Leverett’s Chapel claimed the district title a year ago. And with the best player in the district returning for the Lions, they’ll be favored again this fall.
However, don’t count out a Chester squad that has a new coach and a lot of promising young talent. Burkeville and High Island should be better too as they continue to acclimate to six-man football.
Here’s what to watch for in what should be an increasingly competitive district this year.
Burkeville Mustangs
Head Coach: Michael Bethea (1st Season)
Last Season: 1-6; 1-2 in district
Burkeville Key Players and Strength
Burkeville returned to six-man football for the first time since the 1960s a year ago. The steep learning curve meant the Mustangs only managed one win over a High Island squad that was also returning to the six-man ranks.
However, with last year’s experience under their belts, the Mustangs should be improved this year. They return every starter on both sides of the ball.
That’s good news for new head coach Michael Bethea. He was an assistant at Orangefield last year and replaces LeFrederick Ford, who will have a different position on staff this season.
Burkeville should be very athletic this season. For what it lacks in size, it will certainly make up for in speed.
A talented group of juniors will lead the Mustangs this season. Quarterback/safety Brandon Lewis was the district’s Newcomer of the Year in 2022. Defenses will have to be weary of his dynamic threat as a rusher just as much as his throwing ability.
Kalep Adams, a unanimous 2022 first team all-district selection, and Jaylon Mason are two more important players for the Mustangs out at wide receiver. Center Garrett Trammell will anchor the Mustangs up front.
Defensively, Burkeville’s secondary will be its strong suit with both Adams and Mason at corner and Lewis at safety.
There were a lot of unknowns about how Burkeville would adapt to six-man football last year after over 50 years at the 11-man level. With a lot of returning talent and a new head coach taking over, Burkeville will hope its improved six-man knowledge will allow it to compete with Chester and Leverett’s Chapel this season.
Chester Yellowjackets
Head Coach: Chris Hicks (1st Season)
Last Season: 7-4 (Lost in bi-district to Medina)
Chester Key Players and Storylines
The sky appears to be the limit for Chester at the moment. A year after making it back to the playoffs for the first time in seven years, the Yellowjackets are poised to challenge for a district title in 2023.
Even more amazing is that most of Chester’s key contributors last year were underclassmen. Six freshmen scored touchdowns for the Yellowjackets in 2022.
It’s quite the situation for Chris Hicks to walk into as he comes over from West Hardin. He replaces Justin Hilliard, who left to take the head coaching job at Sanderson.
One of those freshmen that scored a year ago is Jaxon Gay. He’s poised for a big sophomore campaign. Last year, he rushed for 310 yards and 10 touchdowns offensively, but had a larger impact from his defensive back position. He set a school record with 11 interceptions and also had a six-man record 89-yard pick six.
We had a 6man record set this week with Chester’s Jaxon Gay returning a deflected Calvert pass 89 yards for a touchdown in his team’s 58-22 win over Calverthttps://t.co/cDS6osnZmp@Texas1AFan @sixmanfb #txhsfb @sixmania @6manfootballfan
— Leman Saunders (@LemanSaunders) September 19, 2022
Gay is one of the four starters that Chester returns on both sides of the ball. Another key player to watch is senior running back Keighen Green (1,025 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns). He was the Offensive MVP of the district a year ago and will bring veteran leadership to a Yellowjacket squad that will still be pretty youthful this season.
Green also had 42 tackles from his defensive end position, while sophomore Jesse Bittick also proved to be a two-way impact player at both offensive lineman and linebacker (85 tackles, six forced fumbles) last season.
A year ago, Leverett’s Chapel got the best of Chester 80-50 to deny the Yellowjackets a district title before Medina proved to be too much for the Yellowjackets to handle in the playoffs with a mercy rule victory in the bi-district round.
This fall, Hicks believes that his Yellowjackets should be able to get another shot in a playoff game as long as they stay healthy and can find “some consistency at quarterback.”
High Island Cardinals
Head Coach: Edward Arledge (2nd Season)
Last Season: 2-8; 0-3 in district
High Island Key Players and Storylines
Last season was a big learning curve for the Cardinals as only three players on their roster had six-man football experience. That is because High Island briefly played 11-man football in 2020 and 2021. Last year was also Arledge’s first season coaching six-man football as he came out of retirement to take the job.
The hope for High Island is that the lessons learned from last season will make for a stronger 2023 campaign. Five starters returning on each side of the ball will certainly help.
Linebacker Hunter Pavlu will lead the charge on defense after earning first team all-district honors a year ago. On the defensive line, Wyatt Barrow earned second team all-district a year ago.
Offensively, the receiver position should be a strength with Clayton Coutee and Tucker George both returning. Center Drake Barrow should help bring some stability up front.
Meanwhile, one x-factor for the Cardinals will be special teams ace Kirby Leggio. He earned first team all-district as a punter last season as a freshman and will be a valuable weapon in the kicking game.
And after his team’s 2-8 campaign a year ago, Arledge is excited for the product the Cardinals can put on the field this season with a year of six-man experience under their belt.
Leverett’s Chapel Lions
Head Coach: Matt Everett (2nd season)
Last Season: 9-2; 3-0 in district (Lost in bi-district to Leakey)
Leverett’s Chapel Key Players and Storylines
Leverett’s Chapel made it to the playoffs for the fourth-straight year in 2022, but fell short in an upset to Leakey in the bi-district round.
The Lions return all six of their defensive starters from a year ago but do have to replace three starters on offense.
Luckily for the Lions, last year’s District MVP quarterback De’Marion Brown is one of those three returning starters on offense. He put up video game numbers a year ago, throwing for 1,630 yards and 33 touchdowns, while adding 1,707 yards and another 30 touchdowns on the ground.
A couple of other key weapons graduated, but senior receiver Eduardo Espinosa (202 receiving yards) does give Brown a reliable target in the passing game.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, last year’s district Defensive MVP linebacker Blane Reeves (101 total tackles, 2 INTs) headlines the crop of returning players.
Everett and his coaching staff also expect cornerback Trent Wheat (42 tackles, six pass breakups) to be an important piece of the Lions’ pass defense again this year.
Despite having a couple of holes to fill heading into this season, the Leverett Chapel coaching staff feels confident with the underclassmen talent they have in the program. The Lions expect to contend for a district title yet again but know a developing Chester program will put up a stout fight for the 15-1A Division I crown.
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