The Springtown Porcupines were a young football team last year.
By their final game of the season, they had nearly as many freshmen and sophomores playing as juniors and seniors.
And due to another small senior class, the Porcupines will only have 14 seniors on their roster this year, Springtown will be just as young this year.
However, despite a lack of experience and upperclassmen last season, Springtown didn’t miss a beat. The Porcupines made it to the fourth round of playoffs for the third year in a row before their run was eventually ended in a 32-6 defeat to Wichita Falls Hirschi.
934 miles, 2 games, 1 week and TWO 🏆🏆!!! Awesome job by this group of staying focused and getting the job done! pic.twitter.com/MlizNZf8gi
— Brian Hulett (@Coach_Hulett) November 28, 2021
Springtown head coach Brian Hulett said he was extremely proud of what his football team accomplished in 2021.
“Our seniors felt really good about it,” Hulett said. “You always want to win them all, but [the seniors] knew we squeezed every ounce out of that year we could, and it was just a really good year.”
Located 30 miles northwest of Fort Worth, Springtown (pop. 3,064) is a mix between second and third-generation residents and move-ins due to the ever-expanding DFW metroplex.
Hulett has been at Springtown for eight years and has taken the Porcupines to the playoffs every year. During his first five years, Springtown couldn’t get past the second round of playoffs.
However, the past three years have been special.
The Porcupines made a state semifinal appearance in 2019 followed by state quarterfinal appearances in both 2020 and 2021.
Hulett said the upturn in results shows it takes time to build a program. By years six, seven and eight, he and his staff were coaching players they had been working with since junior high.
“When you got to 2018 and 2019, we had those kids since seventh and eighth grade,” Hulett said. “They knew us. We knew their strengths and weaknesses, where we could put them, the system, [and] the everyday routine. Just trust and comfort with everything.”
This year will likely take some patience as well. Springtown has to replace 2021 District 4-4A Division I MVP Matt Lockard, its leading rusher and tackler from a year ago.
🏈🏆Congrats to Matt Lockard for being selected as the 2021 District 4-4A MVP!!#itsagreatdaytobeaporcupine pic.twitter.com/4Qjm68cf3g
— Springtown Football (@PineFootball) December 13, 2021
This fall, the Porcupines will only have six returning starters.
One of those starters is Hulett’s son, quarterback Hudson Hulett (2,218 passing yards, 712 rushing yards, 33 total touchdowns). After Hudson got a year of experience under his belt as a sophomore in 2021, Hulett said he is excited to see what he can do for the Porcupines this year.
“He’s progressed,” Hulett said. “We’ll be able to open some things up and do some more with him.”
Hudson will have some help up front too as guard Jeremy Morrow and tackle Aaron Bowen return after starting every game a year ago.
Besides those three players, last year’s leading receiver Speck Behle (536 receiving yards and five touchdowns) is the only other starter back for the Porcupine offense.
On the defensive side of the ball, Hulett said it will be even more of a transition than the offense as only two starters are back.
The defensive line will be the strength of the defense as Brady McDonald and Kelby Castro (42 total tackles) return after starting as sophomores.
The linebacker and secondary positions are a little more uncertain heading into the season. Hulett said there are players at those positions who were on varsity a year ago, they just weren’t necessarily starters.
Now, it will be up to the coaching staff to figure out which pieces fit best at each position.
“We’ve got decent depth for as small as a senior class as we have,” Hulett said. “But [the back two levels] is where we’ll need to get better in a hurry.”
Looking forward to this fall, District 4-4A Division I will have a bit of a new look this year with only five teams, down from six a year ago. Wichita Falls Hirschi and Lake Worth, the top two teams from last year, have both departed, leaving a bit of a vacuum at the top as Wichita Falls and Mineral Wells join the district.
Springtown’s District: 4-4A DI
Burkburnett
Decatur
Mineral Wells
Wichita FallsOld High replaces Hirschi who dropped to DII, Mineral Wells rejoins and no more Lake Worth or Gainesville #txhsfb @PineFootball
— Nolan Ruth (@RealNolanRuth) February 3, 2022
It will be a competitive fight for the top this year as Wichita Falls is the largest 4A Division I school in the state, Decatur has highly touted running back Nate Palmer, Burkburnett beat Decatur in 2021, and Mineral Wells is a team “on the upswing”, according to Hulett.
“I will say [the district] is probably, without a doubt, equal to if not better top end,” Hulett said. “It’s pretty competitive one through five without a doubt.”
Last year, Springtown started 0-2 in district play before reeling off six-straight victories that took the Porcupines to the state quarterfinals.
With another “inexperienced” roster this season, Hulett said it may take some time for his Porcupines to fully get up to speed. But minor bumps in the road won’t matter to Springtown as long as it ends up peeking at the right time.
“It’s going to take us some time getting there,” Hulett said. “I think we’re one of those teams that can improve every day. We want to be better at the start of district than at the start of the year and put ourselves with a chance to get in the playoffs.”
2022 Springtown Porcupines Schedule
(Bold designates District 4-4A Division I Matchup)
8/26 at Alvarado
9/2 vs. Graham
9/9 vs. Wichita Falls Hirschi
9/16 vs. Carrollton Creekview
9/23 at Glen Rose
9/30 vs. Waco Connally
10/14 vs. Mineral Wells
10/21 at Decatur
10/28 vs. Burkburnett
11/3 at Wichita Falls
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