District 4-6A preview: Mansfield adds stress to Arlington teams
District 4-6A emerged from UIL realignment relatively unscathed. The only difference from last season’s 4-6A is the replacement of Weatherford with Mansfield. The newcomer Tigers will look to upend the Arlington schools’ dominance the past two seasons in sweeping all the postseason berths. Mansfield was a 6A Division II state semifinalist a year ago and adds intrigue to “the Arlington district,” which is always competitive with its share of fierce rivalries. “It’s a dogfight. There are some extremely talented players and outstanding coaching staffs in this district,” said Bob Wager, coach of reigning district champion Martin. “I mean outstanding. I’m not one for coachspeak; that’s sincere.These are rivalry games. I have vivid memories in years past of when Team A was supposed to beat Team B, but somebody forgot to tell Team B. And that’s the beauty of it. I think that’s why we’re enamored with high school football.” Fort Worth Paschal hasn’t defeated an Arlington ISD team in district play since joining them in 2010. Can this be the season the Panthers finally break through? “That’s the beauty of high school football,” Wager added. “We go in and try to prognosticate and say this is how we think this thing will go down, but then you kick it off and chaos breaks loose.”
Best bet for playoffs
Arlington: No team in the district boasts more returning players. The Colts bring back 15 starters among 53 lettermen. Running back Kenland McCray was co-Offensive Sophomore of the Year in District 4-6A last season, while cornerback Darien Ruffin was the Defensive Sophomore of the Year. Can the Colts get their first playoff victory since 2012?
Arlington Martin: Coach Bob Wager always seems to reload instead of rebuild. The Warriors are unorthodox at times and like to rely on physical defense. Martin’s depth allows for the use of multiple players in multiple places, including Tre Brown, who can play quarterback or cornerback. Martin may have an edge in kicker Patrick Grady.
Mansfield: Coming off their deepest playoff run in school history, the Tigers have a new coach and almost an entirely new defense. Daniel Maberry, previously the offensive coordinator, takes over and has to find nine new starters on defense. The ground-and-pound approach behind top running-back recruit Kennedy Brooks should help Mansfield keep opposing offenses off the field.
Arlington Lamar: The post-Shane Buechele era begins, but new starter Chance Fuller will have the luxury of Rashad Polk and Kendall Burt in the backfield behind him. With guys like Bobby Brown and Armani Presley on the defensive line, the Vikings shouldn’t get pushed around. Expectations probably won’t be as high this season, and maybe that’s a good thing. This team knows it isn’t last year’s club and will look to write its own history.
Players to watch
Bobby Brown, DL, Arlington Lamar: Just a junior, Brown has several Power 5 conference offers, including Texas and Oklahoma. At 6-foot-4, 280 pounds, he’s on ESPN’s Top 300 recruits for the Class of 2018.
Kennedy Brooks, RB, Mansfield: Brooks is a workhorse back who carried the ball more than 430 times last season for more than 3,500 yards. He averaged more than 230 yards per game and scored 43 times. Teams know he’s coming and still can’t stop him.
Ben Carroll, LB, Arlington: After playing linebacker and safety last year, racking up 118 tackles, seven sacks and three fumble recoveries, Carroll is moving to middle linebacker. Though slightly undersized for the position, his determination is unquestioned.
Saiid Adebo, CB/WR, Mansfield: Can be an impact player on both sides of the ball. Had 50 tackles and three interceptions last year. He also had 40 catches for 709 yards, including 11 TDs. He’s committed to Notre Dame.
Edwin Allen, RB, Fort Worth Paschal: He was co-Sophomore of the Year in District 3-5A last year with 1,082 yards and 10 TDs, averaging more than eight yards per rush.
This story was originally published August 24, 2016 at 10:36 AM with the headline "District 4-6A preview: Mansfield adds stress to Arlington teams."