Many folks in East Texas considered Henderson the team to beat in 2016, even after losing a game to district foe Kilgore by two points.
The Lions had a powerful offense and stingy defense, and they took down the likes of Chapel Hill, Carthage, Center, Bullard and Palestine in district.
They crushed a pretty good Little Cypress-Mauriceville team, 48-12, in the bi-district round and beat El Campo by a pair of touchdowns in the area round. That set up an epic clash in the regional round against district rival Carthage.
In a back-and-forth game in Longview, Henderson took a 31-30 lead to close the third quarter. About midway through the fourth, Carthage sustained a long drive and capped it with a field goal.
Henderson got two chances to come back for the win, but Carthage stopped them both times to hold on for the 33-31 win.
Henderson senior LaKendrick Van Zandt was a beast with 255 rushing yards and four touchdowns, but the Lions couldn’t muster anything else. This game was important because many thought Henderson could win state. But in turn, Carthage ran the table and won the Class 4A DI state title despite finishing third place in District 9-4A DI.
Key Losses
RB/DB LaKendrick Van Zandt,, WR Trestan Ebner, DL Nathan Boutin
Van Zandt was the district’s overall MVP last season and will take his talents to TCU along with Ebner. Ebner had 108 yards receiving in that loss. Boutin was a first-team all-district selection on defense.
Key Returners
QB Trae Hall, RB Lynn Freeney, LB Garrett Lybrand, DL Keivie Rose
Hall can get it done through the air or with his legs, and Freeney was an all-district running back despite sharing the backfield with one of the best in the state.
The defense will once again be solid with Lybrand and junior Keivie Rose, who was the district’s Newcomer of the Year last season.
The Verdict
Henderson has made a habit out of deep playoff runs and double-digit wins, including the 2010 state championship. They play in arguably one of the toughest districts in the state, yet they still usually have one of the best teams in the district.
That said, losing Van Zandt will be tough, but this East Texas school will reload and take aim at Carthage, Kilgore, Center, Chapel Hill and the rest of 9-4A DI. The Lions have the pieces to make it back to the playoffs and go three more rounds.
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