Dave Campbell's 4A Div. I Preseason Football
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LAMPASAS DISPATCH RECORD Fall Sports lampasasdispatchrecord.com Preview FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2020 B2 Season starts with three Top-15 opponents BY JEFF LOWE DISPATCH RECORD The Badgers’ non-district schedule should be their toughest in years, based on the opposing teams’ history. Below is a preview of each team and a recap of their 2019 performance. Aug. 28 vs. Brownwood Preseason No. 15 in 4A Div. I Record: 11-2 last year Brownwood, the Badgers’ first opponent, has seven state titles -- tied for the second- most in Texas public high school history. The Lions’ 46 playoff appearances include a third-round trip in 2019. They ended the season at 11-2, losing to Argyle in the regional quarterfinals. They start this season at No. 15 in Dave Campbell’s state rankings. Brownwood relied heavily on defense last year and held FILE PHOTO opponents to an average of 14.6 points per game. Badger all-state linebacker Case Brister (15) earns one of his two safeties in the Burnet game last year. Owen Seaver (50) assists with defensive pressure. The Lions will compete in Matthew Tippie (5), shown as Burnet quarterback last year, now has transferred to Wimberley, a non-district opponent of the Badgers. one of the toughest districts in Texas, with state runner-up playmaking in 2019, with by Steven Jazdyk. Lampasas 4A Div. I Top current Stephenville included one to state runner- La Vega, plus Stephenville, two fumble recoveries and beat Brownwood 61-56, and Record: 6-5 last year players include running back up La Vega, two against Midlothian Heritage, Alvarado an interception. He is back Jazdyk later competed for Stephenville, like Kason Phillips, who has 4.5 semifinalist Argyle, and and Waxahachie Life. this year as a cornerback/ the Oklahoma Sooner track Brownwood, is another 40-yard speed. Phillips had against playoff qualifiers Players to watch include receiver. team. tradition-rich program. more than 1,100 yards last Brownwood and Midlothian Royshad Henderson, who had Lampasas and Brownwood In another classic game, in Two recent Yellow Jackets year. Heritage. just 33 carries last year but have a history of down-to- 2004, Brownwood delivered have signed with the New Safety/receiver Grayson There is no record of averaged more than seven the-wire finishes. a 19-15 heartbreaker to England Patriots, including Traweek had four Lampasas and Stephenville yards per carry. Their last meeting came the underdog Badgers in a quarterback Jarrett Stidham. interceptions in 2019, and meeting in varsity football in Free safety/wide receiver in 2013, when the Badgers crucial district game. As of last spring, Stidham linebacker Colton Accomazzo the recent decades. Khyren Deal is back after a earned their only district was No. 1 on the Patriots’ recorded 199 tackles. Before posting average 100-tackle season last year. win of the season with a Sept. 4 at Stephenville depth chart for the spot Stephenville went 6-5 Dane Johnson showed clutch six-touchdown performance Preseason No. 11 in vacated by Tom Brady. last year, but those losses SEE NON-DISTRICT, PAGE B11 On the cover... An action shot of senior quarterback Ace Whitehead is imposed on a background with the water tower on FM 580 West, which was lighted blue for the first time last December before the regional finals. Also pictured on the cover are Lady Badger volleyball team captain Skylor Poole, multi-sport returning letterman Abby Valdez and cross country runner Ben Stone. Cover design by Trish Griffith. Photos by Jeff Lowe. FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2020 Fall Sportslampasasdispatchrecord.com Preview LAMPASAS DISPATCH RECORD B3 District 6-4A volleyball alignment Volleyball team heavy on upperclassmen *Stephenville * Stephenville was No. 2 in Brownwood the Texas Girls Coaches Gatesville Association state rankings Glen Rose at press time, with a 10-0 despite losing key all-district players Lampasas record. BY JEFF LOWE a senior players to graduation last DISPATCH RECORD setter and year, including first-team third-year all-district outside hitter Varsity roster Volleyball team captain varsity Emma Cornish and second- Skylor Poole said a positive player team all-district libero 1 Tatum Linney Jr. mindset will be one of the who has Brooklynne Edgar. Lady Badgers’ driving competed Laurcy Bender is back 2 Kharis Castañeda Jr. forces this year. for after earning honorable After a tough first Lampasas mention all-district honors 3 Lina Cummins Jr. week and a half, the Lady since as a sophomore. Badgers earned their first middle Poole said her time in Skylor Poole win in a five-set match at school. the program has taught 4 Ethni Sanchez Jr. Early on Saturday. Poole is The team lost several key her “how to keep a positive attitude and not be so hard 6 Socoya Summers Sr. on myself.” As a fall sport, volleyball 7 Allison Bertrand Jr. was not affected as directly by school cancellations as spring sports were. 8 Gracey Ullevig Soph. “During the summer we still were able to get a good 9 Cobie Chandler Jr. amount of work in, so I don’t think a whole lot’s 10 Laurcy Bender Jr. changed,” Poole said. But the whole COVID-19 situation has taught her 11 Madison Roedler Soph. to appreciate opportunity while it is there. 14 Skylor Poole Sr. “I was expecting that in the summer too, so I was 15 Morgan Lovejoy Soph. just trying to show up as much as I could just in case [a shutdown] does happen, *Brandi Straley Sr. so we can still get the experience while we can,” *Rachel Myles Sr. she said. “It’s still kind of in the air.” * number unavailable at At press time, the Lady Badgers were 1-7, but one press time. loss came against No. 8 Salado. They also took the offensive attack, and a road match at Taylor that player is often the to four sets, and Aug. 21 assist leader on the team. saw one of their closest Poole said some of the key three-set losses of the factors in her position are season, which came against situational awareness and Johnson City. knowing who to pass to. Opponents in week one -- Lampasas will host Salado and Taylor -- “were Cameron at 6 p.m. on Aug. 28. some of our tougher games last season,” Poole said. “We’re definitely playing JEFF LOWE | DISPATCH RECORD a lot better against those teams.” Laurcy Bender, a junior, is the Lady Badgers’ lone returning all- A setter’s main district player, after earning honorable mention in 2019. responsibility is setting up LAMPASAS DISPATCH RECORD Fall Sports lampasasdispatchrecord.com Preview FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2020 B4 Ace Whitehead’s career one for the record books BY JEFF LOWE DISPATCH RECORD Ace Whitehead’s high school career could go down as the most successful in Badger football history, if his senior year is anything like his junior season. Even all the Lampasas Hall of Famers who became college and pro stars did not have a high school season quite like Whitehead and the Badgers had in 2019. On their way to the second state quarterfinal trip in team history, the Badgers (13-2) scored 777 points last year. Whitehead started at quarterback and placekicker for the third year in a row. He reached 9,555 career passing yards and 110 career passing touchdowns, and he set single-season school records of 54 touchdowns and 4,259 yards in the air. Whitehead has verbally committed to The University JEFF LOWE | DISPATCH RECORD of Texas for baseball. At the Ace Whitehead high-fives one of his biggest fans, Hayes JEFF LOWE | DISPATCH RECORD start of two-a-days this year, Naragon, as the Badgers celebrate the 2019 bi-district title. Whitehead runs against the Fredericksburg defense in the district championship game. he was not sure if he would play football in college, too. the guys [who are] in the He has been a three-sport senior class this year. We just letterman since his freshman formed a bond and made it year, he has earned silver really fun and exciting.” at the state track meet, and The Badgers’ ultimate he was pitcher/outfielder/ dream of a state leadoff hitter for the Badger championship looked baseball team last spring. legitimately within reach He enters his senior season last season for the first time with 36 varsity starts at in many years. There is no quarterback. In Whitehead’s question that the goal is in first varsity game as a their minds in 2020. freshman in 2017, he did not “We set our goal to play start. He had been one of 16 games and win all of three players contending for them, but we have to meet the starting QB job after the the smaller goals in order previous three-year starter to make that happen: not Cohen Cockburn graduated. turning the ball over, Cameron Everts and winning the turnover Ethan Rascoe also had been battle on defense, winning in the mix as head coach the special teams battle,” Troy Rogers evaluated who Whitehead said. would be his next starting The Badgers’ regular- quarterback. season record of 9-1 last fall Whitehead took the tied the team’s performance field partway through in 2011 -- another season that the 2017 season opener influenced Whitehead. at Fredericksburg and “I looked up to Brandon completed 19 of 27 passes for Scott whenever I was real 211 yards and one touchdown. little,” he said. Scott was Everts and Rascoe went quarterback of the 2011 on to finish as three-year Badger team that won lettermen in separate district with their slot-T positions on the Badgers’ state semifinal team, but neither stayed at the SEE QB, PAGE B5 quarterback position after Whitehead’s debut.