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R-F is locked and loaded
Last year’s youth movement returns 15 starters — many underclassmen

By Javier Becerra, Caller-Times

Michelle Christenson/ Caller-Times BRockport-Fulton quarterback Cavon Finnels threw for 625

   Two years ago, the Rockport-Fulton Pirates were at the highest they've ever been.
   It had been seven years since the football team last won a district championship, but in 2000, there was no doubt that Rockport-Fulton was the best team in 30-4A after an undefeated regular season.
   Pirates head coach Johnnie Mac Hollinger, then an assistant, knew well before the season was over things wouldn't be the same the following year. Rockport-Fulton returned only 13 lettermen and six total starters, but managed to slip into the postseason as the third-place team.
   As Rockport-Fulton prepares for the 2002 season, Hollinger might be feeling a bit of deja vu.
   The Pirates are back with 24 lettermen and 15 starters, seven on offense and eight on defense. Though many of those players are still underclassmen, it's hard for Hollinger to overlook the experience.
   "That's big for us," Hollinger said. "We had six sophomores and six freshmen kids that started for us last year, and we have as many as 19 kids who have started at one time or another. Also a plus is having a good 18 days of spring practice."
   Hollinger said he wouldn't normally use so many sophomores to fill the openings left by graduation. However, they made a strong case as freshman that they might be able to handle the play on Friday nights.
   "When they were in the ninth grade they won the district championships in football, baseball, basketball and track," Hollinger said. "We weren't tickled to death having to play them last season, but they're an athletic class of kids that responded well to playing up to the varsity level."
   Big futures
   One of those sophomores was Randall Nesloney.
   Now a year older, Nesloney finished the season with eight touchdowns, seven of those coming in one night against Flour Bluff. In just six games, he rushed for 412 yards, fourth best on the team.
   Just as impressive was Tremayne Lott, who as a freshman finished with 557 yards and seven touchdowns to earn the district's Newcomer of the Year award.
   As much as Nesloney and Lott bring back, the Pirates return even more in senior Cavon Finnels.
   In Finnels' first year as the starting quarterback, Rockport-Fulton's offense averaged 353.1 total yards and 25.5 points per game, third- and fifth-best among Class 4A teams in the area. Finnels rushed for 626 yards and passed for 625, which combined accounted for 35 percent of the Pirates' option-attack offense.
   Gregory-Portland held Finnels to just 26 yards rushing and 72 passing in its win over Rockport-Fulton last season, but Wildcats coach George Harris knows what Finnels is capable of.
   "He has great quickness and has been running the option all the way up through the program, and as a result, he makes good reads. We were just fortunate to make some good plays to beat them," Harris said. "We did a good job on him last year, but he's definitely always a big threat."
   The backfield isn't the only area of the offense that returns experienced players.
   Leading the Pirates' group of offensive linemen are seniors Andrew Svehla and James Lee, both first-team all-district picks last season. With a veteran front back, Finnels could be much more dangerous and difficult to contain.
   On defense, David Lowell and Matt Lynch return at outside linebacker, the latter of which finished with 62 tackles and two interceptions. Also back is defensive lineman Gerald Purma, a first-team all-district selection last year, and is joined by Wallace Tinnin and Kirk Larrimore, a second-team pick.
   Less travel
   Rockport-Fulton is still in District 30-4A, but travel won't be a concern this season.
   The Pirates spent two years making bus rides of 160 miles to Floresville and 140 miles to Pleasanton. The farthest R-F has to travel this season is 74 miles to Alice.
   Now that the Pirates are back in their former district with familiar foes, thanks to realignment, Hollinger said he expects the competition to be formidable.
   "Some old rivalries are going to be rekindled," he said. "Obviously there is a lot of great tradition, but I think G-P and ourselves have a chance to do well. Calallen, Alice and Kingsville are some real good programs, so it's going to be a tough race to get your team into the playoffs."
   The Pirates didn't have much trouble winning the race two seasons ago.
   This season the race is two weeks longer, but Hollinger and the Pirates don't intend on falling behind.