Educated Guesses: 1A DII & TAPPS
Kickoff to the 2024 season is getting closer and closer, and the time has come to take a stab at how things will play out in each district featuring Big Country football teams.
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 2024 edition of Big Country Blitz.
For the record, last season I got 12 out of a possible 18 playoff picks correct in 1A Division II and TAPPS.
Blackwell, Bronte, Loraine and Trent are all still together in a district, but add Olfen to the mix and move from Region IV to Region II after realignment.
Olfen is the only team that returns its head coach from 2024, welcoming back Jacob Halsell to a team that did not have the numbers to complete the season a year ago.
Blackwell has longtime assistant Wiley Cummings taking over, and the preseason #25 Hornets may have a slight edge over the field in the district race.
Two-time defending district champ Loraine has some key weapons back (but not all-state performer AJ Williams) to go with new head coach Mark Weaver, Bronte welcomes new head man Bryce Meador to a 2023 playoff squad, and Trent continues to build and will be under the leadership of former Gorilla assistant Slater Isbell.
This is a tough one to pick. The four besides Olfen, just in its eighth year of having a high school and struggling with depth, all could be playoff teams. I’ll go with the Hornets and Loraine to nab the two playoff spots in what should be an entertaining and competitive district race.
BIG COUNTRY BLITZ COACHES POLL
1. Blackwell
2. Loraine
3. Bronte
4. Trent
5. Olfen
DISTRICT DECIDING GAMES
10/11 - Bronte at Loraine
10/18 - Loraine at Blackwell
10/25 - Trent at Loraine
10/25 - Blackwell at Bronte
11/1 - Bronte at Trent
11/8 - Trent at Blackwell
Benjamin lost Grayson Rigdon to 3A Columbus, but held onto four-time state champion head coach Nathan Hayes and his talented sons Keegan and Tallon, which should put them over the top in District 7-1A Division II.
Crowell and Harrold will likely duke it out for the second playoff spot. The Wildcats check in at #24 in the preseason poll and went 8-3 a year ago, while Harrold jumped from 1-9 to 6-4 and hopes to take the next step in 2024.
BIG COUNTRY BLITZ COACHES POLL
1. Benjamin
2. Crowell
3. Harrold
4. Guthrie
5. Chillicothe
DISTRICT DECIDING GAMES
10/18 - Harrold at Crowell
11/1 - Benjamin at Crowell
11/8 - Harrold at Benjamin
The preseason #3 Jayton Jaybirds are the heavy favorites to repeat as district champs and make a deep playoff run, and the last playoff spot out of District 8 is completely up for grabs.
Aspermont, Lueders-Avoca and Rule all welcome new head coaches this season, while Paint Creek looks to get over the hump and into the postseason under Shannon Waters.
The Hornets have gone 8-2 and 6-4 and missed the playoffs the last two seasons. Their returning talent and the familiarity of elevating assistant coach Pat Potts to head coach give them the edge to earn the second playoff spot. The Pirates won’t go down without a fight as they continue to build, and new Rule head coach Gage Bozeman really likes the group of guys he has coming back with the Bobcats. The Raiders welcome new head coach Donnie Waters, brother of Paint Creek head coach Shannon Waters, as they look to grow a program that has battled depth issues over the years.
BIG COUNTRY BLITZ COACHES POLL
1. Jayton
2. Aspermont
3. Paint Creek
4. Rule
5. Lueders-Avoca
DISTRICT DECIDING GAMES
10/10 - Paint Creek at Jayton
10/11 - Rule at Aspermont
10/18 - Jayton at Rule
10/25 - Rule at Paint Creek
11/1 - Jayton at Aspermont
11/8 - Aspermont at Paint Creek
Strawn is a pretty big favorite in District 9, but the race for the other playoff spot will be very interesting.
Both Throckmorton and Woodson were playoff teams a year ago and Moran has some players back from last years 2-8 (up from 0-10) team that have the Bulldogs thinking postseason as well.
The Greyhounds are the preseason #14 team in the state and return three starters on offense and four on defense.
Throckmorton, a traditional six-man powerhouse, will have to do it without depth this season as only two starters are back under first-year six-man head coach Curtis Lowery.
Woodson won three games last year, and it was enough to get them into the playoffs, a spot they’d like to be in again.
The Cowboys’ returning depth earns them a slight edge from me over Throckmorton and Moran in the playoff race, which should go down to the final week of the season.
BIG COUNTRY BLITZ COACHES POLL
1. Strawn
2. Woodson
3. Throckmorton
4. Moran
DISTRICT DECIDING GAMES
10/25 - Moran at Woodson
10/25 - Throckmorton at Strawn
11/1 - Woodson at Throckmorton
11/8 - Moran at Throckmorton
11/8 - Woodson at Strawn
This should be another fun and competitive district to watch as Zephyr and Rising Star, now together, aim for a third straight district title, Sidney hopes to make it back-to-back playoff bids, and Blanket looks to return to the postseason after missing out in 2023.
Zephyr’s returning depth and talent give them the edge, but not by much. Rising Star returns a lot of talent under new head coach Brent Williamson, who takes over for Derek Stevens, who is now on staff at Zephyr. Sidney lost some key players via transfer, but still may have enough firepower under new head coach James Rucker to contend. Blanket also has a new head coach, former assistant Jalen Helms, who will be working with some great players who hope to help the Tigers stay in the championship race. Gustine improved from 0-10 to 4-6 in 2023 and should not be counted out either.
Give me the two teams that won their respective districts as the playoff teams from District 13 in a tight race this season: Zephyr and Rising Star.
BIG COUNTRY BLITZ COACHES POLL
1. Zephyr
2. Sidney
3. Rising Star
4. Blanket
5. Gustine
DISTRICT DECIDING GAMES
10/11 - Zephyr at Rising Star
10/18 - Rising Star at Blanket
10/25 - Blanket at Zephyr
10/25 - Sidney at Rising Star
11/1 - Zephyr at Sidney
11/8 - Sidney at Blanket
Rochelle had the misfortune of having very good teams that were stuck in a district with Richland Springs and Cherokee over the past two years, but now the Hornets should have a good shot at making it to the playoffs and try to take down the Coyotes along the way.
Preseason #2 Richland Springs should have the firepower to claim yet another district crown, and the Hornets, preseason #11, have the edge on the field to get into the postseason.
Brookesmith improved from 1-9 in 2022 to 4-5 in 2023, but likely won’t have the depth to contend for a playoff spot. The same goes for a very young Panther Creek squad that just missed out on the playoffs a year ago.
Lohn enters 2024 on a 40-game losing streak that dates back to 2017. The Eagles haven’t beaten a varsity opponent since taking down Brookesmith 59-34 in 2014.
BIG COUNTRY BLITZ COACHES POLL
1. Richland Springs
2. Rochelle
3. Brookesmith
4. Panther Creek
5. Lohn
DISTRICT DECIDING GAMES
10/18 – Brookesmith at Panther Creek
10/25 – Rochelle at Brookesmith
11/1 – Richland Springs at Rochelle
Abilene Christian looks to earn a state title this year after coming up just short, but they would like to dethrone Fort Worth Covenant Classical and earn a district championship as well along the way.
The Cavaliers have a new head coach and many new players this season, while the Panthers welcome back some key pieces that fueled their 2023 state championship game run. FWCC earned an easy win over the Panthers a year ago, and has won all four meetings between the two schools since they were placed in the same district in 2021.
Crowley Nazarene should be a contender as well as the Lions welcome back seven starters from a team that went 10-3 a year ago and reached the TAPPS Division III semifinals.
BIG COUNTRY BLITZ COACHES POLL
1. Fort Worth Covenant Classical
2. Abilene Christian
3. Weatherford Christian
4. Crowley Nazarene Christian
5. Keller Harvest Christian
DISTRICT DECIDING GAMES
10/11 – Crowley Nazarene at FW Covenant
10/18 – Abilene Christian at Crowley Nazarene
11/8 – FW Covenant at Abilene Christian
