2019 Class 4A Division II TXHSFB Hipster Picks

Photo by Artie Guerrero

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Every year when the summer edition of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football comes out, fans and media alike look at the teams we have at the top of the pre-season rankings to get an idea of who likely makes the trip to Arlington to play for a state title at AT&T Stadium in December.

While the teams ranked highly in the pre-season are there for a good reason, we all know there are always a few mystery guests that pop up with deep playoff runs and sometimes state titles when the season wraps up.  Who are those teams you need to keep an eye on in 2019? We’ve got you covered at DCTF as we bring you our 2019 Hipster Picks to keep in your back pocket as you casually drop them into conversation with your friends from time to time, so once they make that deep run, you can look like a Texas high school football genius!

Fort Stockton

The Panthers broke through a year ago with an impressive 8-3 record and a surprise third place finish in 1-4A Division II. Mike Peters’ squad could be even better in 2019 as a district title is a realistic goal with the return of eight starters on both sides of the ball and help from an 8-2 JV team ready to step in and contribute. The Panthers defense was among the best in West Texas as they allowed just over fifteen points per game, but one of their top defensive players Iram Villareal may step in and play QB for FSHS. That signal caller position will certainly be one to watch as the vast majority of the Panthers offense a year ago came from the QB spot. Earning one of the top two seeds in the district will be vital for Fort Stockton as the bi-district matchup is a tough one, defending district champion Midland Greenwood brings back plenty of experience but that second spot could be for the taking.

Madisonville

The Mustangs after a sensational 2017 season stumbled to 5-5 a year ago and just missed out on the playoffs in one of the state’s deepest districts at the 4A-Division II level. Former head coach Rusty Nail certainly got the program on solid footing and now former offensive coordinator Russell Urbantke is charged with continuing the forward momentum. QB Tyrese Brown is one of the most dynamic players in the district and is back to pace an offense that’s going to rely heavily on the ground game. Overall MHS returns six offensive and seven defensive starters so the experience is there for the Mustangs to take a leap forward. Madisonville’s JV posted a strong 8-2 mark and Coach Urbantke is hopeful that young talent can push MHS into the post-season. The margins in this district are very small and the difference between 4th and 7th place is a possession or two, but if Madisonville can sneak into the playoffs, there’s no doubt they’ll be battle tested.

Center

The Roughriders have a new leader in Scott Ponder who returns to his roots in Shelby County after highly successful stints as a head coach in Texoma at Petrolia, Wichita Falls Rider, Iowa Park and Bells. Fifteen starters return from a 6-5 squad a year ago and with their new air raid offensive attack, Ponder feels like Center is poised to take a big leap forward. The skill talent is in abundance with Zacc Smith, Jakerrion Wilson and Marques Hall all returning to lead the way. The two big keys for Center in 2019 will be sophomore QB Jake Hansen, he started at LB as a freshman and is slated to lead the offense, that along with how the Roughriders do in the trenches will tell their tale for the season. A big key will be finishing in the top two slots in the district and avoiding a first round clash with Silsbee or West Orange-Stark.

Port Isabel

The Tarpons finished 4-6 in their first season under Jason Strunk, but Port Isabel made some real strides towards the end of the season and nearly upset Corpus Christi West Oso in the bi-district round of the playoffs. The Tarpons bring back fifteen total starters and have plenty of optimism going into the season with speedy RB Bryan Medina pacing the power spread attack. Three starters return along the offensive line and if the Tarpons can settle on a QB to keep defenses honest with the pass they’ve got a real chance to be one of the Valley’s most dynamic offensive attacks. The strength of the defensive unit which has seven starters returning is at DE and in the secondary. Port Isabel will be bolstered also by the return of versatile ATH Mac Strunk who started as a sophomore at Lubbock High but missed all of 2018 with an injury. Region IV is wide open in Division II and the Tarpons have a chance to be a real sleeper if the bracket breaks in their direction.

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