It’s no enviable task being Aspermont, Guthrie, or Patton Springs. Those teams are tasked with toppling two six-man giants if they want a playoff berth. Jayton hasn’t missed the playoffs since 2015, while Motley County has now made the post season in 16-straight years.
However, Aspermont had a season to build on a year ago, finishing 8-2. Can they or someone else take the next step and pull off the upset over Jayton or Motley County?
Here is what to watch for in 5-1A Division II.
Aspermont Hornets
Head Coach: Mark Weaver (6th Season)
Last Year: 8-2; 2-2 in district
Aspermont Key Players and Storylines
Aspermont had a stunning turnaround in 2022. After a 2-8 campaign the year before, the Hornets came out of the gates flying with six victories to start the season.
Unfortunately their lone two losses came to district foes Jayton and Motley County, leaving them on the outside of the playoffs for the fourth straight season.
Spread back Carson Guidry is back as the offense’s primary playmaker this season. Aspermont did graduate four of its other players that earned all-district honors offensively last season, although junior center Devin Lopez is back in the trenches to assist Guidry.
On the other side of the ball, Guidry will be tasked with leading the defense as well. Look for defensive lineman Jack Bell and sophomore safety Caleb Broshears to play key roles as well after both earned all-district honors in 2022.
The Hornets fell to Jayton by 35 points last year and were 45’d by Motley County, so there is a noticeable gap that Aspermont will have to close this year. But after reeling off eight wins a year ago, this is a program that won’t be short on confidence heading into 2023.
Guthrie Jaguars
Head Coach: Jeff Denton (3rd Season)
Last Season: 3-7; 1-3 in district
Guthrie Key Players and Storylines
Guthrie took a slight step back in head coach Jeff Denton’s second year at the school. The Jaguars are still searching for their first playoff berth since 2017.
The Jaguars will need to find some new ballcarriers this year following the graduation of Diego Gonzalez and Hadley Ray. However, the passing game appears to be in good shape with quarterback Gus Smith (761 passing yards and eight touchdowns) and receiver Joseph Killebrew (455 receiving yards and four touchdowns) both returning.
On the other side of the ball, Guthrie returns both of its players that earned all-district honors last season in cornerback Zane Moore and utility player Hadley McCloy. Moore also saw some carries at running back a year ago, so he could be a solution in the backfield.
As Denton looks to continue building the Jaguar program, look for them to be ready for battle each and every week in what is an extremely demanding district.
Jayton Jaybirds
Head Coach: Josh Stanaland (14th season)
Last Season: 8-4; 4-0 in district (Lost to Throckmorton in area round)
Jayton Key Players and Storylines
Jayton has been a playoff staple for much of head coach Josh Stanaland’s reign at his hometown school.
Coming off a heartbreaking defeat to Throckmorton in the area round a year ago, Stanaland believes his team will be better this season considering the Jaybirds heavily relied on underclassmen in 2022.
Four starters are back on offense, including several key pieces in the backfield. Quarterback Sean Stanaland (1,765 passing yards and 24 touchdowns) had a breakout freshman year, while junior Ayden Salazar (788 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns) and sophomore Bode Ham (661 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns) both return to lead the Jaybird rushing attack.
Center Justin Collins (328 receiving yards and five touchdowns) and tight end Colt Gentry (319 receiving yards and five touchdowns) should anchor Jayton up front.
Defensively, cornerback Jayce Rivera (119 tackles) was Jayton’s leading tackler from last season, but Salazar (111 tackles) ended up earning Defensive MVP honors from his defensive end position.
Collins (107 tackles) will be another threat up front alongside Salazar, while Ham (77 tackles) should start in the the Jaybird secondary alongside Rivera.
The sheer production returning on both sides of the ball means 2023 could be an exciting one for the Jaybird faithful.
“I’m excited to see what we can be in 2023 with a year of growth,” Stanaland said. “We’ll be more experienced, bigger, faster and stronger.”
Motley County Matadors
Head Coach: Mike Bigham (18th season)
Last Season: 4-7; 3-1 in district (Lost to Benjamin in bi-district)
*Note: Motley County’s individual stats are only from the regular season
Motley County Key Players and Storylines
It has been an emotional off season for Motley County. In late June, portions of the town of Matador were severely affected by a destructive EF-3 tornado.
With the slogan “Motley Strong” having become a rallying cry, the Matadors will be playing for much more than themselves this season.
Awesome photo!
Patricia Perry KCBD is out in Matador covering the aftermath of yesterday’s tornado and she got to see Motley County Football Coach Mike Bigham!
Coach Bigham’s motto for the Motley County Matadors is ALL IN!
Today he is seeing Texas is ALL IN to help Matador! pic.twitter.com/ySP5Y6Cai7
— Pete Christy (@pchristy11) June 23, 2023
On the field, the Matadors kept their 16-year playoff streak alive a year ago despite facing a rebuilding year.
They started 0-5 after facing a tough non-district schedule but managed to get up to full speed by the time district play rolled around.
Head coach Mike Bigham said he’s excited to see what his group of players can do this year with four starters back on each side of the ball.
Do-it-all superstar Kadyn Roys (923 passing yards and 16 touchdowns; 1,116 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns) should power the Matadors again in 2023.
He was the district’s Offensive MVP a year ago and also earned first team all-district on defense from his linebacker position.
Offensively, he’ll have help up in the passing game from tight end Aidan Fisk (539 receiving yards and nine touchdowns), who was a first team all-district selection a year ago.
But while Roys led an offensive unit averaging 42 points per game, the Matadors will be looking for improvement on the other side of the ball after allowing 47 points per game a year ago.
Roys will certainly help with that goal, while the Matadors should also be strong on the defensive line with the return of 2022 all-district selections Fisk and Aidan Taylor.
After having to start from scratch a year ago, the Matadors should be able to play faster and cleaner with a year of experience under their belt.
Expectations are always high in Motley County, and Bigham said his team is eager to compete this fall as they aim to topple Jayton for the district title.
Patton Springs Rangers
Head Coach: Juan Salas (2nd season)
Last Season: 1-9; 0-4 in district
Patton Springs Key Players and Storylines
It’ll be a youth movement in Patton Springs this season as the Rangers expect to field a squad with five freshmen and no seniors.
Only two starters return on each side of the ball from last year’s squad.
The most important returnee for the Rangers offensively is junior spread back Michael Garza (1,149 passing yards and 13 touchdowns; 225 rushing yards). However, he’ll need help this season after the rest of last year’s offensive production all graduated.
Defensively, the Rangers must replace their two leading tacklers from a year ago. Garza, a safety (61 tackles), and junior linebacker Benjamin McKinney (18 tackles) will help lead the way for a young defense.
A significant learning curve is in store this year for the Rangers as they take the field with an inexperienced roster. However, Salas said his team has developed plenty of heart and grit over the past year and will be ready to face the uphill battle set to come their way.
“We’ll continue to work on the development of our players both physically and mentally,” Salas said. “As well as continue to develop their belief and trust in the system that we are trying to build here.”
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