Not many expected much from Keller Central heading into the 3-6A District season after three straight losses. Central’s youth pulled together with their upperclassmen and made it a district season to remember, only losing to Abilene in district play. The Chargers didn’t make it past the first round of the playoffs, falling to Arlington Bowie by a score of 20-17.
Central was different than other teams with youth, they had the services of several freshmen who could be very good down the line. Most of their offense ran through senior quarterback Reese Robertson, however, who was second on the team in rushing in addition to leading the team in passing. D.J. Graham, a freshman, lead the team in receiving, according to SportsDayHS.
Keller Central definitely overachieved in the eyes of many this season, most had them scraping into the playoffs, the last team to get in after a combination of Abilene, Keller Fossil Ridge, and Keller Timber Creek. The Chargers proved everyone wrong, but with some of their most talented players no longer in the program, can they repeat?
Key Losses
QB Reese Robertson, RB Zion Purvis, SS Tony Dracopoulos, DE Austin Gaither,
It’s not going to be easy to replace Reese Robertson, who was more than a significant chunk of Central’s offense, he was the majority of it. Zion Purvis was more than effective as well, and his escapability will be sorely missed.
Tony Dracopoulos’s playmaking ability will be missed as well. The senior had several games that he simply dominated, including the district showdown with Fossil Ridge. Gaither’s ability to make plays in the backfield from his defensive end slot will be something that Central will not easily replace.
Key Returners
WR D.J. Graham, ILB Matt Girard, S Isaiah Ganaway, QB/WR Grant Meek, CB Noah Moreno
Grant Meek will slide over from his wideout spot to play QB in the 2017 campaign. This creates a conundrum for Central, as now they’ll have to replace their second leading receiver instead of their quarterback. Meek has some escapability, so he will likely be at least an adequate replacement for Robertson. Graham was merely a freshman when he lead Central in receiving in 2016, so we can only expect bigger things from him in 2017.
On the defensive side of the ball, they’ll return half of a defensive backfield that’s going to have to contain many excellent wide receivers in district play. Girard will enter his third year as a starter for Central, and his presence over the middle will be huge for a team that’s looking to keep momentum rolling. Moreno was an All-State performer last year, and should progress well in his senior season.
The Verdict
Keller Central is hard to predict, because they simultaneously lose lots of key contributors and return key contributors. Guys like Meek and Girard will provide a lot of stability as they lose Robertson and Dracopoulos, but those losses will still hurt. If Central had only beat key district opponents by a few points, I would likely write this off as a flash in a pan, an excellent run by a team that was middling. However, the way they beat these teams, the wins by multiple scores against tough opponents give confidence to Central’s 2017 season. The middle of this district will be a bloodbath, and Keller Central will be right in the mix.
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