You know the Texas High School football season is in full swing once district action gets underway. By this time of the year, new stars have emerged as offenses have been tweaked and defenses tuned up. Frisco’s football presence is a strong one in district 9-4A with five schools battling with the likes of The Colony, Prosper and Little Elm for just four playoff spots.
The 2013 season has already started off with a bang and looks to be yet another successful year where some of Frisco ISD’s finest fight to go deep into the Texas State UIL playoffs. Here’s the Lifestyle Frisco District 9-4A Playoff Preview.
9-4A
Frisco High (2-1) @ Frisco Wakeland (1-2)—Fri. 9/27 – 7:00 PM Toyota Stadium
Frisco’s Head Coach Vance Gibson has guided the Raccoons to an area championship as well as a co-district championship using the old-school wing-T offense in a spread infatuated world.
RB Max Steitle is a huge reason for the system’s success. Steitle has rushed for 452 yards on 51 carries with 3 TDs. QB Jake Battaglia (19/28, 449 yards, 5 TD 1 INT) has also been successful finding the end zone on the ground with 4 rushing TDs. A three-headed receiving core—Dayton Bush (7/183 yards, 3 TDs), Skyler Sowerwine (4/84 yards, TD) and Rasheed Kilpatrick (4/62 yards, TD)—have all averaged at least 15.5 yards per reception.
There may be no other team more excited to start district play than Frisco Wakeland. They enter Week 1 of district having lost back-to-back games by just three points.
QB Jackson Lamb (545 yards, 4 TDs) has found plenty of solid targets in Alex Marr (9/193, 2 TDs), Justice Williams (8/156, 1 TD) and Jake White (3/62).
Marr is that rare talent that leads his team in receiving and rushing (40/358, 8 TDs). Brent Altieri is another grinder with 28 carries for 204 yards and two scores. After last week’s loss to Trinity Christian- Addison—last week’s Game of the Week—the Wolverines have fallen out of 4A’s Area Top 20, but they are just too well balanced to not be in the hunt for a district playoff berth.
The Lobos lone loss was in Week 1 against Sherman, 31-14. Since then Little Elm’s defense has tightened up and their offense has started rolling. Their most impressive win was a 66-12 victory over Carrollton R. L. Turner two weeks ago, a game they led 45-0 at halftime.
Little Elm’s approach is straight forward as they utilize a run-centric offense. Caleb Chapman is an elite RB and has already accumulated 678 yards with 8 TDs.
Frisco Centennial’s Kelly Cordova has taken the reigns at QB and is off to an excellent start with 720 yards passing and 9 TDs. Cordova used his 4.5 speed to rack up 204 rushing yards and an additional 3 TDs thus far. Kamari Burnett leads the team in rushing with 240 yards. The Titans boast an excellent receiving core as Devin McCord (18/225, 2 TDs) and Jackson Grimes (14/224, 4 TDs) have stepped up their production and will be key components as the Titans look to make a playoff push.
Frisco Heritage (1-2) @ Prosper (2-1)—Fri. 9/27 – 7:00 PM Eagle Stadium
Prosper hasn’t lost since their week one battle with Keller High, which nipped the Eagles by one-point, 24-23. The Eagles, a DII Regional Semifinalist in 2012 lost two of the state’s top recruits in Torii Hunter Jr. (Notre Dame) and Davis Webb (Texas Tech).
Simply put, Prosper can put up some points. Led by QB Chase Dawkins (722 yards, 6 TDs) the Eagles have a well-balanced team. WRs Chris Jackson (268 yards, 1 TD) and Zack English (252 yards, 3 TDs) and RB Marquez Houston (391 yards, 6 TDs) present a formidable problem for most defenses.
The Eagles are shaky on the other side of the ball. In both of their wins, they’ve given up an average of 45 points by allowing 572.5 yards of total offense.
Frisco Heritage has already matched their win total from last year, as they went 1-9/0-7. A win in district would be the first time they’ve done so since 2011. Like Prosper, Heritage can score, but they too have problems on defense.
QB Malik Walker has some gaudy stats with 800 yards passing and 10 TDs; but he has been interception prone with 5. Walker (143 yards, 3 TDs), Sean Jones (190 yards, TD) and Kene Nwangwu (119 yards) lead the team in rushing. WRs Keaton White (25/308, 4 TDs), Chris Baez (10/150, 3 TDs) are the heart of a formidable receiving core.
Frisco Liberty (0-3) @ The Colony (3-0)—Fri. 9/27 – 7:00 PM Cougar Stadium
The Colony Cougars have the look and swagger of a complete juggernaut. They boast size and speed on both sides of the ball; a combination that makes coaches either drool or break out in cold sweats, depending on perspective. Liberty’s Head Coach, Galen Zimmerman, finds himself in the position of the latter.
The Colony hasn’t allowed a touchdown since Week 1. And that lone TD is their only blemish. Their lockdown defense is intimidating to say the least. However, the Cougars can do it with the ball in their mitts too. QB Andrew Lotz (23/33, 408, 4 TDs), RB Bryan Hammond (71/568, 6 TDs) and WR Tate Alanis (13/184) highlight an explosive offense that has scored over 40 points in two of their three victories.
Frisco Liberty has some offensive playmakers in QB Connor Robison (358 yards, 3 TDs), ATH Rodray Perkins (359 yards total offense) and option QB Udgam Goyal, who has completed 67% of his passes. However, the Redhawks have averaged just 279 yards off offense while surrendering almost 500 yards over their first three contests.
Non-District
3A
Frisco Lone Star (4-0) Vs. Anna (1-3)—Fri. 9/27 – 7:00 PM—Fri. 9/29 – 7:00 PM FISD Memorial Stadium
Anna started of their season 1-0 after disassembling Life High Oak Cliff. They haven’t won since. And if their three TD loss to Van Alsytne is any indication—The Rangers beat up on them 51-28 last week—they might be setting their sights on a 5-0 start. QB Chase Moake and company may their work cut out for them this Friday.
PRIVATE/TAPPS
Frisco Legacy Christian (3-1) @ Irving The Highlands (1-3)—9/27 – 7:30 PM
Frisco Legacy is coming off their first lost of the year, against FW SCS. With only four playoff-off eligible teams TAPPS 2-III, the Eagles get a two more weeks before their district kicks off. This will give them time to recover from last week’s loss as well as get ready for their district opener against Flower Mound Coram Deo Academy on Friday, October 11th.
Can’t make it to the games this weekend? Fear not as Lifestyle Frisco will provide you with in-depth analysis and a complete review of all of District 9-4A’s first week of play on Monday.
