PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
Klein Collins Tigers
Tomball Memorial Wildcats
Klein Cain Hurricanes
Tomball Cougars
Klein Oak Panthers
Magnolia West Mustangs
Klein Forest Eagles
Magnolia Bulldogs
Klein Bearkats
(Bold Denotes Playoffs)
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VYPE's PRESEASON AWARDS
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Aiden Martin , Tomball Memorial
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Blaine Bullard , Klein Cain
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Trent Spence , Klein Collins
BREAKOUT PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Micah Rhodes , Klein Oak
ON THE CUSP: Klein Oak Panthers
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Tomball Memorial Wildcats
Doug Brown (VYPE)
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Klein Cain's Trent Lancaster
Jamey Wright (VYPE)
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Tomball Cougars
Doug Brown (VYPE)
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Klein Oak Panthers
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
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Klein Forest's Trenton "TJ" Burkhalter Jr.
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
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Under the direction of coach Adrian Mitchell, Klein Collins proceeded to claim the program’s eighth district title over the course of the past nine seasons in 2023 – this time in undefeated (7-0) fashion. They followed that up by trouncing Cy Ranch (55-20) to open the playoffs, before narrowly falling to The Woodlands (28-27) in the second round, ending their season with a final record of 10-2. While the Tigers are THE brand of Klein ISD, they’ll be eager to rewrite last year’s early exit in the postseason. There will be a few key pieces missing on offense in 2024, most notably being District MVP Tucker Parks (Western Kentucky). Expect Ka’Jaun Gathers (Sr. RB) to play a more starring role, while Jeremiah Hutching (Sr. WR) could be the top target for the new signal-caller. On defense, the senior linebacker-duo of first-team, all-district selections Trent Spence (Baylor-commit) and Luis Vasquez should wreak havoc against any opposing offense. Don’t forget about second-teamer Larry Hankton(Sr. DB) or Jarrod Penright Jr. (Sr. DB) in the secondary, either. This may be a new-look Klein Collins team heading into 2024, but that doesn’t mean their results will differ.
Tomball Memorial put on a clinic this past Fall, as they featured one of the best offenses in the district, which averaged over 40 points per game. The Wildcats finished just behind Klein Collins in the district standings, prior to reaching the Area Round of the playoffs to cap off their year at 10-2. Incoming senior QB Aiden Martin was the catalyst behind the offense that now welcomes Joe Cary as the new head coach. Martin displayed his decisive ability with over 2,400 yards passing, nearly 600 more on the ground, and 36 total touchdowns to earn District 15-6A Offensive MVP honors. Pair that with the senior RB-duo of Treveon Green (900 all-purpose yards, 11 TDs) and Isaiah Nelson (929 all-purpose yards, 4 TDs), and you have one of the scariest attacks in the Houston-area. In terms of receivers, Martin will turn to seniors Ashton Ansley (first-team) and Randall Russ (second-team) as his top targets. There are few needs on the defensive side of the ball, but first-teamer Ethan Lea (Sr. LB) should provide the veteran leadership to address any concerns.
After finishing third in the district and reaching the Area Round of the playoffs, Klein Cain returns to the gridiron with something to prove. The absence of some of last year’s genuine difference-makers – particularly OL Gibson Pyle (Nebraska), QB Issac Mooring III (Texas Permian Basin), and RB Darius Rogers (Houston-Track) – is some cause for concern, but that shouldn’t slow down the Hurricanes too much. After all, head coach James Clancy will have unanimous first-team, all-district WR Blaine Bullard (Texas A&M Baseball-commit) back in his arsenal, following his monster year of 1,211 receiving yards and 11 scores. Furthermore, second-teamer Jaelon Dixon (Sr. RB), who combined for 1,072 all-purpose yards with a remarkable 17 total touchdowns in 2023, should only get better with more touches. Another name to watch for on offense is first-team selection Max Hendrick (Sr. WR), who will play opposite of Bullard. Fellow unanimous first-teamer Trent Lancaster (Sr. LB) will provide the bulk on a relatively youthful defense, alongside the district’s Defensive Newcomer of the Year C.J. Mooring (Jr. LB) and second-teamers Marcus Coleman (Sr. DB) and Jonathan Lazare (Sr. DB).
Tomball is coming off yet another impressive year, which saw them reach the UIL-6A-DII Regionals after finishing fourth in the district. Coach Dave Handal will look to build on that standard, with a team that’s seeking its fourth-straight trip to the postseason. Despite the fact that numerous stars from last season have since graduated, the Cougars have proven themselves as a roster not to be underestimated. The District 15-6A Utility Player of the Year Oswaldo Morales is back as a headliner for Tomball, after showing his value on both defense (85 tackles, 4 TFL, 2 FR) and offense (328 rushing yards, 4 TDs) in his junior campaign. With last year’s starting quarterback Carter Noyes gone, it may now be up to junior QB/ATH Jaxyn Faldyn to take over as the Coogs’ signal-caller, after mainly playing as a WR last Fall. Junior Joey Bruhn could be another one to watch for on offense. Coach Handal’s defense might need some fine-tuning, although Gehrig Heckathorn (Sr. DB), Connor Lowe (Sr. DB) Brady Schneider (Jr. LB) and second-team DL Lucas Pernas are likely to lead the bunch.
Klein Oak finished 2023 on the outskirts of playoff contention with a record of 4-6. Despite going through their fair share of ups and downs, coach Brandon Carpenter and the Panthers have the ambition to re-enter the district conversation moving forward. What’s more cause for optimism is the return of a handful of top contributors, including first-teamers Courtland Guillory (Sr. DB/Oklahoma-commit), Justin Hart (Sr. WR), Reggie Ruffin (Sr. DL) and KC Vidito (Sr. DB). Oak will also be bringing back Jacob Everson (Sr. RB), Brett Meyers (Sr. OL) and Conner Cooper (Sr. OL), who were each named to the all-district, second-team. If that wasn’t enough, incoming freshman Micah Rhodes – who already holds offers from Baylor and Oklahoma – should provide that extra spark the offense needs this Fall. This team certainly has the pieces necessary to succeed. All that’s left now is for them to execute.
Magnolia West moves up from Class 5A (District 10-DI) in 2024, due to theUIL realignment, so it stands to reason that they may experience some growing pains. However, given the success the Mustangs have seen in recent years – most recently reaching the Area Round of the playoffs – it’s very possible that coach Ben McGehee could make a stellar introduction to their new conference. Senior Bryson Broadway (SFA-commit)is back under-center after putting up nearly 2,500 yards through the air, which included 27 touchdowns to just 6 interceptions, earning himself first-team, all-district honors. The duo of senior running backs John Sigler (335 yards, 3 TDs) and Sam Gomez (249 yards, 3 TDs) also bodes well for the offense, with fellow senior Carson Dunaway fitting in as a worthy flex-option. Defensively, Mag West is still pretty stacked. Senior DL Brandon Mills (72 tackles, 12 sacks, 8 TFL) was a first-teamer who looks to repeat that effort on the line, with Rylan Langley (Jr. LB), Case Luckman (Sr. DB) and Luke Mattingly (Jr. DB) rounding out what could be one of the stingiest defenses in the district.
In his first year with the program, head coach Darrick Vaughn guided Klein Forest to a respectable fifth-place finish within the district. There’s still plenty of work to be done, but that’s not a bad start by any means. Vaughn will have a handful of returning starters back in his arsenal, and none will be more vital than Trenton “T.J.” Burkhalter Jr. The senior edge-rusher racked up 71 tackles and 12 sacks a year ago, earning himself first-team, all-district honors, which only adds to his value as a collegiate football prospect, as he currently holds offers from programs such as SFA, UTEP, Colorado State and Army, just to name a few. Burkhalter won’t be alone on defense, either. First-team LB Logan White, in addition to second-teamer Jaquan McClendon (Sr. DB), provides a reliable veteran in each facet on defense. The Eagles offense has some work to do, but junior WR Jakoree Jones (second-team) and senior OL Jaylen Leonard (second-team) should be bright spots.
Another new program to join District 15-6A is that of Magnolia High, following the realignment. Most recently, the Bulldogs took second in District 10-5A-DI before reaching the Area Round of the playoffs. The fact that they’ll be playing against a higher level of competition, paired with numerous stars lost to graduation, makes it difficult to predict how effective this year’s Magnolia roster will be in Class 6A. Coaching won’t be an issue, with Craig Martin back at the helm, but it will be interesting to see who particularly steps up. A safe bet would be incoming senior RB Colin Leahey, who’s coming off a respectable performance in 2023, which saw him rush for north of 500 yards with 9 scores to earn a second-team, all-district nod. First-team TE Carson Smith should also provide splash plays while increasing the offense’s depth down-field. The Bulldogs D has some gaps to fill, but first-team, all-district linebacker Tyler Covar is a nice weapon to build around. Magnolia could easily surprise their district counterparts and make a run for the playoffs, but only time will tell.
Klein experienced a drop in productivity last Fall. After placing fifth overall the year prior, the Bearkats were unable to claim a single victory against their district foes, though they did come close on more than one occasion. Coach Shane Hallmark will aim to steady the ship in order to end their playoff-drought that started in 2019. District 15-6A Offensive Newcomer of the Year Torrey Paul (Jr. WR) could be the focal point of this year’s offense, with second-teamer Adre’n Skipper (Sr. WR) playing opposite of him. Junior OL Nicolas Robertson is a national recruit at 6-foot-5, 320-pounds. Others to watch include Will Clay (Sr. DL), Jimmy Hallmark (Sr. LB), and Brody Kouns (Sr. DB), who all received second-team nods by the end of last season.