Euless Trinity’s overtime victory over LD Bell triggered a three-way tiebreaker that determined the final two playoff spots in this district a year ago.
Expect the battle in the middle of this district to be just as fierce this year. However, the question will be whether anyone can keep up with a North Crowley team stacked with Division I talent. Boswell and Euless Trinity will be among those hoping to have a say in the district title race by the time October begins to wind down.
With storylines from top to bottom, here’s what to watch for in District 3-6A this year.
Boswell Pioneers
Head Coach: Wes Weaver (1st Season)
Last Season: 8-3; 5-2 in district play (Lost to Byron Nelson in bi-district)
Boswell Key Players and Storylines
When John Abendschan stepped into the school district athletic director role, the Pioneers didn’t have to look far for his replacement. Their new head coach Wes Weaver has been on staff at Boswell since 2009 and has served as the team’s offensive coordinator the past four seasons. He’s also a 1997 Boswell graduate.
After going 3-6 in its first season in 6A in 2020, Boswell has now responded with back-to-back playoff appearances. Weaver said his team has found its footing at the 6A level and expects to be able to compete with high level teams.
Heading into this year, he inherits a Boswell squad that returns five starters on each side of the ball. Weaver is excited about the prospects of the Pioneer receiving corps, listing both Kairel Robertson (395 receiving yards and three touchdowns) and Ty Dauer (289 receiving yards and a touchdown) as players to watch this season.
When it comes to the offensive line, Weaver mentioned senior Eban DeJesus as a player he expects to lead that unit this season.
Defensively, Boswell held opponents to just 20 points per game a year ago. The Pioneers’ three-leading tacklers all graduated but they still return key pieces in Arizona commit defensive lineman Jaedon Langley (65 tackles, 9 TFLs), linebacker Matthew Becker (55 tackles), and cornerback Isaiah Murphy (47 tackles). Both Becker and Langley were first team all-district selections a year ago.
I’m All In ‼️🐻⬇️ @CoachKaufusi @nichols_ty @CoachAkina @BosFootball @abendschan @coachwweaver pic.twitter.com/r4uhttHQLR
— Jaedon Langley (@JaedonLangley1) June 20, 2023
Weaver isn’t shying away from setting a high bar in his first year in charge. After watching his team lose their two district games a year ago by just a combined seven points, he believes his team can compete for a district title in 2023. The key will just be executing what they can control in order to put themselves in position to succeed when it comes to crunch time in district play.
Chisholm Trail Rangers
Head Coach: Byron Bode (8th Season)
Last Season: 2-8; 1-6 in district
Chisholm Trail Key Players and Storylines
Chisholm Trail will set out this year continuing its search for its first-ever playoff berth in school history. The Rangers have yet to find sustained success during their 11-year varsity football history, having never won more than four games in a single season.
However, their offense appears ready to thrive with leaders quarterback Joey McGowen, running back Israel Kaloso, and receiver Gavin Clark all returning from last season. Senior Darron Copeland is also back to lead the offensive line after earning second team all-district honors last season.
On the other side of the ball, linebacker Jeremiah Gordon was one of Chisholm Trail’s leading tacklers last season, while the secondary should be strong with safeties Sebastian Reyes and Matthias Leach, who has a Division I offer from Miami University. Both Gordon and Reyes were all-district honorable mentions in 2022.
6’3
205
Class of 25
Linebacker outside linebacker
Chisholm trial high school
Head coaches number
(214-325-6973)
Check my film from my sop season📲 pic.twitter.com/Waavib5Y5V— Jeremiah Gordon (@Jeremiah_G9) June 6, 2023
Chisholm Trail returns the majority of its offensive weapons as well as some key pieces on defense. The Rangers will hope that returning talent will be enough as they look to continue to close the gap on the top teams in the district.
Crowley Eagles
Head Coach: Carlos Lynn (1st Season)
Last Season: 4-7; 4-3 in district (Lost to Southlake Carroll in bi-district)
Crowley Key Players and Storylines
Crowley broke through with its first playoff appearance in three years in 2022. Making the feat even more impressive is that last year was Crowley’s first as a 6A school.
Heading into this season, the Eagles have an experienced 6A coach taking over the program as Carlos Lynn comes over from Cedar Hill. Lynn helped lead the Longhorns to the 2020 6A Division II State Title Game in his most successful season at the school.
Lynn said the combination of “great kids, supportive administration, and a community hungry for success” made him eager to jump at the opportunity to take the Crowley job.
On the field, he’ll have some experience at his disposal as the Eagles return five starters on each side of the ball.
The backfield will be Crowley’s biggest offensive strength heading into 2023. Not only does quarterback Caleb Williams return (1,251 passing yards and seven touchdowns) but the Eagles will have two strong options at running back.
Senior Caleb Pope (528 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns) transfers in from Aledo, while Jordan Green (476 rushing yards and seven touchdowns) is back after being Crowley’s second leading rusher a year ago. Green has also proven himself to be a threat out of the backfield in passing situations (264 receiving yards and a touchdown).
Defensively, look for seniors Priest Ashe (70 tackles; 11 TFLs) and Keythaine Allen to anchor the Eagles in the trenches, while junior safety Jonathan Blake is poised to lead Crowley in the secondary after finishing as Crowley’s second-leading tackler in 2022 (107 tackles; seven TFLs). Both Ashe and Blake were second team all-district selections a year ago.
Lynn is excited to head into battle with not only his players but his coaching staff as well. He said his offensive coordinator Matthew McHugh is one of the best up-and-coming play callers in the state, while defensive coordinator Taylor Wolfe is a great leader of men.
With that team Lynn has assembled, he expects his Eagles to go deeper in the playoffs this fall as they look to add to their trophy case in 2023.
Euless Trinity Trojans
Head Coach: Aaron Lineweaver (1st Season)
Last Season: 4-7; 4-3 in district (Lost to Keller in bi-district round)
Trinity Key Players and Storylines
After an 0-5 start last season, Trinity squeaked into the playoffs with an overtime victory over LD Bell in its final regular season game. But for a program that has now made it to the postseason the past 25 seasons and has 18 double-digit win seasons in that time span, the Trojans will be expecting improvement this year.
Early on this season, they’ll have to lean on an offense that averaged nearly 33 points per game. They return eight starters on that side of the ball but just four on defense. Head Coach Aaron Lineweaver said they’ll be young in some spots this year.
The offense will be led by two dynamic athletes, Ethan Wright (571 passing yards and 4 TDs; 319 rushing yards and 8 TDs) and TJ Tupou (726 passing yards and 2 TDs). Both saw playing time at quarterback last season, but they each have the athleticism that could allow Lineweaver to utilize them in a variety of roles this season.
At the skill positions, key players include running back Josh Bell (517 rushing yards and five touchdowns) and wide receiver Jarvis Heimuli (549 receiving yards), while Lineweaver expects Penti Masima to be a leader on the offensive line.
Defensively, Lineweaver is expecting Ma’afu Asaeli to play a key role for the Trojan defense after he primarily played fullback last season. Joining him in the front seven will be nose guard Kylen Fiefia and linebackers Austin Colgrove and Hunter Davis. In the secondary, senior safety Isaiah Kneubuhl should provide good veteran leadership.
Lineweaver said the Trinity football program is one built on tradition. Little kids grow up in Euless wanting to be a Trinity Trojan and many players have relatives that also played at Trinity while they were in high school.
With the program’s pedigree and a squad that Lineweaver believes has great unity heading into the season, look for Trinity to bounce back from last year’s four-win effort with a stronger 2023 season.
Great session today. The hard work is going to payoff #TrojanDNA pic.twitter.com/sUyPGBNqQC
— TrinityTrojanFB (@IAR2_Football) June 28, 2023
Fort Worth Paschal Panthers
Head Coach: John Killough (4th Season)
Last Season: 3-7; 0-7 in district
Paschal Key Players and Storylines
Paschal has struggled on the field since the turn of the century, but the Panther coaching staff hopes their team can take a step forward in 2023.
The Panthers head into this season nursing a 28-year playoff drought and a 16-game district losing streak.
However, despite having to replace a couple of key players, the Panthers won’t be short on experience this season. Seven players are back on offense and nine return on defense. Two of those returning players will be four-year starters for Paschal.
Offensively, Paschal is tasked with replacing its leading passer, rusher, and receiver from 2022.
Tight end Luke Tevis can serve as a reliable blocker up front as well as a big-bodied receiver. He earned a district honorable mention a year ago. In the backfield, junior running back Maki Gee is poised for a bigger role this year (256 rushing yards) while sophomore quarterback JaShaun Thomas is the favorite to take over as the starter behind center.
On the other side of the ball, the Panthers boast plenty of experience.
Safety Nick Lopez was a second team all-district selection a year ago. Senior cornerback Elijah Rose is another Paschal player to watch in the secondary while fellow senior Shandon Porter will help anchor the defensive line.
A year ago, Paschal got off to a 3-0 start before finishing its season with a seven-game losing streak. The Panther coaching staff believes that early season success from a year ago is a good foundation to build on.
And with the combination of returning experience and hard work throughout this offseason, the expectation for Paschal this season is to continue to make strides and return to the win column in district play.
LD Bell Blue Raiders
Head Coach: T.J. Dibble (3rd Season)
Last Season: 6-4; 3-4 in district
L.D. Bell Key Players and Storylines
LD Bell came oh so close last season to snapping a playoff drought that now spans a decade. Overtime losses to Weatherford and Trinity ended up proving the difference as the Blue Raiders finished just a game out of a three-way tie for third place.
The quote that resonates the most right now with LD Bell head coach T.J. Dibble? “The past does not guarantee the future.”
He said he feels optimistic about LD Bell’s prospects heading into 2023, but the Blue Raiders must put in the work necessary to try and earn a playoff berth this year.
Their offense will need more retooling than their defense. Just four starters are back offensively while eight return on defense.
The Blue Raiders have to replace their starting quarterback, leading rusher, and three leading receivers from last season. Senior Maddox Olatunde (473 rushing yards and six touchdowns) served as a jack of all trades for the Blue Raiders a year ago and could be in line to take over behind center this year.
Elsewhere, Dibble is expecting Elijah Zamora (116 receiving yards and a touchdown) to step into one of the top receiver roles, while Reese Dietel will be a key player for LD Bell on the offensive line.
On the other side of the ball, the Blue Raiders boast defensive tackle Tristan Johnson (49 tackles), who is attracting attention at the Division I level. They’ll also be strong at cornerback with both Ja’Darius Steele (50 tackles) and John Marlow (19 tackles) returning.
#AGTG TOP 6️⃣ WHERE’S 🏠⁉️@LDBellFootball @davewiljr @ScottRapp17 @NoBlindSticks pic.twitter.com/ckdktKjSpM
— Tristan Johnson (@TrexJohnson_35) July 2, 2023
After last year’s heartbreak, the Blue Raiders are focused on becoming a playoff team this season.
The defense appears set to be solid yet again this year after holding opponents to under 20 points per game in 2022. If the offense can reload and replace the seven starters lost from a year ago, the Blue Raiders should be in prime position to try and snap their playoff drought this fall.
North Crowley Panthers
Head Coach: Ray Gates (2nd Season)
Last Season: 12-1; 7-0 in district (Lost to Prosper in Regional Semifinals)
North Crowley Key Players and Storylines
A year ago, North Crowley went on its deepest playoff run since its 2003 4A Division I state championship. The Panthers also earned their first outright district championship in school history.
And with the Panther program teeming with talent, it’s evident why they had so much success last year.
Expect another big year from North Crowley in 2023. The Panthers do have to replace 40 seniors from last year’s team, but seven starters still return on each side of the ball.
Round #2: ✅
Gold ball #3: ✅#GoonCity pic.twitter.com/QoUG0VxhLH— North Crowley Football (@NorthCro_FB) November 19, 2022
Junior quarterback Chris Jimerson (2,112 passing yards and 27 touchdowns) is poised to lead the offense for the second straight season. He’ll have no shortage of options at his disposal at the skill positions with four-star running back Cornelius Warren (1,035 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns) and TCU commit Julian Knox and Louisiana Tech commit Mason Ferguson (490 receiving yards and two touchdowns), a transfer from Burleson, both at receiver.
And it’s not just the offense.
The defense has next level talent at all three levels with three-star defensive lineman Sterlin Brooks, linebacker Jonathan Cunningham (44 tackles, eight TFLs), and Arkansas State commit cornerback David Moore, a transfer from Fort Worth Brewer.
The Panthers had a season for the school record books a year ago. And with what should be an explosive offense and a defense that has a couple of potential star players, North Crowley will be a team to watch in Region I again this season.
Weatherford Kangaroos
Head Coach: Aubrey Sims (3rd Season)
Last Season: 7-3; 4-3 in district
Weatherford Key Players and Storylines
Finishing 7-3 and missing the playoffs is a tough pill to swallow. But after coming up on the wrong end of a three-way district tiebreaker for the final two spots last season, the Kangaroos found themselves watching the postseason from home for the first time since 2017.
Weatherford has a good foundation to build on offensively this season with quarterback CJ Thornton (1,403 passing yards and 12 touchdowns) and running back Joseph Polk (1,272 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns) giving the Kangaroos a veteran-led backfield.
However, there are some question marks at receiver after two of Weatherford’s top three receivers graduated and Britton Burrows transferred to Brock.
On the other side of the ball, linebacker will be a strength with last year’s leading tackler Andrew Groh (96 tackles) and junior Asa Dowling (75 tackles, five TFLs). Bruin Wright (74 tackles) will be a player to watch at safety after a breakout sophomore season a year ago.
Andrew Groh with a big sack to force a punt pic.twitter.com/X27Ztwt3gc
— Weatherford Athletics (@whsrooathletics) November 4, 2022
There’s very little separating between many of the teams in District 3-6A. After learning that the hard way last season, Weatherford will hope to be on the other end of that fine margin this season.
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