Richland Springs hadn’t lost a district contest in 81 games. Until last season. Cherokee pulled the upset to nick the top spot in District 16-1A Division II.
Beneath the top two, Lohn and Rochelle welcome in new head coaches, while Brookesmith is looking to continue its rebuilding process.
Here is what to watch for in District 16-1A Division I this season.
Brookesmith Mustangs
Head Coach: Jack Graves (2nd Season)
Last Season: 1-9; 1-3 in district
Brookesmith Key Players and Storylines
Brookesmith will be looking to get back on track this season. The Mustangs made the playoffs five-straight years from 2016-2020 but have only managed one win in each of the last two seasons.
Last year, the Mustangs were forced to forfeit two district games due to a lack of numbers.
Expect senior center/defensive tackle Brenden Been to be one of Brookesmith’s leaders this year.
Improved numbers will go a long way for the Mustangs. They’ll aim to be able to play all ten games this fall as head coach Jack Graves looks to right the ship and return Brookesmith to its winning ways.
Cherokee Indians
Head Coach: Zack White (6th season)
Last Season: 11-1; 4-0 in district (Lost to Loraine in area round)
Cherokee Key Players and Storylines
The Indians broke through last season with their first win over Richland Springs since 2000. It set them on their way to securing a district title. From there, they went on to defeat Blackwell in the bi-district round, the third-straight year in which they won a playoff game.
Cherokee may only return three starters on each side of the ball, but among those returners are junior quarterback/running back Joel Valdez (680 rushing yards and 20 TDs; 1,131 passing yards and 19 TDs) and running back Gunner Baugh (1,144 rushing yards and 24 touchdown). Together, head coach Zack White believes together they create one of the best backfields in the state.
The Indians also have depth as both quarterback Brady Johnson and running back Trent Conners can spell either back when necessary.
On the other side of the ball, Cherokee held opponents to under 20 points per game a year ago. Baugh, a cornerback, Valdez, a linebacker, and Conners, a defensive lineman, will also play key roles on that side of the ball.
As White enters his sixth season as Cherokee head coach, he said that continuity is paying off as his players feel very familiar with his system. He believes that although the Indians may be undersized in some places, their overall team speed will be improved from last season.
With that continuity and Baugh and Valdez both returning after big 2022 seasons, expect Cherokee to be playing into November this year as it looks to break through after three-straight area round exits.
Lohn Eagles
Head Coach: Walter Brock (1st Season)
Last Season: 0-9; 0-4 in district
Lohn Key Players and Storylines
Lohn has struggled on the field the past decade. The Eagles haven’t won multiple games in a single season since 2011.
Walter Brock takes over the program following a three-year stint at Schulenburg. He brings six years of 11-man coaching experience with him and an impressive 35-28 record in those six years.
He has some offensive talent to work with as the Eagles try to improve on the 89 points they scored last season.
Sophomore quarterback Conner Nuncio is back as is all-district honorees running back/receiver Fermin De La Rosa and tight end Kadin Reeves.
Defensively, the Eagles can build around the strength they have in the trenches in defensive linemen De La Rosa and JC Martinez. Both were all-district honorees a year ago.
Lohn will be young this season. Out of those players listed above, only Martinez is a senior.
That means Brock has a prime opportunity to build a foundation this fall for future seasons as many of this year’s players still have at least another year in his system.
Richland Springs Coyotes
Head Coach: Shawn Rogers (1st Season)
Last Season: 8-2; 3-1 in district (Lost to Loraine in area round)
Richland Springs Key Players and Storylines
*Note: Richland Springs’ individual stats do not include its season opener against High Island
Cherokee snapped Richland Springs’ 81-game district win streak last season, but the Coyotes still rebounded to secure a playoff berth in a tight 44-40 victory over Rochelle.
However, in Coyote Country, the expectations are much higher than playoff appearances. Richland Springs sets the bar at state titles having earned nine since 2004.
The last one came in 2019. And in Richland Springs in the 21st century, three seasons without a state title is considered a drought. Head coach Shawn Rogers, who takes over for the suspended Jerry Burkhart, said they’ll be aiming for the school’s 10th state title this fall.
Four starters returning on each side of the ball will help them towards that goal.
Two of their top backs from last year are gone meaning there will be plenty of room for younger players to step up. Junior quarterback Hutton Rogers (83 passing yards and two touchdowns), sophomore running back Billy Perry (321 rushing yards and eight touchdowns), and fullback Gage Behrens should all take on bigger roles in the backfield this season.
Freshmen Sirr Beam and running back Cohen Ethridge could also follow in the footsteps of Perry and see playing time in the backfield as freshmen this season.
The veteran presence in the backfield will be Troy Shelton. A transfer from Mullin, the UIL ruled him ineligible for varsity competition last year after they deemed he transferred for athletic purposes.
In the passing game, look for Jayden Sutherland (224 receiving yards and five touchdowns) to be a reliable receiver for the Coyotes.
On the other side of the ball, Perry, last year’s District Newcomer of the Year, should anchor the unit up front along with junior Jim Eckermann, while Sutherland and Rogers both earned all-district honors from their defensive back positions last season.
Don’t expect much to change under the leadership of Rogers.
The Coyotes have young talent in plenty of places. And with their program’s pedigree, expect them to be a force again in the postseason when November rolls around.
Rochelle Hornets
Head Coach: Matt Maciel (1st Season)
Last Season: 7-3; 2-2 in district
Rochelle Key Players and Storylines
For the third-straight season, Richland Springs and Cherokee stood in the way of the Hornets as they looked to get back to the playoffs since 2019.
Rochelle gave Richland Springs everything it could handle as the Hornets roared back from a 44-14 deficit with 26 unanswered points in the second half. However, they were unable to find the last touchdown they needed in a 44-40 defeat.
This season, Rochelle will ride on a talented junior class that brings “lots of experience, athleticism, and leadership,” according to head coach Matt Maciel. Three starters are back on offense and four return on defense. Most of those key players will be juniors.
Look for quarterback Merek Howell and spreadback Kelton Williams to be the catalysts for a Hornet offense that averaged over 53 points per game a year ago.
Fellow juniors Bobby Cole Estes and Justin Lopez will be Rochelle’s anchors in the trenches on both sides of the ball. In addition to earning second team all-district honors on offense a year ago, both were first team all-district selections from their defensive line positions.
Behind them, Williams, a linebacker, and Howell, a safety, will hold key roles in the back half of a defense that held opponents to just under 28 points per game a year ago.
All of these juniors gained valuable experience a year ago. And although Rochelle may be lacking some in the size department, the hope for the Hornets is their athleticism, hard work, and lessons learned from last year will carry them to a playoff run this fall.
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