What to Look for in Week 1 of High School Football

SAN ANGELO, TX-- Football season is officially back!

Teams across the Concho Valley open the season this Friday and Saturday.

With the new season comes a throng of new storylines.

Here are the three things to keep an eye on in Week 1.

Stingy Defensive Showings

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Class 2A no.3-ranked Mason and Class 3A no. 13-ranked Wall will put on a heavyweight bout right out of the gate.

Both teams pride themselves on their defense.

In 27 combined games, the two teams allowed a staggering average of 8.7 points per game.

That number was helped a lot by Mason allowing 85 points in their Regional Final run a year ago.

The Punchers return most of their defense from that team, so it’d be safe to expect them to play at that same high level.

The Hawks are experiencing quite a bit of turnover this season after graduating 22 seniors last year. Wall returns just three starters on defense.

However, during their run to the regional semifinal, Wall was dominant. With that dominance comes playing time for backups. That experience should give the Hawks a solid foundation to build on in non-district play.

The Hawks also enter year two under defensive coordinator Craig Slaughter. The longtime coach is well known throughout the state for his defensive mind. It’s hard to believe he wouldn’t have his team ready to go.

New Quarterbacks Debut

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While athletes like Central’s Maverick McIvor and TLCA’s Kaiden Kirkland enter 2018 as multi-year starters, other teams enter the season with a new face taking snaps.

Wall will debut junior Mason Fuchs under center in their potent triple option offense. Fuchs saw time in Wall’s drubbing of Kermit to close out the 2017 regular season and clinch the outright district championship.

The no. 16-ranked Sonora Broncos will lean on state tennis qualifier Brian Van Winkle.

Much like Wall in 2017, Sonora was dominant last year. That meant Van Winkle saw playing time at the varsity level.

Van Winkle completed 24 of his 44 passing attempts last year for 389 yards and six touchdowns.

Reagan County will also see a new face taking snaps.

Justin Chavez will direct the Owl's offense this season after playing last season as a receiver primarily.

Head coach Blake Weston regards Chavez highly and expects him to have a big season.

New Coaches Looking to Leave a Mark

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Four area teams saw new faces sit in the head coach’s chair this offseason.

Grape Creek and Irion County filled their vacancies with coordinators from their current staff.

Grape Creek’s Tanner Thiel moved from defensive coordinator to head coach and athletic director after the resignation of Justin Mueller.

Thiel brings an excitement to the community of Grape Creek that has been missing since the Kyle Atwood era.

Friday’s road game against Baird will be Thiel’s first game as a head coach.

Irion County promoted Lee Harvey, also a defensive coordinator, after David Waddell resigned and took a coordinator job at Class 4A Dumas.

Harvey’s staff has transitioned their offense back to the ground so they can control the game.

Harvey will also coach his first game as a head coach at home against McCamey this Friday.

The only external hire in the 11-man ranks of the Concho Valley was Miles bringing Charles Boles in from Lindsay.

Boles comes to Miles with a distinct winning way. His Lindsay Knights never missed the playoffs in his six seasons in north Texas. Over that time, Boles compiled a 49-20 record.

Miles will also begin the 2018 campaign on the road against Ranger this Friday at 7:30 p.m.

In their first year of six-man football, the Bronte Longhorns will be led out by first-year head coach Jourmain Matta.

Matta comes to Bronte after learning under six-man legend Vance Jones at his alma mater Balmorhea.

The goal for Matta is simple: win. With most of the team buying in to the transition, Bronte could see some big success this season.

The Longhorns officially kick off the six-man era at 7:30 p.m. this Saturday, Sept. 1, in Rochelle against Rising Star.