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T?he Decatur Eagles are coming into town tonight with their high-flying aerial game to challenge Kennedale’s vaulted ground game. Two different styles of play will mash up against each other and both are capable of big numbers. {{more: continue …}}
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Decatur may be slowed a little as they adjust to new quarterback, junior Roman Fuller. Senior Wilson Hicks passed on this season to concentrate on baseball. Last year he led all 4A passers with 3,887 yard passing and 37 touchdowns.?
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The Eagles finished last year 8-5 and were 4A regional finalist. They were 5-3 in district play. Like Kennedale, they did lose a number of starters but will be returning 8 players – six on offense and 2 on defense. The defense is in a rebuilding mode but senior linebacker Zane Hickey is returning after snagging 60 tackles last year. He is joined by defensive back junior Gunner Ragsdale.?
On offense besides Fuller at quarterback, Decatur will have junior running back A.J. Martinez who rushed for 1,369 yards and 18 touchdowns and senior Beau Bedford at wide receiver who had 65 catches for 745 yards and 9 touchdowns.
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Decatur does play in a strong district with along with Wichita Falls Hirschi (coached by Danny Youngs), Springtown, Mineral Wells, Gainesville (coached by James Polk) and Burkburnett.. Decatur has been predicted to come in second in district play this year. Side note: both Youngs and Polk were coordinators at Kennedale under Richard Barrett.
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Kennedale and Decatur will share three common opponents during the regular season this year. Both teams will play Springtown, Alvarado and Midlothian Heritage.?
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Kennedale has lost only one opening game in the last 10 years. That was in 2013 when they lost to Crowley High School 42-41. But Wildcat Head Coach Richard Barrett finds a lot on this Decatur team that can cause Kennedale concern. ?They play lightning fast. This is the team that will give the defense no rest, it will be hard to work in substitutions.?
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Jodie Littleton, Kennedale defensive coordinator, who is responsible for finding ways to shut down the Eagles, said of Decatur, ?They play a quick game. They are big and strong in the middle and fast on the outside [at wide receivers].?
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?We can?t let them get up on us early,? was echoed by several coaches. All were confident but tempered with caution. After all it is a new season and the first game of the season, so there always unknowns. The coaches have been reminding players, that it is not what happened last year, but what they are going to do tonight.
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Barrett who has weathered 18 first game jitters as head coach at Kennedale said that in the end, ?We will just play our game ? that is what we do.???
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