Players and fans of China Spring football can only imagine “what could’ve been” after a triple-overtime loss in last season’s 4A Div. I state semifinal. What if the Cougars had picked up a 4th -and- 1 in the first overtime? What if they hadn’t missed a field goal in the second OT? What if they hadn’t let a touchdown slip away in the third quarter?
China Spring lost a heartbreaker to eventual state champion Carthage, 26-20 at the Ford Center in Frisco. Carthage went on to hoist yet another state championship trophy with a convincing win over Abilene Wylie.
China Spring’s run was two years in the making with a stellar senior class. They made the finals of the state 7-on-7 in 2015, losing on the game’s final play. They went 12-2 in the 2015 season with both losses to eventual state champion La Vega.
They lost to La Vega in the 2016 regular season before getting revenge in last year’s playoffs.
After a 9-1 regular season last fall, China Spring took down Boerne, Grulla, Liberty Hill and La Vega before that gut-wrencher in Frisco.
The Cougars will need to reload a potent offense that graduates a lot of seniors. But coach Mark Bell has been at this a long time, and he always finds a way to have China Spring playing well and peaking at playoff time.
Key Losses
QB Cutter Haigood, OLB Kody Fulp, RB Keaton Dudik
Haigood was simply good, earning 13-4A DI Player of the Year Honors after leading the Cougars to 13 wins and averaged nearly 44 points a game.
Fulp was the defensive leader and the district’s defensive MVP, and Dudik was a workhorse in the backfield.
Key Returners
LB Caden Johnson, WR Tyrick James, LB Brayden Mathis
Caden Johnson and Brayden Mathis return with a season and a half under their belts on defense, and they’ll be leaned on heavily as the Cougar defense needs to be sharp while the offense catches up to speed. Defensive tackle Garrett Moorefield will also play a large role in that endeavor. Cornerback Hobbs Price was also an all-district selection as a sophomore last year.
Tyrick James, the team’s top skill position player returning on offense, was a first-team all-district selection as a junior. Offensive tackle Charles Booker was an all- district pick last year as a sophomore.
The Verdict
Mark Bell has been challenged to rebuild teams in the past, and it’ll be difficult to replace the weapons on offense that helped post 658 points — by far the most in one season ever by China Spring, which has played football since 1954.
The Cougars defense will be fairly salty, which is a good thing considering the schedule. The non-district slate includes Lorena, 5A Huntsville, 3A power Cameron Yoe, Troy and Fairfield. District will be tricky with road games at Burnet, La Vega and Liberty Hill, and they get Gatesville and Lampasas at home.
The 7-on-7 season and state tournament will be vital to the Cougars learning to gel on offense and having some leaders emerge. China Spring should be a safe bet to make the playoffs for the 15th time in the last 18 years.
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