High school football countdown: Trophy Club Nelson

Sixth in a daily series spotlighting key area high school football teams leading to opening night, Aug. 30

Trophy Club Nelson

District 5-4A

Coach: Brian Polk

Key players: LB Andrew Dotson (6-0, 215), DB Josh Alderete (6-0, 175), DE Jalen Haire (6-1, 215), LB Matt Jones (5-10, 195), RB Tylor Blake (5-8, 165), OL Brandon Fleischmann (6-3, 240), OL Anders Huizenga (6-6, 300), QB/DB Esteban Ortega (6-0, 180)

The big picture: The good news is that three-time defending state champ Aledo has moved out of the district. The bad news is that 5-4A could be even tougher this season with the additions of Denton Guyer, Wichita Falls Rider and Lake Dallas. The Bobcats return 13 starters to a team that won its first playoff game, 49-20 over Fort Worth Wyatt, and finished 7-5 in just its second season of varsity play. The defense returns eight starters, including four first-team all-district performers in Dotson, Aderete, Haire and Jones. Blake Clinton and Esteban Ortega are in an open competition to replace Andrew Mitchell at quarterback. RB Tylor Blake, who rushed for 967 yards and nine touchdowns with an average of almost 10 yards per carry last season, should make the transition at quarterback a little easier.

Quotable: "Our kids have to play together and have good chemistry. When we do that we think we'll give ourselves a chance to compete in every game that we play." -- Coach Brian Polk

"Our expectations as a team are high. There's some games where we'll be underdogs and some game where we're expected to win, but for us we need to have the mindset that we need to win every game." --LB Andrew Dotson

Notable: Nelson is one of five teams in the newly formed District 5-4A that finished 2011 with a winning record. Denton Guyer (8-4), Wichita Falls Rider (10-4), Lake Dallas (9-4) and White Settlement Brewer (6-4) are the other four.

--Jarret Johnson

Looking for comments?