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Mirror, mirror: McKinney finds its match in Mansfield
Photo courtesy of Troy Conley / Buzzzphotos.com
By Andrew Snyder, asnyder@starlocalnews.com
McKinney will be after its first win in more than a year Friday when it opens the 2012 season on the road against Mansfield Legacy. After a 0-10 showing last season, the Lions will be looking to make the most of a fresh start.
“That would do our program and our team wonders, there's no doubt: to win that first game,” said Jeff Smith, McKinney head football coach. “Last year, going through what we went through, these kids have worked really hard and had a great summer and spring and offseason. These first two weeks have been great. They've done everything we've asked them to do, so I really want these kids to experience that.
“I really feel like once we get that win then things will really roll and start clicking. We'll get more and more confident and so, it would great for us to get off to a winning start. All we're focused on is trying to win this game.”
“They're similar to us,” Smith said. “They went 2-8 last year and played in a really tough district with Duncanville, South Grand Prairie and some of those people. We played in a really good district last year in 4A. They're a young football team, just like we are in a lot of areas.”
The Broncos return nearly half of last season's defense with the hope that experience will help improve last year's numbers. The returners include linebacker Everett Williams and defensive back Jared McGee.
That unit will be put to an immediate test by McKinney's full compliment of returning starters on offense. Senior quarterback Robert Somborn headlines the team's spread attack and is joined by veteran receivers Red Shannon, Connor Fuentes and TV Williams.
Somborn completed 189-of-309 passes last season (61.17 percent) for more than 2,200 yards and 24 touchdowns while throwing 15 interceptions. Shannon, Fuentes and Williams also return after productive season. Shannon hauled in 42 receptions for 382 yards and six touchdowns while serving as the team's leading rusher with 865 yards and three touchdowns on 100 carries.
The Lions return eight total players on offense and nine on defense, where they struggled along with Mansfield last season, giving up an average of 43.3 points per game and closing the season with a 59-27 loss to Wylie East and 52-15 loss to Highland Park.
In comparison, graduation took its toll on the Mansfield offense. The Broncos lost both parts of the dual-quarterback system they ran last year: David Ellis, the primary passer, and DaCarlos Humphrey, who favored rushing.
Mansfield will return last season's leading rusher, Kijana Amous, and receivers Marchie Murdock and Chris Smith. Murdock led the team in catches and receiving yards with 34 receptions for 476 yards and five touchdowns. Smith caught eight passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns as the team's third option.
Amous rushed for 878 yards and four touchdowns on 154 carries as a sophomore last season.
“Defensively, we've got to stop the running game,” Smith said. “They throw a lot of bootlegs and run a lot of play-action pass, so we've got to slow that down as well. In these type of games in Zero Week, typically the team that fundamentally does the right things – doesn't make a lot of mistakes, doesn't turn the football over, tackles well – a lot of times that team wins.
“We'd like to be that team; the team that goes out and executes and does the little things well.”
Mansfield and McKinney part ways in their prospects for recovery as well, at least in district. Despite being separated in size by less than 100 students, the schools will be swapping classifications. While the Lions will be making the jump to Class 5A, where they are paired with the largest schools in the state, the Broncos will be moving down to Class 4A after compiling a 3-17 record the last two years.
If the Lions are going to stand a chance against district opponents Allen, Plano Senior, Plano East, Plano West and McKinney Boyd, they'll need to build confidence with a series of pre-district wins. Their schedule is packed with manageable opponents early on to help facilitate that prospect, starting with Mansfield.
Friday's game is scheduled for a 7:30 start at R.L. Anderson Stadium in Mansfield.
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