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Katy dominates Cedar Hill for Title Win

Written by Tucker Stephenson on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

ARLINGTON — Katy’s attention to detail and unwavering execution lifted head coach Gary Joseph to his fifth state championship win Saturday afternoon against Cedar Hill at AT&T Stadium.

The Tigers blasted the Longhorns 51-14 to claim the Class 6A Division II title — the program’s ninth state championship overall.

Katy (14-1) put the clamps on Cedar Hill’s offense from the outset and began to grind away with its potent rushing attack featuring the sibling duo of Seth and Jalen Davis. The Tigers also caught the Longhorns napping on a few play-action passes over the top.

Joseph said his team made a commitment to chase greatness after dropping a district game to Katy Tompkins back in early November.

“We got better all year long, and that’s the objective,” Joseph said. “I told them we lost a district game in 2008 and turned around and won a state championship. I told them it was possible but they’d have to roll their sleeves up and go to work. Those kids did. They responded great after that.”

Katy leapt out to a commanding 24-0 lead at halftime against Cedar Hill (12-2) and kept the pedal to the metal in the last two quarters. The Tigers tallied two defensive scores to help salt away the runway victory, as Hamilton McMartin returned a fumble 55 yards for a score and defensive end Cal Varner later notched a pick-6 against Cedar Hill quarterback Kaidon Salter.

Varner was named the Defensive MVP of the game, but Joseph said his defense revolves around a team-first mentality.

“Each one of them understands they have a job and they had a role and then they all fit together,” the coach said. “It’s not about an individual — it’s about a team.”

Davis was named the Offensive MVP after rushing for a game-high 124 yards and a score. His brother, Jalen Davis, added 109 yards and a TD of his own.

Katy vaulted ahead 7-0 in the first quarter after taking advantage of Cedar Hill’s attempt to slow the Davis brothers. Caleb Koger found a wide open Taylor Saulsberry for a 37-yard TD toss on play action, and Jalen Davis opened the second quarter with a 3-yard TD run.

Nemanja Lazic drilled a 48-yard field goal later in the period, and Isaiah Smith broke loose for a 55-yard scoring jaunt with just 36 seconds to go before intermission.

The Tigers’ lead increased to 34-0 in the third period after Lazic connected on a short field goal and McMartin notched his scoop-and-score fumble recovery.

The Longhorns broke up the shutout bid when Salter scored on a 4-yard run with 4:28 to go in the third, and after Lazic made his third field goal of the afternoon, Salter scampered into the end zone from 10 yards away.

Katy finished strong in the final stanza thanks to a 25-yard TD run by Seth Davis and Varner’s interception return, which went for 15 yards.

“We just worked hard in practice every single day,” Seth Davis said. “My brother is a big mentor for me and I couldn’t do anything without my brother. I love him and I’m thankful I got the opportunity to win it with him.”

The Tigers’ second score of the game was set up by a diving interception from Shepherd Bowling. Katy’s defense frustrated Salter — an Tennessee signee — for much of the game and threw Cedar Hill’s offense completely out of sync.

Salter finished 12 for 24 for 112 yards as the Longhorns were held to just nine total first downs.

Westlake Repeats: 2020 State Champions

Written by Tucker Stephenson on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

ARLINGTON — The Dodge Bowl began as a back-and-forth shootout, but a second-half landslide by Austin Westlake helped father Todd Dodge reign supreme in a once-in-a-lifetime matchup against Southlake Carroll, which is coached by his son, Riley.

The Chaparrals prevailed 52-34 at AT&T Stadium after striking for 31 straight points to turn the tide after Westlake found itself tied with the Dragons at 21-all in the second quarter.

Westlake’s Michael Taafe, who was named the game’s Defensive MVP, picked off Quinn Ewers to end the first half and added a spectacular one-handed pick in the third quarter as the Chaps surged to a multi-score lead.

Cade Klubnik, Zane Minors and Grey Nakfoor ensured Westlake’s offense kept moving the chains, and Jaden Greathouse made Carroll pay downfield with impressive receptions that went for big yardage.

It was another dominant performance for the Chaps (14-0), who claimed the Class 6A Division I state title a season after winning the Division II championship.

“It was a slugfest,” Westlake head coach Todd Dodge said. “Our defense answered the bell in the second half. Offensively, that’s the best game our offensive team played all year long and we played well at times. In the big-time games, big-time players step up.”

Westlake led 28-21 at the half and immediately marched toward a touchdown in the third quarter that was tallied by Nakfoor on a 4-yard run.

On Carroll’s next drive, Taafe plucked a Ewers pass out of midair with an outstretched right hand, and moments later, Klubnik jogged across the goal line from 4 yards away to give the Chaps a 42-21 lead.

From there, Westlake began to assert its will and kept piling on the points.

“It wasn’t anything that we really changed,” Taafe said of the second-half turnaround. “To be honest, we were a little nervous. I was, too. They kicked us in the mouth the first couple of drives and we just said to ourselves, ‘Do we want to keep doing this, or do we want to stand our ground and stop it?’ That’s what we did — we got some turnovers and it worked out in our favor.”

Nakfoor tacked on a 5-yard TD run with 8:29 to go in the game, and the Dragons (12-2) added two late scores that were sandwiched around a successful onside kick.

Klubnik was named the Offensive MVP after going 18 for 20 passing for 220 yards and a score. The fleet-footed senior also ran for 111 yards and two TDs.

Minors led Westlake with 135 yards and a score, which came on a 75-yard burst during the Chaps’ first offensive snap and helped tie the game at 7-7.

Back came Carroll, as Ewers went up top and found Brady Boyd for a 49-yard TD. Westlake wasted little time responding, as Nakfoor found a seam and sprinted ahead for a 38-yard score.

The two teams again traded scores in the second quarter. Greathouse put the Chaps in front with a 15-yard reception in the end zone on a perfectly-thrown pass by Klubnik, but Boyd answered by hauling in a 27-yard score from Ewers.

From there, however, the Chaps’ vaunted defense began to come up with some key stops. Klubnik tallied a 1-yard scoring run with 1:12 to go in the second period to give Westlake the lead at 28-21, and the Chaps caught fire down the stretch to seize the program’s third state championship overall.

“This football team that I had the pleasure of coaching this year collectively loves the game of football more than any team I’ve ever seen,” Todd Dodge said. “I can’t tell you how proud I am of them. We had to kind of will our way to a victory.”

Following the triumph, Westlake’s coach said his message to his son Riley was simple.

“I told him I loved him,” Todd Dodge said. “I told him I’m so proud of him and I told him he has one hell of a football team.”

Argyle win State Title

Written by Tucker Stephenson on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

ARLINGTON — Argyle’s 49-21 victory over Lindale in the UIL Class 4A Division I state championship felt more like a coronation than an actual competition.

The Eagles (16-0) wrapped up an immaculate 2020 season after jetting to a 28-point lead and cruising to the finish line from there. Along the way, senior running back Tito Byce rushed for 152 yards and found the end zone four times en route to being named the game’s Offensive MVP.

“It’s a joyous event,” Argyle head coach Todd Rodgers said. “I’m proud of my football team. I think they played like champions tonight. They were really focused the entire week. It was amazing to go out there and apply it in such an unusual environment. This is the biggest crowd we’ve played in front of all year. We loved it.”

Argyle left little doubt which team reigned supreme in 4A-I after flexing its potent offense on the opening snap of the contest. The Eagles saw quarterback CJ Rogers toss a 44-yard pass to Cash Walker, and eight plays later, Byce bulldozed his way across the goal line from 1 yard out.

Byce added three more scoring runs prior to halftime, and Argyle took a 28-0 lead into the locker room. Byce capped drives with TD rushes of 4, 2 and 2 yards as the Eagles left Lindale in a cloud of dust at AT&T Stadium.

The performance was even more meaningful for Byce given the fact that he was forced to watch the end of 2019 from the sidelines after suffering a torn ACL.

“It’s been a crazy journey,” Byce said. “I went right to work after I got surgery. All of my teammates and my coaches just pushed me super hard and I had the whole community behind me and it turned out great like we wanted it to.”

Lindale (13-3) broke up the shutout in the third quarter when Sam Peterson tallied a 6-yard TD run, but Argyle was content to trade scores with the Eagles during the second half.

Rogers threw three scores for Argyle after halftime, finding Jasper Lott on throws of 2 and 4 yards in addition to connecting with Ward McCollum for a 43-yard TD strike. The signal caller finished 23-of-30 passing for 357 yards as the Eagles romped to the program’s second state title on the gridiron.

“He’s been a fabulous quarterback and an amazing leader on our team,” Rodgers said of his QB. “I’m glad it all turned out that way for him and the rest of the people that did the work when nobody else was watching.”

Argyle’s defense also held up its end of the bargain by slowing down sensational Lindale running back Jordan Jenkins, who managed 112 tough yards on 26 carries.

“You’re never going to stop a great running back like that,” Rodgers said. “You just need to slow him down a whole bunch and kind of take him out of the game per se. And we were able to do that.”

Following the completion of the contest, Argyle senior defensive back Zach Stewart was named the Defensive MVP after he recorded 6 1/2 total tackles and also broke up a pass.  “I think we played all year with an edge,” Stewart said. “We felt we needed to go out and prove ourselves every game, and I think we did that.”

Westlake dominate Maroons

Written by River Tompkins on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

Set to kick off an old rivalry rekindled between the 4-2 Austin Maroons and the 7-0 Westlake Chaparrals. UT commit quarterback Charles Wright lead the dangerous spread offense of Austin High. On the flip side you had a balanced attack from junior quarterback Cade Klubnik, senior running back Zane Minors and explosive sophomore receiver Jadden Greathouse.  

Westlake received to start and blew the game open on the first play when Klubnik threw a quick screen pass to Zane Minors who exploded down the sideline for a gain of 28-yards. Westlake marched steadily downfield, capping off the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run by Zane Minors.   Austin High quickly surged downfield in their hurry-up offense with 8-yard strikes to Nick Anderson and receiving back Josh Garcia.

Westlake put a stop to the drive forcing a punt from makeshift punter Charels Wright. Westlake asserted their dominance with Jaden Greathouse rumbling downfield and breaking tackles for 28-yards. Nicholas Watanabe moved the Chaps into the red zone with a gain of 21 setting up Zane Minors for another touchdown run: this one for 4-yards.   Now 14-0 the game quickly turned into a one sided affair with the Maroons picking up a few first downs but always being forced to punt. Cade Klubnik scored on a read option for a 3-yard TD run. Zane Minors padded the stats with his third touchdown rush for 9-yards.

Klubnik showcased his arm with a 29-yard laser down the seam to Luke Nicklos for another touchdown. Klubnik scored another rushing touchdown from 1-yard out, at this point the second team replaced the starters.   Though losing 62-0 Austin High still has playoff chances. The offense showed moments of promise, consistently moving the ball, though they failed to convert, you know this will be a major talking point of the Austin High coaching staff. Another bright spot was senior receiver Nick Anderson who has been a stud hauling in the majority of touchdown passes and yards throughout the season. Austin High has a must win game against Del Valle next week.  

Another solid game by Westlake though they knew it was not going to be much competition. Regardless a win is a win in the books as the Chaps look to have an undefeated season though that will not be easy as they match up against Lake Travis next week. Lake Travis had to cancel this week’s game against Akins due to a member of the coaching staff testing positive for coronavirus. Announcements will be made soon if there is any delay in the game against Westlake next week.

Nate Yarnell: LT QB Senior Year opportunity to shine.

Written by Tucker Stephenson on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

The quarterback factory known as Lake Travis High School just keeps
on churning out NCAA Division I-caliber talent.

Senior Nate Yarnell, a 6-foot-6 signal caller, is the latest in a
long line of gunslingers that have helped the Cavaliers become a
perennial state title contender and one of the most explosive and
efficient prep offenses in the nation. When Yarnell verbally
committed to Pitt in May, he also became the 10th consecutive
Lake Travis QB to receive a full athletic scholarship at the next level.

In fact, Yarnell was offered a full ride to the University of Houston
before he ever took a varsity snap. Most thought that Yarnell would
have to wait until this season to showcase his skills, but an unfortunate
injury to Texas enrollee Hudson Card thrust the junior into the spotlight
in late October of 2019. He responded by helping the Cavs reel off six
consecutive victories, including playoff wins against Smithson Valley,
San Antonio Madison and Weslaco.

During his six starts, he completed 91 of his 135 pass attempts for
1,248 yards and 11 touchdowns. Unsurprisingly, he earned plenty of
praise from head coach Hank Carter as a result.

“He did awesome,” Carter said. “He was able to get in there and
basically just take the reins and roll with it. I thought he did a fantastic
job and we weren’t surprised. We knew he was a heck of a player
and are now looking forward to him even improving more coming
into his senior year. I think he’s got that kind of potential.”

By now, Lake Travis’ tradition of excellence at the QB position is far
from a secret. But even with the spotlight shining brightly upon him,
Yarnell displayed poise after being thrown into the proverbial fire.

Carter said it’s all just business as usual for those that plan to line up
behind center for the Cavaliers.

“I think that any time a young man at Lake Travis wants to take the
route of playing quarterback they know that, number one, it’s going
to be highly competitive,” Carter said. “We’ve been very fortunate to
have a lot of great players come through here and we still have a lot
of really good quarterbacks in the system right now. I think all of those
guys understand that and they welcome that challenge and that competition
and all of the responsibility that comes with it.

“At the same time, football is a game and there’s pressure on all of those
kids out there and the pressure typically comes from themselves first and
they want to be at their best. I think Nate has handled that appropriately
and he wants to be one of the best players in the country and wants
to win a state championship his senior year.”

A state title win would catapult Yarnell into Lake Travis lore alongside names like
Charlie Brewer, Baker Mayfield, Michael Brewer and Garrett Gilbert.
The Cavaliers currently boast six state championship victories in their history,
with three of those coming during Carter’s tenure as head coach. Lake Travis’
most recent title win was in 2016.

When asked what makes Yarnell a natural at QB, Carter said the senior checks all
the boxes. “He’s a great thrower of the football, he’s a great leader and a super
smart kid,” Carter said. “I think all of the things you would want to start with to
have an excellent quarterback — and obviously his size at 6-foot-6.”

Now for the scary part — for opponents, that is. Carter said that Yarnell is only
scratching the surface of his ability and will continue to improve with more
experience on the field and additional time in the weight room.

“As a high school student-athlete, his body is still maturing and even during
this time we’ve been off he’s been working to get bigger and stronger and
just to make decisions quicker,” Carter said. “I think the maturation process
for a quarterback happens when everything starts slowing down for them.
It’s just because they’ve gotten a certain number of reps under their belt.
I think that’s what Nate is going to focus on and Coach (Tommy) Mangino
is excited to start working with him once we start getting kids back on campus.”

If all goes according to plan, the Cavaliers will open the 2020 regular season
Thursday, Oct. 1 on the road against the Westwood Warriors. However, even
if there are any further disruptions in the schedule due to COVID-19, Carter
said his new starting QB will be prepared to handle whatever hurdles come
his way.

“I think that’s kind of been the name of the game,” Carter said of the
uncertainty caused by the pandemic. “I think you have to be flexible and
be ready to adapt to what’s happening nowadays and he’s done that, so
I think he’ll be ready to roll when we get back out there.”

Texas Longhorns 2020 Preview

Written by Tucker Stephenson on . Posted in TEXAS SPORTS.

In terms of up follow-up performances, the Longhorns’ 2019 campaign was a flop compared to the Hollywood blockbuster ending provided by the Sugar Bowl win to cap the 2018 season.

Texas suffered through a rash of injuries on the defensive side of the ball and at times just plain couldn’t stop anybody. The offense was left to try and play catch-up most times and quarterback Sam Ehlinger was unable to pull off enough Houdini-esque escapes to help the Longhorns turn in another 10-win season.

Instead, Texas fell to 8-5, but a dominant showing against Utah in the Alamo Bowl offered a glimpse of the possibilities in store for 2020.

Head coach Tom Herman is looking to reload and make big waves in his fourth year on the 40 Acres, but for the season to be successful, there are several keys on both sides of the ball.

OFFENSE

The Longhorns are led by Ehlinger, who has enough experience, toughness and competitive will to give Texas a shot to win every time out. More on the senior signal caller later.

Up front, the offensive line is anchored by left tackle Sam Cosmi, who is considered a lock to be a first round NFL draft pick in 2021. Senior Derek Kerstetter will be back as well and may make the move to center, although he was graded as the nation’s top returning pass blocker following his 2019 season opposite Cosmi at right tackle.

The running game features the toughness of Keaontay Ingram and the intrigue of freshman Bijan Robinson. Roschon Johnson, who moved from quarterback to running back last season, will provide depth and versatility as well.

With Collin Johnson and workhouse Devin Duvernay now training for their first NFL seasons, the wide receiving corps will need an overhaul. Luckily, Brennan Eagles and Jake Smith return, as does Joshua Moore. Former Cuero standout Jordan Whittington is also present and could become an instant star, while transfer Tarik Black brings maturity to the WR room.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: It all starts with the running game for the Longhorns. In 2019, the Longhorns were 0-4 when rushing for less than 150 yards. In Herman’s tenure, Texas is a perfect 9-0 when rushing for more than 200 yards in a game.

DEFENSE

Texas struggled mightily on defense last season and were lit up by more than a few explosive Big 12 offenses. Heck, even Kansas racked up 569 yards and 48 points against the Horns.

A strategic change will take place in 2020 as Texas goes from a 3-4 to a 4-3 look. The Longhorns return nine starters on defense and look to have a very formidable front four featuring Joseph Ossai (DE/LB), Keondre Coburn (DT) and Ta’Quon Graham (DT). Defensive end Marqez Bimage opted out of the 2020 season and likely left a vacancy for sophomore Moro Ojomo to step into this fall.

At linebacker, Juwan Mitchell is back after deciding to stay in Austin. DeMarvion Overshown is also back practicing with the team after a hiatus during which he advocated for changes within the university.

The secondary is absolutely loaded with talent thanks to the return of safeties Caden Sterns, B.J. Foster and Chris Brown. Cornerbacks Jalen Green, D’Shawn Jamison, Josh Thompson and Kenyatta Watson II are all back after seeing a strong amount of playing time last year.

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR: The dismal 2019 defense allowed a total of 5,609 yards and were routinely burned in the air. The Longhorns gave up 6.1 yards per play last season and 7.9 per pass. An added element of pressure up front will be needed to make life much more uncomfortable for opposing QBs, who were afforded far too much time to scan the field in 2019.

SAMMY HEISMAN?

All of the stars seem aligned for a truly special season from Austin’s own Sam Ehlinger.

The former Westlake Chaparral has always had the ability to pull the ball down and run with his own signature blend of quickness and power. As a passer, though, Ehlinger has put in the time and has been able to improve his completion rate every year as a starter.

In 2019, Ehlinger completed over 65% of his throws and accounted for 4,326 total yards and 39 TDs.

The senior’s leadership and drive can’t be measured by statistics, but they’re two big reasons why Ehlinger has already earned a spot on Longhorns history. In 2020, he has a chance to cement his legacy even further if he’s able to become only the third Texas player to hoist the Heisman trophy.

However, it’s too early to tell Ricky and Earl to make room in their exclusive fraternity just yet.

Hutto Hippos 2020

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

The Hutto Hippos are a program on the rise within the Greater Austin area. Since current head coach Brad LaPlante arrived in 2014, Hutto hasn’t missed the playoffs and are now looking to book the Hippos’ first postseason trip as a Class 6A competitor. Texas Sports Monthly got the opportunity to catch up with LaPlante prior to the 2020 season to ask what makes Hutto a budding Central Texas power.

Q: Of course, it’s been the most unique offseason in Texas high school football history with the pandemic. Were you able to stay in contact with your team over summer and did it end up affecting summer workouts?

A: We still stay in contact, whether it’s Google Meet or Zoom or text or phone or team communications app. We shut down for a little bit there with our strength camp just as a precaution. That was the end of June going into July, so we missed just a few days of strength camp.

Q: What has helped the Hutto program not only gain success but become a consistent winner among a very competitive and talent-rich area of Texas?

A: That’s one of the best things about our kids — they get along, they believe in each other and they want to win. They’ve had success and they want to keep that going. The last time Hutto wasn’t in the playoffs was 2013, so these kids work hard to make sure that we keep that going. The other part of that is they do know that tougher competition is coming and they want to respect that and we’ve got a lot of respect as a coaching staff for the other Round Rock and Leander schools. This year, a favorable thing for us is we had so many unknowns. It wasn’t pressure from the coaching staff, but I think just from each other like, ‘OK, who’s going to start this year? I don’t know, so I better be working hard to make sure I’m the guy.’ The fact that we’re going to be really, really young kept these guys hungry I think.

Q: Coach, who is going to be back on defense to try and help slow down some of the high-powered and uptempo offenses that are featured every week in District 25-6A?

A: Defensively, we’re going to have our team leader back — and everybody knows him — Landyn Watson. He’s a rush end and an outside backer and a recent TCU commit as a four-star kid. Joining him is an inside backer, Braylon Sugg, and our other outside backer is going to be a sophomore, Brody Bujnoch. I think our linebacking corps is going to be pretty salty in our 3-4 defense. Then we have Junior Torres, he was a freshman up on varsity last year. We had four freshmen up on varsity last year playing against Shadow Creek in the second round of the playoffs. Defensively, those are some probably names that people are going to need to familiarize themselves with.

Q: As a team, you guy were able to average 399 yards per game and more than 35 points per outing offensively. Who will be relied upon to try and improve those numbers this season?

A: We do have a retuning quarterback in Grayson Doggett who was a sophomore last year. By watching him in our skills session and if you came to a practice, you would not know that we missed spring ball and 7-on-7. He is looking fantastic and is sharp. His offensive line in front of him is a veteran group. There’s not DI guys all over the place, but four out of five of them have game experience and they’re just good, hardworking kids and there’s cohesion between the group. We do have four guys who are going to get some reps at tailback and that will shake out in the scrimmage and early games. We have a receiver coming back, Jairiez Lambert, who has super soft hands and he’s getting some good receiver looks and he may start at safety for us too and play both ways. He’s a good competitor and kind of the rest of the receiving corps could be unknowns that didn’t play varsity last year.

Q: What are the unique challenges provided by the move from Class 5A to 6A, and specifically, into 25-6A alongside new foes like Vandegrift, Westwood, Vista Ridge, Cedar Ridge, McNeil, Round Rock and Stony Point?

A: That even stretches out into our non-district with College Station and Waco. We haven’t had those rascals on the schedule for a while. We played College Station a couple of times in the 5A playoffs and Steve Huff does a great job down there. Lot of respect for them. Then, of course, you open up with Anthony Wood and Westwood over at Dragon Stadium as our first district ballgame. That one could be 78-77 or whatever it’s going to be. They have a salty bunch and a new defensive coordinator over there. The McNeil and Round Rock, and some people have said they can’t wait to see us against Vandegrift the week before Thanksgiving, and I’m thinking we just have to get through game one. We’ve got to make sure we build up our numbers and get our depth going and do things right.

Michigan graduate Tarik Black lands in Texas after transfer.

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in TEXAS SPORTS.

Michigan Wolverine wide receiver Tarik Black stated this week on his Instagram that he is transferring to Texas for the fall. The former Wolverine made the decision to move on from Ann Arbor following a three-year career as a Wolverine.

A former four-star recruit out of Ceshire (CT) Cheshire Academy, Black was a part of Jim Harbaugh’s 2017 class at Michigan. The former U.S. Army All-American chose Michigan over offers from Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Miami, Mississippi State and several others. The wide receiver room in Austin was stacked over the last few years, but departures from Lil’Jordan Humphrey and 2020 draftees Collin Johnson and Devin Duvernay left Texas young at the position.

Texas typically used big-bodied wide receivers like Black at the “X” position where their size provides a chain moving target for the quarterback on the outside. Collin Johnson served in that role for years in this offense, and Brennan Eagles has spent some time lined up there as well. It’s unclear how Texas offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich plans to use Black moving forward, but his presence as a veteran wide receiver should help to elevate a talented but young wide receiver room.

Reported by Horns247.com

NFL WILDCARD EXPANDS: Draft hosts Video Conferencing Event

Written by Hunter Cooke on . Posted in NFL.

Two More Wild Card Teams Added To Playoffs 
Older generations may remember the NFL  days before the term Wild Card Team became part of our sports vocabulary. Those were the pre-1970 AFL-NFL merger years. If your team was good enough then to be a division champion, you advanced into the NFL playoffs. If you failed to win your division, you went home, celebrated the holidays, and then began working your off-season job. 

The NFL owners held a conference call meeting last Tuesday and formally approved a resolution which adds two more Wild Card teams to the playoffs starting this season. 

Each conference now will have four division champions and three Wild Card teams. The division champion with the best record In each conference will be the only team to enjoy the benefit of a bye in the first playoff round. 

There will be six games played on the opening postseason weekend—three on Saturday and three on Sunday. The new TV revenue from the additional games will —in part—indirectly help pay for some of the pension increases and new benefits for many NFL alumni. The addition of the two Wild Card teams had been anticipated in the new CBA that took effect this week. 

The owners on Tuesday’s call also discussed the logistics of this month’s NFL Draft (April 23-25). It originally was scheduled to be held in Las Vegas but now will be conducted through videoconferencing.

Commissioner Goodell on the first night will be in one location and connected to 32 separate club venues. Also, there will be the ability to connect into the homes of 50 top college prospects so that TV can capture the emotion and interviews of those young men and the families. All three days of the Draft will be televised as usual by ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network. 

The Draft telecasts may be the only “usual” sports offering thing in many of our lives this month.

We at Texas Sports Monthly continue to hope that you and your families are able to stay safe and healthy during these difficult times.

NFL Alumnus Jon Kitna Back Having Impact on High School Student-Athletes

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in NFL FOOTBALL.

When Cowboys owner Jerry Jones brought in a new coaching staff last January, the team’s outgoing quarterbacks coach Jon Kitna did not have to travel far for his next job.

Kitna, 47, was named Athletic Coordinator & Head Coach at Burleson High School located outside Ft. Worth. It’s not as unusual a  career change as it might appear.

Kitna played quarterback for four teams during a 16-year NFL career (1997-2011, 2013).  After his playing career, he began coaching at his alma mater Lincoln High School in his hometown of Tacoma, Washington.

He moved his young family to Texas in 2015 and continued coaching on the high school level in Waxahachie. In 2018, he took another high school coaching position in Phoenix before then-head coach Jason Garrett recruited him to the Cowboys to work with Zak Prescott last season. Garrett now is the Giants offensive coordinator and Kitna has resumed his high school head coaching career.

“I can’t think of a better environment for a young man than to play high school ball in a program run by Jon”, says Garrett. “He has brought out the best in those around him at every level he has coached. The significant impact he will have on his student-athletes at Burleson will be felt for the rest of their lives.” 

Kitna’s return to high school coaching  will be an opportunity to work on the field with his two teenage sons. QB Jalen will be a senior at Burleson this fall and already has been recruited by colleges from Oregon State to Yale. J.T. is a younger 14-year old son who also will  enroll and play at the school.

“One of the things I missed last year with the Cowboys was coaching Jalen,” says the elder Kitna, “but I am super excited about being able to finish coaching him this fall and then J.T. who’s coming up behind him.” 

We at NFL Alumni wish the entire Kitna family (including mom Jennifer) much success and good health in their exciting new environment.