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3 coaches in 3 seasons
Will Flour Bluff’s shifty leadership affect the Hornets on the field?

By Javier Becerra, Caller-Times

George Gongora/Caller-Times Aaron Covington is one of three players who will see time at tailback for the Hornets.

   When Flour Bluff High School broke a 17-year playoff drought in 2000, the Hornets finally appeared to have begun their climb out from the bottom of District 31-4A.
   However, the departure of head coach Mike Crowe after just three seasons doomed the Hornets to a 3-7 overall record and fourth-place finish under Jim Garfield last year. It didn't help when Garfield decided to leave last summer.
   Now Bill Schaake, Flour Bluff's third head coach in as many years, has been given the opportunity to help guide the Hornets back to the postseason.
   "At least they know my face," said Schaake, the offensive coordinator for three seasons before his promotion. "We don't talk about last year or three years ago. Of course we have a lot of challenges, but there's only one way to eat an elephant, and that's one bite at a time."
   Robstown head coach Claude Bassett feels the change took a major chunk out of the Hornets' program. Schaake, Bassett added, knows how to clean up a wound.
   "I would have gone Flour Bluff for third place, hands down, but Jim Garfield left," Bassett said. "That takes some sails out of those kids. Bill Schaake is a hell of a coach, and to have him replace Jim is like, 'There goes Bill Walsh, here comes George Seifert,' type stuff. Dick Vermeil takes off, but here's Mike Martz."
   Hornets on offensive
   Like Martz and the St. Louis Rams, Schaake has plenty of weapons on offense.
   Dustin Bynum and Jonathan Smith, who both played quarterback last season, are back. Though Smith saw more time at the position, finishing with 542 passing yards and eight touchdowns, Schaake said Bynum would be the choice at this point.
   "I told those two guys the other day that if we had to play tomorrow, Dustin would be the starter," Schaake said. "He's a year younger and not as consistent as Jon, but he's faster, and that's what has given him the edge. But Jonathan knows he's just one play from getting in the game."
   Bynum and Smith won't have to look for new receivers.
   Senior Jose Garza returns after hauling in 46 passes for 632 yards and three touchdowns. His 46 receptions rank ninth in the state among returning receivers. Junior Maurice Wiggins, who caught 18 balls for 131 yards, remains a target at tight end.
   Flour Bluff's speed will be most evident at running back, where Deunta Jenkins returns for the final season.
   Schaake said Jenkins was clocked in 4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash at a combine in the spring and worked during the summer to improve his endurance. Though Jenkins rushed for just 242 yards and four scores on 58 carries, Schaake knows what Jenkins is capable of.
   That, however, won't keep the Hornets from looking at other prospects to run the ball. Among the list of candidates is Demarion Jenkins, Deunta's brother, and Aaron Covington, who rushed for a combined for 285 yards and three touchdowns.
   Blocking for the tailbacks in his return to fullback is junior Blake Pierce, as well as Norman Woolridge and possibly Covington.
   Like several other teams in the district, now known as 30-4A, Flour Bluff was forced to rebuild its offensive line. Just one starter is back, junior center Dane Kidd, with a supporting cast of inexperienced backups and junior varsity players.
   "The offensive line is the furthest behind, but that's normal," Schaake said. "We're not going to be real big, but hopefully we can skew the average."
   Defensive experience
   With four starters back on defense, that's one less than the offense. Two of those, however, safeties Covington and Demarion Jenkins, are three-year starters.
   Senior Paul Perez is the sole returner at linebacker, as is nose guard Gabriel Jerr on the line. Jerr presents a 300-pound obstacle for any offense.
   Alice coach Jim Clark said Schaake is the key.
   "The turnover there has got to be hard," Clark said. "The kids come in at the beginning of the year and have a new coach that stays for a year or maybe two. When those sophomores become seniors, then here comes another head coach. It's tough on a program when you have changes like that, but it's something you have to work through.
   "It's not as drastic when it's somebody they know."
   Schaake said his priority is keeping the program intact.
   "One day we talked about fleas," Schaake said. "If you put some fleas in a jar with the lid on, they'll still try to jump out. If you leave them in long enough before you open the jar, they don't even try to jump."