Aspermont, Rule look to repeat battle for Six-Man Dist. 7 title

SIX-MAN DISTRICT 7

By Brian Todd
Reporter-News Staff Writer
August 24, 2003

Head coach Kevin Ray hopes 2003 does not become a rebuilding year for his Aspermont team, but the rest of District 7 believes the Hornets’ head coach has merely reloaded.

“We are not a very deep team like last year,” Ray said, “but we have a corps of players that can develop into a pretty good team.”

With only one starter back on offense and three on defense, the Hornets will need to jell quickly if they hope for a repeat of last year’s 5-0 district (8-3 overall) record.

To return to the top, Ray will rely on the leadership and legs of Able Montano (76 carries, 986 yards), 2002 Offensive Player of the Year in the district. The downside, Ray said, is Montano will take the ball behind a new offensive line.
While Aspermont hopes to maintain the status quo, the Rule Bobcats (9-3 overall, 4-1 district) are hoping to upset the apple cart.

Second-year head coach Mike Reed believes his team will field a better offense in 2003, and second-team all-state utility back Kolt Kittley, who rushed for 1,300 yards last season, is the reason why. Kittley is one of four starters back on offense and one of three returning on defense.

Reed hopes his team’s attention to detail will make 2003 “a season to remember.”

First-year head coach Clyde Parham said his Jayton Jaybirds’ hopes for 2003 rest on the players’ ability to learn a new system.

“Starting a new program in Jayton will be a challenge,” Parham said. “I think we can be successful if the players work hard and buy into the system.”

After finishing third in the district in 2002, Jayton (4-6 overall, 3-2 district), again will rely upon first-team all-district pick Kelsey Wylie, one of three starters returning on both sides of the ball.

A new system is also on tap for the Lueders-Avoca (4-6 overall, 1-4 district), with first-year coach Alex Barnes taking over the Raiders.

Hoping to improve upon last year’s 0-5 district record (2-9 overall), the Paint Creek Pirates think quickness and speed can overcome inexperience and small size, said head coach Johnny Garcia.

With only three lettermen returning — all are returning starters on both sides of the ball — Garcia will rely on Roland Cisneros, the team’s top returning rusher and passer as well as a second-team all-district pick at linebacker, to lead the Pirates out of Davy Jones’ locker.

Contact assistant sports editor Brian Todd at toddb@reporternews.com or 676-6775.

Aspermont Hornets

• School colors: black and red
• Last year’s record: 8-3 (5-0, first place)
• Last playoff appearance: 2002
• Last district championship: 2002
• Head coach: Kevin Ray
• Career record: 118-51
• Years at current school: third
• Assistant coaches: Waymon Holland
• Returning and/or probable starters: RB-CB Abel Montana, 5-8, 150, Jr.; RB-CB Michael Helscel, 5-7, 150, Sr.; C-DE Tim Haag, 6-5, 210, Jr.; QB-LB Cody Myers, 5-9, 150, Jr.; RB-S D.C. Styles, 5-10, 150, Jr.; E-DE Bryce Meador, 5-8, 180, Jr.; RB-CB Germaine Louis, 5-10, 160, So.; E-DE Jason Swink, 5-9, 140, Jr.; E-DE Willie Thomison, 5-9, 140, Jr.
• Position changes: none listed
• Returning all-district players: RB Montana (offensive player of the year), CB Helscel (first team), LB Myers (first team), DE Haag (second team)
• Returning All-Big Country players: none
• Returning all-state players: none
• Top new players: C Ward, 5-9, 170, Sr.
• Transfers: none
• Team strengths: speed, quickness
• Team weaknesses: new offensive line

Jayton Jaybirds

• School colors: black and gold
• Last year’s record: 4-6 (3-2, third place)
• Last playoff appearance: 2001
• Last district championship: 1997
• Head coach: Clyde Parham
• Career record: 0-0
• Years at current school: first
• Assistant coaches: Colby Pohlmeier
• Returning and/or probable starters: C-DE Adrian Chavez, 5-10, 220, Sr.; E-DE Brett Gaylord, 6-4, 270, Sr.; RB-LB Kelsey Wylie, 5-8, 150, Sr.; QB-LB Colby Weldon, 5-9, 155, Sr.; E-S Clinton Senn, 5-11, 145, Jr.; E-LB Keith Bryant, 5-10, 145, So.; E-DE Colby Gannon, 5-9, 190, So.; E-LB Will Glosson, 5-9, 170, So.; RB-LB Cole Carpenter, 5-7, 135, Fr.; E-DE Beau Gaylord, 5-11, 205, Fr.; QB-S Josh Wood, 5-8, 125, Fr.; E-LB Lynn Mayfield, 5-6, 120, Fr.
• Position changes: none
• Returning all-district players: RB Wylie (first team)
• Returning All-Big Country players: RB Wylie
• Returning all-state players: none
• Top new players: none
• Transfers: none
• Team strengths: offensive line, leadership, new program
• Team weaknesses: young, low numbers, new program

Paint Creek Pirates

• School colors: maroon and white
• Last year’s record: 2-9 (0-5, sixth place)
• Last playoff appearance: 1996
• Last district championship: 1996
• Head coach: Johnny Garcia
• Career record: 2-29
• Years at current school: fourth
• Assistant coaches: Keith Medford
• Returning and/or probable starters: C-DE Rylie Tatum, 5-5, 249, Fr.; DE Abel Cisneros, 5-5, 160, Fr.; E Chris Peyton, 5-7, 130, Fr.; E-DB Joseph Serasio, 5-7, 140, So.; E-DB Chris Bailey, 5-7, 140, So.; RB-LB Kyle Brown, 5-9, 150, So.; RB-LB Brandon Bryant, 5-9, 150, So.; QB-LB Roland Cisneros, 5-8, 170, So.
• Position changes: C-FB Bryant, E-T Brown
• Returning all-district players: DL Roland Cisneros (second team)
• Returning All-Big Country players: none
• Returning all-state players: none
• Top new players: C Tatum, 5-5, 249, Fr.; E Cisneros, 5-5, 160, Fr.; E-RB Bailey, 5-7, 140, So.; E Serasio, 5-7, 140, So.
• Transfers: none
• Team strengths: quickness, speed
• Team weaknesses: small in size, inexperience

Rule Bobcats

• School colors: blue and white
• Last year’s record: 9-3 (4-1, second place)
• Last playoff appearance: 2002
• Last district championship: 1999
• Head coach: Mike Reed
• Career record: 9-3
• Years at current school: second
• Assistant coaches: Cody Levrets
• Returning and/or probable starters: RB-S Kade Kitteley, 5-4, 110, Fr.; DE Will Kittley, 5-7, 140, Fr.; S Aquarius Carreon, 6-2, 140, Fr.; RB-LB Austin Flores, 5-6, 120, Fr.; RB-LB Cory Flores, 5-6, 120, Fr.; DE Mason Bishop, 5-10, 140, Fr.; LB Paul Griffin, 5-8, 130, Fr.; LB Tye Clark, 5-9, 130, Fr.; DE Brady Biatz, 5-8, 200, Fr.; DE Julian Menchaca, 5-7, 180, Fr.; DE Matthew Turner, 5-10, 140, Fr.; RB-DE Josh Perez, 5-9, 130, Fr.; QB-LB Tully Brown, 5-11, 130, So.; RB-DE Emery Dudensing, 5-9, 210, So.; RB-LB Casey Judd, 5-10, 200, So.; DE Jacob Manske, 5-7, 180, So.; RB-S Kolt Kittley, 5-10, 150, Jr.; DE Samuel Turner, 6-2, 220, Jr.; DE Craig Simpson, 5-9, 180, Jr.; QB-LB Kyle Kittley, 6-0, 160, Sr.; DE Rickey Truelson, 6-0, 190, Sr.; LB Jonathan Hisey, 5-10, 180, Sr.
• Position changes: LB-S Kittley
• Returning all-district players: UB Kittley (first team), RB-DE Dudensing (first team), LB Truelson (first team)
• Returning All-Big Country players: none
• Returning all-state players: Kittley (second team)
• Top new players: SE Carreon, 6-2, 140, Fr.; DE Mechaca, 5-7, 160, Fr.; QB Brown, 6-0, 140, So.; RB Judd, 5-10, 160, So.
• Transfers: none listed
• Team strengths: depth, speed
• Team weaknesses: youth

Projected Finish

Six-Man Dist. 7
1. Aspermont
2. Rule
3. Jayton
4. Spur
5. Lueders-Avoca
6. Paint Creek