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District 8-6A Season Preview

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Arlington Martin will be looking to maintain its perch atop District 8-6A despite undergoing a coaching change for the first time in nearly 20 years this offseason.

And for teams like Arlington, Bowie, and South Grand Prairie that made the playoffs last year, they can expect a challenge this fall. Lamar and Grand Prairie football teams with plenty of experience returning are eager to shake up the district standings in 2023.

But don’t forget about Sam Houston. After an offseason full of hard work, the Texans are trying to change the narrative about their program.

Here’s what to watch for in District 8-6A.

Arlington Colts

Head Coach: Scott Peach (21st Season)

Last Season: 6-5; 4-2 in the district (Lost to Dallas Jesuit in bi-district)

Arlington Key Players and Storylines

Arlington hasn’t missed the playoffs since 2014. However, the only time it has finished above third place in the district during that time span was in 2018, when it won the district championship.

Head coach Scott Peach is hopeful his Colts can build on their third-place finish in District 8-6A last year. The Colts return eight starters on offense and five on defense. Several of those players will be three-year starters this season.

Arlington averaged 30 points per game offensive a year ago and could be just as explosive this season. It has a wealth of options at the skill positions starting with Dre Burton, its leading rusher from last year (1,134 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns). Out at receiver, Isaiah Robertson (631 receiving yards and three touchdowns) had a breakout sophomore year in 2022, while senior Cooper Peach (375 receiving yards and two touchdowns) is also back.

That skill talent will be vital as the Colts will be inexperienced at quarterback following Sam Semi’s move to Mississippi.

Defensively, Peach is excited about what his team brings back in the trenches with defensive end Frank Rodgers and defensive tackle Jarvis Austin. He also expects safety Stephen Murray to be a leader in the secondary. Peach’s main concern is linebacker, where the Colts lack experienced players.

Heading into this fall, Arlington hopes its chemistry will pay off. Not only is there plenty of familiarity among the three-year starters, but five coaches on the Colts staff have sons on the team.

With so much experience back, if the Colts can find a leader at quarterback, they’ll be in good shape to be playing in the postseason again this season.

Arlington Bowie Volunteers

Head Coach: Joseph Sam (3rd Season)

Last Season: 5-6; 3-3 in district (Lost to Highland Park in bi-district)

Bowie Key Players and Storylines

Bowie is back to normal heading into the 2023 season. Not only has the school recovered after being hit hard by the COVID pandemic, according to head coach Joseph Sam, but the Volunteers also made it back to the playoffs last year after a disappointing 2-8 season in 2021.

Sam said Bowie’s returning players will be tasked with maintaining the standard set by last year’s senior class. The Volunteers have a good amount of experience back, with six starters returning on each side of the ball.

Bowie must replace its starting quarterback from a year ago. However, its skill positions are in good hands with running back Tavares Duckett (573 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns) and receiver Rafeald Campbell (684 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns). Up front, Sam expects senior Ian Mayes to anchor the offensive line.

Defensively, the Volunteers will look to make strides after giving up 33 points per game a year ago.

Safety Kristopher Wokomah (67 tackles) will be Bowie’s most talented player on that side of the ball. He committed to Baylor in June.

The front seven is stout as well. Linebacker Chim Njaka (87 tackles) led the Volunteers in tackles a year ago, while defensive tackle Mateo Greer (30 tackles) was a first-team all-district selection in 2022. Sam is also looking for big things out of fellow defensive tackle Christian Westbrooks.

The Volunteers have been a playoff fixture for the past decade and a half. They’ve only missed the postseason twice since 2006.

With that standard reestablished last season, expect the Volunteers to be right in the thick of the District 8-6A playoff race again this season.

Arlington Lamar Vikings

Head Coach: Billy Skinner (3rd Season)

Last Season: 3-7; 2-4 in district

Lamar Key Players and Storylines

Lamar has now missed the playoffs the past three seasons. Head coach Billy Skinner is ready to see a response from his players this fall.

“I expect to see a team that comes out with a chip on their shoulder,” Skinner said. “Our entire [expectations] has been based off the premise of not being pushed around again.” 

The Vikings do have a good amount of returning talent as they look to push back against their District 8-6A opponents. Six starters are back on offense, while seven return on defense.

Junior quarterback Gannon Carey (870 passing yards and six touchdowns) will look to build his rapport with junior Jesse Little (134 receiving yards) after the graduation of his top receiver a year ago. Senior Evan Martinez is back to lead the offensive line after earning second-team all-district last season.

With the defense replacing just four starters, Skinner will be expecting it to make some progress this season after allowing 36 points per game a year ago. Its two leading tacklers are back from last season in linebacker Jayden Pederson (81 tackles, 17.5 TFLs) and defensive lineman Damien Brown (65 tackles and five TFLs). Behind them, safety Deante Gentry (33 tackles and one INT) was the district’s Defensive Sophomore of the Year in 2022.

The Vikings may lack depth in some positions, but Skinner is excited about the amount of overall experience they return. With many players back from last year’s squad, he hopes last fall will serve as the motivation his team needs to make strides on the field this season.

Arlington Martin Warriors

Head Coach: Chad Rives (1st Season)

Last Season: 10-2; 6-0 in district (Lost to Lewisville in area round)

Martin Key Players and Storylines

2023 will mark a new era of Arlington Martin football as Chad Rives takes over for Bob Wager, who left to take a job on staff at Nebraska. During Wager’s 17 years as Martin’s head coach, the Warriors never missed the playoffs.

Don’t expect much of a change for Martin under Rives’ leadership either. He served as Martin’s offensive coordinator for all 17 years Wager was at the school.

In fact, Rives believes it’s time for the Warriors to take the next step and play for more regional and state titles in the postseason. They made the third round of playoffs nine times under Wager but only advanced to the fourth round once back in 2011.

This season, Martin returns six players on offense and four on defense.

Offensively, Martin will be strong in the trenches with the return of all-district linemen Makai Saina, a USC commit, and Terry Thomas. Behind them, dual-threat quarterback Tristan Bittle (1,548 passing yards and 15 TDs; 354 rushing yards and three TDs) returns to lead the offense for the second-straight year. However, he’ll need help at the skill positions where Martin’s leading rusher and three leading receivers all graduated.

On the other side of the ball, Martin was lights out a year ago. The Warriors held their opponents to just 15 points per game.

If they’re to be that stout again this season, it will all start with the linebacking corps. First-team all-district selections Keller Webb (107 tackles) and Jake Landrum (88 tackles) return, as does fellow senior Brandon Smith (34 tackles).

Even though 12 starters must be replaced from last year’s team, don’t expect a dropoff from the Warriors this year. They have proven themselves to be a perennial playoffs squad, and that shouldn’t change as Rives takes charge in 2023.

Arlington, Sam Houston Texans

Head Coach: Chris James (2nd Season)

Last Season: 0-10; 0-6 in district

Sam Houston Key Players and Storylines

The Texans will be looking to put last year behind them after a frustrating campaign where they scored just 76 points.

It has now been eight seasons without a playoff berth for Sam Houston.

However, the Texans are aiming to begin a new #ErA of Sam Houston football with their group of players.

Wide receiver Devonye Jackson will be the most explosive returnee for the Texans. He earned first-team all-district honors last season. Up front, Samuel Rostro is back after earning an all-district honorable mention in 2022.

In the trenches on the other side of the ball, defensive end Omari Edwards returns. He’ll be part of a new-look defense after all ten Texan players who earned all-district honors last season graduated.

Sam Houston has an uphill task ahead of it as it looks to rebuild its startling lineup heading into this fall. However, the Texans have been hard at work, with great numbers showing up to offseason workouts as they to be more competitive with their district bunkmates in 2023.

Grand Prairie Gophers

Head Coach: Tony Tademy (6th Season)

Last Season: 1-9; 1-5 in district

Grand Prairie Key Players and Storylines

Grand Prairie will be hoping last season was just a blip in the road. After an impressive 7-5 campaign in 2021, the Gophers came crashing back down to Earth last season with a 1-9 finish.

Fortunately for them, all signs point to a great Gopher improvement this fall. Nine starters are back on offense, while seven return on defense. The Gopher coaching staff believes they have a close-knit team that is ready to make some noise this fall.

Offensively, it will start with the passing game. Senior Kelton Moore (442 receiving yards and two touchdowns) and junior Kevin Moore (389 receiving yards and five touchdowns) lead a promising young group of receivers. That will be vital as junior quarterback Julian Salas prepares to throw his first passes on varsity this fall. He’ll also have 2022 first-team all-district offensive lineman Will Hernandez anchoring the protection up front.

Defensively, the Gophers boast tackling machine linebacker Sammy Rangel (111 tackles, seven TFLs). He had the most tackles of any player in the district last season. Joining him in the front seven are fellow linebacker junior Xavier Rodriguez and defensive end Israel Ogunsola.

With so much experience returning from last season, the Grand Prairie coaching staff has been preaching to their team that they can compete with anyone in the district. Look for the Gophers to come ready for battle each week, no matter the opponent, as they look to improve on their 2022 season.

South Grand Prairie Warriors

Head Coach: Laban DeLay (3rd Season)

Last Season: 6-6; 5-1 in district (Lost to Prosper in area round)

South Grand Prairie Key Players and Storylines

At the midway point of last season, things looked bleak for South Grand Prairie after the Warriors lost their opening five games.

However, South Grand Prairie caught fire after that slow start. It would go on to win its next six games, earn its eighth-straight playoff berth, and win its first playoff game since 2020.

This season, the Warriors return just under half of their starters from a year ago, with five players back on each side of the ball.

Dual-threat quarterback Jaden Stanley (1,904 passing yards and 15 TDs; 769 rushing yards and 11 TDs) will provide the spark for an offense that averaged nearly 34 points per game a year ago. His dynamic playmaking ability will be crucial for an offense replacing a running back that was the district’s Offensive MVP and a receiver that earned first-team all-district honors.

Senior receiver Austin DeLay is one of the skill players the Warriors will rely on to step up this year, while Eddie Foster, who also plays linebacker, (301 rushing yards and a touchdown) could be part of the answer at running back. Up front, Javier Mendez should steady the offensive line as he returns to start at center.

On the other side of the ball, the Warrior defense is in good hands with the return of last year’s district Defensive MVP linebacker Leo Morris (120 tackles, 15 TFLs). Behind him, South Grand Prairie also boasts unanimous first-team all-district selection safety Ahmad Jenkins (66 tackles, 2 INTs).

DeLay said the community support at South Grand Prairie makes it special to be apart of the Warrior football program. With a solid amount of returning talent this year, the bar will continue to be set high as the Warriors look to make it back to the postseason and add to their trophy case.

 

CLICK HERE to listen to the Texas HS Football Podcast, with Taylor Arenz

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