Squad depth main concern for Wildcats
Avoiding sting of injury bug key as Humble hopes to get out to strong start this season
Humble hovered around .500 the last few years, a game or two out of the playoffs, and coach Charles West is convinced he knows why.
West says keeping kids healthy is their greatest challenge, and it’s one they haven’t met.
“Some of our key players get dinged up and they can’t play in the big game,” said West, entering his fifth season. “Stuff like that is the main thing, and then we don’t have a significant amount of depth.”
To compensate, the Wildcats cross-trained for multiple positions in the offseason. But problems still arise when several players are outside their primary position, throwing everything out of whack.
But West doesn’t want them worrying about that, or anything else they can’t control.
Their offseason focus was on finding solutions for the problems currently at hand, starting with a methodical approach to offseason workouts.
“A lot of people like to look all the way down toward the last game, and the whole entire season, but we’re not doing that,” West said. “We’re taking it one game at a time, one day at a time.”
The Wildcats went 4-6 overall and 3-5 in district last season.
West hopes to improve on that showing with the help of returning star running back Terio Brown, big offensive linemen Jonas Castillo and Ovidio Melendez, and defensive anchor Isaiah Longino.
“These kids work hard, and the games aren’t always what they’re cut out to be, because we don’t know the outcome, but they’re good kids and they work hard,” West said.
They will take the field in a reshuffled District 215A that traded C.E. King, which went 14-2 in district the last two years, and Galena Park for Caney Creek (2-12 in district the last two years) and Splendora.
But West said making the playoffs won’t be any easier.
“You’ve still got to go out there and play,” he said. “I don’t think it’s necessarily a team out or a team in. The bottom line is you’ve got to go out there and play every night against any team you line up against.”
The 5-8, 165-pound Brown gives them a fighting chance.
The all-purpose Colorado State pledge rushed for 1,129 yards and 13 touchdowns (two receiving) last season.
“Terio’s Terio, and Terio is going to do a good job for us,” West said. “He’s been a varsity starter for three years so I don’t expect anything less, and I think everybody in the district knows about him. He’s a good football player.
“He knows the game and he’s a smart kid.”
Castillo (6-5, 330) and Melendez (6-8, 280) are smart and big O-linemen.
West expects Castillo, who supplied 42 pancakes last year, to pave the way toward a huge season for Brown.
“To be so big, he’s very athletic,” West said.
The O-line also is charged with keeping new quarterback Xavier Martin upright. The 5-11, 210-pound junior won the job in the spring.
“Right now, he’s having a good two-a-day practice,” West said. “He’s a very talented kid who played for us on the JV last year. He’s a talented young man, he’s got great size, a great arm, and he’s got some speed behind him.”
Martin’s top target at wide receiver remains a mystery.
Jeremiah Hartfield (Henderson State) graduated and Bryson Jackson transferred to St. Pius X, leaving the Wildcats without a clear No. 1.
“Right now, we don’t know,” West said.
“We’ve got some good receivers, we just don’t know who the go-to guy is.”
The go-to defenders are clear – Longino and senior linebacker Deshaun Wilkins, who both are versatile players.
Longino is a 6-2, 230-pound mainstay in the middle.
“He’s the anchor,” West said. “He’s played defensive end and linebacker and he’s a big force. He’s a very athletic, and we do a lot of things with him. He’s a smart kid also.”
Humble scrimmages Wheatley on Aug. 13 at Turner Stadium and Aldine on Aug. 19 at Thorne Stadium, then opens the season with Tompkins, Huffman Hargrave and Caney Creek the first three games.
Humble and Tompkins collide at 6 p.m. Aug. 27 at Rhodes Stadium.
“It’s always important to get off to a good start,” West said.
“You know kids. That’s really important, but those are some good teams we’re playing, so we’re going to see where we’re at pretty early.”