Mustangs’ hopes riding with veterans
With 15 starters returning, Campbell to bury bad memories of 2014
Kingwood showed flashes of greatness last season, most noticeably in a big midseason win against Friendswood.
Now it’s looking to put a great season together.
The Mustangs return 15 starters, including standouts running back Griffin Lay and safety Sewo Olonilua, making them serious playoff contenders in District 16-6A, and seriously raising expectations.
“The kids are confident,” said coach Barry Campbell, who is entering his fourth season.
“They want to do well. They feel like they can do well. We definitely want to improve on what we did last year, and not only improve but get to the playoffs and win some games when we get there.”
They’ll have to start by qualifying for the playoffs, and to do that they’ll have to improve on last year’s 2-4 district record.
The Mustangs finished in a three-way tie for fourth, then sat out on tiebreakers.
“We’ve got to be consistent defensively (and) we’ve got to play hard,” Campbell said. “Defense is what’s going to carry us
throughout the year, so the pressure is going to be on the defense.
“Our offense will come around.”
Lay, the top returning back, paces the offense. He’ll also line up at flanker and serve as a backup cornerback.
Olonilua and Damon Young will see carries, too, giving the Mustangs a versatile attack.
“We may move (Lay) to other positions at times, trying to get him and Damon on the field at the same time, or him and Sewo on the field at the same time,” Campbell said. “We’re going to be solid at running back, but we’re only going to be as good as our offensive line, and we’ve got some really good players coming back there, and then as good as we are at quarterback.
“It’s going to depend on our quarterback being consistent and making good decisions and taking care of the football.”
The quarterback is Dawson Trudell, who saw action in a couple games last season.
Campbell said he’s ready to go after those experiences and playing with a lot more confidence entering the season.
“He can do a lot of things,” Campbell said. He’s very athletic, he’s got good speed and he was very successful during the track season, so we’re excited. He’s going to be able to run the offense and take care of the football, and if things break down he has the ability to make something positive out of it.”
The offensive line boasts four returners in guards Parker Coogan and Luke Vaughters and tackles Alec Cruseturner and Zach Alexander, who is moving from one side of the line to the other next to Coogan.
“They give us some experience, which eases things a little bit,” Campbell said. “We don’t have as big a concern there. It’s just a matter of those guys coming together and playing together and being able to work together.”
Olonilua will work into the offense whenever possible, but his primary spot is safety.
“It’s his third year, so he should be a dominant force over there,” Campbell said. “He should be somebody offenses try to avoid, and then we expect him to make big plays. We expect him to be a playmaker on defense, and then same thing when he gets on offense – to be a difference maker when he’s out there.”
The defense also features middle linebacker Spencer Goodman, outside backer Conner Gregerson and defensive end Benn Beckelman, who is entering his third year as a starter after playing OT as a sophomore.
Kingwood scrimmages at noon Friday at Clear Creek and opens the season against Katy at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, at Rhodes Stadium.
“We’ll be disappointed if we don’t get in the playoffs,” Campbell said.
“We’ll really be disappointed if we don’t do that, and we’ll be disappointed if we don’t win some games when we get in the playoffs. That’s the goal – to get there and then win some games.”