Last Playoff Appearance: 1999
(Lost,
D II regional semi)
2001 Record: 5-5
Returning Letterman: 26
Offensive/Defensive Starters:
7/9
2002 Opener: Sept. 6 vs.
Rockport-Fulton
Key Game: Oct. 25 at Ingleside
Offensive Backfield: The
Panthers
lost one of their two
power
backs in Leon Belfon, but
have
a tremendous returning duo
in
running back Tommy Blake and
quarterback
John David Heard.
Blake
is a 6-4, 225-pound bruiser
with
4.7 speed in the 40. He
returns
after a 1,000-yard campaign.
Heard,
who has started
since
his sophomore season,
tossed
for more than 800 yards last
season.
Losing Belfon will mean
defenses
can key on Blake, though
Ernie
Mora and Corey Hale will add
experience
at the position.
Receivers: Mora, a solid kicker,
is
also a big threat to haul in passes
from
the wing. Ernie Schibi and
Tyler
Ogle will also provide Heard
with
targets.
Offensive Line: A staple of late
for
Aransas Pass, the line took a
few
hits from graduation, including
280-pound
people mover Daniel
Hillis.
“That’s where we got hurt the
most,”
Grover said. But center is a
strength
with three-year starter
Tony
Byrnes, while Andrew Byrnes
will
chip in at tackle.
Defensive Line: Returns intact,
as
is the case with much of the
defense.
The foursome includes a
pair
of hole cloggers in tackles
Brian
Clark and Ruben Davila.
Linebackers: AP will have only
two
starting linebackers to start the
season,
switching to a 4-2-5 alignment.
One
is a solid returner in Jon
Lopez,
while the other is open with,
Grover
said, a horde of players battling
for
the other spot.
Secondary: A strength. One of
the
reasons for the alignment
change
is Blake, who will be
switched
from linebacker to the
hybrid
safety-linebacker spot. “You
can
run around in the secondary,”
Grover
said, “but it’s not as
demanding
as inside linebacker.
We
require our inside linebacker to
know
everything about the team
we’re
facing, and make the calls.
Obviously,
we didn’t want to put
Tommy
in that spot with him being
the
featured back.” Three other
starters
return in the backfield with
Ogle
at free safety, and Brandon
Sexton
and Myron Brown holding
down
the corners.
Last Playoff Appearance: 1995
(Lost,
regional semifinal)
2001 Record: 6-4
Returning Letterman: 14
Offensive/Defensive Starters:
2/4
2002 Opener: Sept. 6 at PL
Calhoun
Key Game: Oct. 25 vs. Aransas
Pass
Offensive Backfield: The loss
of
Brian Chatman and his 1,100
yards
of rushing will take a toll on
an
offense that averaged 281
yards
and 27 points per game.
While
Chris Flores was the signalcaller
last
year, Trey Turnbough,
who
saw snaps in passing situations,
may
win the job on a regular
basis.
Fullback Charles Jackson,
impressive
as a sophomore, will be
the
featured back.
Receivers: Ingleside didn’t toss
the
ball much, but Sonny
Rodriguez
will likely be the top target
for
the Mustangs.
Offensive Line: The line,
which
opened holes for Chatman
and
Jackson, has been decimated
by
graduation. Only one
starter
and two letter-winners are
back
here. But there is some
promise
in the sizeable tackle
tandem
of Nathan Wilson (6-2,
300)
and Hank Wright (6-3, 270).
Defensive Line: Rush end Roderick
Chambers,
the emotional leader of
the
defense, is gone. The role of
quarterback
stalker will fall into the
hands
of Michael Randle. The
Mustangs
have some beef inside
with Robert Haughie (6-4, 270),
a
second-team all-district pick last
year,
and sophomore Kyle Hampton
(6-5,
275). That’s much needed help
after
yielding nearly 200 yards per
game
on the ground.
Linebackers: Chris Lamas, along with Haughie and Randle, is one of few defensive starters
returning to the front seven. Justin Clanton, who has been singled out by Lewis as a promising newcomer, will hold
down the other position.
Secondary: The secondary allowed 65 yards per game passing, and
looks completely revamped. Keith Haugler may contribute immediately.
Receivers:There are some gaps to be filled here,
too. Though receiver John Alaniz is promising.
Offensive Line: The line boasts three
likely starters that exceed 200-pounds. Enos Darlin (5-11, 230) will give the
Greyhounds some interior size at guard, while Jerry Ramirez (6-3, 220) will
handle tackle.
Defensive Line: Davis projects two
sophomores to be thrown into the mix. After the team surrendered 337 yards and
30 points per game, that could be a good thing. Scooter Downin is a sophomore
Davis said he is relying upon.
Linebackers: Another sophomore in Rey
Lopez will likely grab the starting role at linebacker. Mike Hernandez, a
junior, is slated to join him.
Secondary:This could be a positive area of the
defense with some small, but aggressive players dropping into coverage. Mike
Perales will be joined by Carvajal and Vasquez, and Omar Alaniz, one of Davis’
team leaders.
Last Playoff Appearance: 2001
(Lost,
D II state quarterfinals)
2001 Record: 10-3
Returning Letterman: 13
Offensive/Defensive Starters:
6/4
2002 Opener: Aug. 30 vs.
Orange
Grove
Key Game: Oct. 11 at Aransas
Pass
Offensive Backfield: The team
took
some major hits here. The
Pirates
lost leadership and a pair of
1,000-yard
rushers in Troy Collavo
and
Dimitri Garcia. Quarterback
Luke
Rosalez, a one-year starter, is
also
gone, leaving Mathis looking
for
some players to pick up the
slack
after averaging more than 31
points
and 376 yards per game last
year.
Edward Valerio will add some
seasoned
help in the backfield,
while
quarterback Omar Moreno
saw
valuable action in the playoffs
while
Rosalez was nursing a concussion.
Buddy
Garcia and Nathan
Byerly
will likely fill the other two
slots.
Receivers: Mathis takes a hit of
sorts
as Moreno moves from
receiver
to quarterback. But the
Pirates
still have experience in the
forms
of Timothy Oliver and
Michael
Gray. So at least Moreno
will
have targets that know what is
expected.
Offensive Line: Though Mathis
has
absorbed some starting losses,
the
Pirates will likely field an allsenior
starting
offense. The line is
also
where the most experienced
seniors
are to be found. The whole
forward
wall has lettered, and only
one
was not a starter last season.
There
is some size (6-0, 235-pound
Curtis
Hanson and 6-0, 240-pound
James
Gaudere at tackles), along
with
235-pound center Omar
Martinez.
Defensive Line: As a defensive
end,
expect Arthur Rodriguez to be
among
the best in the area. He
leads
a mixed bag of veterans and
rookies
up front, along with senior
Hector
Zapata, a 240-pound tackle.
Linebackers: Collavo and
Garcia
were also fierce linebackers,
meaning
this unit has to be
rebuilt.
Miguel Paiz has some
experience
and should win a starting
role.
Secondary: This could be the
bedrock
of this year’s defense.
Moreno,
Oliver and Valerio — all
playmakers
last season — return
to
lead the deep defense. “Right
now,
the defense will have to carry
us
early,” Soza said. “In the secondary,
we’re
experienced. We
were
real young last year.”
Last Playoff Appearance: 2001
(Lost,
D I state finals)
2001 Record: 14-1
Returning Letterman: 21
Offensive/Defensive Starters:
5/5
2002 Opener: Aug. 30 vs.
Raymondville
Key Game: Nov. 8 vs. Mathis
Offensive Backfield: Marcus
Charles
has departed at running
back,
leaving the Pirates less the
district
and All-South Texas Player
of
the Year. But there is still a load
of
talent, with quarterback Adrian
Alaniz
(1,887 passing yards, 27
TD)
leading the way. “Adrian is the
key
on offense,” said Mitchell, the
former
defensive coordinator who
took
over the team after Brent
Davis
left. “He runs the show.” And,
he
will still have a pair of talented
running
backs to hand off to. Julian
Ruiz,
a 1,000-yard rusher, was
maybe
the area’s most unheralded
runner
last season. Sprinter Bubba
Heard,
who cleaned up with the
games
out of hand, lends some
dazzling
athleticism to replace
Charles.
Receivers: There will be reliable
targets
for Alaniz. Brandon Salone,
a
superior receiver (28-507) returns
as
the top target, while tight end
Jerry
Jurach, the area’s best kicker,
will
be used extensively this season.
Ruiz
and Heard provide strong
targets
out of the backfield.
Offensive Line: The Pirates
took
a real hit here. Center
Raymond
Lozano is the only player
to
have seen starting time last season,
though
many of the new faces
on
the line were, in fact, experienced
reserves
last season. “We’re
in
the experimenting stage,”
Mitchell
said. “We feel we have the
kids
who are capable of doing it,
but
it takes time.”
Defensive Line: Big tackle Zach
Peterson
and Jason Molina are
gone.
But the ends — Curt Jones
and
Elias Rodriguez — return.
Jones
has the potential to be one
of
the area’s most devastating
defenders,
while Rodriguez was
overlooked
often last year, simply
because
of the talent that Sinton
fielded.
Rudy Hernandez and
Danny
Coy are penned in as the
likely
starters at tackle.
Linebackers: Again, the middle
is
the unsure spot, after inside
backers
Jason Brittain and
Wesley
Schmidt graduated. “With
the
exception of the interior, the
defense
has veterans,” Mitchell
said.
“We just need the veterans
to
keep things going while we
bring
the inside of the defense
along.”
The defense also lost outside
backer
Chris Rhynes, but
returns
a good one in the fleet
Kenny
Salone. How the interior
comes
along will be relevant to
Sinton
keeping its elite defensive
status
after surrendering little
more
than five points per game
last
season.
Secondary: This is the knockout
unit
on defense. Free safety
Chance
Schmidt hauled in 11
picks,
returning three for scores.
Ruiz
capably mans one corner,
while
Brandon Salone will take over
Charles’
role at the other. This will
be
a tough unit for opponents to go
after.
Offensive Backfield: Davis likes what he sees
from quarterback David Vasquez in practice. And, if anything, Taft could use
help in moving the ball through the air as one of last year’s yardage leaders,
quarterback Marcus Mendez, has left, leaving an 829-yard void. Davis also
singled out Jaime Carvajal a small (5-6, 145) but aggressive running back.
After averaging 130 yards on the ground — and a good portion gone with Mac
McIntyre — the Greyhounds need help here, as well.
Receivers: There are some
gaps
to be filled here, too. Though
receiver
John Alaniz is promising.
Offensive Line: The line boasts
three
likely starters that exceed
200-pounds.
Enos Darlin (5-11,
230)
will give the Greyhounds
some
interior size at guard, while
Jerry
Ramirez (6-3, 220) will handle
tackle.
Defensive Line: Davis projects
two
sophomores to be thrown into
the
mix. After the team surrendered
337
yards and 30 points per game,
that
could be a good thing. Scooter
Downin
is a sophomore Davis said
he
is relying upon.
Linebackers: Another sophomore
in
Rey Lopez will likely grab
the
starting role at linebacker. Mike
Hernandez,
a junior, is slated to
join
him.
Secondary: This could be a
positive
area of the defense with
some
small, but aggressive players
dropping
into coverage. Mike
Perales
will be joined by Carvajal
and
Vasquez, and Omar Alaniz,
one
of Davis’ team leaders.
TAFT 2002 SCHEDULE
Aug
30 .....at Odem 7:30
Sept.
6 .....Orange Grove 7:30
Sept.
13 ...Skidmore-Tynan 7:30
Sept.
20 ...at George West 7:30
Oct.
4 .......Three Rivers 7:30
Oct.
11 .....x-at Ingleside 7:30
Oct.
18 .....x- West Oso 7:30
Oct.
25 .....x-at Sinton 7:30
Nov.
1.......x-at Mathis 7:30
Nov.
8.......x-Aransas Pass 7:30
West Oso Bears
Head Coach: Mark Guess
Career Record: 1-9
Years at School: 2nd
Record at School: 1-9
Enrollment: 439
Last District Title: 1998
Last Playoff Appearance: 2000
(Lost,
D II bi-district)
2001 Record: 1-9
Returning Letterman: 16
Offensive/Defensive Starters:
8/9
2002 Opener: Aug. 30 at San
Diego
Key Game: Nov. 1 at Aransas
Pass
Offensive Backfield: With so
many
returnees from a team that
took
its lumps last season, Guess
likes
the way his backfield looks.
All
starters are back, with the
Jackson
brothers — Daniel and
DeShawn
— each contributing at
running
back. Daniel Jackson
keyed
the offense with 836 yards
rushing
last season. Benny Leal
took
over the quarterbacking job
and
looks to improve with a season
of
experience.
Receivers: The Bears do have
a
standout potentially in tight end
Demond
Jones. Giving West Oso
some
size at receiver, sophomore
Pete
Zamora (6-1, 225) will likely
see
some serious action.
Offensive Line: Three starters
return
to the line, and there’s some
tremendous
size. Only a junior,
Rigo
Rodela (6-3, 340) has the
potential
to be a dominating force.
“He’s
still pretty quick,” Guess
said.
“Not a slug bug by any
means.”
Julian Lopez (6-0, 235)
adds
a veteran’s touch at guard,
while
Derek Martinez (5-10, 185) is
a
seasoned center. The other
spots
are open, but there is more
size
in the forms of tackle Robert
Gomez
(6-0, 260) and guard Jesse
Gomez
(5-11, 225).
Defensive Line: Undersized
nose
guard A.C. Williams (5-5,
200)
leads the line, but Guess is
expecting
big things from him.
Jones
mans one end, while Julian
Lopez
is one tackle. Guess is
expecting
improvement from a
team
that allowed more than 230
yards
on the ground per game.
Linebackers: Potentially a
superior
duo. Darryl Whitehead
was
a standout here last year, but
finished
his season early with a
knee
scope. Early in the year, he
was
a non-stop motor for the
Bears.
He’s joined by J.J. Limon,
and
Guess believes the reunited
tandem
will be the heart of his
defense.
Secondary: While Guess is optimistic
about his team’s chances, much of his outlook stems from the potential of the
secondary, which has all four starters returning. The Jacksons will be key
players back here, and are joined by Jevon Delco and Chris Rodriguez.
WEST OSO 2002 Schedule
Aug.
30 at San Diego 7:30
Sept.
6 at Falfurrias 7:30
Sept.
13 Yoakum 7:30
Sept.
20 Freer 7:30
Oct.
4 Kenedy 7:30
Oct.
11 x-at Sinton 7:30
Oct.
18 x-at Taft 7:30
Oct.
25 x-Mathis 7:30
Nov.
1 x-at Aransas Pass 7:30
Nov.
8 x-Ingleside 7:30
