Oakwood was the face of Region III last season following a state semifinal run. However, with a hungry Fannindel team hot on their heels, a Trinidad squad with promising young talent, and Apple Springs looking to complete a remarkable four-year turnaround, the race for the two playoff places should be a fierce one.
Here’s what to watch for in District 9-1A Division II.
Apple Springs Eagles
Head Coach: Cody Moree (19th season)
Last Season: 3-6; 0-3 in district
Apple Springs Key Players and Storylines
Apple Springs’ 2022 district record looks a lot worse than the Eagles were in reality. A seven-point defeat to Fannindel and a 13-point defeat to Trinidad is all that separated the Eagles from a playoff spot.
Apple Springs’ senior class will not only be gunning for that playoff spot, but they’ll also be looking for their first district win at the school. After the 2020 season was canceled just one game into the year due to a lack of numbers, the Eagles have fallen in each of their six district games the past two seasons.
However, Head Coach Cody Moree believes his senior class has paid its dues and is ready to succeed. With five starters back on offense and three returning on defense, he believes his team can challenge for a playoff spot if they stay healthy.
Leadership won’t be a problem offensively, with senior quarterback Dakota Campbell handling the keys to the offense. He was an all-district selection a year ago. In the passing game, expect Campbell to look for fellow senior Connor Stover. An all-district honorable mention last season, Moree said he is a reliable target with great hands.
On the other side of the ball, while Moree is concerned about his team’s lack of defensive speed, there is no concern about a shortage of talent at linebackers. Both Dawson Moore, Apple Springs’ leading tackler last season, and Hunter Davis, Apple Springs’ team leader in takeaways, return at the position. Both were all-district honorees a year ago.
On Friday nights, Moree said his team would continue to possess a special home-field advantage thanks to Lufkin Hudson’s band. Hudson, a 4A school 10 miles from Apple Springs, doesn’t have a football team, so its band performs at Apple Springs home games, creating a more significant atmosphere than most six-man games in the eyes of Moree.
With that atmosphere backing the Eagles in the stands, Moree believes his squad’s experience and football IQ will be their greatest assets between the white lines.
Both of those attributes will be vital this year as Apple Springs’ senior class aims for the ultimate turnaround from not being able to field a team their freshman year to earning a postseason spot this fall.
Fannindel Falcons
Head Coach: Denver Bowden
Last Season: 5-6; 2-1 in district (Lost to Morgan in bi-district)
Fannindel Key Players and Storylines
*Note: Fannindel’s individual stats are only from the regular season
Fannindel Head Coach Denver Bowden was proud of how his team bounced back from a 1-4 start last year to make the playoffs for the sixth-straight year.
A narrow 55-48 victory over Apple Springs proved to be the difference in the battle for second place in the district, and Bowden expects it to be just as competitive this year.
But with plenty of experience returning on this year’s team, Bowden has much higher hopes for his Falcons in 2023.
“We will have five seniors, so expectations are high not just in district but also in the region,” Bowden said. “Losing in the first round [last year] was disappointing; doing so this year doing would be unacceptable.”
Leading the charge for what the Falcons hope will be a long and fruitful season will be Kazion Dugan (748 rushing yards and nine touchdowns; 330 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns). Bowden said he can play spread back, quarterback, running back, and wide receiver. He was also an all-state honorable mention at cornerback.
Other skill talents include running back Ke’monte Cuba (926 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns) and sophomore wide receiver Kalob Runnels (526 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Bowden noted Runnels is the best freshman he’s ever coached and believes he could be a star within Region III this season.
With so much experience returning, the lone hole the Falcons have to fill offensively is at quarterback, where Edgar Lopez will replace three-year starter Jabari Dowdy.
Defensively, Dugan (67 tackles, 2 INTs) and Runnels (30 tackles, 3 INTs) should create a formidable secondary, while Cuba (82 tackles has been the team’s leading tackler from his defensive end position in back-to-back seasons.
Bowden has set the bar high for his Falcons heading into 2023. However, it is sure to be a battle to reach their goals.
Not only will Apple Springs and Trinidad be improved, but Bowden believes Oakwood will still be arguably the best team in Region III this year.
Yet with Fannindel’s returning talent, he is hopeful the Falcons can “give [Oakwood] a run for their money” this season and put themselves on the map as a Region III contender.
Oakwood Panthers
Head Coach: JJ Johnson (2nd Season)
Last Season: 11-3; 3-0 in District (Lost to Loraine in State Semifinals)
Oakwood Key Players and Storylines
Oakwood heads into the season with the tall task of having to replace running back Zack Nickerson. He set a six-man record in 2022 with 81 rushing touchdowns.
However, head coach JJ Johnson isn’t fazed. He has confidence in the next class of Panthers to fill the holes left by the graduating seniors.
“We have some good young talent, and I told them that it’s their time,” Johnson said. “Nickerson was a very good player for us, and now they have to continue the tradition here at Oakwood. The expectations here are state championships.”
Johnson said the offense will look different this year as several players help replace Nickerson’s enormous production from a year ago. Still, four starters on offense return.
Running back Darreion Thomas (five rushing touchdowns) should take on a larger role out of the backfield, while Micah Reed (265 receiving yards and eight touchdowns) will be a key weapon in the passing game. He was the District’s Newcomer of the Year in 2022. Center Nick Strickland, an all-region honoree in 2022, will give the offense a sturdy foundation up front.
On the other side of the ball, Johnson said the core of last year’s defense returns this year. Linebackers Gavin Wilbanks and Thomas were both all-region linebackers in 2022. Meanwhile, Strickland should be a key player in the trenches as well on defense.
Nickerson may be gone, but enough all-district and all-region talent returns for the Panthers to keep the positive momentum going from last season. Don’t be surprised if Oakwood plays deep into November yet again this season.
Trinidad Trojans
Head Coach: Mike Warren (3rd Season)
Last Season: 2-8; 1-2 in district play
Trinidad Key Players and Storylines
After a winless 2021 season, Trinidad bounced back with a couple of wins in 2022, including a 25-12 district victory over Apple Springs to close out the year.
Head Coach Mike Warren said those wins last year had increased his players’ buy-in to the program’s goals. However, Trinidad will still have to battle inexperience as the Trojans expect to field a young team again in 2023.
The hope for Warren is that those young players will continue to develop as Trinidad looks to eventually return to the playoff contender it was when it made three-straight playoff appearances from 2018-2020.
This season, the Trojans return three starters on offense and four on defense. Warren expects the Trojans to be led by two main players this season: senior lineman Jack Quinn and junior running back/defensive back Kacey Womack.
Look for Womack (783 rushing yards and seven touchdowns) to carry the bulk of the load offensively, while Quinn will be a key player in the trenches on both sides of the ball (33 tackles on defense).
A young football team may not translate to wins on the field right away, but Warren remains highly optimistic about the direction the program is heading with the young players coming up in the Trinidad program.
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