Westbrook was the team to beat in 1A Division I a year ago. And even with Cedric Ware gone, Grayson Jeffrey and his teammates appear poised for another memorable season in 2023.
Beneath Westbrook, the battle for the other playoff spot was fierce a year ago. There was very little separating the second through fourth-placed finishers in the district.
It shouldn’t be any different this year as Hermleigh, Highland, and Ira each boast a good amount of returners, while Roby and Rotan look to continue to turn around their programs.
With so much to keep track of in one of the largest districts in six-man football, here are the storylines and players to watch in District 8-1A Division I in 2023.
Hermleigh Cardinals
Head Coach: Sam Winters (3rd Season)
Last Season: 7-3; 3-2 in district
Hermleigh Key Players and Storylines
The Cardinals narrowly missed out on the playoffs a year ago. Ira edged them 38-24 in the season finale to claim the district’s last ticket to the postseason.
Despite last season’s heartbreaking ending, Hermleigh has high hopes for this season. It returns three starters on offense and four on defense. However, its biggest asset will be its team chemistry, thanks to a large senior class that has grown up together at Hermleigh.
The Cardinals will be led by one of those seniors on each side of the ball. Spreadback Tyson Digby was a walking touchdown a year ago (1,480 passing yards and 21 touchdowns and 748 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns), while defensive end Kai Vargas (78 total tackles and 14 sacks) should have a steady presence in opponents’ backfields again this season.
Elsewhere, fellow senior linebacker Hunter Simpson was a first-team all-district nominee a year ago.
And expect junior utility back Alex Wanderlich to be another weapon on an offense that averaged over 52 points per game a year ago.
While last season didn’t have the ending head coach Sam Winters and his Cardinals envisioned, he’s confident that what his team learned last year will boost them forward in 2023.
“Last year was a true growing and learning experience for so many of our players,” Winters said. “This year, we bring back a large core of our team that saw tons of time and action. I would expect both [our] seniors and community to rally this team next season and hopefully make a run in the playoffs.”
Highland Hornets
Head Coach: Ben Smith (4th Season)
Last Season: 3-7; 2-3 in district
Highland Key Players and Storylines
Highland wasn’t as far off from the playoffs last year as its 3-7 record might suggest. In the end, an eight-point defeat to Hermleigh and a 10-point loss to Ira is all that kept Highland out of the playoffs.
As the Hornets seek to return to the playoffs since 2017, they’ll have a good amount of experience to lean on. Just four seniors were on last year’s roster.
Tylan Balthop burst onto the scene as a freshman a year ago, earning the district’s Newcomer of the Year award. He’ll be a key cog both at fullback (604 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns) and on the defensive line (39 tackles, 10.5 TFLs) for the Hornets. Balthop and running back Cooper Bowen (1,258 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns) should form one of the more dangerous one-two punches in the district.
When the Hornets do turn to the air, Bubba Byrne (485 passing yards and six touchdowns) and sophomore Braxton Smith (561 passing yards and eight touchdowns) both led the charge throwing the football last season. Look for them to utilize senior tight end Kason Wehba in the passing game (342 receiving yards and four touchdowns).
Defensively is where Highland got into trouble at times last year, allowing nearly 47 points per game. This year, they should be strong not only up front with Balthop and senior Brandon Barkley (25.5 tackles), but also in the secondary with Bowen (66.5 tackles) and Byrne (60 tackles), who both earned all-district honors in 2022 at cornerback.
Highland has a wealth of talent returning from a year ago. That should bode well as it seeks to snap that six-year playoff drought in what will be a gauntlet of a district schedule.
Ira Bulldogs
Head Coach: Toby Goodwin (26th season)
Last Season: 8-3; 4-1 in district (Lost to Rankin in Bi-District)
Ira Key Players and Storylines
Ira held off Hermleigh and Highland a year ago to claim its fifth-straight playoff berth.
Heading into this season, longtime Ira head coach Toby Goodwin feels encouraged by the players he’ll have at his disposal. Not only do the Bulldogs return a good core of three starters on each side of the ball from last season, but they also have a strong sophomore class ready to contribute.
Defensively, the Bulldogs should be strong in the trenches with 2022 all-district honorees Demitri Juarez (38.5 tackles; 10.5 TFLs) and Kaden Foree (7 TFLs) at defensive end. Goodwin also expects senior Kaden Castillo to be another player the Bulldogs utilize in the trenches.
Jaren Pena should help lead the Bulldogs both as a defensive back and a running back this season (46.5 tackles, 449 rushing yards, and 14 touchdowns). Meanwhile, Foree (356 receiving yards and five touchdowns) should be another weapon to watch offensively after his contributions in the passing game last season.
The Bulldogs have long been a force under Goodwin. They’ve had 12 undefeated regular seasons and have won 223 games since he took over in 1998. In the 50 years prior to Goodwin taking over, the Bulldogs had won just 158 games.
With that standard of success his previous Ira teams have set, Goodwin expects the bar to be just as high this season.
“We expect our kids to continue the tradition and step on the field and compete and be prepared each and every game,” Goodwin said. “It is a very competitive district, and you better be ready each week.”
Roby Lions
Head Coach: Israel DeLeon (2nd Season)
Last Season: 1-9; 1-4 in district
Roby Key Players and Storylines
The Lions are still yet to completely find their footing since moving down to six-man football in 2019.
Last year’s win over Rotan in district play was just the third district win for the Lions in the last three years.
However, Roby head coach Israel DeLeon knows how to find success at the six-man level. He helped lead Springlake-Earth to back-to-back district titles when the Wolverines returned to six-man football in 2020.
This season, Roby has a lot of talent to replace as the Lions return just one starter on each side of the ball. Senior end Keegan Encizo is the lone all-district returner from a year ago.
However, DeLeon is hopeful running back junior Brady Etheredge and fullback Kody Daniel can carry the workload in the backfield while center Kooper McWilliams anchors the offensive line up front.
Defensively, Encizo and Etheredge should contribute at the linebacker position, while Daniel will slot in on the defensive line. They’ll be looking to lead a unit that gave up over 50 points per game a year ago.
But even after last season didn’t go the way Roby would have wanted it, DeLeon said his players have been hard at work all spring.
He has set a goal for the Lions to earn a district championship this season, encouraging his players to strive for success and potentially securing Roby’s first playoff berth since the Lions dropped to six-man football in 2019.
It’ll be a tall task, but DeLeon said the Lions are ready to make some noise this fall.
Rotan Yellowhammers
Head Coach: Joe Thomasson (1st Season)
Last Season: 2-7; 0-5 in district
Rotan Key Players and Storylines
The Yellowhammers will have a new but familiar face leading them this season as Joe Thomasson was promoted to head coach. Thomasson served as an assistant coach on Rotan’s staff last year.
He knows this year could be challenging as the Yellowhammers expect to field a young team in a very competitive district. Only two starters return on each side of the ball from last season.
And with that inexperience, Thomasson said this season’s goals aren’t solely focused on wins and losses.
“Our goals are to work hard in the weight room, learn to compete, and learn to work together as a team,” Thomasson said. “If we get that done, I am going to be a very happy coach in that they learned how to compete for each other no matter the outcome.”
Tight end Hunter Harris and center Justin Shelley should give Rotan a sturdy foundation to build off of upfront after both earned all-district honors last season. Their senior leadership offensively will be crucial as the Yellowhammers look set to rely on sophomore running backs Jose Garza and Cristian Garcia to step up in the backfield this season.
Defensively, all three of Rotan’s all-district honorees from 2022 have graduated. That means Harris and Shelley’s veteran leadership will also be vital in the trenches on that side of the ball.
Despite the challenges that lie ahead this season, Thomasson said the Rotan community and his administration have been completely behind the team. That support will be crucial as Thomasson and the Yellowhammers look to lay the foundation this season for years to come.
Westbrook Wildcats
Head Coach: Homer Matlock (7th Season)
Last Season: 14-1; 5-0 (Won State Championship)
Westbrook Key Players and Storylines
Westbrook had never even been to a state championship game before last season. Now, the Wildcats are back-to-back state champs.
This year will be more challenging as only three out of six starters return on both sides of the ball. Making things tougher is one of the starters the Wildcats must replace is do-it-all player Cedric Ware, who won Offensive and Defensive MVP honors in last year’s championship game.
Helping the Wildcats’ cause will be the return of running back Grayson Jeffrey, who was the other half of Westbrook’s dynamic duo out of the backfield last season after he rushed for 1,408 yards and 26 touchdowns. Also steadying the ship offensively will be senior quarterback Parker Matlock (1,000 passing yards and 17 TDs).
WHAT A RUN BY GRAYSON JEFFERY! @uiltexas | #TXHSFB | 📺: BSSW pic.twitter.com/E7vcxHkRcj
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The Wildcats will also be strong in the trenches, with Bo Payne leading the offensive line, he was an all-state lineman in 2022, and defensive end Ethan King (66 tackles and 14 TFLs) anchoring the Wildcats up front on defense.
Matlock and Jeffrey should also help bolster the Wildcat secondary after both earned first-team all-district honors from their cornerback and safety positions, respectively.
Despite the turnover heading into this year, the Wildcats still feel good about 2023. Westbrook head coach Homer Matlock is excited to see new players step into the void left by Westbrook’s graduates.
“We have some really good kids that didn’t play nearly as much as they wanted, and it was due to the fact they were playing behind some really great all state kids,” Matlock said. “I am excited about the fact that some of the players that played backup to those guys will get a chance to shine. The kids have been lifting and getting ready, and I’m excited for them to take ownership of the program.”
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