One NYE Resolution for Each 2025 State Championship Team
The DeSoto Eagles finding a new source of motivation, Smithson Valley Rangers replacing the best defensive line in program history headline the NYE Resolutions.
Replace a record-setting QB/RB combo
Carthage’s 49-21 win over West Orange-Stark in the Class 4A DII State Championship, in which the starters were subbed out to standing ovations with nine minutes remaining, was the perfect send-off for one of the most decorated senior classes at one of the state’s most decorated programs.
QB Jett Surratt, the son of 11-time state champion coach Scott Surratt, broke every school passing record, including the touchdown passes record by the seventh game of his senior season. RB KJ Edwards, a Texas A&M signee, broke the school’s career rushing yards and career rushing touchdowns records. Carthage will also have to replace RB Benny Smith, who had over 1,000 yards himself as the power-back complement to Edwards.
Rising senior Shawn Bundy (364 yards, 2 TD) will be in line for increased snaps, but history shows Coach Surratt favors a two-RB system. Rising junior Jacob Dixon is the only returning QB who completed a varsity pass last season. If a one-pass sample size is any indication, Carthage should be just fine. Dixon went 1-for-1 for a 38-yard TD.
Settle on a Scheme
Yoakum played sophomore Germann Robinson at quarterback for the entirety of the regular season last year. Then, come playoff time, head coach Bo Robinson decided to directly snap it to senior wide receivers Jace Morales and X’Zavier Barnett (SMU signee). That strategy was a resounding success. In Yoakum’s first state championship win in program history, Morales rushed for 197 yards and a score while Barnett rushed for 193 yards and five touchdowns. But with both players graduated, Yoakum must decide whether the offense will run with a true QB or with the best athletes taking direct snaps.
Overhaul Offensive Roster
Out of the 14 Wall offensive players who earned All-District 4-3A DII honors, only three will return in 2026. Two wide receivers in Jager Thompson (First Team) and Evan Boehle (Second Team) return, but District MVP QB Landon York has graduated. Whoever takes the reins at QB will only have one returning starter on the offensive line (First Team All-District honoree Gage Jacoby).
Not only does Wall have to replace most of the offensive production, but the entire offensive scheme was created for the graduating senior class. Wall ran the flexbone veer offense for 17 years, but changed to the spread when head coach Craig Slaughter took over.
Wall is also moving up to Class 3A DI.
Maintain historic success while jumping to Class 3A
Fresh off of winning the first state championship in the program’s 114-year history, Hamilton doesn’t have much of a honeymoon period. Hamilton is the only 2025 state champion jumping up an entire classification in the 2026-28 realignment, going from Class 2A DI to Class 3A DII. Head coach Ryan Marwitz was even asked about the move in the state championship postgame press conference. The Bulldogs are now the second-smallest Class 3A school in the state, with 248 students.
Find new offensive identity without Casen Carney
Over the last two years, Muenster had 14,292 yards of total offense. Graduated QB Casen Carney accounted for 9,138 yards, which is 64% of the offense’s production. Even for a TXHSFB QB, Muenster’s offense lived and died with Carney. Most of the time they didn’t just survive, but thrived. But can the new QB be expected to carry so much of the load, especially as Muenster jumps to 2A DI?
Replace the Reeds
Not only were the Gordon Longhorns the best six-man team in Texas, but they also cemented their legacy as the best six-man team of all time.
Gordon boasted two Division I football players in Stryker Reed (Air Force) and Ry Reed (Army). Stryker scored 34 touchdowns on 66 touches. In other words, he scored a touchdown more times than he was tackled. Ry, meanwhile, had 27 touchdowns on 57 touches.
It’ll be up to their fathers, head coach Mike Reed (Stryker’s father) and assistant Shad Reed (Ry’s father) to figure out how to get back to a state championship without them. Gordon seeks to become the second six-man football team in state history (Fort Hancock) to reach four consecutive state titles.
Recreate Bode Ham Moneyball style
After winning the Class 1A DII State Championship, Jayton head coach Josh Stanaland said he’d never coached an athlete as gifted as senior Bode Ham. That wasn’t just a coach caught up in the moment. Ham set a Class 1A State Championship record with 13 total touchdowns on 430 rushing yards and 118 passing yards. He was also named the game’s Defensive MVP with eight tackles, three tackles for loss and a pass breakup.
Stanaland will approach the 2026 season like former Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane. No one player can replace Ham, but Jayton will need to recreate him in the aggregate.
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