Christoval Cougars prepare for challenge of move up to 2A Division I
Casey Otho couldn't care less about putting up a lot of points.
That's because the Christoval High School football coach only cares about one thing – winning.
Since Otho was named head coach in 2016, the Cougars have compiled a 51-19 record and made the postseason every year.
In 2021, Christoval (9-2 overall, 5-0 in District 14-2A Division I) finished the first half of the season 4-1, after a solid nondistrict slate in which every one of their opponents made the playoffs.
Once district play started, the Cougars mauled one team after the other, averaging more than 54 points over that five-game span, and a scoring differential of almost five touchdowns a game.
That included shutouts of district foes Menard, Junction, and Miles to claim a second straight district championship.
“Fifty-four points or seven points, as long as we’re on top. I could care less about the points scored,” said Otho.
“Sometimes you look at the points scored and you go, ‘Wow! Wow! Wow!,’ but what you don’t realize is those guys that scored forty points in the first half, then you take away half of the football game for your starters.
“It’s a double-edged sword. Our starters probably only played half a season last year.”
Christoval had a tough draw in its playoff opener; drawing the eventual state quarterfinalist Burton Panthers (11-3), which dropped to the fourth seed in their district, after eligibility infractions.
“We were going to play them eventually,” said Otho. “I would’ve liked to play them in maybe the third round instead of the first round.
“But it was one of those things, where this was a third-round game right out of the gate.”
The Cougars led 21-9 going into the fourth quarter, but Burton rallied with three scores in the final frame, stunning Christoval 30-29.
“We didn’t play bad at all. We made a few mistakes but so did (Burton). I feel like it could’ve gone either way. I don’t feel that one team was better than the other," Otho said.
Otho and the Cougars have moved on from the disappointing early exit, and are focused on making another run this season.
Realignment moved Christoval up in classification, and into District 3-2A Division I, which includes Sonora, Forsan, Ozona, Reagan County and Anthony.
Texas Football named running back Ketcher Joiner the district preseason Offensive MVP and picked the Cougars to finish at the top of the standings.
Joiner’s former backfield mate, senior Josh Fava, rushed for 1,878 yards and 28 touchdowns, and averaged more than 170 yards per game in the role of Christoval’s featured back last year.
Joiner, who takes over the featured role, averaged 5.5 yards per carry and scored nine touchdowns last season as the two-back.
Otho knows he's ready to step up into the role, saying, “It’s not going to be anything new for him. He’s just going to get a lot more carries.”
Christoval returns five other offensive starters, including quarterback Kyle Loehman, who threw for 1,278 yards and 18 touchdowns.
The Cougars’ offensive line returns Brock Ratliff, Nicolai Nelson, and Sevastian Salinas, last year's district Lineman of the Year.
Christoval has put an emphasis on defense heading into the new season, especially after losing its top two leading tacklers from a year ago – Jacob Boness (129 tackles) and Tristan Bratton (104 tackles).
“There is no more, ‘Hey, I need this guy or that guy for offense.' No, you take what you need and make the defense work first.
“The offense will take care of itself because when it comes down to it, you’ve got to stop them.”
Christoval kicks off the 2022 season on Sept. 9 at Grape Creek, ready to put the past behind, and embark on another title quest.
“The main goal is to three-peat as district champions,” said Otho. “That’s a big deal. That’s the same in college football, and in the NFL. You want to win that conference championship.
“Once you do that, it’s one-and-done. It’s a whole different level of football when you get to the playoffs, because you don’t get another chance.”
Christoval Cougars
District: 3-2A Division I
Head coach: Casey Otho (51-19; all at Christoval)
Last year’s record: 9-2, 5-0 district
Last district title/playoff appearance: 2022/2022
Enrollment: 172
Stadium: Jack Pardee Memorial Stadium
Returning lettermen: 12
Returning off./def. starters: 6/6
Base offense: Multiple spread
Base defense: 4-2-5
Team strength: Speed, athleticism
Team weakness: Depth
Players to watch
RB/DL Ketcher Joiner, OL/DL Sevastian Salinas, WR/DB Cayden Carpenter, QB/DB Kyle Loehman, OL/DL Brock Ratliff, OL/DL Nicolai Nelson
2022 schedule
Date Opponent
Aug. 26 Eldorado
Sept. 2 at Grape Creek
Sept. 9 at Colorado City
Sept. 16 Mason
Sept. 23 at Brady
Oct. 7 Anthony*
Oct. 14 at Ozona*
Oct. 21 Forsan*
Oct. 28 Sonora*
Nov. 4 at Reagan County*
2021 results
Opponent Score
Wink W 14-6
Grape Creek W 55-7
Sonora W 33-14
Roscoe L 30-42
Goldthwaite W 43-28
Rocksprings W 55-16
Menard W 53-0
Eldorado W 46-22
Junction W 48-0
Miles W 69-0
Burton L 29-30
This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: Christoval Cougars football team prepares for move up to 2A Division I
