The battle for the top spot is going to be an intriguing one in District 2-1A Division II this year.
Whitharral broke through with a state semifinal run a year ago. However, both Amherst and Hart are hot on its heels this season. Hart is looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2008, and there’s a sense this could be the year.
Beneath the top three from last season, Cotton Center has a veteran head coach to try and get the Elks rolling in the right direction, while the fifth program in this district, unfortunately, won’t be able to take the field this fall.
Here’s what to watch for in this district.
Amherst Bulldogs
Head Coach: Daniel Hinojosa (9th Season)
Last Season: 8-3; 3-1 in district (Lost to Groom in bi-district)
Amherst Key Players and Storylines
Amherst has alternated between making and missing the playoffs the past four seasons. The 2016 and 2017 seasons are the last time the Bulldogs made consecutive playoff appearances.
Last year, the Bulldogs not only made the playoffs but they nearly won the district title. A 24-20 Whitharral victory over Amherst is all that separated the top two teams in the district.
Something that is concerning for Amherst’s district opponents? The Bulldogs relied on several underclassmen a year ago. They’ll come back better this year starting with Kevin Garcia, who was the district’s Offensive MVP last season. He’ll be joined in the backfield by sophomore quarterback Joel Garcia, who was the District’s Offensive Newcomer of the Year, junior fullback Jose Flores, and sophomore running back Aiden Rodriguez.
Center Yehir Garcia will be a leader up front.
On the other side of the ball, the Bulldogs will be the strongest up front. Kevin Garcia will be a key player at linebacker along with Hector Perez, while Oscar Medrano will be Amherst’s go-to player in the trenches.
Amherst hasn’t won a district title since 2017. But with the Bulldogs returning much of their key pieces from last season, look for them to give Whitharral a run for its money again in 2023.
Cotton Center Elks
Head Coach: Richard Jackson (1st Season)
Last Season: 2-8; 0-4 in district
Cotton Center Key Players and Storylines
The Elks have now lost 29-straight district games dating back to 2015.
However, they have an experienced coach in Richard Jackson taking over the program. Jackson has been a head coach at seven different programs before Cotton Center. He was most recently in charge at Lockney in 2017.
Breaking News: Former Lockney Head Football Coach Richard Jackson is the New Head Football Coach of the Cotton Center Elks
school board approved tonight
Jackson has plenty of six-man coaching experience with stops at Amherst, Loraine, Rule & Hedley! @sixmania @Texas1AFan pic.twitter.com/DTAv8fyFP7
— Pete Christy (@pchristy11) June 13, 2023
For a Cotton Center team that sometimes lacks numbers, Jackson said his first goal is to make sure the Elks finish out the season. After all, every rep will be an important one as he looks to build the program, especially when you consider Cotton Center’s key players are underclassmen.
Jackson said he’ll be looking towards sophomores Kaston Rainwater, a running back, and Gage Mendietta, a wide receiver, to lead the way for the Elks this season. As a team, they will be inexperienced this year, but Jackson did note they have good size overall.
Since taking over the program, Jackson said the Cotton Center community has been “super supportive.” That community backing will be crucial as Jackson aims to establish a foundation for the Elks to build off of for years to come. But for this year, his goals on the field for the Elks are for them to win four games and push for a playoff berth.
Hart Longhorns
Head Coach: Armando Solis (3rd Season)
Last Season: 6-4; 2-2 in district
Hart Key Players and Storylines
Hart made a big leap in the win column in head coach Armando Solis’ second year at the school. After a 1-9 season in 2021, the Longhorns knocked on the door of the playoffs a year ago. In the end, Amherst’s 30-22 victory over the Longhorns ended up deciding the final playoff berth.
Solis believes his team can get over the hump this year and snap a 15-year playoff drought thanks to their consistency and toughness. Solis said he’s proud to coach players who have been so resilient despite losing seasons piling up.
The Longhorns have a good backfield to build off of this season. Ely Hernandez is back at the running back position while junior Noah Marin returns at quarterback.
Hart will also have a reliable presence up front in center Dominic Dominguez.
On the other side of the ball, Dominguez and Braden Diaz should make up a one-two punch in the trenches.
Look for Hernandez to be the defensive leader from his linebacker position, while Marin will play a key role at cornerback for the Longhorns.
Solis said Hart has the talent back to be competitive again this year. He believes not only are the playoffs a realistic goal but so is the district title. If everything comes together, this could be a season for the record books in Hart.
Lazbuddie Longhorns
Head Coach: N/A
Last Season: 3-6; 1-3 in district
Lazbuddie 2023 Season Update
Lazbuddie Athletic Director Ken Hoskins confirmed to texashsfootball.com that the Longhorns will not field a varsity football team in 2023 due to low numbers.
The Longhorns have struggled since the turn of the century having last made the playoffs back in 2014.
It appears to be the first time since 1946 that the Longhorns will not field a varsity football team.
Whitharral Panthers
Head Coach: Jeremy Holt (2nd season)
Last Season: 12-2; 4-0 in district (Lost to Benjamin in state semifinals)
Whitharral Key Players and Storylines
Jeremy Holt’s first season at Whitharral was a huge success as the Panthers advanced to the state semifinals.
There is work to be done, however, as the Panthers only return two offensive starters and must replace do-it-all star Shamadrick Weaver.
Sophomore Brent Robinson (297 rushing yards and eight touchdowns) will be one of the players the Panthers rely upon to step up in the backfield after he saw 44 carries a year ago.
Defensively, the Panthers should be stout again with four returning starters. A year ago, they pitched three shutouts and held Balmorhea to just 20 points in a smashmouth quarterfinal matchup.
Linebacker will likely be the Panthers’ strength on defense. Victor Saenz (65 tackles) broke onto the scene as a freshman a year ago, while Nomar Gomez (135 total tackles) should provide some senior leadership at the position.
Meanwhile, on the defensive line, fellow returners Rayden Potter (66 tackles, 13 TFLs) and Dawson Rodgers (19 tackles, 4 TFLs) provide the Panthers with plenty of talent in the trenches.
This year won’t be easy with Amherst and Hart both bringing plenty of talent back. But coming off last year’s success, Holt believes the 2023 season will be a telltale sign of whether Whitharral will evolve into a consistent six-man title contender for years to come.
“We lost a lot of players that were big time contributors for us, but we also return quite a few that are able to step into those roles and have major impacts,” Holt said. “Our expectation is to build a great program and our next step in the process is to have another season of being very competitive.”
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