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District 9-6A Season Preview

insoles to jump higher

 

District 9-6A was incredibly tight from top to bottom a year ago. Seven of its nine teams finished with a district record of .500 or better.

Unexpectedly, Wylie East broke through with the district title in its first-ever year as a 6A school. If the Raiders are to repeat that feat this year, they’ll have their work cut out with several teams chomping at their heels.

Expect this to be a district of parity again this year where the battle for its playoff spots goes down to the very last night.

Here’s what to watch for in District 9-6A this season.

Garland Owls

Head Coach: Danny Russell (7th Season)

Last Season: 5-5; 4-4 in district

Garland Key Players and Storylines

A year after their first district title since 2012, the Owls found themselves on the wrong end of a four-way district tiebreaker for the final playoff spot last season.

This year, head coach Danny Russell expects his team to be “slightly better and make the playoffs.” Six of their starters from last season return on offense while four are back on defense.

The offensive line should be a strength with both Ismael Bah and Alex Trevino back after earning all-district honors last season. That should create a good foundation for dual threat quarterback Jayden Norwood (554 passing yards and 3 TDs; 477 rushing yards and 4 TDs) to operate behind.

However, the player to watch on the Owl offense may end up being dynamic sophomore wide recever/running back Tyrone Crethers. Russell is high on his talent, and he appears poised for a breakout 2023 season.

Defensively, linebackers Zalen Reynolds (90 tackles, 21 TFLs) and Jeremy Carcamo (48 tackles, 10 TFLs) are set to lead that side of the ball again this season after finishing as two of Garland’s three leading tacklers last season.

Defensive lineman Gabriel Williams (27 tackles, six TFLs) and safety O’Shea Johnson (21 tackles, one INT) are two other players to watch on a Garland defense that does have some holes to fill heading into the season following the graduation of four all-district players.

Although less than half of Garland’s starters from last year return, the cupboard certainly isn’t bare. Look for the Owls to be right in the thick of a fierce battle for the final playoff spots again this season.

Garland Lakeview Centennial

Head Coach: Anthony Saincilaire (3rd Season)

Last Season: 5-5; 4-4 in district

Lakeview Centennial Key Players and Storylines

Lakeview Centennial was another team denied a playoff spot by the four-way tiebreaker. In the end, a 35-31 defeat to North Garland is all that separated the Patriots from their first postseason appearance since 2019.

Unfortunately for Lakeview Centennial, it has to replace the heartbeat of its offense from a year ago after dual threat quarterback Jonathan Hester graduated. However, keep an eye on junior Kendrick Sanders as a player that could emerge at the quarterback position. But it’s not just quarterback, the Patriots’ top two running backs from last year are also gone so there are certainly some question marks in its backfield.

No such question marks exist at receiver where junior Julius Spencer (926 receiving yards and eight touchdowns) and senior Johnathan Whittle return. Second team all-district offensive tackle Antonio Johnson should help provide some leadership for the Patriots up front.

Defensively, the Patriots had a solid season a year ago, allowing just 23 points per game.

Defensive end Xavier Wright (50 tackles) will be the player to watch on that side of the ball. He is Lakeview Centennial’s lone defensive all-district returnee. Saincilaire is also high on junior safety Jeremiah Moore. He believes he’ll play a big role in the Patriot defense this year.

Lakeview Centennial is certainly dealing with some turnover heading into this season. But if the pieces can come together quickly, the Patriots should be able to challenge for a playoff spot again this fall.

Garland Naaman Forest Rangers

Head Coach: Jesse Perales (5th Season)

Last Season: 5-6; 5-3 in district (Lost to Royse City in bi-district)

Naaman Forest Key Players and Storylines

All things considered, 2022 was a good year for the Rangers. Despite starting several sophomores and a freshman last season, Naaman Forest still made it back to the playoffs for the seventh-straight year.

Head coach Jesse Perales believes the Rangers should be better this year if they can stay healthy. Naaman Forest will have more starting experience than most of the teams around them with eight starters returning on offense and seven back on defense.

DeAngelo Perales (1,976 passing yards and 22 touchdowns) is back to lead the Rangers at quarterback after earning Offensive Newcomer of the Year last season. He’ll have no shortage of receiving options with junior Dylan Turner (417 receiving yards and six touchdowns), junior Chance Ables, and sophomore Johnathan French-Love (137 receiving yards).

Perales should have good protection up front as well with offensive linemen Kenya Taylor, Reggie Wilson, Keenan Hall, and Leandro Escobar.

On the other side of the ball, the front seven has good returning talent in linebacker Josh McGowan (41 tackles) and defensive linemen Caden Key and Donovan Jackson (18 tackles). In the secondary, safety Dylan Stephens (53 tackles) is a player who can make plays all over the field as he finished as one of Naaman Forest’s leading tacklers last season.

With so many underclassmen set to star on the field again this year, there is no shortage of potential at Naaman Forest. If they can build off their experiences from last season, the Rangers have a good opportunity to keep their positive momentum going in 2023.

Garland Rowlett Eagles

Head Coach: Derek Alford (3rd Season)

Last Season: 4-6; 4-4 in district

Rowlett Key Players and Storylines

Rowlett was another one of the teams that ended up on the wrong end of the four-way tiebreaker that decided the district’s final playoff spot in 2022.

Head coach Derek Alford is hopeful his team can rebound this year and make the postseason for the first time since 2018.

With only four starters returning on each side of the ball, Alford said the senior leadership Rowlett possesses will be crucial.

Offensively, tackle Amarion Berry and running back GerMyius Benson (676 rushing yards and seven touchdowns) will be two of those senior leaders. Both were second team all-district honorees last season. Benson will be expected to take on an even bigger role this season following the graduation of last season’s leading rusher Devonta Crow.

On the other side of the ball, safety Joseph Brocks (59 tackles) and defensive tackle Vince Martin are two of the returning starters that Alford expects to be key players this season. Brocks is a three-year starter and earned first team all-district honors a year ago, while Martin has seen playing time for Rowlett since his freshman year.

In such a competitive district, there is very little room for error, so look for Rowlett to lean on these key players as they replace seven starters on each side of the ball.

Garland Sachse Mustangs

Head Coach: Mark “Red” Behrens (20th season)

Last Season: 4-7; 4-4 in district (Lost to Rockwall in bi-district)

Sachse Key Players and Storylines

The Mustangs squeaked into the playoffs a year ago. After an 0-3 start, Sachse rebounded and came out on the right end of that aforementioned four-way tiebreaker for fourth place in the district. It was Sachse’s eighth-straight playoff berth.

Head coach Mark Behrens expects his Mustangs to be improved this year. Sachse has 28 lettermen back overall, including four starters on offense and six on defense. It also has players coming up from a JV squad that finished 8-2 last season.

Sachse’s offense will be led by its backfield. Both quarterback Brenden George (1,196 passing yards) and running back BJ Haygood (177 rushing yards and five touchdowns) return from last season. Out at receiver, opposing secondaries will have to be weary of shifty four-star prospect junior Kaliq Lockett (347 receiving yards and 5 TDs).

While Behrens is excited about Sachse’s skill position personnel, the offensive line will need some work. Center Austin Smith is the lone returning starter from 2022.

Defensively, Sachse will be looking for growth in 2023 after giving up 36 points per game a year ago. Behrens believes that unit will be stronger this season.

It will all start with the front seven. The Mustangs have plenty of talent with Texas Tech commit defensive end Cheta Ofili (50 tackles and four sacks), defensive tackle Corey Walls (38 tackles and eight sacks), and linebackers Vashon Brunswick (63 tackles and 9 TFLs) and Sean Davault (58 tackles and three sacks). In the secondary, they also return safety Ivory Chester and corner Jalen Jimenez.

Behrens is slightly concerned about his team’s overall speed, but with a four-star prospect leading the way for the Mustangs on each side of the ball, he believes his Mustangs have what it takes to push for a district title in 2023.

North Garland Raiders

Head Coach: Taurus Rucker (2nd Season)

Last Season: 3-7; 2-6 in district

North Garland Key Players and Storylines

North Garland has made the playoffs just once in the past 13 seasons. However, the return of 16 starters from last season’s team (eight on offense/eight on defense) has head coach Taurus Rucker believing his team can break through in 2023. After all, three of North Garland’s six district losses last season were by six points or less.

Unfortunately for the Raiders, dynamic quarterback Godspower Nwawuihe, who was the district’s Offensive Player of the Year last season, transferred to McKinney. Kameron Shaw could be an option after he saw some playing time at the position a year ago, but it remains to be seen who will take the reins of the Raiders offense this year.

Whoever does take over at quarterback will be well supported in the passing game with senior receivers Mateo Howard (402 receiving yards and three touchdowns) and De’Corais Taylor (384 receiving yards and five touchdowns) both returning. Klever Hernandez, a second team all-district selection, should anchor the offensive line.

The Raiders had no trouble scoring last season but often found themselves in shootouts with their defense giving up over 37 points per game.

Defensive end Joseph Rosales (32 tackles, 10 TFLs) was a fixture in opponents backfields last season and will lead the front seven alongside linebacker Efosa Osas (32 tackles). In the secondary, Rucker believes Brian Nchotu (22 tackles) will be North Garland’s most important player.

With so many close losses last season, Rucker said finishing games down the stretch will be crucial this season. If his team can stay healthy and fresh for both the end of games and the end of the season, Rucker believes his team can not only make the playoffs but potentially find their way into the district title conversation.

South Garland Titans

Head Coach: Damaso Martinez (5th Season)

Last Season: 1-9; 0-8 in district

South Garland Key Players and Storylines

South Garland broke through with a win against Carrollton Turner in its season opener last August. However, that was the only game in which the Titans found the win column a year ago.

South Garland’s starting quarterback and running back from last season have graduated but there’s a strong crop of juniors at the skill positions. Camron McNeil returns at running back, while Rueben Davis (355 receiving yards), Jonas Isiah Brown (310 receiving yards), and Jaden Holland (244 receiving yards) were South Garland’s three-leading receivers from last season.

Defensively, the Titans boast two more promising juniors in linebacker Jared Balderas and safety Vantonio Wilkerson. Fellow safety senior Alessandro Orta and senior defensive lineman Nathan Perez are two more players that should have big roles on the Titan defense after they both earned all-district honorable mentions in 2022.

With several promising juniors returning after playing key roles for South Garland a year ago, that year of experience could go a long way towards South Garland seeing improved results on the field this fall.

Wylie Pirates

Head Coach: Jimmy Carter (4th Season)

Last Season: 8-4; 6-2 in district (Lost to Duncanville in area round)

Wylie Key Players and Storylines

After a down year in 2021 where they missed out on the playoffs, the Pirates rebounded with an eight-win season and their first playoff victory since 2018 last fall.

A defense that gave up just over 17 points per game led the charge a year ago and the Wylie coaching staff doesn’t expect anything different this season. The Pirates return seven starters on that side of the ball.

Linebacker Brady Dalton (81 tackles, 18 TFLs) is primed to lead the unit again this season. And with fellow linebacker Austin Fabian (31 tackles and three sacks) and defensive lineman Dane Farley (53 tackles, 16 TFLs) also returning, containing the Wylie front seven will be a formidable task for opponents.

On the other side of the ball, the Wylie offense may not be the most explosive unit ever, but the coaching staff expects it to be able to grind out victories.

Six starters are back including junior quarterback Jagger Bale (1,327 passing yards and 14 touchdowns).  The co-offensive Newcomer of the Year in 2022, the Pirates expect him to have a big season this fall.

Elsewhere, offensive tackle Jordan Katin should lead the offensive line after earning second team all-district honors a year ago.

At the skill positions, the Pirates have a couple of promising underclassmen. Junior wide receiver Martaveion Sanders (208 yards and two touchdowns) should continue to grow as he enters his second year on varsity, while the Pirate coaching staff believes running back Braden Mancini could be one of the breakout stars of the district.

Although several important players are back from a year ago, there are still some question marks remaining.

“We will need to find a way to stay consistent and continue to play complementary football as an entire team,” Wylie offensive coordinator Brandon Doty said. “Several young kids will need to step up and play big roles for us to repeat last year’s success.”

If those young players can step up, watch out for Wylie and its AHMO rallying cry as they aim for another successful season in 2023.

Wylie East Raiders

Head Coach: Marcus Gold (3rd Season)

Last Season: 9-2; 7-1 in district (Lost to Rockwall-Heath in bi-district)

Wylie East Key Players and Storylines

*Note: Wylie East’s individual stats are only from the regular season

The Raiders stunned the state a year ago in their first-ever year of 6A football. Picked to finish eighth in their district by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, they ended up winning seven of their eight district games to secure the district title and their first playoff berth since 2016.

The nine wins Wylie East finished with was the same number of wins as it had earned in the previous five seasons combined.

Head Coach Marcus Gold said his players have bought into the DUBeast mantra and believe not only in themselves but the coaching staff’s instruction.

That buy-in will be crucial as the Raiders must replace a couple of key starters this season. Still, Wylie East is in a pretty good position with six starters back on offense and eight returning on defense.

The offense must replace its starting quarterback, leading rusher, and leading receiver. However, receiver Kason Atkins (521 receiving yards and three touchdowns) and running back Michael Henderson III are both ready to step into bigger roles this year. Up front, the Raiders will have the reliable presence of second team all-district offensive lineman Clark Pierson.

On the other side of the ball, the Raiders will be strong up front. Defensive linemen Jayden Janshego (56 tackles) and Zachari Loftus (73 tackles, 9 TFLs) and junior linebacker Rome Jeffers (67 tackles 7 TFLs) were all among Wylie East’s five-leading tacklers last season.

In the secondary, Henderson III (56 tackles, six INTs) was the district’s Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 2022. He already has an offer from Texas State.

According to head coach Marcus Gold, team chemistry will be the key to Wylie East continuing the momentum from its breakout year last season. The Raiders will be young in some spots, but a defense that held opponents to under 17 points per game and returns most of its starters will be a tough task for any opposing offense to overcome.

 

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