Educated Guesses: 2A

Written By Cody Coil

We covered 5A and 4A Sunday, 3A Monday and now check in on Big Country Class 2A football today.

2A may be the strongest class we have in the area, with numerous contenders (Hawley, Cisco, Coleman, Albany, Roscoe) ready to make a deep run in the playoffs.

2A DIVISION I

4-2A DIVISION I COACHES POLL
1. Hawley
2. Cisco
3. Stamford
4. Olney
5. Anson
6. Colorado City
7. Winters

EDUCATED GUESS
1. Hawley
2. Cisco
3. Olney
4. Stamford
5. Anson
6. Winters
7. Colorado City

CIRCLE THE CALENDAR
9/30 Stamford at Olney
10/7 Olney at Cisco
10/21 Stamford at Anson
10/28 Hawley at Stamford
11/4 Cisco at Hawley

Hawley and Cisco seem destined to meet in a district title showdown in the regular season finale, but the other two playoff spots are up for grabs. Olney may have the slight edge on the field thanks to the return of star quarterback Gatlin Guy, son of head coach Jody Guy, to run the Cubs flexbone offense. Stamford will be young but talented, Winters returns some key pieces and Anson and Colorado City welcome new head coaches to the fold in 2022.

PLAYERS TO WATCH (from Big Country teams)
Anson RB/DB Corey Lane
Anson RB/LB Daymon Rollins
Anson OL/DL Josiah St. John
Cisco QB Hunter Long
Cisco RB/LB Trent Huston
Cisco WR/DB Tre Brackeen
Cisco OL/DL Ethan Taylor
Colorado City WR/LB Jordan Raschke
Colorado City OL/DL Christian Ashby
Hawley WR/DB Kason O’Shields
Hawley RB/LB Austin Cumpton
Hawley QB Rodey Hooper
Hawley WR/DB Chandlin Myers
Hawley WR/RB/DE Diontay Ramon
Hawley WR/LB Will Scott
Hawley LB Hez Parker
Stamford RB/LB Kaston Vega
Stamford OL/DL Aaron Duran
Stamford WR Charles Moore
Stamford RB/DB Hayden Henager
Winters RB/LB Aidan Leamon
Winters QB/DB Chris Martinez
Winters RB/LB Alejandro Garcia

5-2A DIVISION I COACHES POLL
1. Coleman
2. Tolar
3. Goldthwaite
4. Hamilton
5. Bangs
6. San Saba
7. De Leon

EDUCATED GUESS
1. Coleman
2. Tolar
3. Hamilton
4. Goldthwaite
5. Bangs
6. San Saba
7. De Leon

CIRCLE THE CALENDAR
9/30 Hamilton at Tolar
10/7 Tolar at Coleman
10/7 Goldthwaite at Bangs
10/28 Bangs at Hamilton

Coleman and Tolar are the clear-cut favorites in the district, and their ballgame in early October should determine the eventual champion. Goldthwaite, Hamilton, Bangs and San Saba are the top contenders to fill in the last two playoff spots.

PLAYERS TO WATCH (from Big Country teams)
Bangs RB/LB Guy Powell
Bangs RB/LB Keygan Pitts
Bangs OL/DL David Herrera
Coleman RB/LB Ryland Gentry
Coleman QB/DB Jadin Jackson
Coleman WR/DB Braxton Smith
Coleman LB/FB Brent Boulding
Coleman OL Garrett Smith
Coleman OL David Navarro

2A DIVISION II

6-2A DIVISION II COACHES POLL
1. Albany
2. Roscoe
3. Cross Plains
4. Miles
5. Hamlin
6. TLCA Abilene

EDUCATED GUESS
1. Albany
2. Roscoe
3. Cross Plains
4. Miles
5. Hamlin
6. TLCA Abilene

CIRCLE THE CALENDAR
10/6 Hamlin at TLCA Abilene (at Hawley)
10/21 Albany at Roscoe
10/28 Albany at Hamlin
11/4 Miles at Cross Plains

Albany enters the season as the #1 ranked team in the state and the favorite to win a third straight district championship. Roscoe will be hot on their heels with a ton of returning talent, while Cross Plains, Miles, Hamlin and 11-man newcomer TLCA Abilene battle it out for the last two playoff spots. The Buffaloes seem likely to claim one of the spots. Miles is coming off a D3 7-on-7 state title this summer, while Hamlin hopes to bounce back from a rough 2021 and the Eagles hope to acclimate quickly to the 11-man game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH (from Big Country teams)
Albany QB Cole Chapman
Albany RB/LB Cole Lefevre
Albany RB/LB Samuel Rosas
Albany OL/DL Zane Waggonor
Albany OL/DL Coy Knight
Albany TE/DE Adam Hill
Albany WR/DB London Fuentes
Cross Plains RB/WR/LB Noah Moses
Cross Plains OL/DL Riley Conlee
Cross Plains OL/DL Brennan Funderburk
Cross Plains WR/DB Ryan Reed
Hamlin QB/LB Colten Spalding
Hamlin RB/LB Clayton RIster
Hamlin WR/QB/DB Swenson Benavides
Roscoe QB/DB Jax Watts
Roscoe LB/DE Trace Guelker
Roscoe RB/WR/LB Ivan McCann
Roscoe WR/DB Seth Wilcox
Roscoe T/DE Parker Gleaton
Roscoe OL/DT Peyton Friedman
TLCA Abilene OL/DL Zaidryn Moreno-Nobles
TLCA Abilene WR/DB Jay Kirk
TLCA Abilene QB Jonathan Rico

7-2A DIVISION II COACHES POLL
1. Windthorst
2. Haskell
3. Archer City
4. Seymour
5. Petrolia
6. Electra
7. Munday

EDUCATED GUESS
1. Windthorst
2. Haskell
3. Archer City
4. Seymour
5. Petrolia
6. Munday
7. Electra

CIRCLE THE CALENDAR
9/23 Windthorst at Haskell
10/14 Haskell at Archer City
10/21 Seymour at Haskell
10/21 Archer City at Windthorst

Haskell makes the move to 2A Division II this season and will do their best to contend with preseason #7 Windthorst and #23 Archer City. Head coach Mitch McLemore feels his team is up to the task, but taking down a perennial power like Windthorst will be tough. The Indians, Trojans, Archer City and Seymour seem to be the four teams most likely to make the postseason, but Petrolia is coming off an 8-3 season and could be in contention.

PLAYERS TO WATCH (from Big Country teams)
Haskell QB/RB/LB Marquise Johnson
Haskell RB/LB Trevor Henry
Haskell TE Cory Mathis
Haskell OL/DL Eli Peacock
Haskell OL/DL Nate Roewe

Cody Coil
Previous

Educated Guesses: 1A
Next

Educated Guesses: 3A