DISTRICT 7-2A DI
Kerens BOBCATS
Head Coach : Brent Watkins 2024 Record : 7-6 Last Playoff Appearance : 2024
Watkins leads Kerens to historical season
By Jon Rash Explore Corsicana
KERENS — Coach Brent Watkins finished the 2023 football season on a high note , helping to lead the Malakoff Tigers to the 2023 Class 3A , Division I football state championship . In January , following the State Championship win , Coach Watkins decided to make a career move , going a few miles down the road to take over as the head coach of the Kerens Bobcats .
Coach Watkins took over the program with a goal . The goal was not just to make the playoffs , but to go multiple rounds deep in the playoffs . Coach Watkins inherited an interesting program . The Bobcats were coming off back-to-back trips to the playoffs where they were bounced in the bi-district round . The team had improved in both prior years . In 2022 , the Bobcats were winless going into district play , before winning their way into fourth place . In 2023 , the Bobcats improved , finishing with a 4-2 record in playoffs , but again finished in fourth place due to tie-breakers .
The Bobcats were undoubtedly talented , especially in the skilled positions , and returned multiple starters along the offensive and defensive lines . Like all teams , the Bobcats also had questions to be answered as the season began . They had to replace a prolific quarterback in Lane Lynch , who graduated the prior year and how would the players react to a new coach , a new culture , and new schemes .
Coach Watkins also inherited an incredibly tough non-district schedule . The Bobcats were to be thrown to the fire . Four of the five teams Kerens faced in non-district made the playoffs , three went multiple rounds deep .
The Bobcats responded to the challenge . As a junior , Muziq Gunnell did a little bit of everything for the Bobcats , starting the season at the receiver and cornerback positions .
24 Explore Corsicana | Spring 2025