Educated Guesses 2A Division II
We move into the 11-man football ranks and take a look at 2A Division II.
I call them educated guesses, like your teachers used to, because I feel I have at least a little bit of knowledge about the upcoming season after speaking with area coaches for the 2023 edition of Big Country Blitz.
The defending state champs are the pick to repeat as district champions, but the rest of the district should be a battle to decide the other three playoff spots.
Albany has to replace a great quarterback in Cole Chapman and a great back in Coy Lefevre, but they still have Adam Hill, an outstanding offensive line, Denney Faith and his staff, and have bolstered the roster this offseason with some key transfers.
Miles is coming off a second consecutive Division III State 7 on 7 championship, and its 8 wins a year ago are tied for the most since the 2000 Bulldogs went 9-2.
The Lions and Bulldogs are seemingly the top two teams in the district, leaving the final four squads to fight for the last two playoff spots.
Cross Plains returns a lot of talent.
Roscoe does as well after an injury plagued 2022.
Photo: Gary Ford
Hamlin has a new head coach and a lot of younger players who got a lot of experience a year ago.
TLCA is still really young and hoping to find the win column for the first time as an 11-man program.
I have to agree with the district coaches: my picks are Cross Plains and Roscoe edging out Hamlin for the playoffs, with TLCA still a year away from contention.
BIG COUNTRY BLITZ COACHES POLL
1. Albany
2. Miles
3. Cross Plains
4. Roscoe
5. Hamlin
6. TLCA Abilene
BIG GAMES
8/25 Hamlin at Stamford
9/1 Miles at Sterling City
9/2 Munday at TLCA Abilene (at McMurry)
9/8 Roscoe vs. Clarendon (at Floydada)
9/15 Albany at Hawley
9/22 Albany at Comanche
10/6 Miles at Albany
10/6 Roscoe at Cross Plains
10/20 Cross Plains at Hamlin
10/27 Miles at Roscoe
11/3 Roscoe at Hamlin
BIG NAMES
Albany RB/DE Adam Hill
Albany WR/DB Wyatt Windham
Albany OL/DL Zane Waggoner
Albany WR/DB Cason Fairchild
Albany OL/DL Lanxton Viertel
Albany TE/DL Tyler Chapman
Cross Plains OL/DL Alex Parker
Cross Plains RB/LB Dusty Wyatt
Cross Plains QB/DB Kade Purvis
Cross Plains OL/DE Cade Sanderson
Hamlin RB/LB Clayton Rister
Hamlin WR/DB AJ Rivera
Hamlin RB/LB Jantz Botos
Hamlin QB/DB Ian Gruben
Miles QB Hayven Book
Miles OL/LB Devin Medina
Miles WR/DB Manuel Torres
Miles WR/DB Cooper Ellison
Roscoe QB/DB Jax Watts
Roscoe RB/DE Ivan McCann
Roscoe WR/DB Seth Wilcox
Roscoe TE/DE Parker Gleaton
TLCA Abilene QB Johnathon Rico
TLCA Abilene WR/DB Jonathan Kirk
TLCA Abilene WR/DB Masion Seballos
There were a lot of close ballgames that ended up deciding the four playoff teams from District 7 last season, with Windthorst, Seymour, Archer City, and Haskell getting in in 2022.
Those four are the same picks to make it this year, and three of them are in the DCTF preseason top 25 for 2A Division II: Windthorst at #14, Seymour at #19, and Archer City at #25.
The Trojans, a perennial state power, hope to return to state title-winning form as they return eight starters on both sides of the ball. They are the favorites after winning the district a year ago.
Seymour beat Windthorst in 2022 but lost to Archer to dash any hopes of an outright district title. The Panthers return 13 starters, while Archer City welcomes back an impressive 18. Seymour did lose District MVP Keegan Gilbreath in a transfer to six-man power Westbrook.
Photo: Haskell CISD
Haskell hung tough with all three a year ago, falling to Windthorst by six in overtime, Archer City by eight, and Seymour in a 16-0 slugfest. The Indians hope to make some noise and crack the top three.
The Munday Moguls have a new head coach for the second straight season and hope to build on what Webb Murphy started in 2022, but they look to be a year away from playoff contention.
Petrolia (2-8) and Electra (0-10) combined to go 2-18 last season, but both have a large number of returning starters.
BIG COUNTRY BLITZ COACHES POLL
1. Windthorst
2. Seymour
3. Haskell
4. Munday
5. Archer City
6. Petrolia
7. Electra
BIG GAMES
9/8 Windthorst at Muenster
9/8 Seymour at Albany
9/15 Munday at Hamlin
9/22 Haskell at Windthorst
9/29 Windthorst vs. Bremond (at Aledo)
9/29 Archer City at Seymour
9/29 Munday at Electra
10/6 Haskell at Munday
10/13 Archer City at Haskell
10/20 Windthorst at Archer City
10/27 Seymour at Windthorst
BIG NAMES
Archer City RB/LB Kline Mayo
Archer City WR Chance Warren
Archer City QB/LB Landon Smith
Electra TE/LB Brayden Huffstutler
Electra RB/DL Lance McMahen
Haskell RB/LB Trevor Henry
Haskell WR/DB Nemo Silvas
Haskell OL/DL Nate Rowe
Haskell OL/DL Luke Peacock
Haskell OL/DL Caden West
Munday TE/LB Kylen Crawford
Munday RB/LB AJ Diaz
Munday RB/LB Ethan Flye
Petrolia OL/DL Brady Wood
Petrolia WR/LB Ramsey Hensley
Seymour QB Brayden Loyd
Seymour OL Nathan Belcher
Seymour OL Kyson Walker
Seymour WR David Charo
Windthorst WR/DB Kolby Teakell
Windthorst OL/DL Drew Anderle
Windthorst OL Jaxon West
Windthorst WR/DB Brayden Berend
EDUCATED GUESSES SCHEDULE
Monday, 8/14 - 1A DII Educated Guesses
Tuesday, 8/15 - 1A DI Educated Guesses
Wednesday, 8/16 - 2A DII Educated Guesses
Thursday, 8/17 - 2A DI Educated Guesses
Friday, 8/18 - 3A DII Educated Guesses
Saturday, 8/19 - 3A DI Educated Guesses
Sunday, 8/20 - 4A DII Educated Guesses
Monday, 8/21 - 4A DI Educated Guesses
Tuesday, 8/22 - 5A DII Educated Guesses
Wednesday, 8/23 - 5A DI Educated Guesses
Thursday, 8/24 - Week 1 Blitz Picks
Friday, 8/25 - College Football Educated Guesses
