Groom and Silverton controlled this district a year ago. And with both team returning the majority of their production from a year ago, Silverton’s trip to Groom on October 13 could be an all-important one.
Beneath them, Hedley will be young this season while Darrouzett and Lefors look to continue to build their programs. Can any of those three teams knock off Silverton or Groom this season?
Here’s what to watch for in District 1-1A Division II.
Darrouzett Longhorns
Head Coach: Steve Smith (1st Season)
Last Season: 1-7; 0-3 in district
Darrouzett Key Players and Storylines
After Reese Wilson left to take over Lueders-Avoca, Darrouzett didn’t look far for his replacement as it promoted assistant Steve Smith. It’s Smith’s first head coaching job.
He’ll take over a Darrouzett program that doesn’t have much experience heading into 2023. Just two starters are back on each side of the ball.
Look for Gael Martinez to be a key player for the Longhorns this year. He moved in halfway through last season and brings a lot of great experience to the wide receiver and linebacker positions.
Senior Cole Mayberry should also be a key player up front offensively. Smith said he brings good size for the Longhorns to utilize in the trenches.
In the backfield, the Longhorns will lean on running back Josh Gomez, who provides great speed for the Longhorns and sophomore Tyler Bentley. While Bentley isn’t the biggest player, Smith said his work ethic is off the charts.
Both Bentley and Gomez will also contribute at defensive end for the Longhorns.
This season will be just the fourth year since Darrouzett added varsity football. There still will be growing pains, but Smith said his players are coachable. He believes that could be a key as the Longhorns look to build a successful football program. After what he saw last year both on and off the field, Smith believes the program is turning in the right direction.
But he cautions it will take time.
“I expect us to get better every day though new things we are implementing and some old things that we are going to build and improve on,” Smith said. “This is a process, and we must trust that process. Through that process of hard work and learning every day, a program develops.”
Groom Tigers
Head Coach: Tory Peet (2nd Season)
Last Season: 6-6; 4-0 in district (Lost to Balmorhea in area round)
Groom Key Players and Storylines
The Tigers will be playing in memory of former head coach Tony Dodson, who passed away this offseason following a battle with cancer.
After a 1-5 start last year, four of those losses were against 1A Division I opponents, Groom turned the corner and finished out the regular season on a four game win streak. The Tigers also won a playoff game for the fourth-straight year.
This year, the Tigers should be boosted by a strong junior class.
Center Bryson Shuck and utility back Greyson Peet are back to lead the offense after earning first team all-district honors a year ago.
Defensively, Groom will be tough to contain in the trenches. Juniors Kenny Blackwell, Isaac Saucedo, and Collins Koetting all earned all-district honors last season. Trayson Corley will be another key player at cornerback.
Aside from Groom’s ridiculously loaded junior class, senior Noah Wood is another player to watch. He’ll contribute at both wide receiver and safety.
The Tigers appear to be budling momentum as the Class of 2025 comes through their ranks. Look for another strong season from the Tigers this fall.
Hedley Owls
Head Coach: Todd Lawdermilk (2nd Season)
Last Season: 4-6; 2-2 in district
Hedley Key Players and Storylines
Hedley won’t have a ton of numbers this season. Head coach Todd Lawdermilk only reported six players present on the first day of two-a-days.
But the Owls do have Nic Clark. Following the graduation of Josh Booth, Clark (247 rushing yards and 4 TDs and 267 yards and 6 TDs) appears set to be the heartbeat of the Hedley offense.
The Owls also have Saul Carreon (30 tackles, 10 TFLs) to rely on in the trenches. He was first team all-district last year at both center and noseguard. Behind him, Clark should be a defensive leader as well from his linebacker position (66 tackles)
Beyond Clark and Carreon, Hedley will mainly be relying on newcomers. Lawdermilk specifically mentioned fullback Billy Curry and sophomore Matthew Rodriguez as players that could step up for the Owls this season.
Lawdermilk praised his players’ efforts on the field a year ago. He said with such a young and inexperienced group this year, the Owls will have to play as a unit and make sure to funnel everything back to the middle of the field in 2023.
Lefors Pirates
Head Coach: Cameron Armstrong (2nd season)
Last Season: 1-7; 1-3 in District
Lefors Key Players and Storylines
Lefors has been in a bit of a slump recently. The Pirates last made the playoffs in 2019 but haven’t won more than two games in a single season since then.
However, in his first year at Lefors, head coach Cameron Armstrong liked what he saw out of his football team.
“We had a lot of improvement this past season that just didn’t show in our record,” Armstrong said. “Our kids are still hard at work. They have a great work ethic and attitude. I expect to see more in the win column this year.”
The Pirates have plenty of experience returning to help the program take another step in the right direction. Four starters are back on offense, while five are back on defense.
The offense will likely go as spread back Kade Parks goes. He is the lone returning Pirate player that earned all-district honors in 2022.
Running back Ben Schroeder will also contribute in the backfield, while Jonathan Cardiel will anchor the protection up front from his center position.
Defensively, the Pirates should be strong in the trenches. Schroeder, Cardiel, and senior Devin Hardy all are expected to play key roles on the defensive line.
With the returning talent the Pirates have, they’ll hope to see their progress pay off in the win column in 2023 as they look to close the gap on the top teams in their district.
Silverton Owls
Head Coach: Kevin Hurn (3rd Season)
Last Season: 7-4; 3-1 in district (Lost to Whitharral in bi-district)
Silverton Key Players and Storylines
Silverton made it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2018 a year ago. It was nearly even more as a 54-52 loss to Groom is all that denied the Owls their first district title since 2008.
This could be the year that district title drought comes to an end as the Owls return much of their production from a year ago.
Fullback Carlos Alanis and running back Sawyer Francis return along with last year’s District Newcomer of the Year Zaden Ortiz and center Jace Alvarado.
On the other size of the ball, all four of those players will play big roles. The secondary could be a strong point where both Alanis and Francis earned first team all-district honors a year ago.
With the experience Silverton has back on its roster, look for another big year out of Hurn’s squad as they aim for a trophy to show for their progress.
CLICK HERE to listen to the Texas HS Football Podcast, with Taylor Arenz
