Denton RC High School

Denton High School will have over 1600 students, there are schools with 1000 students in the top 10 (football)...get your student athletes participating in athletics.

-- Brady

This is true. Denton coach Randy Patzkowski's former team, Lake Dallas, has the smallest enrollment figures in the district. Lake Dallas has a crowded sideline during its games with quality depth. For some reason, that just isn't the case at Denton, whatever the reason is.

OK, that was obviously a joke. The Denton Record-Chronicle does not support any type of illegal wagering, especially on high school sports. But without further ado, he's the way District 5-4A football will shape up this season. (Yes, I'm making a prediction on July 18. Sue me, I'm ready for football).

First, I will let you folks in on what Dave Campbell's Texas Football 2008 thinks will happen in the district.

1. Wichita Falls Rider
2. Ryan
3. Wichita Falls
4. The Colony
5. Lake Dallas
6. Guyer
7. Little Elm
8. Denton

Continue reading the jump for the real picks...

It's hard to say where the Ryan football program is these days. Are the Raiders still a state-powerhouse who got a bad playoff draw in the last realignment or has the opening of Guyer caused Ryan to level off a bit?

One thing I do know is Ryan will have more than six wins like it did in 2007. The Raiders non-district schedule (Mesquite Poteet, McKinney, JJ Pearce) is considerably easier than the last two years (Colleyville Heritage, Arlington Bowie, South Oak Cliff, Abilene), and District 5-4A is lighter with out Sherman and Denison.

That said, I think Ryan could have a better record this year but not be as good a team as it was last year. The Raiders should have no problems moving the ball with a solid offensive line led by Blake Holland. The slippery Jay Catlin returns in the backfield along with dynamic receiver D.J. Beshears.

If you haven't read my story on the situation at Denton High School, take a moment to do so before continuing.

No, I'm not trying to engage in some sort of self-promotion. Before judging the Denton Broncos, I believe it is necessary to understand what has happened at the administrative level at the school.

Frankly, and sadly, the Broncos likely won't be competitive in many sports this year, particularly football. Denton simply doesn't have the bodies on the field to compete. If you're a 4A team with players playing on both sides of the ball, it's gonna be rough.

The Broncos should get an upgrade at quarterback with Hunter Dozier. He's a great athlete with big-game experience in baseball and a strong arm. The rest of the team will be untested and unproven.

Randy Patzkowski is a great coach. His staff is doing the best it can with what it has, but frankly, it doesn't have a whole lot.

I'm awfully curious -- what do the people of Denton think about this team, this situation and the future of athletics at DHS? Are people angry about it? Is this an issue important to you guys? What will happen with the Broncos on the field this year?

To a deluxe apartment in the sky...

Guyer assistant softball coach Lindsay Wilhelmson has left her post as a varsity assistant 4A softball program to become head coach at one of the more traditionally strong 5A programs at Keller High School.

The 26-year old played softball at Richland High and went on to star at Texas A&M where she led the Big 12 in home runs her junior season and led the conference in ERA in Big 12 play her sophomore year.

She was a huge part of Guyer's quick rise to success as the team's primary pitching coach and was a huge part of developing Guyer junior-to-be pitcher Kylee Crosek.

More to come soon in the DR-C.

I've already heard it from one fan about giving Wichita Falls some due credit, but let me assure you the Coyotes are a threat to the big dogs in District 5-4A this year.

Ole High has had time now to catch on to its new offense under head coach Travis Pride, Southlake Carroll's former offensive coordinator. The team has a top notch quarterback returning in Ben Henderson to run the offense.

Despite losing receiver Isaiah Anderson to Oklahoma State, the Coyotes should be able to round up enough at the skill positions to move the ball. Receiver Antwone Moore will likely be Henderson's primary target.

The question for the Coyotes will be their defense. The team has only two returning starters from a defense that was already suspect. Most think Ole High will make it to the post-season and I tend to agree with them.

What do you guys think? Is this a playoff team? Do the 'Yotes have enough on offense to overcome their defense? I know some of you think they ain't that great, so let's hear it.

The biggest enigma in the new District 5-4A may be the Little Elm Lobos.

The team had a great start to the 2007 season before narrowly missing a playoff berth. The recent Class 3A call-up doesn't have a lot of history and lost its most dynamic player in quarterback Cole Beasley, who will attend SMU.

The reason why this team is so hard to peg is because I've heard insiders predict everything from a playoff spot to last place in district play. The Lobos don't have a single returning defensive starter, but have some talent on that side of the ball with defensive end Clifton Murphy and sophomore safety Sean Breard.

The Lobos are another transplant from 9-4A, so maybe you Lake Dallas people can give us some insight on Little Elm. What do you guys think? Is this team toast in 2008 or will it push for a playoff spot?

Just a quick note: The Colony running back Tony Peoples has committed to Tulsa.

Anytime I blog about Lake Dallas, I run the risk of getting in trouble with Tyler Floyd over some mundane detail or for not giving the Falcons enough credit. I'm choosing to run that risk today though, setting up a possible fight-to-the-death with the fastest-rising middle school coach in all of east Southlake.

The Falcons have done well making the transition between 3A and 4A over the past five years. Under the guidance of Randy Patzkowski and Michael Young, Lake Dallas is a perennial playoff contender.

But 2008 will be a telling year. The Falcons are in a tougher district for the next two years in 5-4A, and the team has big holes to fill with the losses of quarterback Zach Waggoner, receiver Alvin Blackmon and defensive tackle Isaac Tauaefa.

Dave Campbell's Texas Football Magazine has Lake Dallas outside of the playoff picture at No. 5 in the district. Luckily I can adhere to my journalistic integrity and appease T-Floyd at the same time by saying I believe the Falcons will finish at least fourth and make the playoffs.

That prediction is based on one thing and one thing only - James Franklin. Lake Dallas' new quarterback is a transcendent athlete who can take over a game. Couple that with enough at the skill positions and what stands to be another solid defense and I think you have playoff team.

What do the masses think of that prediction? Will Lake Dallas be able to hang with Rider, Ryan and Ole High? Is T-Floyd too pretty to be involved in coaching?

Just got off the horn with Guyer head football coach John Walsh and he informed me they are headed home from College Station after going 2-3 over two days of action at the FSN Southwest 7-on-7 State Championships at Texas A&M.

Things got off to a hot start for the Wildcats, who beat Houston Memorial handily in their opener on Friday and then were trading blows with state power Lufkin before quarterback J.W. Walsh was pulled from the game with a bum elbow.

The sophomore-to-be's papa/head coach said Guyer's new man behind center will miss a couple of weeks of action but should be ready to go when fall practice gets going.

John Walsh said he had mixed feelings about the team's performance, but for a first-time appearance at the state championship level, he was happy. Now, he just needs to worry about his son's arm healing up before the end of August -- and that sounded promising.

Denton, Ryan and Guyer have three new faces in District 5-4A, one of them being the moderately successful football program at Lewisville The Colony.

The Cougars have made the playoffs only three times in school history, haven't won a district title since 1998 and haven't made the playoffs since 2002. But The Colony returns seven on offense and six on defense, giving it the experience needed to push for one of the four postseason berth's in the district.

Running back Tony Peoples, a third-team all-state selection last year, is the team's best player and should keep the offense moving, along with returning quarterback Bryce Perkins.

But is this team ready to compete in a considerably tougher district that includes state-ranked Wichita Falls Rider and traditional powerhouse Ryan? What do you guys think? Is The Colony ready to make a leap in Rudy Rangel's second year? Don't be shy now, ya'll. I know you got something to say ...

Denton, Ryan and Guyer will be hard pressed to bring home a District 5-4A title in 2008 thanks to state-ranked Wichita Falls Rider.

Rider clocked in at No. 2 in the state in Class 4A in Dave Campbell's Texas Football Magazine, and the other Raiders in 5-4A are a run-away favorite to take home the district crown for the second straight year.

They have their own version of the triplets -- Michigan commit Shavodrick Beaver (QB), Oklahoma commit Eric Ward (WR) and TCU commit Jurell Thompson (RB) -- not to mention another solid defense.

With all due respect to Denton and Guyer, Ryan has the best chance to ousting this group, which they did in 2006 en route to a 5-4A title. Personally, I think Ryan will play Rider better than it did last year, but it could be another comfortable victory if Rider is all it's cracked up to be.

What do you guys think? Does Ryan have a chance against these guys?

My ears-to-the-ground connections in Lincoln are telling me Nebraska might be interested in another "Williams" at Ryan High School. This time it's cornerback Yahshua Williams.

The guy I talked to told me he was hearing the Huskers were interested but didn't think they'd offered him a scholarship yet. Williams has been mentioned among the area's top prospects. He's a phenomenal athlete and has the height to be a factor in the backfield.

Keep posted. I'll try to get in touch with him and see what's up.

The ultimate leader in college recruiting, Rivals.com, has come out with its Texas Top 100 today, and a few area players made the list. Keep in mind, these are the Top 100, regardless of position.

Guyer left tackle Kyle Clark hit the list at No. 36. The 6-5, 265-pounder has committed orally to Texas Tech.

Argyle's Brady Brown came in at No. 51. The 6-5, 195-pound receiver is also listed No. 55 nationally of all wide receivers. He's considering 13 offers from Air Force, Duke, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Purdue, Utah, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Navy, New Mexico St., Rice and Tulsa. You reckon Brady Brown is a smart kid? I do.

So, the state 7-on-7 football championships are this week in College Station, and the folks over at TexasPrepInsider.com have released their top 32 teams in the 5A-4A division.

No. 14? Your Guyer Wildcats! Guyer has been the whipping boy of the area in the past two seasons, but things are looking bright for the Wildcats now after notching just one win in their first two varsity seasons.

It will be interesting to see the growth of sophomore-to-be quarterback J.W. Walsh, the son of Guyer head coach John Walsh. 7-on-7 is a great way for a new quarterback to get his feet wet.

Our boy Josh Williams will begin classes at the University of Nebraska on July 14, getting him to Lincoln to begin working out after being delayed by his legal troubles, according to this report.

As I'm sure you remember, Josh got in trouble punching an acquaintance in his car and taking $800 in cash from him -- allegedly. Now he has to keep his nose clean for two years to get it scratched from his record.

I'm sure I don't know Josh as well as some of you, but this incident came as a surprise to me. What do you guys think of Mr. Williams? Is this out of character for him? Do you guys think this was a one-time incident?

No. 1: Argyle baseball vs. Breckenridge, Game 3, 3A Region I bi-district playoffs at Aledo

An improbable, two-out comeback by the Eagles gave them their a series win in their first-ever postseason appearance under first-year coach Ricky Griffin. Scotty Stewart hit the game-winning single in the top of the seventh and then retired the side in the bottom half of the inning to send Breckenridge packing.

Check out our entire list in today's paper, which includes our Top 5 individual performances of the year and five honorable mention entries in both categories. Also, look for our favorite moments of the school year to cover in-person.

It was an exciting year for Denton-area high school sports and we're looking forward to another in 2008-09. Don't agree with some of the selections? Let us know what you think should have been included in the comments section.

Here is the No. 2 game of the 2007-08 school year, as voted on by the DRC sports staff:

Ryan volleyball at Guyer, Oct. 19, 2007 at Guyer High School

Guyer was one game away from sweeping its entire District 5-4A schedule in the regular season finale, but archrival Ryan had other plans.

The Lady Raiders stunned Guyer on its own court by taking Game 3, and the shocked Lady Wildcats dropped Game 4 as well.

The match didn't mean anything as far as playoff positioning, but the two feuding teams battled through an intense Game 5 before Guyer squeezed out a 15-13 win in Game 5 to seal the match.

The Lady Wildcats were still able to celebrate an undefeated district season while the Lady Raiders, some in tears, celebrated their best match of the season. The two met again in the playoffs and Guyer won for the third time in 2007.

Here is the No. 3 game of the 2007-08 school year, as voted on by the DRC sports staff:

Denton baseball at Ryan, April 1, 2008 at Ryan High School

It wasn't the best played game of the year, but it was certainly among the most exciting.

Going into the game, Ryan needed a win to pull even with the Broncos for the lead in District 5-4A. It came down to the last at-bat.

The Raiders took a 3-1 lead in the fifth inning, but Ryan ace Curtis Petersen coughed up the lead in the top of the seventh after bailing the Raiders out of a bases loaded, no outs situation in the sixth.

Here is the No. 4 game of the 2007-08 school year, as voted on by the DRC sports staff:

Ponder boys basketball vs. Edgewood, March 1, 2008 at Tarleton State University

The only close game Ponder faced in its state title run occurred in the Class 2A Region II finals against Edgewood.

After Ponder exploded to a 10-point lead to end the first quarter, Edgewood slowly trimmed away at Ponder's advantage, which set up an intense, back-and-forth fourth quarter that featured six lead changes in the frame.

In our final year-end project before we dig into football and volleyball season, the Denton Record-Chronicle high school staff voted today on the Top 5 games of the 2007-08 school year and the Top 5 individual performances of the 07-08 year.

To whet your appetite, we've decided to start tonight with the No. 5 game of the year and go up until Friday when we'll reveal the second-best game of the year. The top game will be in Saturday's edition of the DR-C along with the rest, including five honorable mention selections in both categories.

So, without further ado, the No. 5 game as voted by us was (drum roll...)