who had carried the burden of reaching the playoffs on a regular basis , but running into a wall early .
Watkins , a long-time defensive coordinator who helped lead Malakoff to the 3A DI state title in 2023 , took the job at Kerens with the goal of changing the course for a talented program . Watkins felt that way on his first day on the job and captured the heart of the Kerens ’ faithful when his Bobcats made history by marching to the third round of the playoffs for the first time in 19 years . Yes , 19 years .
The entire Kerens community jumped on the ‘ Cats and rode the euphoric wave in the playoffs that was fueled by the magic of Muziq and a long list of Kerens stars such as Nehemiah Massey and , D ’ Mari Payne , fast and elusive running backs who were both All-Golden Circle running backs , and David Limon , who was the 2004 Golden Circle Iron Man Award tri-winner along Blooming Grove ’ s Malakai Clower and Rice ’ s Christian Ramos . Limon was a strong leader on and off the field . He dominated on both lines of scrimmage and also kicked for the Bobcats .
Limon was a leader along with Kerens lineman David Lewis , who was an All-Golden Circle lineman and a force up front for the Bobcats , who ran an electric offense that changed the fortunes of the program in 2024 . Watkins , a hands-on coach and a great motivator , moved Gunnell from wide receiver to quarterback , which meant every time the Bobcats snapped the ball it went into the hands of Kerens ’ best player .
Gunnell had a brilliant season at quarterback , amassing 2,646 yards running and throwing the football . He completed 68-of-129 passes ( 52 percent ) for 917 yards , averaging 7.11 yards per pass , and 10 touchdowns , and was sensational when he carried the ball . Muziq rushed for 1,727 yards on 201 carries ( 8.59 per carry ). He also was a fierce pass rusher and spent a lot of time in the opponents ’ backfield .
Watkins ’ team ended the season losing to Hamilton 14-7 in the third round despite rushing and passing for more yards on a night when any kind of break in the game would have sent Kerens to the fourth round .
Mildred and Kerens led the Golden Circle throughout the season and the difference when they played each other was an incomplete two-point conversion pass at the end of the game by Kerens , which would have won . It was that close for two teams that had unforgettable seasons .
Spring 2025 | Explore Corsicana 11