By EJ Holland
Southlake Carroll head coach Hal Wasson never showed anybrsigns of stress.
Sure, there was reason to be worried — due to the UIL'sbrrealignment, the Dragons were placed in one of the toughest districts in thebrstate. But Wasson and his team remained calm, cool and collective en route tobrcapturing their fourth straight district title.
But the road won't get any easier in 2015. Perennialbrcontenders Euless Trinity, Coppell and Colleyville Heritage bring back a numberbrof talented players and are ready to dethrone the Dragons.
Meanwhile, L.D. Bell, Richland and Haltom all feel like theybrhave something to prove in what should be another competitive year in Districtbr7-6A. Here is a closer look at each of the teams vying for thebrdistrict title.
Hurst L.D. Bell — ThebrBlue Raiders will have a fresh look this season thanks to new head coach MikebrGlaze. Turning around a 1-9 program won’t be easy, but Glaze knows a thing orbrtwo about winning and scoring points. After all, Glaze arrives at L.D. Bellbrafter six years at Cedar Hill, where he served as offensive coordinator. Hebrhelped Cedar Hill reach the state final the last three seasons and win statebrchampionships each of the last two years. Cedar Hill’s 2013 team averaged 36.3brpoints per game, and the 2014 team averaged 47.4 points. It’s unclear whatbrsystem Glaze plans to run at L.D. Bell, but it will likely be some type of passbrheavy spread concept. The Blue Raiders have the personnel to make it work.brSenior quarterback Dominique Lawson led the team in both passing and rushingbrlast season and wide receiver Tacorian Howard is a tall, athletic pass catcherbrthat could give defenses fits. Offensive linemen Brendon Weatherspoon and AnesubrSitole both shined as sophomores in 2014. L.D. Bell brings back five startersbron defense, headlined by defensive tackle Blake Jenkins, who notched 20 tacklesbrand two sacks last season. Kicker Tyler Dunlop connected on 88 percent of hisbrfield goal attempts and will be a difference maker on special teams.
Richland — Richlandbrhas been stuck on a stagnant course as of late. The Rebels averaged just threebrwins per year over the last three years. Can Richland finally have abrbreakthrough season under fourth-year head coach Ged Kates? Really, it willbrcome down to a defense that returns seven starters. The unit performed wellbragainst the bottom of the district in 2014 but allowed more than 35 pointsbragainst each of the league’s four playoff teams and more than 50 in two ofbrthose contests. Senior defensive tackle Cason Clark is a force up front andbrwill anchor the group. Defensive backs LeDarryle Bryant and PJ Hill combinedbrfor 97 tackles last year and will be key playmakers in a pass heavy district.brThe Rebels showed flashes of potential on offense last year but must find abrquarterback to run the show. Jordan Wiley is in line to start but will bebrpushed by fellow senior Colton Curtis. Senior wide receiver Aaron Denson caughtbrjust eight passes last year, but Kates expects him to have a huge season as hebrhelps ease in the new starter under center. Speedy sophomore running back RyleebrJohnson could be the X-fact that jump-starts the Rebels.
Haltom — As thebrold cliché goes, this team has nowhere to go but up. Haltom was once again abrdistrict bottom feeder in 2014 as it finished with a winless record. ThebrBuffalos often served as punching bags for district opponents. In fact, Haltombrwas outscored by an average score of 47-7. In an ultracompetitive Districtbr7-6A, Haltom has plenty of work to do if it wants to make simple incrementalbrimprovements from a year ago. And that starts on the defensive side of thebrball. Haltom head coach Justin Tucker is a defensive-minded coach — he servedbras Saginaw Chisholm Trail’s defensive coordinator prior to arriving at Haltom —brand the Buffalos return a couple of players with potential. Defensive tacklebrTyree Smith was a first team all-district selection last year, while linebackerbrGravin Ricks led the team in tackles. Offensively, expect the Buffalos to trybrto shorten games by keeping the ball on the ground. Running backs JQ Reed andbrImiee Cooksey create a formidable tandem in the backfield. Tucker, who isbrentering his second season at the helm, does know what it takes to win. Afterbrall, he was an assistant at Southlake Carroll under Todd Dodge and helped thebrDragon capture three state championships.