Angleton looks to recapture postseason momentum
It was a difficult season most of the way.
Angleton dealt with injuries (including losing four starters before the opener), adjustments and uncertainty, resulting in a 5-5 regular season in 2015.
But by the end, the Wildcats were playing so well that a one-point overtime loss to Ridge Point — then one of the top Class 5A teams in the state — in the regional final represented a major disappointment.
That setback served as major motivation throughout the offseason.
“Everybody who was on the team last year, and is back on the team this year, has that one-point loss to Ridge Point (36-35) on our minds,” cornerback Koy Richardson said. “We don’t want that to happen again, so we’re going to do whatever it takes to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Sixth-year coach Ryan Roark is careful with the caveat that this is a new season, with new dynamics and challenges to face, but he also believes the Wildcats’ postseason momentum will carry over.
Angleton won playoff games against Texas City (21-14), Port Neches-Groves (48-30) and College Station (38-22), and returns 14 starters to a district that no longer includes reigning 5A Division I champion George Ranch, creating lofty expectations coaches and players are eager to meet.
“Our program is to the point where we’ve earned a reputation of being in the mix in the entire state of Texas,” Roark said. “We’ve earned respect from having been in the regional semifinals or regional finals four out of the last five years.
“So it’s to that point and time where our expectation level each and every year is to try to go win the state championship.”
Changing regions
Angleton’s path to a state title is entirely new.
UIL realignment not only added Victoria West and Victoria East, making for more travel — Angleton plays both and Port Lavaca on the road — it also moved the Wildcats from Region III to Region IV.
Of course, Roark isn’t thinking playoffs now — or how the switch could help them reach their goal of a state title.
His only concern is where his team is now.
“There’s definitely some carryover, simply because of the fact that we have a bunch of those players back who have a lot of playing experience, who were still pretty young (last season),” Roark said. “(But) we’re still a fairly young team right now.”
That’s true at many positions, including under center, where returning quarterback Seth Cosme is only a sophomore.
But the Wildcats are wily veterans on the offensive line.
They’ll feature seniors all the way across, including right tackle Kevin Davis (6-3½, 290 pounds), right guard Kyler Scott (6-3, 290), center Dawson Gutzman (5-11, 245), left guard Chris Brinkley (5-10, 255), left tackle Christian Catney (6-4½, 285) and tight end Charles Jones (61, 230).
Brinkley, Davis and Scott are returning starters.
“It’s probably the biggest, most athletic offensive line that we’ll have had in the six years I’ve been here at Angleton,” Roark said.
They’ll provide the blocking for a bevy of running backs.
Roark said he’ll use seven or eight in every game, including electrifying athlete B.J. Foster, who also starts at free safety, Tamerik Williams, Zekoma Hall, Evrin Hawkins and Sincere Jackson.
Hawkins starts at safety, too, and Jackson is the team’s standout Mike linebacker.
‘Strong everywhere’
The defense also boasts Richardson, safety Quincy Addison (a Texas Tech pledge), defensive tackle Alex Santos, and defensive ends Casey Bolieu and Javier Vallecilla (a 110-meter hurdles district champ).
“We’re strong everywhere,” Richardson said. “I really don’t see a weak spot in our defense, because a lot of us are coming back from last year and the years before. We have so much experience where we are, and then the other people who don’t have experience are progressing really quickly because they see how serious we’re taking it.”