Tigers Predicted To Return To Playoffs

After being edged out of the playoffs for the first time in seven years, the Wills Point Tigers are expected to return in 2007. Dave Campbell’s 2007 Texas Football is predicting a third place finish in district 10-3A for the Tigers. While that is not what the team will be expecting of itself, it would be sufficient to qualify for post-season play.
The Tigers will have an experienced team that returns 14 starters, and will also have more overall speed than they have had recently. LaHendrick Qualls, Austen Brewer, Mark Barefield and Revio Hickmon all return to the offense with 40 times that are 4.6 or better. Add sophomore Steven Cunigan to the mix and the Tiger’s spread offense will have plenty of tools to put pressure on the defense.
The first challenge for the offense will be choosing a quarterback from three candidates. Garland Perry, Cyle Henderson and Chris Pruitt will compete for the spot, and all three are likely to see playing time.
Whether Pruitt plays behind center or not, he and Cody Henderson will definitely return to anchor the defense from their linebacker spots for the third season in a row. Brewer (6-0 205, 4.5) could line up in two or three different spots on the defense, but will be a playmaker at any of them. Brett Randell returns to the line on both sides of the ball.
The only team that returns more starters than the Tigers will be last year’s district champion Royse City. The Bulldogs return eight players to the defense, and seven players to an offense that averaged 41 points per game. Bert Boudreaux and Richard Morrison, who took turns swapping spots at quarterback and wide receiver, will both be back, along with wide out Carlos Gallegos.
The Bulldogs finished 11-2 in 2006, losing in the Area Round to eventual state champion Liberty-Eyleau, 21-27.
Perhaps providing a little extra motivation for the Tigers will be the prediction of Quinlan finishing ahead of them in the district race. The Tigers can point to last year’s 13-7 loss to Quinlan as the game that kept them out of the playoffs.
Quinlan returns six starters to both sides of the ball, but will be without their leading rusher from last season, Josh Morales, and quarterback Michael Enriquez.
Emory Rains was a playoff team in 2006 after a 4-1 district run, but they graduated a strong senior class, and only return seven starters. Six of those returning starters will come back on the defensive side of the ball, and three of those, Casey Paris (DL), Taylor Marshall (FS) and Jake Ferguson (CB) were all-district performers.
Commerce, 1-4 in district in 2006, and Nevada-Community round out the district picks.