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Call me crazy
July 28, 2008Been awhile since I blogged, but I am just now getting back into the high school football swing of things after a few days off and some non-pigskin work here in the office.
Talked to two more coaches the past couple of days -- Windthorst's Bill Green and Olney's Damon Rodgers -- for my preseason stories.
A couple tidbits I got from them:
WINDTHORST: I'm sure there is a cute way to make a headline for this, but I will refrain from right now. But Green said this team may be his most inexperienced (or greenest) yet.
Offensively, several guys return that started a few games here or there, but actual full-time starters from last year (by my count) are only a couple: lineman Jose Monreal, TE (now FB) Lance Veitenheimer.
I could be missing a WR in there (cannot recall who they threw the ball too, but they did not throw it much anyway). So getting the offense back on track after a down year (by Windthorst's lofty standards) will be the key in 2008.
OLNEY: Call me crazy, and as I write this, I have not talked to any other 5-2A coaches yet, but could Olney be the District 5-2A favorite?
I know Henrietta, Holliday, Bowie and Nocona fans probably would say otherwise, but here are a couple of reasons why I think it could happen:
1. Callen Pittman is the most talented QB in that district. No offense to Seth Crumpton (who is a great runner), but this guy can flat-out play. So even though RB Cody Cope graduated, Pittman will probably pick up the slack.
2. They were 8-2 a year ago (with Henrietta and Nocona handing down a couple of whippings) and return seven starters on each side of the ball. Jodee Wales is a great WR/DB.
3. The defense was pretty good -- and returns a couple of quality linebackers. Stephen Speers and Riley Ferguson were the team's top two leading tacklers in '07 as first-year starters, and I am going to assume they are only going to get better.
4. They beat Holliday, so I will probably pick them over the Eagles in my predictions.
Nocona lost its best player (best two if you count Nico Dollar, who quit before the last game of the season).
Henrietta will be in the mix, but I think the Cubs' skill players are better (They probably were last year too, but the Bearcats whipped the Cubs up front).
And Bowie is a relative unknown. They will be good -- who knows, maybe even good enough to win district -- but just how good? I guess we will see.
So those are my football thoughts for the day. On Friday, I will comment on the district and playoff predictions that are going to be released from texasfootballratings.com.
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