CRISWELL: No shortage of intrigue as countdown to 2021 season begins

Jun. 2—With summer workouts kicking off throughout Texas this week, the unofficial countdown to the 2021 high school football season is underway.

Whether it's a Class 5A powerhouse looking to continue its recent run of dominance, a program on the rise building off its first postseason berth in years or an annual six-man playoff contender making the jump to 11-man ball, fans of Walker County teams have plenty to look forward to.

The Huntsville Hornets reunited for the first day of summer workouts on Wednesday morning, with their August 27 season opener against Houston Worthing less than three months away. And coming off their first undefeated regular season since the 1980s, there's no shortage of intrigue surrounding this team.

In the leadup to last season, the primary storylines surrounding the Hornets were related to 1) the COVID-19 pandemic, 2) a veteran-laden defensive line loaded with talent and 3) the departure of more than 30 seniors, many of which had played a key role in the program notching 21 wins and five playoff victories in a span of two years. This offseason is a slightly different story, as Huntsville looks to keep the momentum rolling from an 11-1 season that included a pair of playoff victories.

Unlike last year, there is no constant worry of COVID-related pauses and cancelations. The fact that it was Texas' unpredictable weather that pushed back the start of workouts by one day is, if anything, a sign of a slow but inevitable return to normalcy.

There's also significantly less roster turnover this season, at least from a numbers perspective, and especially on offense. The Hornets lose just one starter on the offensive line, and while they must replace their top receiver — all-state selection Jordan Woodberry, who racked up 1,264 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns in 2020 — they bring back four receiving threats — Justin Butcher, Kameron Cole, Carnellius Lawrence and Matt Long — that combined to average 130 all-purpose yards per game last year. They also return senior quarterback AJ Wilson, who has garnered Power 5 attention after compiling 2,218 total yards and 23 touchdowns as a junior, as well as District 10-5A, Division II rushing leader Jaylon McClain, who ran for 1,122 yards and 14 touchdowns in his first varsity season.

The biggest question for Huntsville surrounds the defense, which loses at least five players that are set to begin their college careers this fall. This includes Mr. Texas Football finalist Ed Bobino, fellow first-team all-state selection Ethan Minor, District 10-5A, DII Defensive MVP Quaterian Riles and first-team all-district picks Brian Bobino and Jadarian White.

Finding ways to fill the void left by departing defensive talent, however, is nothing new for Huntsville. Last year it was the loss of three-star prospects Jordan Brown and Briceon Hayes, who are currently continuing their careers with Division I programs. The year before it was T'Vondre Sweat, who has been an impact player on the Texas defensive line since arriving as a true freshman.

On each occasion, the Huntsville defense returned near as dominant — if not more — than it was before. Matching last season's productivity would be an unfair expectation, with the Hornets coming off a 2020 campaign in which they allowed just 29 points to three 6A opponents — including two playoff teams — before giving up less than 10 per game during their league title run. But with several notable returners, including Defensive Newcomer of the Year Calvin Simmons and Seth Carroll, who started for the majority of the year following an early-season injury on the D-line, Huntsville cannot be overlooked on the defensive side of the ball.

It's too early to predict the starting lineups for their mid-August scrimmage against Lufkin, much less their outlook for the upcoming season, but it's safe to assume the Hornets will provide ample excitement for their fans this fall. Huntsville is hardly the only Walker County team worth keeping an eye on either, with the New Waverly Bulldogs aiming to take the next step after ending a postseason drought, and the Alpha Omega Lions set to begin a new era in 11-man football.

New Waverly, which went 6-4 last fall, is coming off its winningest season since 2016 and brings back several vital contributors. Among the top returners are District 12-3A, Division II Offensive MVP Sebastine Amaro, who passed for 1,384 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior, while adding 560 yards and six scores on the ground. He's joined by first-team all-district selections Dylan Schaub, Davis Schaub, Jacarius Smithers, Peyton Cooper and Adrian Zamudio, among others.

It'll be a tall task for the Bulldogs to dethrone Newton — a perennial state title contender that returns a future Power 5 running back in senior DeAnthony Gatson — atop the district, but as was the case last year, the league race is wide open after that.

The Lions, meanwhile, are excited to begin a new chapter in their program's history this fall.

With rapidly growing participation numbers, they initially planned to make the jump to 11-man in 2022, but various circumstances have allowed them to make the move one year earlier than anticipated. Alpha Omega is scheduled to open the season at home against Milano, with plans to compete with Bay Area Christian and Lutheran North in TAPPS' south Houston area division for one season. The Lions expect to move into the north Houston area division for the 2022 season, where they will be joined by longtime rival Conroe Covenant.

It will be interesting to see how they adjust to this significant change, but a few factors appear to have them poised for a fairly seamless transition. One is the Air Raid-style passing attack they've employed throughout the past two seasons, which translates to 11-man ball better than most offensive strategies at the 6-man level. The other is the expected return of several proven student-athletes, including the first-team all-district quarterback-receiver duo of Harrison Allen and Blaine Ringo.

No matter who your team is, if you're a high school football fan in Walker County, this fall is shaping up to be another memorable one. So dust off that seatback, relax and start counting down.

We're less than three months away.