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District 18-6A Season Preview

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Lamar has controlled this district over the past decade. Since 2010, Lamar has won 12 district titles. The one season it didn’t? It was knocked off by the Houston Heights Bulldogs.

Those Bulldogs are hungry for another district title this year, while two first-year head coaches are eager to have an immediate impact at their new programs.

Plus Charles Brown looks to continue building the Sam Houston program after the Tigers scored a historic district victory last season.

These are just a couple key storylines.

Here is every team’s key players and storylines to watch in District 18-6.

Bellaire Cardinals

Head Coach: Herb Kunz (9th Season)

Last Season: 2-8; 2-4 in district

Bellaire Key Players and Storylines

Bellaire made the playoffs in five of Herb Kunz’s first six seasons at the school. But now, the Cardinals have have finished a game outside of the postseason in back-to-back seasons.

One positive for the Cardinals this season is their on-site practice field is finally completed. Previously, they had been forced to bus offsite for practice.

On the field, the Cardinals have another big positive as bell cow running back Tyler Adams (610 rushing yards and six touchdowns) returns. His ability to lead the Bellaire ground game will be crucial as the Cardinals replace their starting quarterback and two leading receivers from a year ago.

Up front, Bellaire also has offensive lineman Corderial Adams, who earned second team all-district honors last season.

Defensively, the Cardinals return a stout group of linebackers in Cordavion Adams, John Corder, and Rocco Grazier. Junior Ejypt Gibbs also had a promising year in the secondary in 2022.

After coming up agonizingly close to the playoffs the past two seasons, Bellaire will be hopeful of breaking through this fall. The three Adams on the Cardinals roster will likely be the driving force behind any playoff run as they appear set to play key roles in each of their respective positions.

Chavez Lobos

Head Coach: Luis Rodriguez (1st Season)

Last Season: 1-9; 0-6 in district

Chavez Key Players and Storylines

The Lobos will be on their fourth coach in four seasons as Luis Rodriguez takes over the program. Rodriguez was on staff at Katy Paetow last season but previously served as Bishop’s head coach from 2020-2021.

A Houston native, Rodriguez said the Houston Chavez job made perfect sense.

“I have always wanted to be a head coach in my hometown,” Rodriguez said. “Houston Chavez has athletes and can be a place that we can build a good football program at in the upcoming years.”

The Lobos will face an upward climb in 2023 as they expect to field a very young squad. Just four starters are back on offense and only one starter returns on defense. Because of this, Rodriguez said the team will primarily consist of juniors and sophomores this season.

Quarterback Chris Cabrero (778 passing yards and two touchdowns) returns to lead the offense again this year. His arm strength should help expand the threat of the Chavez passing attack. Rodriguez said he’s also excited about the promising skill talent the Lobos will surround Cabrero with including receivers junior D’Mariye Garrett and sophomore Jontta Thomas.

The biggest struggle for the Lobos will be in the trenches where a majority of their players will be unproven. Senior defensive lineman Armando Melendez (20 tackles, .5 sacks) will be relied upon heavily for his senior leadership, while Rodriguez is intrigued to see what sophomore defensive lineman Jeremiah Villareal can do at the varsity level.

Behind them, Rodriguez believes Chavez can have a good pass defense with the cornerbacks it has returning. Look for sophomore Terrall Dickson to be one of the playmakers in the secondary.

Because Chavez is so young, this year will be more about setting the standard rather than breaking bad habits.

And as his players have gotten to work, Rodriguez said he loves how they have bought into Chavez’s blue-collar realty. Expect hard work and no excuses from Chavez in 2023 as they look to build the program back into a place where it can contend for its playoff berth since 2018.

Houston Heights Bulldogs

Head Coach: Stephen Dixon (16th Season)

Last Season: 8-4; 5-1 in district (Lost to Fort Bend Hightower in area round)

Heights Key Players and Storylines

The Bulldogs have made the playoffs 12 straight years. However, last season delivered arguably their most memorable playoff game during that time span.

With just seconds left quarterback Allen Rainey connected with Kevon Misher for the game-winning score in a 25-20 victory over Stratford.

Now both players from that play have graduated, but the Bulldogs still return seven starters on offense and eight defensively.

Dixon is excited about the potential that Zaylen Cormier (364 receiving yards) has at receiver after transferring in from Mayde Creek. He can also be a key playmaker at safety. But it’s not just Cormier, the Bulldogs also bring back Lamont Robins (443 receiving yards and six touchdowns), who is Heights’ leading returning receiver from last season.

Heights does lack experience at running back, but it doesn’t lack bulk on the offensive line with Texas Southern commit Frank Moss leading the way.

On the other side of the ball, the Bulldogs have a strong one-two punch to lead the team at linebacker in seniors Brice Chevalier (77 tackles) and Jaylon Bihms (69 tackles).

The secondary should also be strong with Cormier and cornerback Broderick Brown, another Division I prospect.

Heights last won a district title in 2020 when it snapped Lamar’s 72-game district win streak, while the last time Heights won more than one playoff game was all the way back in 1932. With so much returning experience this season, Dixon is hopeful this year’s team can snap both of those records as they look to make some history on the field this fall.

Houston Lamar Texans

Head Coach: Michael Lindsey (6th Season)

Last Season: 9-3; 6-0 in district (Lost to Ridge Point in area round)

Lamar Key Players and Storylines

Lamar has had a stranglehold on this district for nearly the past decade and a half. Across the last 13 seasons, the Texans have won the district title 12 times.

The Texans are in a good position to repeat that feat this season as they only have to replace 18 seniors from last year’s squad. They return seven starters on offense and six on defense this season.

Lamar’s offense was explosive a year ago, averaging nearly 45 points per game. A strong senior-led offensive line combined with skill talent such as Vanderbilt commit wide receiver Tristen Brown (988 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns) and tight end Jadon Garza (90 receiving yards and one touchdown) should be a recipe for success.

The Texans will hope this wealth of talent offensively will help ease senior quarterback Jordan Reaves’ transition into the starting role following the graduation of Kenneth Rosenthal.

Defensively, Lamar’s strength again will be in the trenches. Lindsey said the Texans have a talented and experienced defensive line group that will be led by tackle John McDonald and edge Robert Jones. When opponents do turn to the air, they’ll have to be weary of cornerback Chris Boykins, who is another Texan that is attracting Division I looks.

Heading into this fall, Lindsey said he believes his squad doesn’t have any clear weaknesses. With so much talent and experience at his disposal, he’s hopeful the Texans can push toward a regional championship, a feat they haven’t accomplished since their 5A Division I state title game appearance back in 2012.

Houston Sam Houston Tigers

Head Coach: Charles Brown III (3rd Season)

Last Season: 4-6; 1-5 in district

Sam Houston Key Players and Storylines

It finally happened.

After 19 years, the Tigers finally broke through with a 13-12 victory over district rival Chavez. It snapped a 100-game losing streak for the Sam Houston in district play.

The four wins for the Tigers last season were the most wins in a single season for the school since 2001.

However, this year, head coach Charles Brown III and his staff will be heading back to the drawing board as they prepare to field a young football team. The Tigers return half their starters from a year ago (six starters on offense and five on defense), but Brown said a number of sophomores will have to play big minutes this year.

Among the sophomores to watch this year are offensive lineman Isreal Camarillo, who earned second team all-district honors last season, and safety/athlete Steven Warren, who will be a playmaker for the Sam Houston defense.

The 178 points Sam Houston scored offensively last season were also its most since 2001. Quarterback Trevan Williams is back to lead the unit again this year and he’ll have senior David Sanchez back as his premier weapon both in the slot and in the backfield. Sanchez will also be a star for the Tigers on defense as well as in the return game.

Defensively, in addition to Warren and Sanchez, look for senior defensive linemen Andrew Castro and Devin Neal to anchor the Tigers in the trenches. Castro is another player who will go both ways as Brown anticipates him taking snaps at tight end this season.

One of the biggest positives about this year’s Sam Houston squad is their camaraderie, according to Brown. That togetherness will be crucial as the Tigers look to play disciplined football and “bring the juice every week.” Brown believes if they can do those two things, they’ll be able to reach their full potential on the field again this season.

Westbury Huskies

Head Coach: Jarvis Kelley (2nd Season)

Last Season: 4-7; 3-3 in district (Lost to Memorial in bi-district)

Westbury Key Players and Storylines

Jarvis Kelley picked up where Darrell Colbert left off. In his first season leading Wesbury, he took the Huskies back to the postseason. They have now earned consecutive playoff appearances for the first time since 2008-2009.

This fall, Westbury returns five starters on offense and six on defense.

Its star this season will be senior receiver Christopher Jones, a Texas State commit (658 receiving yards and four touchdowns). Westbury also boasts rising sophomore Jefferson Rivas (103 receiving yards). Those two players will be key assets for quarterback David Baines, who will be making his first varsity starts this season.

Westbury graduated three of its all-district linemen from a year ago, but district honorable mention Musa Troawoly does return.

On the other side of the ball, leading tackler Bryce Nwoko (100 tackles) is back at linebacker as are defensive backs Angel Pineda (28 tackles and three interceptions) and Rakwan Reed. Defensive end Jeiki Williams (42 tackles, seven TFLs) will be another key contributor for the Huskies in the trenches.

Kelley believes his team is going to be fast and its defense will swarm opponents. He hopes those will be the keys to a third-straight playoff berth for Westbury this fall.

Westside Wolves

Head Coach: Cedric Allen (1st Season)

Last Season: 4-7; 4-2 in district

Westside Key Players and Storylines

Cedric Allen took over the Westside program in late June after Jomaul Mason stepped down. Allen comes over from Fort Bend Ridge Point, where he served as the defensive coordinator.

The Wolves have been consistent over the past decade. After last season, they have now made the playoffs in 12-straight seasons.

There’s a good chance that streak continues this year as Westbury returns half of its starters from a year ago (five on offense and six on defense).

It has to replace its quarterback from a year ago, but Allen is confident Josh Robinson is ready to take the reins of the offense. He’ll have the benefit of senior receiver Micah Edison (230 receiving yards and two touchdowns) at his disposal. Another senior, Jaylen Adams, should be Westside’s most important player on its offensive line.

Defensively, Allen is looking for senior Chris Garcia to step up on the defensive line and Brayden Anderson to take on a bigger role at linebacker. In the secondary, cornerback Daniel Jefferson (31 tackles) is back after earning second team all-district last season.

Allen is excited about the speed his Wolves will have this year. Now, he’s ready for the program to take the next step under his watch.

Despite its 12-straight playoff berths, Westside hasn’t won a playoff game since 2006. Allen said he wants to build the Wolves into a program that can compete for playoff wins and even district titles beginning with this season’s team.

 

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