Three County Football Teams Predicted To Face Challenges

Early predictions for Van Zandt County football teams are for challenging seasons, at least according to Dave Campbell’s 2007 Texas Football. Only Grand Saline gets an early nod to make the playoffs, based on the strength of 13 returning starters. Edgewood and Fruitvale were both picked near the bottom of their respective districts.
GRAND SALINE
After being edged out of the playoffs in 2006, the Indians will enter 2007 with an experienced team. Six returners come back to the offensive side of the ball, and seven on defense. That experience may have to tempered, at least early in the season, by the need to learn systems being implemented by new head coach Kenny Phelps. If those systems are learned by the time play begins in district 16-2A, the Indians should have a legitimate chance to meet or surpass their predicted finish of third place.
A bigger challenge than learning new plays, though, is the 14 returning starters coming back to defending district champion Winnsboro. Nine of those starters come back to the defensive side of the ball. The Raiders enjoyed an undefeated district record before their season ended in the first round of the playoffs.
Quitman is also predicted to repeat last year’s performance and finish in second place. The Panthers will return six starters to each side of the ball. Their only district loss in 2006 came at the hands of Winnsboro.
Hawkins got the playoff nod ahead of Grand Saline in 2006, but with only three starters coming back this year, the Indians should hold an edge.
Alba-Golden and Como-Pickton are predicted to finish fifth and sixth respectively.
EDGEWOOD
The Bulldogs graduated a strong senior class off last year’s playoff team, and Texas Football’s prediction of a fifth place finish in district 12-2A reflects that challenge. Not only will the Bulldogs be lining up a lot of new varsity starters, they too will be implementing a new offense under first year head coach Ryan Simmons.
Edgewood finished third in 2006, after coming on strong late in the season and finishing with a 3-2 district record.
The early pick call for Caddo Mills and Lone Oak to reverse their positions from 2006. Caddo’s only loss last year came to district champ Lone Oak, but 11 returning starters give the Foxes the edge this year. The Buffaloes 10 returners advanced to the second round of the playoffs last year, and finished 10-2.
Palmer will return 13 players to the starting lineup and get the early nod to make the playoffs as the third place team. They will need to edge out a Scurry-Rosser team that returns 15 starters. Palmer and Scurry combined for three district wins in 2006, giving the Bulldogs reason to believe they can stay in the playoff hunt.
Dallas Life, 0-5 in district play last year, will be equally challenged in 2007.
FRUITVALE
There’s no where to go but up for the Bobcats, who suffered through an 0-10 2006. Fruitvale spent the season making the adjustment of being one year removed from six-man football, to playing first-year coach Tim Cook’s smash-mouth brand of football. Fourteen players come back with that year of transition under their belt, but every team that finished ahead of them return more than that.
Quinlan Boles returns 15 starters to a 6-5 team, and they received the early nod to win district 17-1A. Cumby did not make the playoffs last year, but finished in a three-way tie for second. With 15 starters returning, they are the early pick to hold that spot this time around. Defending district champion and regional finalist Wolfe City will have nine players coming back to the lineup. Celeste squeezed into the playoffs last season, but the early pick has them being squeezed out with a fourth place finish. Fruitvale is picked the finish ahead of Dallas A+ Academy.