Timpson Bears
Head Coach: Patrick Gandy (1st season)
Last Season: 16-0; 6-0 in district (Won 2A Division I State Championship over Tolar)
Timpson Key Players and Storylines
Timpson won its first state title in school history in 2023 with a 49-7 demolition of Tolar. But this year’s squad is going to look very different from that team. Just nine starters return (five starters on offense/four on defense) and head coach Kerry Therwanger retired over the offseason.
Patrick Gandy steps into the role of leading the Bears this year. He had most recently served as their defensive coordinator and has been on staff at Timpson since 2012.
Timpson’s do-it-all quarterback Terry Bussey graduated and is now at Texas A&M, but the Bears have running back JJ Garner (1,655 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns) ready to take on the load in the backfield. Gandy said he believes he’s “arguably the best returning 2A player.” Timpson’s top two receivers also graduated, but junior Dacorian Johnson stepped in midway last year and had an instant impact. He’ll be a huge part of the Timpson passing attack.
JJ Garner(Timpson) lit up the score board in a 68-7 win last Friday night. The Junior ATH combined for 316 total yards and 5 TDs on 11 touches, adding 7 tackles, 2 TFLs, and 2 fumble recoveries with one returned for another TD. #NextLevelAthlete #TXHSFB @TraveonJa @CoachKerryT pic.twitter.com/cqaohB2yzP
— Next Level Athlete (@NextLevelD1) December 2, 2023
Up front, center Camden Curbow is “one of Timpson’s few returning linemen from last year’s team.” He’ll be needed to anchor the Bears in the trenches.
Flipping sides of the ball, in the secondary, Braylon Parker is a “jack-of-all trades” defensively while Chris Nickleberry Jr. has great speed and quickness.
Defensive lineman Mayson Harbison had a “great offseason” and set himself apart as one of the team leaders.
The Bears don’t have a ton of depth this season, but they do have great speed. With playmakers like Garner, Timpson will still be a threat in 2A Division I. However, Gandy said his guys can’t dwell on the past. They are a new team and must take this season one week at a time in order to reach their full potential.
2024 Timpson Schedule
8/30 vs. West Sabine
9/6 vs. Lovelady
9/13 vs. Palestine Westwood
9/26 vs. Wolfe City (In Longview)
10/11 vs. Hemphill
10/18 vs. Shelbyville
10/25 at Joaquin
11/1 vs. Garrison
11/8 at San Augustine
