Bellville22
07-27-2004, 03:29 PM
'Bulls-Eye' and 'BrahmaMom', sorry this took so long, but here it is...
Last year any doubt there may have been as to whether Bellville was the top team in the district was quickly eliminated after the undefeated Brahmas traveled to the Snakepit and dominated undefeated Navasota for 4 quarters. Bellville let it be known that they weren't ready to hand over the district crown, and established itself as an elite team in the entire state. This year that doesn't seem to be the case. There doesn't appear to be any state powerhouses and there doesn't seem to be a clear cut district champ, and there may not be one until Week 10 is over. The loss of the struggling program of Stafford and the addition of a consistantly strong program like Rice Cons. should make D20 very competitive and very exciting, but I wouldn't classify it as one of the power districts in the state. 4 of the teams are used to making the playoffs year after year, but that won't be the case for one of them this year. Although I don't see a team that can dominate this district like Bellville last year, I do consider Navasota the preseason favorite. After that 3 teams could be placed in just about any order. It will certainly be an interesting year, one in which scheduling, home-field advantage, and strength/weakness matchups may play a huge role. Here's how I see it playing out.....
1) NAVASOTA: Last year the Rattlers were somewhat of a surprise team. They came from virtually nowhere and climbed in to the Top 10 for a while. They were never really able to get back on track after the Week 7 loss to Bellville, losing at Sealy in a close game, and bowing out in the first round to a Manor team with a tremendous defense. They return a solid group that I believe will lead them to the District Title. RB Chris Smith and QB Scott Martin will lead an offense that returns 9 starters. Smith is a big back with above average speed. He can pound away all game and if the seam is there, he'll break a long one. Tough runner who won't be brought down by one guy. Martin compliments him well. A speedy QB with good field presence. Smart player who runs the option well and should be able to throw enough this year. The Rattler defense is a bit of a question mark, and if they don't figure it out, they'll have a tough time stopping Huffman of Rice, and containing the athletes Bellville will field. The offense, however, should be there, and last year they were very good in the return game. I see Navasota taking the district and representing D20 as the big school, but it appears they'll run into a Manor team that should be even stronger than last year.
2) RICE CONSOL.: The new kid on the block amongst the teams in D20 is Rice. They come off a very strong '03 campaign in which there was talk of a possible State Championship. They lost POY Candidate Spears, and a few others, but return a very good defense, and, in my opinion, the best RB in the district in Charles Huffman. Last year Huffman rushed for over 1,800 yards and 25 TDs, this while sharing carries with RB Spears. He'll be the feature back for the Raiders this year, and I think he's one of the best runners in the state. Bellville didn't have an answer for him last year, but was able to defeat Rice in the 36-33 shootout. He's one of the stronger runners you'll come across, and possesses break-away speed. Should cause matchup problems for everyone in D20. The strong point of the Raiders, however, might be the defense. Several return from last years solid group. DE's King and Shaw are the kind of athletes who can take over a game and provide a solid foundation for Rice to build a dominating defense. They'll cause problems for just about every team, and if they can get to Smith and Martin, Rice may have what it takes to upset Navasota. Rice won't win pretty, they'll control the ball and pound Huffman at the opposition, then look to play smothering defense behind those 2 ends. If I'm not mistaken, I also think Rice will be helped by a very good JV team of a year ago. Should be a solid team who may go 2 or 3 rounds deep as long as they don't turn the ball over.
3) SEALY: Sealy returns more than anyone in the district, but I'm not sure they have the talent to finish on top. They seem to have found a QB in Zapalac, and if they utilize Brantley at TE, they have a weapon that is hard to stop. A pretty hard nosed D from last year returns 8, and Sealy has always played solid D. I just think they'll struggle a bit finding playmakers on offense. The wild-card though is P Justin Brantley. Arguably the top punter in the state, he has the kind of leg that provides field position that can be THE difference in close games. Combine that with a stingy D, and Sealy could make it frustrating on opposing teams. This team could take the crown if they find some offense, or could miss the playoffs if they don't show up to play against rival Bellville Week 10.
4) BELLVILLE: I know they say that the really good programs don't rebuild, they reload, but it's virtually impossible to try to replace a class like last years. Bellville said good-bye to a class that in my opinion was the best it's ever seen, who made up a team that in my opinion was the best in school history. Aside from the athletes, they'll really miss the leadership that the Class of '04 provided. But good programs move on, and I'm sure Bellville will rise to the top again in the near future. As for this year, they may not have the talent or provide the results of last year, but they will be fun to watch. Last year's WR Sanders should takeover the duties of QB this year, and he's a kid who makes things happen with the ball in his hands. He has breakaway speed and agility that make him a DI WR prospect. But this will be his first extended time at QB, and it'll take some time for him to figure it out. If he learns fast in the pre-district, he may be able to take the Bulls back into the playoffs. RB Bryant and Benjamin will see quite a bit of time in the backfield, and are equally as exciting to watch. They won't have an O-line like last year, but they are the kind of runners who can create on their own. This years offense will certainly not be the poised versitile machine of a year ago, but it should be fun. Expect some option, expect some misdirection, and even expect a little confusion. But in that confusion, the Brahmas have 3 or 4 guys who can turn a busted play into a TD. The defense was hit hard as well by graduation. A pretty solid D-line returns, and should provide some stability, but the LB's, although fast, will be undersized, and that's not a good thing in this district with back like Huffman and Smith coming at you. Bellville's biggest problem I'm afraind is going to be leadership. When the going gets tough, someone is going to have to step up and take charge, I'm just not real sure who that will be. I'm hoping Sanders can assume that role. Last year Bellville had several of those kids, as well as a virtual coach on the feild in QB Buenger. I see Bellville having problems slowing Huffman and moving the ball against the Rice D. Navasota also provides and unfavorable matchup with their style of play and athletes. If Bellville is going to return to the playoffs this year, I think they'll have to beat rival Sealy, which is possible, and might be probable by the end of the year if this young team puts it together. Will be an interesting year, expect a very talented Soph. class to contribute quite a bit this year.
5) COLUMBUS: Coach Althaus believes in defense, and the Cards always have a good one. Despite losing a bunch on that side of the ball, I don't expect that to change. But the offense hasn't been there, and I don't look for that to improve in this district. If they play traditional Columbus D, and get a few turnovers, they may be able to sneak up on someone and throw a serious wrinkle into the race, but I expect them only to beat Hempstead in district play.
6) HEMPSTEAD: Van Duren is pretty good, and they'll probably be pretty good in basketball again.
Before you track me down 'BrahmaMom', just know that I'll root for the Brahmas just as hard as ever. You know I have to give my honest, unbiased opinion, so that's what I did. I just hope I'm wrong:D . Hopefully 'Red-Mustache' has a better feel for this stuff than me. See ya in August.
Last year any doubt there may have been as to whether Bellville was the top team in the district was quickly eliminated after the undefeated Brahmas traveled to the Snakepit and dominated undefeated Navasota for 4 quarters. Bellville let it be known that they weren't ready to hand over the district crown, and established itself as an elite team in the entire state. This year that doesn't seem to be the case. There doesn't appear to be any state powerhouses and there doesn't seem to be a clear cut district champ, and there may not be one until Week 10 is over. The loss of the struggling program of Stafford and the addition of a consistantly strong program like Rice Cons. should make D20 very competitive and very exciting, but I wouldn't classify it as one of the power districts in the state. 4 of the teams are used to making the playoffs year after year, but that won't be the case for one of them this year. Although I don't see a team that can dominate this district like Bellville last year, I do consider Navasota the preseason favorite. After that 3 teams could be placed in just about any order. It will certainly be an interesting year, one in which scheduling, home-field advantage, and strength/weakness matchups may play a huge role. Here's how I see it playing out.....
1) NAVASOTA: Last year the Rattlers were somewhat of a surprise team. They came from virtually nowhere and climbed in to the Top 10 for a while. They were never really able to get back on track after the Week 7 loss to Bellville, losing at Sealy in a close game, and bowing out in the first round to a Manor team with a tremendous defense. They return a solid group that I believe will lead them to the District Title. RB Chris Smith and QB Scott Martin will lead an offense that returns 9 starters. Smith is a big back with above average speed. He can pound away all game and if the seam is there, he'll break a long one. Tough runner who won't be brought down by one guy. Martin compliments him well. A speedy QB with good field presence. Smart player who runs the option well and should be able to throw enough this year. The Rattler defense is a bit of a question mark, and if they don't figure it out, they'll have a tough time stopping Huffman of Rice, and containing the athletes Bellville will field. The offense, however, should be there, and last year they were very good in the return game. I see Navasota taking the district and representing D20 as the big school, but it appears they'll run into a Manor team that should be even stronger than last year.
2) RICE CONSOL.: The new kid on the block amongst the teams in D20 is Rice. They come off a very strong '03 campaign in which there was talk of a possible State Championship. They lost POY Candidate Spears, and a few others, but return a very good defense, and, in my opinion, the best RB in the district in Charles Huffman. Last year Huffman rushed for over 1,800 yards and 25 TDs, this while sharing carries with RB Spears. He'll be the feature back for the Raiders this year, and I think he's one of the best runners in the state. Bellville didn't have an answer for him last year, but was able to defeat Rice in the 36-33 shootout. He's one of the stronger runners you'll come across, and possesses break-away speed. Should cause matchup problems for everyone in D20. The strong point of the Raiders, however, might be the defense. Several return from last years solid group. DE's King and Shaw are the kind of athletes who can take over a game and provide a solid foundation for Rice to build a dominating defense. They'll cause problems for just about every team, and if they can get to Smith and Martin, Rice may have what it takes to upset Navasota. Rice won't win pretty, they'll control the ball and pound Huffman at the opposition, then look to play smothering defense behind those 2 ends. If I'm not mistaken, I also think Rice will be helped by a very good JV team of a year ago. Should be a solid team who may go 2 or 3 rounds deep as long as they don't turn the ball over.
3) SEALY: Sealy returns more than anyone in the district, but I'm not sure they have the talent to finish on top. They seem to have found a QB in Zapalac, and if they utilize Brantley at TE, they have a weapon that is hard to stop. A pretty hard nosed D from last year returns 8, and Sealy has always played solid D. I just think they'll struggle a bit finding playmakers on offense. The wild-card though is P Justin Brantley. Arguably the top punter in the state, he has the kind of leg that provides field position that can be THE difference in close games. Combine that with a stingy D, and Sealy could make it frustrating on opposing teams. This team could take the crown if they find some offense, or could miss the playoffs if they don't show up to play against rival Bellville Week 10.
4) BELLVILLE: I know they say that the really good programs don't rebuild, they reload, but it's virtually impossible to try to replace a class like last years. Bellville said good-bye to a class that in my opinion was the best it's ever seen, who made up a team that in my opinion was the best in school history. Aside from the athletes, they'll really miss the leadership that the Class of '04 provided. But good programs move on, and I'm sure Bellville will rise to the top again in the near future. As for this year, they may not have the talent or provide the results of last year, but they will be fun to watch. Last year's WR Sanders should takeover the duties of QB this year, and he's a kid who makes things happen with the ball in his hands. He has breakaway speed and agility that make him a DI WR prospect. But this will be his first extended time at QB, and it'll take some time for him to figure it out. If he learns fast in the pre-district, he may be able to take the Bulls back into the playoffs. RB Bryant and Benjamin will see quite a bit of time in the backfield, and are equally as exciting to watch. They won't have an O-line like last year, but they are the kind of runners who can create on their own. This years offense will certainly not be the poised versitile machine of a year ago, but it should be fun. Expect some option, expect some misdirection, and even expect a little confusion. But in that confusion, the Brahmas have 3 or 4 guys who can turn a busted play into a TD. The defense was hit hard as well by graduation. A pretty solid D-line returns, and should provide some stability, but the LB's, although fast, will be undersized, and that's not a good thing in this district with back like Huffman and Smith coming at you. Bellville's biggest problem I'm afraind is going to be leadership. When the going gets tough, someone is going to have to step up and take charge, I'm just not real sure who that will be. I'm hoping Sanders can assume that role. Last year Bellville had several of those kids, as well as a virtual coach on the feild in QB Buenger. I see Bellville having problems slowing Huffman and moving the ball against the Rice D. Navasota also provides and unfavorable matchup with their style of play and athletes. If Bellville is going to return to the playoffs this year, I think they'll have to beat rival Sealy, which is possible, and might be probable by the end of the year if this young team puts it together. Will be an interesting year, expect a very talented Soph. class to contribute quite a bit this year.
5) COLUMBUS: Coach Althaus believes in defense, and the Cards always have a good one. Despite losing a bunch on that side of the ball, I don't expect that to change. But the offense hasn't been there, and I don't look for that to improve in this district. If they play traditional Columbus D, and get a few turnovers, they may be able to sneak up on someone and throw a serious wrinkle into the race, but I expect them only to beat Hempstead in district play.
6) HEMPSTEAD: Van Duren is pretty good, and they'll probably be pretty good in basketball again.
Before you track me down 'BrahmaMom', just know that I'll root for the Brahmas just as hard as ever. You know I have to give my honest, unbiased opinion, so that's what I did. I just hope I'm wrong:D . Hopefully 'Red-Mustache' has a better feel for this stuff than me. See ya in August.