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FAST PACE — Sulphur Springs' Brady Driver (4) runs to the outside during a game against Jacksonville last season. Driver was one of 12 Wildcats named as a player to watch by Dave Campbell's Texas Football. Photo by DJ Spencer -
KICK RETURN — Cumby's Braylon Boggs (2) returns a kickoff during a game against Fort Worth Mercy Culture Prep last season. Boggs was one of seven Trojans tabbed a s a player to watch by Dave Campbell's Texas Football. Photo by DJ Spencer -
STIFF ARM — Como-Pickton's Ian Rodgers (40) stiff arms a defender during a game against Rivercrest last season. Rodgers was one of five players on the Como-Pickton football team to be named a player to watch by Dave Campbell's Texas Football. Submitted Photo -
WRAPPING UP — Sulphur Springs' Austin Chaney (3) tackles the ball carrier during a game against Liberty-Eylau last season. The Sulphur Springs Wildcats were picked to finish in second place in their district by Dave Campbell's Texas Football. Photo by DJ Spencer -
ROLLING OUT — Cumby's Chett Vaughan (4) rolls out to his left as he looks to pass the ball during a game against Simms Bowie last season. The Cumby Trojans were picked to finish sixth in their district by Dave Campbell's Texas Football. Photo by DJ Spencer -
TOUGH BATTLE — Como-Pickton's Kevin Hernandez (8) looks for space to run through during a game against Rivercrest last season. The Como-Pickton Eagles were tabbed seventh in their district by Dave Campbell's Texas Football. Submitted Photo
Wildcats picked second; Eagles, Trojans picked last in districts
CARROLLTON — Each summer, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, known affectionately as “the Bible of Texas football,” releases their yearly magazine previewing the over 1,400 high school football teams in Texas. They also preview the collegiate and professional football teams in the state.
Dave Campbell’s makes predictions about district placements for every district. They also name players to watch, top juniors and additional prospects to watch. They also list how many returning starters each team brings back on both offense and defense, and give a brief summary on how each teams’ season looks to play out.
The three Hopkins County football teams - the Sulphur Springs Wildcats, Como-Pickton Eagles, and Cumby Trojans - each had different things said about them and had different predictions.
Here is what the magazine had to say about each team.
SULPHUR SPRINGS WILDCATS
The Sulphur Springs Wildcats were picked second in District 8-4A/D1, behind the defending district champion Anna Coyotes. This is a big improvement from last season’s sixth place prediction. Full rankings in order were:
1. Anna
2. Sulphur Springs
3. Kaufman
4. Paris
5. Nevada Community
6. Mabank
The Wildcats will be returning seven starters on offense and five starters on defense. Named as players to watch were: Nate Andrews, Ty Bybee, Austin Chaney, Brady Driver, Jaxson Haire, Vincent Johnson, Skyler Lewis, Bo Loggins, Kaden Mitchell, Malachi Roland, Brandon Vasquez and Larren Vaughn.
“Driver put up good numbers in eight games and will lead the high-powered Wildcats’ offense,” the magazine states. “Lewis is the top target, but keep an eye out on sophomore wide receiver Haire, who is looking for a breakout season. Bybee is back along with Andrews, who led a strong sophomore varsity debut.”
The Wildcats are coming off a 7-3 season where they made the playoffs for the first time in four years. They will look to make the playoffs for the second year in a row and hopefully outperform the second place prediction.
COMO-PICKTON EAGLES
The Como-Pickton Eagles were tabbed seventh in their district out of seven teams in District 9-2A/D1. Full rankings in order were:
1. Cooper
2. Honey Grove
3. Wolfe City
4. Bogata Rivercrest
5. Alba-Golden
6. Quinlan Boles
7. Como-Pickton
Como-Pickton is set to return to five players on both offense and defense. Players tabbed as players to watch were: Alex Estrada, Kevin Hernandez, Giovanni Munoz, Ian Rodgers, and Julian Rodriguez.
“The Eagles have three total wins and no district wins in the past two seasons, and must fix an offense that averaged 10 points per game,” the magazine states. “Rodgers, Rodriguez, Hernandez, and Estrada will all get chances to carry the ball in Jeremy Phillip’s Slot-T scheme.”
This year marks the second season in a row that the Eagles were tabbed last in their district. They will look to outperform the ranking and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
CUMBY TROJANS
The Cumby Trojans were picked sixth in their district out of six teams for District 9-2A/D2. Full rankings in order were:
1. Simms Bowie
2. Maud
3. Clarksville
4. Linden-Kildare
5. Detroit
6. Cumby
The Trojans will be returning six starters apiece on both offense and defense. Players that've been named as players to watch include: Braylon Boggs, Jace Evans, Dakari Johnson, Caleb Morgan, Jarred Patterson, Chayton Vaughan, and Chett Vaughan.
“The Trojans should be bigger and stronger, and an exciting freshman class could give them a boost,” the magazine states. “Chett Vaughan shined as a sophomore last season, and Johnson and Boggs give Cumby a one-two punch in the backfield. The defense is young but has playmakers like Boggs and Evans.”
The Trojans are once again an underdog team going into the 2023 season. They will look to prove the critics wrong, outperform the last place finish, and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.