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VYPE Football 2020 Preview: Class 6A - No. 18 The Woodlands Highlanders presented by CertaPro Painters
Coach Jim Rapp has his work cut out for him. The second-year head coach led the Highlanders to the third-round of the postseason with an 8-5 record in 2019, but nearly 60 seniors graduated. Rapp, an old OL coach, will draw to his strength of a massive front. Titan Tucker, M.J. Ruhman, Concordia Lutheran move-in Kaden Sieracki and sophomore Cross Tucker will anchor the offense. The Tucker and Ruhman connection dates back to Texas A&M, when their fathers Rex and Chris played on the same line for the Aggies. WR Teddy Knox (Mississippi State-commit) should be the showcased weapon on offense along with Jack Calhoun and RB JoBarre Reed. Junior WR Ben Ferguson will also get in the mix. Connor Deshiro should emerge as the starting QB. Defensively, junior LB Martrell Harris gets to make his Highlander debut after playing JV due to a transfer rule. Harris could be a stud, patrolling the middle of the field. Logan Ecuyer and Bradley Warren will anchor the DL, while the secondary has some significant turnover.
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The Woodlands' Titan Tucker has some serious football roots
RECRUIT SCOOP: The next Tucker is a Titan
His father, Rex, and uncle, Ryan, played in a combined 170 NFL games. Rex was a first-round draft pick out of Texas A&M and played nine seasons in the NFL for the Rams, Lions and Bears. Ryan played at TCU and was a fourth-round draft pick, who played 13 seasons.
"My dad has always told me to keep working, to get stronger and work on your foot work," Titan said. "You have to outwork the competition because there is always someone out there working to whip your butt."
Spoken like a true football lifer.
A 6-foot-2 center, Titan Tucker earned all-district honors as a junior helping lead the Highlanders to a third-round playoff appearance.
"He has great technique and uses his hands and feet really well," The Woodlands coach Jim Rapp said. "He has tremendous football savvy and understands the game."
The family tradition goes a little bit deeper. His first cousin is McKade Mettauer, who started on the offensive line at Cal, as a freshman.
"It was sick to have played with McKade at The Woodlands," Titan said. "We started on the offensive line my sophomore year and he taught me so much about the game. It was all about work with him and being aggressive. He turned it on on the field and was a great player."
Titan also earned his stripes on varsity going against Caleb Fox, who recently signed with Stephen F. Austin. Fox was the District 15-6A Defensive MVP as a defensive tackle and was an immoveable object.
"He had to go against Caleb Fox every day for two years in practice," Rapp said. "He won some of those battles, too. Not many people can say that."
TItan's recruitment is open and he will be taking in several one-day camps this summer. He's currently ranked the No. 7 center in Texas.
Now the undisputed leader of The Woodlands, he welcomes the role.
"I'm pretty excited about my senior year," he said. "I like being the leader and I embrace it. I have a ton of experience and can help teach the younger guys. I'm very confident in this team."
One of the youngsters he will be mentoring will be… his brother Cross.
"He should be up on varsity and I'd love to play beside him," he said. "He'd be a guard and we could team up on some nasty double-teams."
Football is all in the family for the Tuckers.