The fall season is upon us and the uncertainty of last year is hopefully behind us. Hopefully, but not quite. We continue to live with the terms COVID, Delta, N-95. The high school football teams learned about postponements, waivers, and games on every day of the week. The 2021 season has a new hope and a new and possible more normal look when things begin on Friday night.
The Fairfield Eagles missed the playoffs a year ago, however they should have a more positive outlook in this season. The Eagles (1-6) battled injuries and COVID just to make it to the end of the season and will have a tough non-district schedule to prepare them for district games. Kaden Crawford and Eil Martin returned from injuries from last season and will boost the Eagle offense. A large offensive line that is stronger and a year older will protect the quarterback and open gaps for the running game. Hayden Braswell and Carson Gallegos return to lead the defense, and Camron Daniels will add speed to the passing game and experience in the secondary.
Fairfield begins the season with three road games with Rusk in the opener and then Brownsboro and Athens. The home opener is a date with the Robinson Rockets before their home date on September 24. The Mexia Blackcats come to Eagle Stadium to renew their rivalry that was missed last year when the district restructured games and the final five games are in District 8-3A Division I. Groesbeck is the district opener and then the Eagles travel to Kemp. Teague and Eustace are home games before the Eagles travel to Malakoff in the regular season finale to battle the reigning district champion.
The Teague Lions were the final playoff team to enter the postseason, however, the game did not happen due to COVID issues and the Lions had a premature to end to their season with a 2-8 record. The Lions return Luke Stacks and Sebastian Carter to the lineup and they will play pivotal roles in bot the offensive and defensive sets. Jarrett Bodine and Juan Bernal will anchor the receiver group and a relatively new offensive line could be a bright spot with some early season play. Henry Cardona and Casen Gore will be big returns on defense and Jehmel Rice will add speed and quickness wherever he is on the field.
The Lions host the 2021 opener against four-time state finalist Mart and then will travel to Lago Vista. They will return home for two games against the Madisonville Mustangs and Buffalo Bison for the final non-district game, a road contest against the Hillsboro Eagles. Following the October 1 open date, the Teague Lions begin district play at Kemp before a home game against state ranked Malakoff. The renew the Freestone County rivalry with a trip to Fairfield on October 22 and then host the Groesbeck Goats as that rivalry in nearing 100 meetings.
The regular season finale is a road trip to Eustace. The Lions look to secure a playoff spot in what would be closer to a normal schedule.
Groesbeck finished second behind the Malakoff Tigers and seek that same route in 2021. They return a young team that will be healthy and ready to contend for higher goals. Allen Lewis returns to call the signals and Tyson Pringle returns as the leading receiver in the Groesbeck offense. The Goats return an experienced offensive line and should make some heads turn as the season progresses.
The Goats open up the season at home against the Mildred Eagles and then travel to Rice to take on the Bulldogs. Groesbeck is home the next two weeks with games against Little River Academy and Palmer. Their final non-district contest is at Normangee before their October 1 open date. Groesbeck begins district play at Fairfield and then returns home to take on the Eustace Bulldogs. Malakoff and Teague are road games for the Goats and they finish the regular season at home against the Kemp Yellowjackets.
Malakoff is the distant favorite in District 8-3A Division I and the Groesbeck Goats are poised to finish second. Fairfield and Teague are projected as playoff teams leaving Eustace and Kemp as the teams that would have to surprise some folks to get a postseason slot.
The Wortham Bulldogs return most of the 2020 team and should be much improved as they get a year older and a year stronger. Tanner Bean returns to the Bulldog backfield as a 1500 rusher and Ryken Lewis will also be in the Bulldog lineup. An experienced offensive line and defensive line with some added depth will gain an advantage for the Bulldogs as they contend with some of the best area teams that are housed within the district. A few freshmen and a solid sophomore class will make the Bulldogs a potential playoff team looking for its first playoff win since 2000.
The Bulldogs host Itasca in the season opener before a set of three road trips to Rosebud-Lott and longtime rival Dawson and then to Cayuga. Wortham will have its homecoming game on September 24 when they take on the Marlin Bulldogs for the first time in school history. Following the open date, the Bulldogs have their two most important games of the season. Two road trips to Hubbard (Lost 22-20), which kept the Bulldogs out of the playoffs last year, and Frost and two wins would secure a playoff spot heading into the big three. Wortham will host the Chilton Pirates and then travel to Bremond to take on the Tigers. They return home to the regular season finale to battle the four-time state finalist Mart Panthers.
The Oakwood Panthers are coming off of a playoff appearance a year ago and look to repeat more of the same in 2021. The Panthers will open with a neutral site game at Bryan Allen Academy when the face Gilmer Union Hill on the first Saturday of the season. Their home opener will be the Smoking for Jesus Academy and then two road games to Trinidad and Coolidge. They will be home for the final non-district games when they take on Leverett’s Chapel and the Dime Box Longhorns. They have a quick district schedule with only four participants in the district race. They will travel to Apple Springs Eagles on October 22 and then host the Chester Yellowjackets. They travel to face the district favorite Calvert in the regular season finale.
The Mexia Blackcats were district champions last season and have a couple of obstacles to overcome before the season begins with the sudden resignation of head coach Brady Bond last Friday. Mexia ended the season with a win over Longview Spring Hill on the field, however, they were forced to forfeit the area game against Sunnyvale when COVID cases hit the Mexia football team. The Blackcats return several linemen on both sides of the ball but must replace a large percentage of the offense production due to graduation. Dontavious Daniels and Deandra Sandles will be called upon for playmaking capability for this season with some underclassmen expected to log some serious time in the Mexia backfield.
The Blackcats face a tough non-district schedule and could face some growing pains while the new players get in their normal rhythm. They face the Lake Belton Mustangs on the road in the season opener and the Mustangs are waiting for UIL realignment when they will become a new school in a district. Mexia will host Troy and Navasota the next two weeks and then take on Salado on the road. Their toughest contest will be home game night against the China Spring Cougars. The final non-district game sends the Blackcats to Fairfield to renew their rivalry. This game was lost when the season was reconstructed due to COVID issues. Mexia will take to the road in the district 8-4A Division II opener at Brownsboro. They will host Van before the open date and then head to Bullard on October 29. The Blackcats host the Canton Eagles in the regular season finale before heading to a potential playoff game.
