The Freestone County schools swept into the postseason a year ago with all four playing into the playoffs. Each team goes into 2023 with those same high hopes while battling sweltering heat and get ready for the season to begin.
The Fairfield Eagles return to the field coming off a 4-7 season record that ended in a loss in the first playoff week. They played some exciting district games with close finishes, including an overtime loss to Mexia. Fairfield returns some potent talent that showed up on the offensive and defensive stat sheet. Wide receiver Camron Daniels and quarterback Cameron Cockerell return to the Eagle offense as a couple of individual stat leaders. Rowdy Hand saw some time in key positions and will play a role in the same as an all-around multipurpose athlete. Evan Chavers had some opportunities in the Eagle backfield and will play a key role on both sides of the ball.
Fairfield returns 17 starters on a young team that gained a lot of experience in a tough district. Calyn Wilson will increase his role as an Eagle leader at receiver and defensive back. River Bonds played both sides of the lines for Fairfield, Jonathan Allen and Devin Rischer will help open holes for the Eagle runners.
The Eagles open on the road with a trip to Rusk before returning home on September 1 against Brownsboro. Fairfield continues to take on teams from larger classifications with a trip to Madisonville and then they host the Robinson Rockets. The Eagles welcome the Eustace Bulldogs to open district play on September 22 and then travel to reigning district champion Malakoff. On October 6, the Mexia Blackcats come to town and then the Eagles travel to Groesbeck. Fairfield host Kemp before the bye week and on the final week of the regular season, renew the Freestone County battle with a short trip to Teague.
The Teague Lions finished the season with six wins under first year head coach Zach Linscomb and they come into 2023 with high hopes to challenge for the district title. Following a hard luck lost to Whitney in the first round of the playoffs, Teague began working on building what could be a look past the first round and a deep run in on the horizon. Multi-sport athlete Jehmel Rice returns as an offensive explosion waiting to happen and quarterback Zak Leija returns as the signal caller to operate the offensive attack. The potent offense continues with Ke’Mauri Evans, Korey Silar, and Shamar Davis.
The defense will have most of those names repeated with Evans, Silar and Davis filling all three levels of the defense. J’Kybryen Harris and Tylin Randle fill out a quick and hard hitting secondary and Rowdy Phillips and Braden Gauntt anchor a defensive line that suffered some loss due to graduation. Jaden Cole had an outstanding award-winning freshman season and looks to add his skills to help the Lions move deeper into the season.
Teague opens on the road to take on the Rockdale Tigers and return home to face the New Waverly Bulldogs in the home opener. It’s Leon County rivals over the next two weeks with a trip to the county seat to take on the Centerville Tigers and then back to Lion Stadium to face the Buffalo Bison before the open week on September 22. Teague will travel to Eustace to take on the Bulldogs in the District 8-3A opener.
The Lions return home with a big game against the Malakoff Tigers and then move down the highway to battle the Mexia Blackcats. The Teague Lions have a home game against Groesbeck, take to the road for the final time in Kemp and the Freestone County rivalry game at home against Fairfield.
The Wortham Bulldogs have played five playoff games over the last two seasons and enter the 2023 season with some gaps to fill on a nine-win football team. They look to regain that playoff standing by filling those spots and return to the postseason.
Anthony Fortoul returns for his senior season and along with fellow senior Cash Perez anchor a formidable defensive front and will provide vital roles on the offensive side of the ball. James Rismiller, James Johnson, and Moises Cortes will also step in the offensive and defensive lines. The skill positions were hit heavily by graduation. Tanner Bean moves onto college football and leaves with 13 school records, including the most yards and almost every scoring record in the books. Younger brother Yancey Bean takes over the spot with Evan McCoslin and has big shoes to fill and will see time on the Bulldog defense. Junior Jon Ross Black becomes the first replacement quarterback in four years and should fill the role admirably. His left-handed delivery will be a change for Bulldog receivers to adjust to, but Wortham should be well equipped with the core of the coaching staff returning on the sidelines.
The Bulldogs will host the first two games with Kerens and Rosebud-Lott coming into the walls of historic Bulldog Stadium. It’s on the road for the next two weeks with a road trip to Leon and then to Navarro County school Blooming Grove on September 15. Wortham opens district play at home against the Hubbard Jaguars, looking to defeat them for the fourth straight time. The Bulldogs take the long trip to Meridian and then face Hico before it’s back to the road at Frost. Wortham host state finalist Mart on October 20 before the open date and then trave to its biggest rival at Dawson to finish the regular season.
The Oakwood Panthers look to repeat their long run deep in the playoffs after a state semifinal run a year ago. Gavin Wilbanks, Micah Reed, Darreion Thomas, Nick Strickland, and Jordan Murray will help the Panthers achieve that feat.
On the projections, Malakoff is the projected winner with the Teague Lions in a close race as the runner up in District 8-3A Division I.
Fairfield is projected in third place, narrowly edging out the Mexia Blackcats. Honestly, these four could appear in any order they way this district race could end up. Groesbeck, Kemp, and Eustace and projected out of the medal stand with a playoff opportunity.
According to Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine, the Mart Panther are slated to make another deep run to the Class 2A Division II state championship game. Wortham is projected to be the runner up with Dawson and their young team to finish third. Hico is put in the final playoff position followed by Frost, Hubbard, and Meridian.
Oakwood is set to win the District 9-1A Division II crown followed by Ladonia Fannindel, Trinidad, and Apple Springs.
(Photo by Samuel Marsters)
