LOCAL
TEAMS HAVE BEEN GREAT AT REACHING THE END ZONE THROUGH THE YEARS
LOCAL
EndZONE
TEAMS HAVE BEEN GREAT AT REACHING THE END ZONE THROUGH THE YEARS
By David Claybourn Herald-Banner Sports Editor
Reaching the end zone to score touchdowns is the goal of every high school football team in America , including those in and around Hunt County . Local teams have been pretty good at reaching that end zone in the past and scored enough touchdowns to win some big games and make some long playoff runs . Greenville , Commerce and Greenville Christian have even won state football titles .
The Greenville Lions reached the end zone 37 times last season , including six times in one game by quarterback Micah Simpson , who set a school record with 444 yards rushing during the Lions ' 42-31 win over Frisco Liberty . The Lions ran for 27 TDs and passed for nine and Simpson also returned a kickoff for a touchdown .
Greenville coach Randy Jackson coached three seasons as an assistant under Marvin Sedberry , who got the Lions started on a nine-year playoff run . They went 7-4 , 8-3-1 , 8-4 , 11-2 , 11-3 , 9-3 , 6-5 , 6-5 and 7-4 with each of those playoff teams .
That was the Lions ’ best success in football dating back to the Frnka Era in the 1930s , when under head coach Henry Frnka they won a state championship in 1933 and reached the finals in 1935 .
The Lions are to face Sedberry and his son Marvin Sedberry Jr . in the regular season finale at home against Terrell . Marvin Jr . is the head coach and Marvin Sr . is the top assistant coach on a Terrell team that advanced three rounds in the 5A-II playoffs after moving up from 4A .
Greenville Christian running back Jack Pope ran for a school record nine touchdowns in a game last season for the Eagles . Pope is one of the top players back for the Eagles , who ' ll be coached by
Reaching the end zone , like Kamron Neal of Greenville did in a 2022 game , is the goal for every high school football team in Texas . Make it enough times and you win the game , district titles and playoff games .
Todd Barnes . Barnes was the defensive coordinator under head coach Larry Uland on Eagle teams that won Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools ' six-man state championships in 2004 , 2007 , 2008 and 2009 .
Uland , who also won three six-man state titles at Wylie Prep , will now be coaching at Cornerstone in McKinney .
The Caddo Mills Foxes have been scoring a lot of touchdowns over the last four seasons . The Foxes averaged 483.9 yards per game in 2019 , scoring 61 touchdowns . They averaged 483.3 in 2020 , scoring 78 touchdowns . They ran and passed for an average of 413.8 yards per game in 2021 , scoring 63 TDs . Last year they averaged 374.6 yards per game and scored 61 touchdowns .
The Quinlan Ford Panthers , who ran for 83 touchdowns in 2021 and led the nation in rushing in at 476.1 yards per game , rushed for an average of 315.7 yards per game and 38 touchdowns in 2022 . The Panthers turned out another 1,000-yard rusher with Zalen Morales , who returns after running for 1,718 yards and 19 TDs in 2022 .
The Commerce Tigers would love to get back to winning big time like they did in 1999 with a state championship under head coach Steve Lineweaver and then in 2001 under Terry Cron . The Tigers also reached the state finals in 1995 and 1997 , losing both times to Sealy before beating Sealy 17-10 in the 1999 state finals . Commerce downed LaGrange 14-11 in the 2001 state championships .
The Celeste Blue Devils ran and passed for 39 touchdowns last season on the way to a 6-5 record and another playoff trip . Celeste has reached the Class A state finals twice , falling 39-19 to Petrolia the 2002 finals and then to Burkeville 27-8 in the 2001 finals .
The Fannindel Falcons made it to the Class state football semifinals in 1988 and with many of the same players in the lineup won the Class A state basketball championship in 1989 plus a state sportsmanship award .
The Royse City Bulldogs moved up to Class 6A last year after three straight playoff trips in Class 5A and made their fourth straight playoff trip , winning a bi-district title over Naaman Forest of Garland ( 45-14 ).
Wolfe City has made 11 straight trips to the football playoffs , going 5-4 , 5-5 , 8-3 , 10- 2 , 9-3 , 6-5 , 5-6 , 8-4 , 5-6 , 6-6 and 5-6 during that time period and are expected to make it 12 in a row after getting picked to finish second in District 8-2A-I .
So don ’ t be surprised to see your favorite local high school team reach the end zone a lot this season . They ’ ve done it many times before .
2023 | END ZONE 7