Sweetwater Red
08-11-2008, 12:10 PM
I get a kick of how they manage to mention every single member
of the varsity team.:doh: :D
http://www.sweetwaterreporter.com/content/view/105397/122/
Playoffs may start early for Sweetwater
Written by Ron Howell
Sunday, 10 August 2008
For almost a quarter of a century, Sweetwater has enjoyed the kind of success in high school football that most schools can only dream of.
Since 1984, the Mustangs have missed the playoffs only three times while claiming numerous district championships, reaching the state semifinals on five occasions and winning their first and only state football title in school history in 1985. But while that kind of success may be the stuff of dreams, Sweetwater has been placed in a nightmare of a district — 2-3A — for the next two years.
In order to keep its playoff legacy alive, Sweetwater must finish among the top three teams in an outrageously tough district that includes three schools — No. 3 Brownwood, No. 18 Snyder and No. 24 Abilene Wylie — ranked in Texas Football magazine's preseason poll. Brownwood, which until a few years ago had the nation's all-time winningest coach, is moving down from Class 4A, while Wylie and Snyder each made it to the Class 3A semifinals in Division I and Division II, respectively, this past season.
And as if that wasn't enough, you can also throw in Graham, which went 10-2 a year ago, and Breckenridge, which was only 3-7 but like Brownwood and Sweetwater is among the state's all-time winningest schools in football.
But having said all that, don't count out the Mustangs. After all, a good many of Sweet-water's 611 wins during its 96-year history in football have come against those teams. And head coach Kent Jackson, whose seven-year record here is 68-23 including 7-5 this past season, knows that playing good teams can only make his squad better.
Jackson agrees with the suggestion that, due to the makeup of the district, there could be a playoff-type atmosphere each week once the Mustangs open 2-3A action at Breckenridge on Oct. 10.
"All those programs are tradition rich," he said. "They are perennial playoff teams. It will make for great games for the fans and a great atmosphere for the players. It's going to be more demanding than it ever has been before, but I look forward to it. I think our kids will continue to raise the bar because we've always stepped up and met the demands.
"The biggest cliche we have is to take one week at a time, but I think that's the key. We need to understand that every game is huge. If it won't kill you, it will make you better."
Jackson will have two new top assistants helping him on the sidelines this year. The new offensive coordinator is Cory Barnes, who was an assistant at Levelland last year and head coach at Seagraves before that, and the new defensive coordinator is Che Hendrix, who is returning to Sweetwater after being an assistant at Justin Northwest the past three years.
Offense
Barnes' son, Jeremy, will be one of four candidates to be the new quarterback in Jackson's multiple offense. Also competing for the job are senior Zach Birdwell (151), who started three games last year, and juniors Jake Lawrence (138) and Jason Vause (145).
The Mustangs have two returning senior starters in the backfield in Steven Fields (155) and Daniel Jackson (194), who was second team all-district. The other running back candidates are Robbie Holsey (167), Kenneth Norman, A.J. McCoy (146) and Justin Medina (144), while the fullback candidates are Bo Bugarin (164), Clint Jay (165), Rufus McCann (215) and B.J. Walker.
The offensive line also has two returning senior starters, tight end Keifer Adamez (182) and center Josh Ross (267), although Ross may be moved to right guard. Adamez won first team all-district honors and Ross was named to the second team. If Ross moves, either J.J. Kincaid (157) or Cole Rhoades (182) will be the center.
Ross will compete with Cody Hazard (153) and Cody Hernandez (214) at one guard slot, whiel either Britt Bowen (174) or Max Torres (229) is on the other side. The candidates to start at tackle are Zeke Ensenia (150), Jarvis McCann (261) and Chris Hamm (225) on the left side and Tony Martinez (190) and Zach Salazar (192) on the right side. Also competing with Alvarez at tight end are Cameron Law-rence (185), Tate Hayes (182) and Brady Holcomb (175).
There are 10 players on the depth chart at split end: Jesse Bax (151), Dane Bennett (156), Nathan Bobbitt (138), Daltin Fritz (126), Drake Gomez (153), Matt Hord (164), Jonathan Martinez (130), Cameron Studdard (160), Zach Wetzel (135) and Justin Bird.
Defense
Sweetwater will have plenty of experience on defense with seven starters returning, including all three linebackers in the Mustangs' 4-3 scheme. That group includes senior Rufus McCann, who will be in the middle and was the district's defensive MVP a year ago; Fields, who earned first team honors, on the weak side; and junior Bugarin, who made second team all-district, on the strong side. Competing with McCann for a spot will be Fritz and Jay, while Studdard and Hord will challenge Fields on the weak side and Jackson will compete with Bugarin on the strong side. McCann and Fields also received all-state honorable mention.
The defensive front includes a pair of all-district returning starters, Adamez at anchor end and Torres at tackle. Both also earned all-state honorable mention. Walker was a part-time starter at noseguard and earned all-district honorable mention. Adamez will be challenged by Tony Martinez, Rhoades and Ensenia, while Ross, Salazar, Jarvis McCann and Hamm will compete with Torres at tackle and the other noseguard candidates are Bowen, Hazard, Hernandez and Kincaid. Either Hayes, Holsey, Holcomb or Cameron Lawrence will start at bandit end.
The secondary will be led by Norman, who was the district's defensive newcomer of the year as a sophomore, at free safety and McCoy (second team all-district) and Bobbit (all-district honorable mention) at cornerback. Norman also received all-state honorable mention. The strong safety will be either Bax, Barnes or Jake Lawrence. Competing for a spot at one of the corners will be Jonathan Martinez, Sammy Valdez, Wetzel, Gomez, Medina and Bird, and Bennett, Birdwell and Vause will challenge Norman at free safety.
Special teams players who started a year ago and are back this season include Studdard at placekicker, Bobbitt at kick holder, Adamez at deep snapper and McCann at punter. Either McCann or Studdard will handle kickoffs with Mc-Cann also available at placekicker, Holsey at punter, Hol-comb at deep snapper and Hord at holder.
Coach Jackson lists Fields, Norman, McCoy, Jackson and Bobbitt as the top kick return candidates
of the varsity team.:doh: :D
http://www.sweetwaterreporter.com/content/view/105397/122/
Playoffs may start early for Sweetwater
Written by Ron Howell
Sunday, 10 August 2008
For almost a quarter of a century, Sweetwater has enjoyed the kind of success in high school football that most schools can only dream of.
Since 1984, the Mustangs have missed the playoffs only three times while claiming numerous district championships, reaching the state semifinals on five occasions and winning their first and only state football title in school history in 1985. But while that kind of success may be the stuff of dreams, Sweetwater has been placed in a nightmare of a district — 2-3A — for the next two years.
In order to keep its playoff legacy alive, Sweetwater must finish among the top three teams in an outrageously tough district that includes three schools — No. 3 Brownwood, No. 18 Snyder and No. 24 Abilene Wylie — ranked in Texas Football magazine's preseason poll. Brownwood, which until a few years ago had the nation's all-time winningest coach, is moving down from Class 4A, while Wylie and Snyder each made it to the Class 3A semifinals in Division I and Division II, respectively, this past season.
And as if that wasn't enough, you can also throw in Graham, which went 10-2 a year ago, and Breckenridge, which was only 3-7 but like Brownwood and Sweetwater is among the state's all-time winningest schools in football.
But having said all that, don't count out the Mustangs. After all, a good many of Sweet-water's 611 wins during its 96-year history in football have come against those teams. And head coach Kent Jackson, whose seven-year record here is 68-23 including 7-5 this past season, knows that playing good teams can only make his squad better.
Jackson agrees with the suggestion that, due to the makeup of the district, there could be a playoff-type atmosphere each week once the Mustangs open 2-3A action at Breckenridge on Oct. 10.
"All those programs are tradition rich," he said. "They are perennial playoff teams. It will make for great games for the fans and a great atmosphere for the players. It's going to be more demanding than it ever has been before, but I look forward to it. I think our kids will continue to raise the bar because we've always stepped up and met the demands.
"The biggest cliche we have is to take one week at a time, but I think that's the key. We need to understand that every game is huge. If it won't kill you, it will make you better."
Jackson will have two new top assistants helping him on the sidelines this year. The new offensive coordinator is Cory Barnes, who was an assistant at Levelland last year and head coach at Seagraves before that, and the new defensive coordinator is Che Hendrix, who is returning to Sweetwater after being an assistant at Justin Northwest the past three years.
Offense
Barnes' son, Jeremy, will be one of four candidates to be the new quarterback in Jackson's multiple offense. Also competing for the job are senior Zach Birdwell (151), who started three games last year, and juniors Jake Lawrence (138) and Jason Vause (145).
The Mustangs have two returning senior starters in the backfield in Steven Fields (155) and Daniel Jackson (194), who was second team all-district. The other running back candidates are Robbie Holsey (167), Kenneth Norman, A.J. McCoy (146) and Justin Medina (144), while the fullback candidates are Bo Bugarin (164), Clint Jay (165), Rufus McCann (215) and B.J. Walker.
The offensive line also has two returning senior starters, tight end Keifer Adamez (182) and center Josh Ross (267), although Ross may be moved to right guard. Adamez won first team all-district honors and Ross was named to the second team. If Ross moves, either J.J. Kincaid (157) or Cole Rhoades (182) will be the center.
Ross will compete with Cody Hazard (153) and Cody Hernandez (214) at one guard slot, whiel either Britt Bowen (174) or Max Torres (229) is on the other side. The candidates to start at tackle are Zeke Ensenia (150), Jarvis McCann (261) and Chris Hamm (225) on the left side and Tony Martinez (190) and Zach Salazar (192) on the right side. Also competing with Alvarez at tight end are Cameron Law-rence (185), Tate Hayes (182) and Brady Holcomb (175).
There are 10 players on the depth chart at split end: Jesse Bax (151), Dane Bennett (156), Nathan Bobbitt (138), Daltin Fritz (126), Drake Gomez (153), Matt Hord (164), Jonathan Martinez (130), Cameron Studdard (160), Zach Wetzel (135) and Justin Bird.
Defense
Sweetwater will have plenty of experience on defense with seven starters returning, including all three linebackers in the Mustangs' 4-3 scheme. That group includes senior Rufus McCann, who will be in the middle and was the district's defensive MVP a year ago; Fields, who earned first team honors, on the weak side; and junior Bugarin, who made second team all-district, on the strong side. Competing with McCann for a spot will be Fritz and Jay, while Studdard and Hord will challenge Fields on the weak side and Jackson will compete with Bugarin on the strong side. McCann and Fields also received all-state honorable mention.
The defensive front includes a pair of all-district returning starters, Adamez at anchor end and Torres at tackle. Both also earned all-state honorable mention. Walker was a part-time starter at noseguard and earned all-district honorable mention. Adamez will be challenged by Tony Martinez, Rhoades and Ensenia, while Ross, Salazar, Jarvis McCann and Hamm will compete with Torres at tackle and the other noseguard candidates are Bowen, Hazard, Hernandez and Kincaid. Either Hayes, Holsey, Holcomb or Cameron Lawrence will start at bandit end.
The secondary will be led by Norman, who was the district's defensive newcomer of the year as a sophomore, at free safety and McCoy (second team all-district) and Bobbit (all-district honorable mention) at cornerback. Norman also received all-state honorable mention. The strong safety will be either Bax, Barnes or Jake Lawrence. Competing for a spot at one of the corners will be Jonathan Martinez, Sammy Valdez, Wetzel, Gomez, Medina and Bird, and Bennett, Birdwell and Vause will challenge Norman at free safety.
Special teams players who started a year ago and are back this season include Studdard at placekicker, Bobbitt at kick holder, Adamez at deep snapper and McCann at punter. Either McCann or Studdard will handle kickoffs with Mc-Cann also available at placekicker, Holsey at punter, Hol-comb at deep snapper and Hord at holder.
Coach Jackson lists Fields, Norman, McCoy, Jackson and Bobbitt as the top kick return candidates