Educated Guesses 3A Division II
We continue in the 11-man football ranks and take a look at 3A 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.
Wall got past Early 10-7 a year ago, and the Hawks are the preseason pick to go back-to-back in District 2.
They are the preseason number six team in the state with 17 returning starters, and area coaches believe they’ll have the best team they’ve had in years.
That’s bad news for the rest of the district, including an Early Longhorn team looking to replace quarterback Jaxyn Price and other stars. They do bring back experience in many areas and seem to be a good bet to make the playoffs.
Brady has a new head coach in Jaron Robers and inherits a team coming off a trip to the playoffs.
Ballinger hopes to make a big jump in year two under Ty Lang. They struggled to a 1-9 season a year ago but were a touchdown away from getting the fourth-place spot and making the playoffs.
TLCA was the final playoff team but will be under new leadership this year under Matt Jones. Grape Creek went winless in 2022.
BIG COUNTRY BLITZ COACHES POLL
1. Wall
2. Early
3. Brady
4. Ballinger
5. TLCA San Angelo
6. Grape Creek
BIG GAMES
8/25 Sonora at Ballinger
8/25 Comanche at Brady
9/1 Wall at Cisco
9/1 Coleman at Ballinger
9/8 Wall at Jim Ned
9/8 Coleman at Brady
10/6 Ballinger at Early
10/27 Wall at Early
10/27 TLCA San Angelo at Ballinger
11/3 Brady at Wall
BIG NAMES
Ballinger RB/LB Zach Canada
Ballinger WR/DB Kam Aguero
Ballinger OL/DL Aven Ochoa
Ballinger RB/LB Jaylen Hernandez
Brady OL/DL Manny Ozuna
Brady WR/DB Ashton Ramsey
Early RB/DB Griffin Cheslock
Early RB/LB Kaleb Ozuna
Early WR/DB Ki Houston
Early QB/C/LB Rohyn Price
Early OL/DL Dalton Adams
Grape Creek RB/DL Colton Rumsey
TLCA QB Layne Honea
TLCA WR/DB Natavian Sykes
Wall LB Logan Thomas
Wall FB Nathan Pepper
Wall DL Dylan Gidney
Wall RB Luke Kemp
Wall DB Hagyn Barbee
Wall LB Will Scherr
Wall WR/DB Ryan Allen
Comanche and Jacksboro, both playoff teams in 2022, look to be the cream of the crop in District 5 heading into 2023.
Reigning District MVP Sawyer Wilkerson and Baylor pledge Kyler Beaty make the Indians the team to beat. Comanche went from one win in 2021 to ten in 2022, and Jake Escobar and company have a good shot at getting to double-digits in the win column again this year.
Jacksboro returns 16 starters, led by District Offensive MVP Lando Belcher and a high-scoring offense. The Tigers visit to Comanche on October 13 should decide the district crown.
Merkel made the playoffs a year ago and has a good shot at making it back-to-back postseason trips in 2023. The Badgers have a big offensive line that will pave the way for talented players at the skill positions.
Eastland dropped to 1-9 a year ago with a young team, but many of the players, 16 to be exact, are back and ready to push the Mavs back into the playoffs. They will battle with Merkel, Millsap, and Dublin for the last postseason bid.
The Bulldogs are coming off a playoff season and will be in the mix again this year. Dublin suffered through a rough 2-8 campaign but also has the returning talent to contend for a playoff spot.
BIG COUNTRY BLITZ COACHES POLL
1. Comanche
2. Jacksboro
3. Eastland
4. Merkel
5. Millsap
6. Dublin
BIG GAMES
8/25 Eastland at Wall
8/25 Breckenridge at Jacksboro
9/1 Dublin at Albany
9/1 Clyde at Eastland
9/8 Clyde at Merkel
9/8 Comanche at Early
9/15 Cisco at Jacksboro
9/15 Millsap at Paradise
9/22 Albany at Comanche
9/22 Jim Ned at Eastland
10/6 Merkel at Dublin
10/13 Jacksboro at Comanche
10/13 Eastland at Merkel
10/20 Merkel at Jacksboro
11/3 Millsap at Merkel
BIG NAMES
Comanche RB Sawyer Wilkerson
Comanche WR/DB Kyler Beaty
Comanche OL/DL Pierson Sorrells
Comanche TE/DL Ayden Fishback
Comanche QB/DB Layden Welch
Comanche OL/DL Christian Anaya
Dublin RB/LB Cameron Patton
Dublin WR Sev Ruiz
Eastland WR/DB Jay Oznick
Eastland QB/DB Isaiah Hays
Eastland RB/LB Cason Browning
Eastland WR/DB Grady Galyean
Eastland OL/DL Gavin McClain
Jacksboro QB Lando Belcher
Jacksboro WR/DB Cannon Valenzuela
Jacksboro WR/DB Kaleem Howard
Jacksboro OL Jett Davenport
Jacksboro OL/LB Jackson McComis
Merkel ATH/LB Elijah Olivarez
Merkel RB/DB Connor Willyerd
Merkel QB/DB Maddox O’Malley
Merkel OL/DL Dalton Duncan
Merkel OL/DL Cayden Rhodes
Merkel TE/LB Bryant Jones
Millsap DL Dalton Golden
Millsap OL Hector Pacheco
Millsap RB/DB Reid Green
Millsap WR/LB Nixon Delaune
