DISTRICT 18-6A
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS (Playoff teams in bold)
Lamar Texans
Heights Bulldogs
Westside Wolves
Westbury Huskies
Bellaire Cardinals
Sam Houston Tigers
Chavez Lobos
...
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Tristen Brown, Houston Lamar
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Christopher Jones, Westbury
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Bryce Nwoko, Westbury
BREAKOUT PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Reggie McNeal Jr., Heights
ON THE CUSP
Bellaire Cardinals
...
Heights Bulldogs
Lorin Cook (VYPE)
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE 2023 VYPE FOOTBALL PREVIEW
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TEAM & INDIVIDUAL PHOTOS
...
Houston Lamar is fresh off the heels of a 2022 season which saw them dominate their district, going 6-0 before advancing to the Class 6A DI Area Round. Under the direction of coach Michael Lindsey, the Texans will look to ensure that nothing changes in the district competition. They will be headlined by Vanderbilt-commit Tristen Brown are WR, whose speed, hands and impressive route running should make him a big-time threat for the opposing secondary. Furthermore, look for four-star OL Dramodd Odoms (Jr.) to provide the muscle in the trenches. Defensively, senior DT John McDonald and Donnovan Rogers-McNeil (Jr. DT) will round out a scary-good front seven for Lamar this Fall.
Heights is coming off another impressive season, which saw them finish second in the district before defeating Stratford in a walk-off thriller in the waning seconds of the Bi-District round. Stephen Dixon returns as head coach and will look to build on last year’s momentum. Powering the Bulldogs’ OL will be senior Frank Moss (TSU-commit) and junior Devinn Farris, who will provide some stability on a young offense while protecting new QB Reggie McNeal Jr. The defense will be in good hands with senior LB Jaylon Bihms leading the pack as an effective run-stopper with an increasing ability to pressure the opposing QB. Others to watch include junior CB Broderick Brown, LB Brice Chevalier, WR Nick Brown and senior WR Lamont Robins.
Despite going 4-7 in 2022, Westside still managed to take third place in the district (4-2) and go on to make an appearance in the playoffs. However, the Wolves were left with a void in the head coach spot which has since been filled by former Ridge Point defensive coordinator Cedric Allen. He will have an array of returning starters to work with, which starts with senior QB Josh Robinson who intends to offer some direction in his final year as the Westside signal-caller. In addition, the Wolves will feature an interesting duo of running backs, juniors Brayden Anderson and Bryce Morris, while senior Daniel Jefferson will headline the defense from the CB spot.
Westbury finished their season with the No. 4 spot and a playoff appearance a year ago. However, the main question heading into the ensuing Fall is who will play QB? Junior ATH David Baines could potentially take on the role unless someone else is up for the challenge. Aside from that concern, first-team athlete Christopher Jones will be a versatile asset on both offense and defense for coach Jarvis Kelly’s squad. Team captain Bryce Nwoko (Sr. RB/LB) will likely get another first-team, all-district selection if this season is anything like his preceding performances. Despite the competitive nature of the district and the youth of the roster, Westside should still be expected to at least finish fourth and earn a trip to the postseason.
While they have enjoyed some success in recent history, Bellaire is on the cusp of achieving a breakout year. Coach Herb Kunz will be directing the Cardinals’ this Fall with seniors Corderial Adams (OL/DL), Cordavian Adams (WR/LB), Tyler Adams (RB), Jordan Wright (OL/DL) and Michael Fogle (OL/DL) leading the charge for Bellaire.
Sam Houston is gradually gaining ground in the high school football arena,and should expect that trend to continue through this Fall. Look for QB Trevan Williams to make some noise in his junior year, while Andrew Castro (Sr. DL) David Sanchez (Sr. WR) and Sincere Lewis (Sr. WR) round out a solid group of returning starters.
Chavez will try to get it going under first-year head coach Louie Rodriguez after a 1-9 record in 2022. The Lobos will be putting their best foot forward as their roster will feature the likes of two talented offensive linemen –Rigo Garcia and Jeremiah Villareal – and incoming junior QB Chris Cabrera, who will see more action on the field.