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| Magazine: SHS expected to return to playoffs Wednesday, June 27, 2012 Mark K. Campbell
The annual “football bible” likes the potential of the 2012 Springtown football team.
The Porcupines are picked to finish second in the new District 6-3A this fall. While the district houses a juggernaut – Kennedale – it’s SHS that dominates several special categories.
Kennedale is picked to win 6-3A followed by the Porcupines. Next comes Mineral Wells. The Rams, with an enrollment of 977, will always be the Division I (Big School) representative while the Wildcats and Porcupines will take the Division II (Small School) route into the postseason, according to Texas Football. Rounding out the district, the magazine predicts, will be Castleberry, Lake Worth, then Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis. Springtown head coach Brad Turner said he concurs with the magazine. “If I had to, I’d pick just like they did. Everyone knows Kennedale is the team to beat. But we’re not far off the mark,” he said. Preseason plaudits Porcupines lauded in the publication include the Preseason Offensive MVP, Tyler Robertson. The senior not only ran for 1,295 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2011 but caught 35 passes for 356 yards.
Many of those aerials came from quarterback Colby Moore who will enter this autumn as the top passer in the district yardage-wise having thrown for 1,225 yards and 10 TDs last season. Another highlighted Porcupine is two-way player Bryson Burtnett. Already committed to TCU as a tight end, the senior was selected as one of the top defensive linemen, landing on the magazine’s Texas Top 300 list. Big School, Small School As for reaching the playoffs, Turner said it’s highly unlikely that Springtown would ever play in the Small School bracket. “Something really unusual would have to happen” to have both Kennedale and Mineral Wells miss out, he noted. With an enrollment of 977, the Rams are the largest school in the 6-3A with 10 more students than Kennedale. Springtown follows with 939.5 then come Diamond Hill (861), Castleberry (844), and Lake Worth (724). Most of the district schools are coming off poor seasons, excepting Kennedale. The Wildcats reached the Small School Area round in 2011. The Rams advanced to bi-district last year with a .500 record in non- and regular district play. But Castleberry, Lake Worth, and Springtown were all 1-9 in 2011 while Diamond Hill was winless last season. That can mean lots of returning starters. Springtown is bringing back eight experienced players on both sides of the ball; only Castleberry’s 10/10 (offense/defense) is greater. Kennedale’s entire defense is back as well as eight offensive players; Wildcat linebacker Brett Wade is Texas Football’s Preseason Defensive MVP for the district. Diamond Hill has 11 veterans coming back (5/6) and the Rams of Mineral Wells nine (5/4). The Lake Worth Bullfrogs will be the most inexperienced squad with just six returnees (3/3). Springtown’s schedule This fall’s schedule sets up nicely for the Porcupines in a number of ways. Since 3A schools may not conduct spring practices, SHS gets two scrimmages, at home against Sanger then six days later on a Thursday versus Frisco Heritage. Then comes a stretch of a quartet of regular season games with three being played at Porcupine Stadium. The season opener is against Liberty Christian then comes a clash against rival Decatur. The first road trip is only to Fort Worth – to the city’s vaunted Farrington Field. Springtown will face Trimble Tech there on Saturday, Sept. 15 before heading back to the Cowtown gridiron for the season finale, a 6-3A clash against Diamond Hill Nov. 8, a Thursday. To read the rest of the article, subscribe or purchase a copy of The Springtown Epigraph. |
