden Lovdahl, Nic Young and Rob Endsley. Keys to success in 2025 include developing young talent, offensive line development, staying healthy and establishing their culture, according to Savanah.
Fort Bend Willowridge went 3-7 a year ago and return eight starters off that team. Fourth-year coach Kendron Penson will look to three-time all-district center Terry Wade to anchor the line up front along with two-year starter Ameer Carter at tackle. WR Jacoby Johnson is coming off a year with 32 catches for 348 yards and four scores. Defensively, safety Jonathan Johnson and DL Abdulaziz Kehinde will be looked towards to provide leadership on that side of the ball, both being two-year starters.
Brazosport went 0-10 last season. The Exporters return nine starters, including a pair of all-district selections including running back Chris Norton and defensive tackle Max Rodriguez (36 tackles). The team is also set to return QB Cameron Hinton (825 yards, 4 TDs) and RB/LB D’Erion Ramsey (485 yards, 5 TDs; 87 tackles). Other key returners include JJ Barclay and Isaiah Leija.
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The stars of 2024-25 Stafford Football
Needville, Navasota, Stafford in the hunt for DISTRICT 12-4A-DI supremacy; Willowridge, Crawford within reach
Navasota Rattlers
Stafford Spartans
Willowridge Eagles
Crawford Chargers
Brazosport Exporters
(Bold Denotes Playoffs)
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VYPE's PRESEASON AWARDS
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Da'Shawn Burton, Needville
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Keilan Sweeny, Needville
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Darius Sims, Stafford
BREAKOUT PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jacob Jolivet, FB Crawford
ON THE CUSP: FB Crawford Chargers
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FB Willowridge Eagles
Jamey Wright (VYPE)
What a difference a year made for Needville this past Fall. After ending up near the bottom of the district standings in back-to-back campaigns, coach Mike Giles and the Bluejays proceeded to go 10-3 in 2023, which included an appearance in the Class 4A-DI Regionals. Although they were ultimately defeated by Kilgore in the third round, the new standard this team has set should have them eyeing a district title and more. Offensive MVP Da’Shawn Burton (Sr. RB) was an absolute beast in the backfield for Needville a year ago, having rushed for nearly 2,500 yards with a whopping 36 scores. What’s even more cause for optimism is the return of dual-threat QB Keilan Sweeny, who threw for 1,274 yards (19 TDs) and added 1,387 more yards (16 TDs) on the ground to earn first-team honors. Senior WRs Ja’Marcus Jack (first-team) and Kade Ramirez (second-team) round out what should be the district’s top offense. Defensively, first-teamer Bradyn Gilliam (Sr. DB) will lead the secondary, with second-teams elections Jaireon Simmons (Sr. LB) and Malachi Wilson(Sr. DB) also returning to the gridiron for the Bluejays.
Navasota narrowly missed out on the postseason a year ago, as they finished fifth overall with a record of 4-6. But, with teams like Iowa Colony, Bay City and El Campo switching districts in the realignment, the Rattlers should be in prime position to re-enter the district conversation. Coach Trey Allen moves in to direct this year’s roster, following his most recent stint in Kirbyville. Second-team, all-district selection Javyn Jessie (Sr. QB) returns for the final stretch of his high school career behind-center, with fellow second-teamer Cameron Ross (Sr. WR) and junior Daquan Pratt back as his top targets. There will be some work needed to be done on the defensive side of the ball, but senior safety Jarrad Isaiah (second-team) should be a reliable leader to shore up the Navasota secondary.
Another team that should experience a resurgence in 2024 is Stafford, who ended their season just behind Navasota within the district. Defense will undoubtedly be the strong-suit for coach Ken Savanah and company, as they bring back an excess of players who received first-team nods a year ago, including Texas Southern-commit Darius Sims (Sr. DB), Jonathan Moore (Sr. DL), Brian O’Neal (Sr. DB) and Ny’Darius Conner (Sr. DL). Also keep an eye out for second-teamers Bradley Lowman (Sr.DB), Emmanuel Osom (Sr.DL) and junior DB Brandan Hood. There will be some pieces missing on offense, however, senior offensive linemen Jonathan Marshall (second-team) and Dylan Williams (second-team) should provide plenty of time for the skill-position players to mature, while sophomore kicker Fernando Correa (first-team) headlines the special teams department.
Fort Bend Willowridge moves down from District 9-5A-DII, in which they most recently placed fifth and ended the year at 4-6. The Eagles will look to make a statement amongst their new district opponents, under the direction of coach Kendron Penson. There will be some big shoes to fill at the quarterback position,following the graduation of 2023 first-team selection Kendron Penson Jr., as well as several other stars, but there are still a handful of returning players that should keep things interesting. Junior center Terry Wade Jr.will bulk up the Willowridge O-Line, following a second-team, all-district performance last Fall. Meanwhile, first-team LB Tylon Rydolph and second-team edge rusher Royce Wilson (UTEP-commit) are also back to headline the Eagles’ defense.
As the youngest team on this list, Fort Bend Crawford is seeking to establish themselves as a worthy contender in their first year as a varsity program. Coach David Jackson is confident in his group’s capability, as he drives home the “family” mentality of the team’s melting pot of athletes. Jacob Jolivet (Jr. RB/LB) and Camron Alakjia (So. RB) should be a dynamic duo in the backfield for the Chargers, behind an offensive line anchored by junior Osagie Obaseki. Other notable players to remember include Jasyn Barrett (Jr. LB), Justin Butler (Jr. WR), Nyheem Richardson (Jr. DB), Caleb Martin (Jr. TE/DL), Royal James (Jr. DB) and Alvin Mosley (So. WR).
Brazosport failed to win a single contest in 2023, although there were several instances where they came close to victory. In his second year with the program, head coach Richard Sincere will see to it that he and the Exporters get back in the win column. Senior LB Shemark Francis is back to lead the defense after receiving a first-team, all-district nod last Fall. He’ll be joined by second-teamer Manny Williams, who enters his senior year at the safety spot. Offensively, some of the younger guys will need to step up in order for Brazosport to return to prominence.