A year removed from their best season in school history, Round Rock Cedar Ridge claimed the 13-6A district title in route to their best record in school history, bludgeoning teams by an average 35 points per game and earning a playoff berth. The Raiders lost in the second round against Klein Collins, rallying with 28 points in the final quarter to force an overtime, only to eventually lose by a score.
Coach Shawn Bell was one-and-done with the program, vacating his position in favor of an assistant coaching gig with his alma mater Baylor. Defensive coordinator Sam Robinson was promoted to the head coaching job earlier this week.
The five year program has shown progress every season, posting their first undefeated mark and escaping the first round for the first time in school history.
Key Losses
OL Shea Baker, OL Aaron Taylor, LB Trevor Price
Four members of the offensive front will be lost to graduation. Senior left tackle Shea Baker, Aaron Taylor, Alec Glasper and Noah Medrano averaged a weight of 261 pounds, and were big bodies giving the offense ample times to run plays.
On the defensive side of the ball corner back Colby Peterson, linebacker and Nevada commit Trevor Price, defensive lineman and all-district honoree Jamir Williams, cornerback Chris Bers, and cornerback Warren Horne vacate a unit that only allowed less than 14 points in eight games and sacrificed 14.6 points per game – an improvement from the 16.2 allowed last season.
Key Returners
LB Chase Coots, WR Jaylen Ellis, QB/WR Ezekiel Coss
Coots made the jump to the varsity program during the latter portions of the 2016 season, competing on both special teams and defense. A protege of both Denver Broncos defensive end Tim Crowder and Cincinnati Bengals lineback Roddrick Muckelroy, the sophomore won defensive MVP honors for the JV squad; tallying 80 total tackles this season, he will surely make the starting roster next season on the Cedar Ridge defensive unit.
Sophomore receiver Jaylen Ellis will likely be the team’s primary option moving forward following the departure of Alejandro Iwabuchi and Grant McCartney. The No. 16 best position player in his class boasts speed (4.46 in the forty-yard dash) and was often targeted by quarterback Garrett Sharp, despite youth and inexperience.
Ezekiel Coss will take the reins of the offense from Sharp. Coss competed in the secondary, at receiver and was plugged in as the offensive shot-caller during garbage time. The dual-threat has a keen eye for discovering openings and will likely run the ball a ton for the Raiders next season.
Verdict
Changing coaches didn’t seem to bother the Raiders unit in achieving the best record in school history. However, the loss of key pieces on both the defensive end and offensive line could make 2017 a transition year for the Raiders. Securing a playoff bid seems to be a Round Rock expectation; moving past the first round could prove problematic in a tough Division 6A landscape.
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