Archives > Sports > Schools
Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
RSS
Share
Back in the saddle: Broncos prepare for district déjà vu
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Santos / jennifersantosphotography.com
By Andrew Snyder, asnyder@acnpapers.com
Second changes don't come around often, but the McKinney Boyd football team is getting one this season. The Broncos will be returning to roughly the same district that handed them a rough introduction to Class 5A football four years ago as an improved team with a chance to add a satisfying epilogue to that narrative.
Boyd will be joined in District 10-5A by Allen, Plano Senior, Plano East, Plano West and McKinney. The Plano schools and Allen, which ranks among the largest in the state, are the targets for revision. The Broncos failed to beat any of them during the two-year stint, 2008-10, they shared in the same district with them, but this year they aim to break that shutout.
“The kids that are fixing to be seniors were freshmen the last time we were in this district,” said Don Drake, Boyd head football coach. “They competed against them in freshman football, but they haven't had the opportunity to compete against them since. They're excited about going back and doing it again.”
Just about the only settled point about Boyd is that it has one of the district's top players in running back Bryan Driskell. After a promising sophomore campaign during the 2010-11 season in which he rushed for 1,321 yards and 10 touchdowns on 175 carries, Driskell turned in a blistering junior year as the focal point of the Broncos' offense. He rushed for 2,072 yards and 28 touchdowns on 317 carries to net District MVP and All-State honors.
“He's bigger and stronger than he was a year ago,” Drake said. “He's probably added on 10 pounds of weight, which is good. He's a competitive kid. He's obviously a very talented kid and I think the added weight is going to help him in terms of the number of shots he takes. We're excited about him, no doubt.”
Driskell's success powered the Broncos. In their three losses last season, he rushed for 73, 119 and 125 yards. In their eight wins, he averaged 219 yards and never rushed for less than 167 yards. In his biggest performance of the season, he rushed for 340 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-28 win against McKinney.
Boyd also returns junior quarterback Curtis Ladd, who will be in his second year under center after winning the starting job last season. Ladd started 10 games for the Broncos and quickly established himself as a two-way threat during his sophomore campaign. He completed 63-of-128 passes for 898 yards and nine touchdowns and threw six interceptions, as well as rushing for 530 yards and five touchdowns on over 100 carries.
Those skill players headline a veteran Broncos roster that includes six returning starters on defense and seven on offense. Other notable names from that group include senior inside linebackers Paine Matiscik and Adam Kimm, senior outside linebacker Benjamin Bouchez and senior safety Daylon Markham.
“It's nice to have all those kids back,” Drake said. “They already have a pretty good understanding of how we do things, as far as not only scheme but practice pace and practice structure and expectations. All those things make a difference.”
But while the Broncos will return some of their premiere talent, they're losing their top defender – defensive end Jamal Palmer, who will suit up for Baylor this season. Palmer won't even be the only member of the defensive line the Broncos need to replace. They'll also have to find a substitute for graduated nose tackle Jackson Dennis.
“We're young up front on the defensive line, as everyone knows,” Drake said. “We've got a great new piece of experienced senior leadership surrounding them, though. I feel good bout where we are right now.”
With its challenging district in mind later on down the line, the Broncos start the season with a three-pack of tough opponents. They open at home against Mesquite Horn on Friday before visiting Coppell on Sept. 7 and Garland on Sept. 14. All games are scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.
The most interesting matchup of the group, and the pre-district season, is Garland. The Owls were not only the lone district team to beat the Broncos the past two seasons – they beat them twice. Boyd won its inaugural district championship its first year in 10-5A, 2010-11, but was prevented from defending its title by last season's loss to Garland. The Owls went on to win the district championship.
Since football schedules are locked in for two-year periods, the Boyd-Garland rivalry will have the chance to continue thriving in the near future. After the Owls, Boyd closes pre-district against a pair of weaker opponents, Rockwall and Lewisville, before opening play in its new district.
In their last two years in 10-5A, the Broncos compiled a 13-1 district record in back-to-back winning seasons that saw them win their first district title and 5A playoff game. They enter a new year as a revitalized program ready to continue their ascent upward.
“That's one of the reasons I'm excited about having the chance to go back in there and compete again,” Drake said. “It's a little bit of a measuring stick to gauge ourselves against. The last time were in there we were a brand-new 5A program in our third year of existence as a school, all those things, and they beat us up pretty good. We're excited to go back in there and see how much we've grown in terms of our maturity as a program.”
The following are comments from the readers.
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
You must register with a valid email to post comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here:
Become a Registered User
- Return to: Mckinney Boyd «
- Home «
- Top of Page ^
