Consistency and talent have become the staples of Ricklan Holmes’ program at Tyler John Tyler. The Lions made a playoff appearance for the ninth straight season and 11 out of the last 12 and have continued to stake their claim as one of the top programs in East Texas thanks in part to an explosive offense that averaged more than 500 yards and more than 44 points per game.
After falling short in the regional semifinals to Klein Collins, can CUJO pick up from where they left off and get back to the top of the state with a load of returning talent?
Key Losses
QB Bryson Smith, WR Damion Miller, DE Howard Hawkins, LB Shaundrick Williams, CB Javontavious Mosley
Two of the biggest playmakers from last season are heading off to D1 programs next year. Quarterback Bryson Smith is off to Houston after torching defenses last year through the air and on the ground for 4,930 total yards and 55 touchdowns. His favorite big-play target, Damion Miller, is off to Texas but not before putting up 922 yards and eight touchdowns for the Lions last year.
CUJO also has to replace a number of talented playmakers on each defensive unit. Up front, Howard Hawkins was a first team all-district selection and was a force to be reckoned with on the line, finishing with 90 tackles, 12 for loss, 23 quarterback hurries and eight sacks.
Linebacker Shaundrick Williams was a unanimous choice for District 11-6A Defensive Player of the Year and if you saw him on film or watched him in person, he was the leader of a very talented defense. With 110 tackles and five sacks last season, he was a playmaker no matter where he was on the field.
In the secondary, Javontavious Mosley was also one of a handful of talented defensive backs that made a big impact. Mosley was a first team all-district selection after finishing with 59 tackles, 18 pass breakups and two interceptions. He’s heading to UTSA to play under head coach Frank Wilson.
Key Returners
RB Justin Samples, RB Cameron Grant, WR Michael Givens-Washington, LB/DE Dekalen Goodson, LB Tre Allison
As talented as the losses are on offense for John Tyler, they have an impressive number of returners that could also be in for big years next season. In the running game, Justin Samples and Cameron Grant are back to provide a dynamic one-two punch in the backfield. Samples was well on his way to a great year before injuries cut his season short and the sophomore Grant came in and stepped up in a big way. The duo combined for 1,230 yards and 17 touchdowns and with a new quarterback under center, the two could see plenty of opportunities to shine.
Whoever takes the snaps next year for the Lions will have plenty of talented weapons at receiver to throw to. In fact, this list could probably be made up of just receivers coming back. Michael Givens-Washington is the leading returner from last year (52 catches, 785 yards, 8 TDs) and he should see more chances to do big things with his teammates like Devlen Woods and Keandre Street.
On defense, the front seven will be in very good hands thanks to top prospects in Dekalen Goodson and Tre Allison. As an OLB/DE talent, Goodson was a problem for opposing offenses to contain finishing with 90 tackles, 11 sacks, and two fumble recoveries. He already has four offers that include Mississippi State and Houston.
Tre Allison will step back into that middle linebacker role and take charge of the Lions’ defense in 2017. Coming off a unanimous first team all-district selection, Allison is looking to build even more off a season where he finished with 118 tackles and three interceptions. The SMU commit should be ready to lead a physical defense.
Verdict
Some teams don’t rebuild, they reload and that can certainly apply to the John Tyler Lions. With a tremendous amount of talent returning on both side of the ball, the Lions have a big opportunity in front of them.
The big question that remains is who takes over for Bryson Smith at quarterback but head coach Ricklan Holmes has always seemed to find a way to build a winner. This is a team that is just a couple years removed from a run at the state semifinals and with the returning pieces in place, the Lions could very well see themselves as a contender to make a deep run in the playoffs.
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