Fest sends Wolves into summer upbeat
Westside spring practice concludes with fanfare
The Westside Wolves wrapped up spring football practice in a big way last week.
To get fans excited about the upcoming season, Westside head football coach Jomaul Mason launched the “Tailgate Experience,” with plenty of supporters on hand.
“We had a rap concert with Tim Ned, a powder puff game and our spring game,” Mason said. “We probably had 300 fans at the event. Everyone had a lot of fun.”
The finale – Westside’s Blue and Black Game – showcased Westside’s future stars.
All eyes were on sophomore Jaylyn Williams, a former wide receiver who is taking over as the starting quarterback. “We moved Jaylyn to quarterback because he’s probably the best athlete on the team,” Mason said. “Jaylyn is big – 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds – and has the ability to make plays when things are collapsing around him. He can make the throw for a first down or get yards with his feet.”
Several other youngsters emerged this spring, most notably running back A’Darrius Parks and running back/slot receiver Dee McCoy, both sophomores.
“They really stepped up and showed what they can do,” Mason said.
Meanwhile, junior receiver David Crenshaw, one of the veterans, showed why he earned first-team all-district honors a year ago.
“David is catching the ball better than ever,” Mason said. “He’s going to put up big numbers his senior year.”
The offensive line is rebuilding, but sophomore Diego Macias, who moved into the center position vacated by former standout Eric Laws, and junior tackles Rocco Mariani and Omar Whitmore, showed unlimited potential.
Defensively, junior defensive end Payton Turner gave a preview of what opposing offenses may have to deal with this fall.
“Payton is 6-6, 250 pounds and has long arms,” Mason said.
“He batted down a lot of passes and caused problems with his size and speed.”
But Westside must find a pair of defensive tackles – Jordan Elliott (University of Texas signee) and Bradley Anyagafu – who both graduated.
“With Jordan and Bradley, that’s more than 600 pounds up front,” Mason said. “It’s impossible to replace them, but we need some of the younger guys to come to the forefront. We’ll figure that out during (fall) two-a-days.”
Others who had a strong spring were sophomore linebacker Tyrell Smith and junior cornerback Miles Pierre.
According to Mason, the Wolves accomplished most of its goals, even with a few distractions. On May 11, Mason’s wife, Cristen, gave birth to the couple’s third child, daughter Jasten.
“I missed two or three practices, but our coordinators took care of everything,” Mason said. “It was a really productive spring.”
The players will be busy this summer, with Westside participating in Alief ’s 7-on-7 league as well as several state qualifiers, in addition to the offseason strength and conditioning program.
“A couple of our kids play for the Air Assault, so they should get lots of snaps,” Mason said.
Fall practice will get under way on Monday, Aug. 8, with the 2016 season opener against Brenham at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26, at Delmar Stadium.