It was a win-win season for Pasadena Sam Rayburn in 2016. One district win and one non-district win. Usually a 2-8 record is nothing to brag about. But for the Texans, just winning a game meant the world.
Sam Rayburn entered the 2016 season on a 29-game losing streak. Its last win was 35-28 over Pasadena to close out the 2012 season. Since then, the Texans went 0-9, 0-10 and 0-10. A season-opening loss to Fort Bend Clements extended the streak to 30.
But the Texans hit the win column in Week 2 with a 27-18 win over Aldine. They lost their next seven games before ending the year with a 28-12 win over, again, Pasadena. That means the senior class actually got to play in the only two varsity victories in their high school career.
The Texans enter 2017 with a one-game win streak and some key players returning from a program that’s still on the turnaround.
Key Losses
OL Brandon Harper, DT Sean Hunt, QB Adrian Castellanos
Harper and Hunt were all-district picks in 22-6A, and Castellanos got the offense started.
Key Returners
RB Stanley Hackett, OLB Ezra Struwe, DT Rafael Ramos
Hackett was the featured back, running for 1,212 yards and seven touchdowns on 205 attempts en route to a unanimous selection as first-team all-district.
Struwe and Ramos return as the leaders of a Texans defense that will have more experience heading into 2017.
The Verdict
Things can only continue going upward for the Texans. They have talent where it’s needed heading into 2017.
Sam Rayburn looks to build on last year’s two wins. Goals for this program should be to win at least two non-district games — doable with Aldine and 4A Needville on the slate.
The next goal would be to win three non-district games — doable with rivals Pasadena and Memorial and then South Houston, who squeaked by the Texans last year.
If Sam Rayburn can accomplish those two goals, they could find themselves at 5-5 — a non-losing record for the first time since 2010 — and they would be in the playoffs for the first time in a way too long time.
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