DISTRICT 11-2A DII
Hubbard JAGUARS
Head Coach: Roger Masters
2019 record: 5-5
Last Playoff Appearance: 2018
What about Hubbard?
From Staff Reports
HUBBARD — Hubbard’s Jaguars,
an area team that sits just outside the
Golden Circle, is starting anew in 2020
— brand new with a new coach and a
new direction.
But they have the same goal at Hubbard,
where they have produced a lot of
talent and a lot of victories in recent years.
The Jags had been a regular fixture in the
playoffs under coach Craig Horn, who
turned the program around, and they
marched to the playoffs three consecutive
years when Russell Anderson took over in
2016 before just missing the postseason a
year ago.
That didn’t miss by much — and that
just makes it that much more important
to make a run to the playoffs this season.
The Jags went 5-5 but lost too many
close games in district and fell short of
the playoffs because of three losses that
could have gone either way. They lost
a 42-36 heartbreaker to rival Dawson,
lost to Frost 21-14 in a game where the
Jaguars were driving at the end of the
game and fumbled after a big play, and
finally found themselves just out of the
playoffs after a bitter 26-20 overtime loss
to Wortham.
Now they’re back under first-year
coach Roger Masters, who hopes to lead
Hubbard into the playoffs despite playing
in a brutal district that includes two of
the best 2A programs in Texas.
The District 10-2A DII race includes
Bremond, which won three state titles in
a row and made it to the Region Finals a
year ago, and Mart, which has dominated
everyone while winning the last three
state titles. The Panthers may be even better
this season as they try to win a fourth
state crown. They begin the year as the
No. 1-ranked 2A DII team in the state.
With the two powerhouses at the top
of the six-team district, that means Chilton,
Frost, Wortham and Hubbard are
basically fighting for the next two spots
to earn a playoff berth. It could be a wild
race for third-and-fourth, and Hubbard
plans to be in the hunt.
The Jaguars lost a ton of talent, including
11 seniors who led the program for
four years, and it may be impossible to
replace Logan Morris, who was a legend
at Hubbard, where he was an All-District
player at quarterback and in the secondary
and a star on the basketball and
baseball teams as well. Morris was also an
incredible leader on and off the field. He
was the winner of the Golden Circle Iron
Man Award, given to the top two-way
player in the Golden Circle.
Still, Masters inherits a team with
plenty of talent returning, including
Justin Johnson, one of the top receivers in
the area who caught more than 40 passes
last season, Johnson was also an outstanding
defensive back who made 75 tackles
and picked off two interceptions. He will
no doubt be one of the leaders for the
Jags this season.
There’s also Sebastian Olvera, a huge
and talented lineman who can dominate
on either side of the ball. Olvera has
been a starter at Hubbard for three years
and will be a huge (no pun intended)
leader as a senior. Brian Stroud returns at
linebacker, where he made 75 tackles last
year, and should set the tone for Masters’
defensive unit.
There’s a lot of talent coming up, too,
including Cody Green and Daniel
Torres, a pair of two-way linemen, and
defensive back Shelby Nopoenney, who
had some big moments last year.
The Jaguars were just a few big plays
away from making the playoffs a year
ago, and this year’s team will be hungry
and eager to step up in the clutch to
change that narrative — and they have a
brand new coach to lead the way back to
playoffs.
2019 SCHEDULE
at Bartlett W 36-6
At Itasca W 20-0
Cross Roads W 49-6
at Valley Mills L 17-7
Cayuga W 28-20
Dawson * L 42-36
at Frost * L 21-14
Mart * L 46-6
at Wortham *
L 26-20 (OT)
Meridian * W 53-7
*District Game
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