Newcastle broke through with its first district title in five years this season. And with the Bobcats returning the majority of their team from last season, some have them pegged as a state contender.
But you can never count out Strawn, while Gold-Burg returns all but two starters and Forestburg has back all but one starter.
There is plenty of experience across the field in this district this season. Here’s what to watch for in District 8-1A Division II.
Bowie Gold-Burg Bears
Head Coach: Christian Healer (1st Season)
Last Season: 4-7; 2-1 in district (Lost to Throckmorton in bi-district)
Gold-Burg Key Players and Storylines
*Note: Gold-Burg’s individual stats are only from the regular season
Christian Healer was hired as Gold-Burg’s third coach in three seasons this summer. He’ll be one of the youngest coaches in the state having just graduated from Justin Northwest High School in 2019. And with his family living around the Gold-Burg area, it’s a position that makes him feel at home.
And with Gold-Burg having earned back-to-back playoff appearances, it will aim to take this coaching change in stride just as it did last summer.
Veteran leadership will help keep Gold-Burg on track, and the Bears will have plenty of it with five starters back on each side of the ball.
Running back Jayon Grace (1,308 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns) and quarterback Jayton Epperson (228 passing yards and three touchdowns; 207 rushing yards) will be a dynamic duo out of the backfield. Both earned first team all-district honors a year ago.
Up front, center Aidan Foster (228 receiving yards and six touchdowns) will not only lead the charge as a blocker for the backs behind him, but he’ll also be a reliable target in the passing game.
Defensively, the Bears expect Eli White-Freeland and Foster to give opponents’ headaches from their defensive end positions, while Epperson and Grace will anchor the secondary. All four were all-district players in 2022.
The Bears gained a lot of confidence last year with a win over perennial power Strawn that sealed their playoff berth on the final day of the season.
With Gold-burg’s returning experience and the commitment its players have displayed during offseason workouts, the Bears should be a force within their district yet again this season.
“The bar is set at a bi-district appearance. I feel like the experience we have as a team can really help us,” Healer said noting Gold-Burg’s back-to-back playoff appearances. “We have the team to do it. I’m just trying to make them see that they can believe in themselves to really start making a program here.”
Forestburg Longhorns
Head Coach: Greg Roller (3rd season)
Last Season: 2-8; 0-3 in district
Forestburg Key Players and Storylines
The Longhorns haven’t tasted the playoffs since 2019, but there is hope that could change this year.
Forestburg returns 10 of its 11 lettermen from a year ago, which includes all of its offensive starters.
Head Coach Greg Roller believes his team was better than its 2-8 record showed a year ago. Now in his third season as the head coach at Forestburg, he believes his players’ work in the weight room and on the track is set to pay off.
Leading the way offensively will be speedy spread back Jeremiah Perez (1,332 rushing yards, 282 receiving yards, and 17 total touchdowns). Quarterback Jesus Sanchez (12 passing touchdowns) will not only have Perez at his disposal but receiver Nathan Payne as well, a 2022 first team all-district honoree (309 yards and five touchdowns).
If those weapons weren’t enough, Angel Cruz (176 rushing yards and four touchdowns; 201 receiving yards) carved out a nice role in the offense last year as a do-it-all utility back. He was another first team all-district nominee.
On the other side of the ball, Perez (86 tackles and four INTS) and Payne (71 tackles) will be the leaders of the defensive unit as well from their secondary positions. Up front, Roller expects Cruz and Sanchez (56 tackles) to be among Forestburg’s impact players on the defensive line.
After seeing his Forestburg team win just five games total the past two seasons, Roller is highly optimistic about this fall. He believes the pieces are in place for 2023 to be a breakthrough year for the Longhorns.
“We expect to be very competitive week in and week and week out,” Roller said. “The majority of our kids are now juniors and seniors and have grown up together over the last two seasons. They believe the time to win is now.”
Newcastle Bobcats
Head Coach: Isiah Archer (2nd Season)
Last Season: 8-4; 3-0 in District (Lost to Benjamin in area round)
Newcastle Key Players and Storylines
The Bobcats blitzed their competition a year ago for their first district title since 2018.
Head coach Isiah Archer originally came to the school as an assistant coach in 2020 and has gotten to watch the Bobcats senior class change the program for the better.
Back when they were freshmen in 2020, Newcastle was struggling for numbers. This year, the Bobcats are set to field one of their biggest teams in years.
And not only are the numbers a huge positive but so is the team’s experience. Every starter from last year returns.
Last year’s Offensive MVP running back Isaac King (1,504 rushing yrads and 22 touchdowns) is back as is fullback Ty Strawbridge (882 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns) creating what should be a two-headed monster for the Bobcats rushing attack.
Both King and Strawbridge can sling the football as well and they’ll have tight end Kenny Jones (378 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns) as one of their premier targets. Do-it-all back Gadian Turner (208 receiving yards and three touchdowns) also carved out a nice role in the backfield as both a rusher and pass catcher and can help spell Strawbridge and King this season.
On the other side of the ball, King (85 tackles) was also the district’s Defensive MVP from his safety position. With Jones also returning as a first team all-district corner, the Newcastle secondary will be a strength this season.
Up front, expect Turner to be a key contributor on the defensive line and Strawbridge (79 tackles to make his presence felt from his linebacker position.
The talent Newcastle has heading into 2023 is undeniable. Archer hopes that it will be enough to challenge Benjamin and the other Region II contenders as the Bobcats aspire for a deeper playoff run this season.
Strawn Greyhounds
Head Coach: Dewaine Lee (21st Season)
Last Season: 4-6; 1-2 in district
Strawn Key Players and Storylines
Last season was a rarity. It was the first time since 2015 the Greyhounds had missed out on the playoffs. However, don’t expect a Dewaine Lee coached team to stay down for long.
The Greyhounds will have a stacked backfield to lean on this season. Senior running back Jesse Corona has been a key contributor for a couple of years and will be joined by sophomore Michael Barcenas and senior fullback Colby Morton. Up front, the Greyhounds return all-district tight ends Keaton Tunnell and Aryn Stokes.
Defensively is where Strawn had issues a year ago. The Greyhounds gave up over 56 points per game. It remains to be seen who steps up on that side of the ball after both of the Greyhounds all-district players from last season graduated. But with the talent they return on offense, you can expect the majority of those players to be key contributors defensively as well.
Look for Strawn to bounce back this season after its down year in 2022. But will it improve enough to challenge Newcastle for the district title? That remains to be seen after Newcastle defeated Strawn by 34 points last season.
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