Year after year, one team that is in the upper echelon of Texas High School football’s finest almost every is Cibolo Steele. 2016 was no different for the Knights as they advanced to the state title game for the first time since winning the crown in 2011.
Coming off seven straight appearances in the state quarterfinals, Steele looked like the team to beat, but unfortunately ran into TCU commit Shawn Robinson and the eventual state champions, the DeSoto Eagles.
Despite the stellar play and comeback attempt led by Texas Tech early enrollee, Xavier Martin, Scott Lehnhoff’s side was unable to defeat the Eagles and ended their season with a 14-2 record overall.
Key Losses
QB Xavier Martin, HC Scott Lehnhoff, WR CJ Williams, DT Joshua Croslen
Unfortunately for the Knights, they will be without the aforementioned Martin, but also lose the presence of Lehnhoff, who left his post as head coach to become the district’s athletic director at SCUCISD (Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City) in the San Antonio area.
They also lose a host of stars who will continue their playing careers in the college ranks including defensive tackle Joshua Croslen and wide receiver C.J. Williams, who committed to Navy. The success this 2017 class had was something that had not been seen, having advanced to four of five state semifinals. With that being said, the 2018 class has championship pedigree at their disposal.
Key Returners
RB Brenden Brady, ATH Caden Sterns
Despite the departures, Steele is best known for not rebuilding, but essentially reloading, and they have the players to do so.
At the front of this talent are returning running back Brenden Brady, who had a stellar display in the state championship game and amassing just over 1,700 yards for 23 touchdowns on the season. LSU commit Caden Sterns will also add to the offensive side of the ball, with the now senior looking to stake his claim as one of the premiere ATH’s in the country. With his primary position at safety, Sterns is a ball hawk.
For anyone familiar with the program, this senior is one of the best open field tacklers in the state and can take over the game at any juncture, especially returning kicks. With his future all but settled with Ed Orgeron and the Tigers, Sterns can bear down and focus on the task at hand, leading Steele to their first state championship in six years.
Verdict
When losing this much talent and head coach, it is tough to say that Steele will make it back to the state title game.
However, with the hub that Steele is for receiving and breeding great talent, there are numerous players who may have not touched the field last season, but will play a big part in the Knights quest for supremacy in Texas. There will be some growing pains with whoever takes over the helm, but knowing the foundation that has been set by Lehnhoff, the Knights will be in good shape.
Whether they advance to the title game will depend on the new signal caller behind center. With the overall talent in the region not as strong, the case can be made that an effective game manager at quarterback can lead this team to new heights.
There is no replacing the likes of Martin, Croslen, and Lehnhoff, but for this Steele team, a new identity is in store, and maybe for the Cibolo faithful, the identity will breed a host of state champions.
Brought to you by:
Good article with one small problem. SCUCISD is NOT in San Antonio.
Apologies for that mixup. That has been corrected and clarified in the article. Thanks for reading.