JEWETT LEON, Texas — After finishing third in 2A-Division 1 District 12 last season, the Leon Cougars will rely on their upperclassmen to take the next step and win the district title.
“They've had a great spring, they've had a great summer,” head coach Derek Thomas said. “I think the level at which they're training right now is going to have them prepared to get going early and, once we hit two-a-days, I think they're going to be prepared, and they're going to be able to be able to progress a little quicker this year.”
While the Cougars graduated 17 seniors – they return a tight knit junior class that has held each other accountable throughout the offseason.
“They’re a very close group and, they're a competitive group so they push each other, which is great,” Thomas said. When you hit summer and things like that because I'm not worried about having to go get somebody from their house because those kids are going to go get them and tell them you need to be up here, they're not going to let one out do the other. It’s just a constant push of each other.”
“We’ve got a lot of guys on the field that know what they're doing. Being able to fill their gaps or get to their drops, stuff like that,” junior fullback Cotton Brigner said.
In such a competitive district with Centerville, Groveton and now the addition of Hearne – Leon knows these games will likely be decided by one or two plays. Doing the small things right and being consistently competitive should have them competing for a district title towards the end of the season.
“We’ve got to believe in what we're doing, and we've got to go out and we've got to compete, we've got to fight to the end of the game,” Thomas said. “We got to give ourselves a chance in every one of those games and the only way to do that is to push ourselves, not give up on the plays, push each other, keep building the bond that these guys are starting to develop. I think that's going to be a key role.”
The Cougars open up the season on the road against the Snook Bluejays. Kickoff is set for 7:30pm.
