FOOTBALL 2021 GALVESTON COUNTY PREVIEW INSIDE » REGIONAL COLLEGE ROUNDUP TEXANS PREVIEW TEAMS ATTEMPT TO TACKLE A NORMAL SEASON DURING PANDEMIC BACK TO BUSINESSWhen you’re injured, you want to recover and get off the sidelines as quickly as possible. That’s why UTMB Health offers same-day appointments Monday through Friday and a Saturday sports injury clinic with our orthopedic specialists to treat sports injuries, including: Our team begins with the most effective and least invasive solution, combining breakthrough clinical care with advanced technology and rehabilitative services to get you back in the game. • Tendon and ligament damage • Joint dislocations • Fractures • Strains and sprains Sports Medicine. Close to home. For treatment of sports injuries, call our hotline to schedule a same-day appointment (Mon-Fri) Starting Aug. 28, Saturday Sports Injury Clinic from 9 to 11 a.m. at 10121 Emmett F. Lowry Expressway in Texas City. Walk-ins only; no appointments. Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Spend Friday nights playing under the lights Scan the code for information utmbhealth.com/sports-medicine (832) 505-BONE (832-505-2663) UTMB Health Sports Injury Hotline UTMB Health Saturday Sports Injury ClinicFOOTBALL PREVIEW INSIDE From the editor TEAM PREVIEWS 4 Cover story Storylines aplenty as teams look to have more normal seasons 18 Cheering section Band and cheerleaders show their team spirit 29 Preseason watchlist Top five preseason candidates for county player of the year 32 Season predictions Predicted playoff teams out of each local high school district Clear Creek ...................................................... 8 Clear Falls ........................................................ 9 Clear Springs ................................................ 10 Dickinson ...................................................... 11 Ball High ........................................................ 14 Friendswood ................................................ 15 Santa Fe ......................................................... 21 Texas City.......................................................23 La Marque .....................................................24 Hitchcock ......................................................26 Bay Area Christian ......................................28 O’Connell .......................................................28 Regional colleges .......................................30 University of Houston ..............................33 Houston Texans ..........................................34 STUART VILLANUEVA/The Daily News 4 About the cover athletes T he COVID-19 pandemic creat- ed a dark cloud of uncertainty around the 2020 season, and while Texas high school football eventually endured, The Daily News’ annual football preview magazine was shelved for the year. While the pandemic is far from over, the prospects of having a near-normal football season are more sure in 2021, so it’s been our pleasure to bring the Galveston County Football Preview Maga- zine back to our readers. Storylines abound locally and beyond this football season. Can Dickinson return to the top of District 24-6A? Can Clear Falls build on the momentum of a his- tory-making playoff run. Can Ball High make positive strides in year No. 2 of a new coaching regime, and how will Clear Springs fare un- der new leader- ship? Which college football teams will emerge for memorable years, and just how disastrous will the Hous- ton Texans’ season be? I hope you, the reader, enjoy the 2021 installment of The Daily News’ football preview. James LaCombe Sports Editor W ith multiple intriguing storylines head- ing into the 2021 Galveston County high school foot- ball season, we asked the readers to vote on which team would be featured on the front of this year’s preview mag- azine during a weeklong period last month. It was the Dickinson Gators who rallied from behind to get the cover shot. STUART VILLANUEVA//The Daily News Pictured are two of the 2021 Dickinson team’s brightest stars: tight end Donovan Green, right, and offensive lineman PJ Williams. Both athletes are seniors and are college football commits at Texas A&M. 2021 Football Preview | The Daily News | 3FOOTBALL PREVIEW By JAMES LACOMBE The Daily News I n the 2020 high school football season, all potential storylines took a backseat to the efforts put forth to be able to simply play a season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and while the pandemic still endures, access to vaccines have made a return to a more normal season in 2021 a possibility. So, with Galveston County teams getting back to business, The Daily News takes a look at some of the top questions to be answered in the new season. A RETURN TO THE TOP? The 2014 season was a break- through year for the Dickinson Gators football program with a district championship and deep playoff run, and while the Gators have maintained a win- ning traditios, the 24-6A crown has eluded them in all but one season ever since. For Dickinson, getting back to business means getting back to Back to business Storylines aplenty as teams look to have more normal seasons STUART VILLANUEVA/The Daily News The Friendswood Mustangs take the field for their home matchup with Ball High at Henry Winston Stadium in Friendswood on Friday, Oct. 4, 2019. SEE BACK TO BUSINESS »PAGE 6 4 | The Daily News | 2021 Football PreviewSTUART VILLANUEVA/The Daily News Pictured are two of the 2021 Dickin- son team’s brightest stars: tight end Donovan Green, right, and offensive lineman PJ Williams. Both athletes are seniors and are college football commits at Texas A&M. 2021 Football Preview | The Daily News | 5the top of the district stand- ings, and the Gators enter the new season as The Daily News’ favorite to do just that (see the season predictions section). Dickinson will face a major roadblock to that goal when the Gators open district play on the road against an emerging Clear Falls program. Then, the big- time yearly district showdown against Clear Springs will come in the second-to-last game of the regular season, with the Gators hosting this time around. CAN THE TORS SOAR IN NEW REGIME’S SECOND YEAR? The COVID-19 pandemic dealt veteran coach Sheldon Bennight a tough hand (to put it mildly) for the start of his first head coaching gig — one in which he has been tasked with rebuilding a Ball High program that had bottomed out — last year. The new Tors coaching re- gime didn’t get a true offseason program with the 2020 team, but while Ball High extended its district losing streak to 16 games, the Tors showed small signs of improvement. Now, with a regular season and offseason under their belts, it should be interesting to see how much the Tors improve in 2021 under Bennight, who brings knowledge from his time as an assistant coach in the state pow- erhouse North Shore program. WHO ELSE WILL MAKE BIG IMPROVEMENTS? Every team in the county will look for better seasons in 2021, BACK TO BUSINESS Continued » Page 4 STUART VILLANUEVA/ The Daily News Clear Falls’ David Smith fights for running room during the fourth quar- ter against West Brook at Galena Park ISD Stadium in Houston on Friday, Dec. 18, 2020. JENNIFER REYNOLDS/The Daily News Sheldon Bennight will be entering his second season as the new head coach for the Ball High School Tors football program. 6 | The Daily News | 2021 Football Previewbut which teams are set up to make the biggest leaps forward? For Friendswood, a laundry list of injuries to key players made the 2020 season some- what of an aberration and re- sulted in a rare sub-.500 record. With a solid foundation coming into the new season (see the Mustangs’ team preview page for more insight), expect the Mustangs to be back to their winning ways in 2021. Another major turnaround is possible in Texas City after the Stings finished just outside of the playoff picture in 2020, as the 2021 team will be loaded on defense and have solid, experienced players returning on offense (see the Texas City team preview). The Stings’ dis- trict will again be tough, but they should be a team to watch. CAN FALLS CONTINUE TO RISE? Outside of the challenges of playing through the COVID-19 pandemic, the biggest story of the 2020 football season was Clear Falls making program his- tory. Bolstered by a defense years in the making, the Knights not only won the program’s first-ever playoff game, but they added two more after that to put Clear Falls football on the map among the Houston area’s best. Now, Clear Falls’ challenge in 2021 will be to continue moving the program forward, as the Knights will have their opponents’ full attention. On the mental side of it, coaches are stressing to their players to not be satisfied or coast on their past accomplishments (see Clear Falls’ team preview), so it’ll be interesting to see what the Knights have in store for 2021. WHAT WILL CLEAR SPRINGS LOOK LIKE UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP? It’s not too often that a team is quickly built up, wins four district titles in five years, and then has a coaching change, but the chance for former Chargers head coach Craig Dailey to take the top job at his alma mater was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. La Porte head coach Anthony Renfro, who previously served as an assistant at Clear Springs, re- places Dailey, and his switch-up to the team’s offensive scheme (see the Chargers’ team preview) is an exciting notion, while the defense will see plenty of new faces thrust into the spotlight. STUART VILLANUEVA/ The Daily News file photo Santa Fe quarterback Kyeler Thompson is gang tackled by a host of Texas City defenders during the second quar- ter at Stingaree Stadium in Texas City on Oct. 23. STUART VILLANUEVA/The Daily News New Clear Springs head football coach Anthony Renfro waves to the crowd at the Kick Off By The Creek celebration at the Johnnie Arolfo Civic Center in League City on Aug. 5. 2021 Football Preview | The Daily News | 7DISTRICT 24-6A 2628 313029 27 AUGUST 1237654 89 1014131211 15161721201918 22232425 Sept. 2: vs. Deer Park, 7 p.m. Sept. 10: at Channelview, 7 p.m. Sept. 17: at Katy Tomkins, 7 p.m. Sept 24: at Brazoswood, 7 p.m. Oct. 1: vs. Dickinson, 7 p.m. Oct. 8: at Clear Brook, 7 p.m. Oct. 15: vs. Clear Springs, 7 p.m. Oct. 22: at Clear Lake, 7 p.m. Oct. 29: vs. Clear Falls, 7 p.m. NOVEMBER Nov. 5: BYE 2021 SCHEDULE WILDCATS FAST FACTS Head coach: Dwayne Lane (4th season) 2020 record: 5-4 overall, 3-2 in District 24-6A (lost to Shadow Creek, 55-6, in bi-district) Returning starters: 7 offense, 3 defense Key players: RB Rocky Ketchum, RB Jeremiah Crum, QB Dante Frederick, OL Charlie Shemwell Hot read Quotable T he Wildcats are hoping that a taste of success a year ago made an impression on a very impressionable group of untested athletes. Clear Creek enjoyed its first overall winning record since 2016 and added a second consecutive playoff berth in the highly-competitive District 24-6A. Lane is ready to ride those kind of positives as he brings what he believes is a young, but talented, group to the table in 2021. A versatile and relentless ground game will need some help upfront as graduation losses took 40 players from the Clear Creek roster. With an estimated 20 seniors expected to return, the Wildcats will rely on its youth for foundational help. Lane indicates that up to six sophomores will be on the field playing key roles, possibly early in the season. Returnees Crum and Ketchum will be asked to carry the offensive load in Clear Creek’s rushing attack, but it also will have an experienced quarterback in starter Cody Raboin. Last season, Raboin threw for 885 yards and nine touchdowns, though, he’ll get plenty of competitive push from junior Frederick and sophomore Bryson Drake. Defensively, the Wildcats will lean on lineback- er Jesse Crutch, lineman Bruce McDermid and corner Landen Gunter on a unit which has plenty of holes to fill as Creek allowed more than 25 points per game in five district starts. An unexpected special teams setback came to the Wildcats with talented kicker Jayden Fielding transferring to the IMG Academy in Florida. — Bill Beck Players to watch RBs Jeremiah Crum & Rocky Ketchum M uch of the heart and soul of the Wildcats comes from its backfield tandem of Crum and Ketchum, who again will provide a reliable 1-2 punch from the of- fensive backfield. With Crum, who Lane calls the most physically gifted player on the roster, and Ketchum, Clear Creek looks to control the pace of games against the often high-scoring lineup of District 24-6A opponents. The duo combined for 16 rushing touchdowns and with Crum also used in the slot, the Wildcats have plenty of versatility. “Crum, he could probably beat out about anybody at any position other than defensive line and offensive line,” Lane said. “He can run with it, catch it and then with Rocky, we have a good, hard-nosed back. It’s amazing how hard he runs.” — Bill Beck “It all starts with the 40 seniors we lost. I am proud of that group for sticking it out, and that those kids made the commitment all the way through. They stuck with it and the last two years, we got back into the playoffs. Now, fast forward, we hope some of that rubbed off on the younger kids.” — Clear Creek Head Coach Dwayne Lane on the impact and influence the 2020 graduating class on the program Aug. 27: at Oak Ridge, 7 p.m. Clear Creek RB Jeremiah Crum Photo by Jennifer Reynolds/ The Daily News 23 25 282726 24 SEPTEMBER 2930 4321 567 11 10 98 12131418171615 1920 2122 2123 26 25 24 22 OCTOBER 2728 21 3029 34 59 87 6 101112161514 13 17181920 31 2527 302928 26 65 789 13 121110 14151620191817 21222324 1234 CLEAR CREEK 8 | The Daily News | 2021 Football PreviewDISTRICT 24-6A 2628 313029 27 AUGUST 1237654 89 1014131211 15161721201918 22232425 Sept. 4: at Pasadena Memorial, 6 p.m. Sept. 10: vs. Deer Park, 7 p.m. Sept. 17: vs. Katy Cinco Ranch, 7 p.m. Sept 24: vs. Dickinson, 7 p.m. Oct. 1: vs. Clear Brook, 7 p.m. Oct. 8: at Clear Springs, 7 p.m. Oct. 15: vs. Clear Lake, 7 p.m. Oct. 22: BYE Oct. 29: at Clear Creek, 7 p.m. NOVEMBER Nov. 4: vs. Brazoswood, 7 p.m. 2021 SCHEDULE KNIGHTS FAST FACTS Head coach: Zach Head (6th season) 2020 record: 8-4 overall, 4-2 in District 24-6A (lost to Katy, 51-14, in regional final) Returning starters: 5 offense, 9 defense Key players: WR Luke Vidal, LB Keewan Grismore, DL Brady Crabtree, RB David Smith, OL Eli Turner Hot read Quotable T he 2020 season was a breakthrough year in the short history of the Clear Falls program, as the Knights not only recorded their first-ever playoff win but added two more afterward to reach the regional final against eventual state champion Katy. Now, the challenge for Clear Falls will be to keep the momentum going in a positive direction. Shoring up the team’s defense has been a major key to Clear Falls’ program turnaround, and that unit should once again be strong with nearly all of 2020’s starters returning this season. Head says team co-captain Grismore is a player the entire team rallies around. The Knights offense returns key skill position players in leading rusher Smith (122 carries, 803 yards, 11 touchdowns) and leading receiver Vidal (45 receptions, 710 yards, nine touch- downs). The starting quarterback position will come down to an offseason battle between junior Cam Roberson and sophomore Landon Vessel, Head said. Clear Falls will have some new faces in the receiver corps, but Head expects that group to be strong. — James LaCombe Player to watch Luke Vidal, senior, WR T he experienced Vidal should be a welcome sight in Clear Falls’ efforts to consistently move the ball on offense as the Knights break in a new starting QB this season. Head calls the three-year starter and team co-captain one of, if not the, hardest workers on the team. — James LaCombe “We talk all the time about staying hungry, and that this year’s team has not won a game. Whatever we did last year has no bearing on winning games this year. We’ve got to be ready to now be a team that’s targeted, and that’s going to get everybody’s best effort, and we definitely have to be ready to play. I think our guys have stayed really hungry. They’re proud of what they’ve done last year, but they’re also not satisfied because there are some things we didn’t achieve last year that are our goals to achieve this year.” — Clear Falls head coach Zach Head on keeping the program building on its recent success Aug. 27: vs. Dawson, 7 p.m. Clear Falls WR, Luke Vidal Photo by Stuart Villanueva/ The Daily News 23 25 282726 24 SEPTEMBER 2930 4321 567 11 10 9 8 121314 18 17 1615 19202122 2123 262524 22 OCTOBER 2728 21 3029 3459876 10111216151413 17 18 1920 31 2527 30 29 28 26 65 78 9 13121110 141516 2019 1817 21222324 1234 CLEAR FALLS 2021 Football Preview | The Daily News | 9Next >