Welcome to the 2021 Texas High School Football season!!
We officially kickoff on August 26 with some Thursday night action across the city of Houston but at VYPE we need to get you ready to go out to the games.
The 14th annual VYPE Houston Football Magazine Preview presented by Academy has arrived! We will count you down to kickoff with district previews, top recruit lists and more!
PRESEASON RANKING
Huffman Hargrave
Livingston
Vidor
Splendora
Lumberton
Little Cypress-Mauriceville
(Bold Denotes Playoffs)
PRESEASON AWARDS
Most Valuable Player: Luke Thomas, Huffman Hargrave
Offensive MVP: Damian Ruiz, Livingston
Defensive MVP: Tyler Wilkins, Huffman Hargrave
Breakout Player of the Year: Harrison Facundo, Splendora
Sleeper Team: Lumberton
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Huffman Flacons
Huffman is locked and loaded for a strong season, returning 14 starters from a 10-2 team. The Falcons have motivation as well, falling to Kilgore by just a field goal in the third round of the playoffs last year. Coach Mike McEachern's team has the talent to make a fifth consecutive playoff appearance, and for the 13th time in the last 14 years.
Leading the way is electric 6-foot-3 senior QB Luke Thomas (1,653 passing yards, 18 TDs; 887 rushing yards, 11 TDs), junior 5-foot-11, 170-pound DB Tyler Wilkins (39 tackles, 9 INTs), senior WR Gunnar Gates (362 yards, 9 TDs), junior RB Vernon Harrison, senior OL/DL Breck Machala, senior DE Cayden Miller and senior WR/DB Connor Halbrooks.
Entering his 19th season with the Falcons, McEachern said being injury-free is key for his team this season.
Livingston Lions
Fifteen starters are back for the defending district champion Lions, who went 8-3 as a Bi-District playoff finalist last season.
Offensively, Livingston packs some punch in senior 6-foot, 160-pound QB Damian Ruiz (1,428 yards, 17 TDs-8 INTs; 753 rushing yards, 12 TDs), senior 6-foot, 194-pound RB Lynn Johnson (748 yards, 8 TDs), sophomore 6-foot-2, 181-pound RB Ja'Marri Green (450 yards, 4 TDs; 156 receiving yards, 3 TDs) and senior WR Julian Gardner (436 yards, 4 TDs).
Defensively, Gardner and Green were just as productive. Gardner had four interceptions, while Green picked off three passes.
Vidor Pirates
To get back to the playoffs, Vidor will have to rely on a strong running game spurred by senior RB Weston Sepulvado (738 yards, 6 TDs) and senior RB Layne Wilhelm.
Chugging out yards will be no problem for the potent duo behind senior 6-foot-2, 282-pound OL Aaron Aery and 6-foot, 195-pounder Bryce Munoz.
Defensively, the Pirates are led by senior 6-foot-3, 275-pound DL Jordan Smith, a two-time District Defensive MVP. In all, 10 starters return from a 4-5 Bi-District playoff finalist for coach Jeff Mathews.
Splendora Wildcats
The Wildcats are young in the trenches on both sides of the ball, but there is plenty of quality playmaking talent otherwise. Nine starters are back from a 4-7 Bi-District playoff finalist.
Senior RB Zane Obregon leads the way after rushing for 1,668 yards and 14 touchdowns last season, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. Junior QB Harrison Facundo has a year of experience under his belt, throwing for 812 yards and seven touchdowns in helping lead Splendora to the playoffs as a sophomore.
Senior 6-foot, 170-pound WR Colby Frazier (422 yards, 5 TDs) is a dangerous weapon on the perimeter. Frazier is also the team's best defensive player, compiling 52 tackles and three interceptions last season.
Lumberton Raiders
The Raiders bring back 12 starters from a 2-7 team. The offensive line is the strength, led by senior Cade McKinstry, 6-foot-3, 240-pound junior Gabe Hernandez and junior Johnathan Lamberth.
Likewise on defense, the front will be a positive, thanks to senior DE Trevor Hattaway, junior LB Jared Morgan and senior LB Holden Rhodes.
Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears
The Bears had a down year last season, losing six of seven games, but 13 starters return.
The names to remember are senior QB Ashton Landry (1,017 passing yards, 5 TDs; 686 rushing yards, 3 TDs), versatile 5-foot-7, 150-pound junior DB/RB/WR Da'Marion Morris (428 receiving yards, 2 TDs; 38 tackles), senior DB Carson Peet (78 tackles, INT) and junior 6-foot-3, 233-pound DE Amir Washington (42 tackles, 8 sacks).
The defense will likely have to steady the Bears early on as the offense finds consistent footing.
Livingston's [Back Row]: Breckett Long, Julian Gardner and Connor Starr; [Front Row]: Willie Fagan, Zaylon Bogany and Lynn Johnson
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Splendora's Harrison Facundo, Zane Obregon, Nicholas Johnson, Dallyn Paris, Weston Price, Colby Frazier and Brandon Young
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Huffman's Breck Machala, Connor Halbrooks, Cayden Miller, Luke Thomas, Tyler Wilkins and Gunnar Gates
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