2012 ETSN.fm Preseason East Texas Super Team

Class: Senior (committed to Houston)
Height: 5-10
Weight: 160
2011 Stats: 283 of 393, 3,782 yards, 34 TDs, 5 INTs; 229 carries, 1,242 yards, 19 TDs
2012 Outlook: After one of the best statistical seasons in memory, Ward leads a loaded John Tyler offense into a promising season that starts with the Lions ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press Class 4A poll. Ward will have a slew of receivers to get the ball to, including fellow Super Teamer Fred Ross, Justice Liggins, Darion Flowers, Dequante Woods, and others. When he can't get the ball to them, watch him take off on foot and hurt defenses with his legs. 

Class: Senior (committed to Oklahoma State)
Height: 6-0
Weight: 190
2011 Stats: 222 carries, 1,865 yards, 24 TDs
2012 Outlook: Webster joins Everett Dickerson (SMU commit) to give Atlanta one of the state's best backfield tandems. The duo rushed for more than 2,600 yards and 33 touchdowns last season and are 2 of 9 returning offensive starters for an Atlanta team that should compete for the District 13-3A championship. 

Class: Junior
Height: 5-10
Weight: 170
2011 Stats: 242 carries, 1,707 yards, 11 TDs; 20 catches, 262 yards, 1 TD
2012 Outlook: Part of Carthage's super class of 2014, Pipkin is the top ground weapon of a Bulldog offense that could start as many as nine or 10 juniors this season. If he keeps up his 1,700-yard pace for the next two seasons, he will be close to breaking the school's career rushing record set by Kris Briggs from 1995-98 (5,130 yards).

Class: Senior
Height: 5-10
Weight: 190
2012 Outlook: Wallace seems to finally be healthy, according to first-year Tyler Lee coach Darrell Piske, who has high hopes for Wallace's senior year. Wallace will have a Super Teamer blocking for him in teammate Zacchaeus Page, as well as an athletic new quarterback in Jordan Richardson and a proven reliable rusher helping him in fullback Marcus White. Don't be surprised if Wallace has a huge season.

Class: Senior (committed to Oklahoma State)
Height: 6-2
Weight: 185
2011 Stats: 99 catches, 1,335 yards, 15 TDs; 33 carries, 450 yards, 6 TDs
2012 Outlook: Part of the vaunted John Tyler offense along with Super Team Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Greg Ward, Ross won't duplicate his 2011 stats only if the rest of his teammates are so good he doesn't have to dominate as much. Ross got 2012 off on the right foot in the Lions' scrimmage against Longview. He touched the ball five times in the scrimmage and scored four times. 

Class: Senior (committed to Texas Tech)
Height: 6-3
Weight: 205
2011 Stats: 87 catches, 1,414 yards, 21 TDs
2012 Outlook: After sharing the limelight with Trey Metoyer (Oklahoma) in 2010 and Jonathan Aldridge the past two seasons, Cantrell becomes the clear No. 1 option for Whitehouse's new quarterback, whether that's junior Patrick Mahomes or junior Ryan Cheatham. Cantrell has more than a dozen Division I offers and will likely see that list grow, but maintains that he's a solid commitment to Texas Tech. 

Class: Junior
Height: 6-0
Weight: 163
2011 Stats: 61 catches, 1,004 yards, 10 TDs; 22.5 yards per kickoff return
2012 Outlook: Cannon had a huge sophomore season and is part of a 2014 Mount Pleasant class that has Tigers fans expecting big things. Cannon has already had the label of "best receiver in Texas in the 2014 class" placed on him by some recruiting experts, and has various Division I offers, including Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Baylor, and SMU. 

Class: Senior (committed to Texas State)
Height: 6-6
Weight: 210
2011 Stats: 33 catches, 487 yards, 7 TDs
2012 Outlook: Askew visited Texas State during July, enjoyed his visit, liked coach Dennis Franchione, and committed to the Bobcats despite several other Division I FBS offers (2012 is Texas State's first year moving from FCS to FBS). Harmony will rely on Askew to be its top playmaker in the passing game once again, and thanks to his frame and athletic ability, he'll continue to hear from Division I programs despite his commitment. 

Class: Senior (committed to SMU)
Height: 6-3
Weight: 270
2012 Outlook: Taylor is one of two potentially Division I-bound tackles playing for Pittsburg in 2012. While he mans the right side, 6-4, 240-pound Shawn Albright will protect new quarterback Garrett Truitt's blind side from the left tackle spot. With those two tackles keeping pass rushers off of him, Truitt should rarely be touched when he drops back to pass. 

Class: Junior
Height: 6-3
Weight: 280
2012 Outlook: Bragg made a name for himself in the recruiting game after attending a couple of summer camps. He'll continue to garner interest from college programs, and he'll probably be one of many high-major signees in the 2014 East Texas recruiting class, which could be the region's best group in years. Bragg joins classmate Greg Roberts, a 6-5, 205-pound defensive end, to give first-year Nacogdoches coach Bobby Reyes a quality junior lineman on each side of the ball.

Class: Senior (committed to Air Force)
Height: 6-4
Weight: 255
2012 Outlook: Siler will be the top lineman on a Henderson offense that has plenty of weapons, but will usher in a new quarterback after the graduation of record-setting QB Del Barnes (Cornell). Siler has three other Division I FBS offers, but is excited about the career opportunities a degree from the Air Force Academy will provide him. He committed to Air Force earlier this month.

Class: Senior
Height: 6-4
Weight: 300
2012 Outlook: Page will be the top blocker for a hefty line leading the way for fellow Super Teamer LaQuintas Wallace and Marcus White, who, if both healthy, could lead Tyler Lee to a surprise return to the playoffs. Page has offers from Louisiana Tech and SFA, and with his frame, should continue to add offers during his senior year. 

Class: Senior
Height: 6-4
Weight: 270
2012 Outlook: Wall will protect new quarterback Austin Toney's blind side, as well as lead the way for Thaddeus Fagan, who ran for almost 700 yards in 2011. Wall, who has received interest from Louisiana Tech, will probably begin hearing from more schools with a successful senior season, something that's almost guaranteed after his strong junior campaign. In a seemingly wide open District 14-4A, Hallsville could contend for the league championship. 

Class: Senior
Height: 5-8
Weight: 150
2011 Stats: 8-for-10 field goals, 41-for-44 PATs
2012 Outlook: Bullard has a lot of weapons back that helped the Panthers to an 8-win season in 2011, and Gray is another one of them. After hitting 80 percent of his field-goal attempts as a junior, Gray should be even better in 2012.

Class: Senior (committed to Arkansas State)
Height: 6-0
Weight: 225
2011 Stats: 25 carries, 231 yards; 29 catches, 358 yards; 12 total TDs
2012 Outlook: Chapel Hill returns only three starters from last year's 15-0 state championship team, and Allen is perhaps the most important. After all, he gained a lot of experience on both sides of the ball, but was crucial offensively during the playoffs as he made multiple big plays. As a great H-back (fullback/tight end hybrid), Allen will fit perfectly in coach Gus Malzahn's scheme at Arkansas State, where Allen committed to in August.

Class: Senior (committed to Texas A&M)
Height: 6-2
Weight: 315
2011 Stats: 8 sacks in 7 games (playing for Elysian Fields; moved to Carthage in March)
2012 Outlook: Golden will make an already talented and experienced Carthage front seven even better. He'll provide protection for middle linebacker Trent Jackson, who led Carthage with 153 tackles in 2011. Golden could give Carthage the type of disruptive force that DeShun Williams (Texas State) gave them in 2008-09 during the first two of Carthage's three consecutive state championships. Golden, who is "pretty solid" to Texas A&M, he said, will likely remain a hot target in the recruiting game, despite his commitment. After all, huge defensive linemen who can move like tight ends don't grow on trees.

Class: Senior
Height: 6-2
Weight: 205
2011 Stats: 61 tackles, 5 sacks
2012 Outlook: One of East Texas' most versatile players, Bowser is especially good off the edge, where he tracks down quarterbacks with a quick first step and pure speed. He can also play well standing up and on offense, where he plays tight end and Wildcat quarterback in goal-line situations. He rushed for a half dozen TDs in 2011. Bowser will be a key cog on both sides of the ball for first-year coach Ricklan Holmes as John Tyler tries to live up to its preseason No. 3 ranking in the Associated Press Class 4A poll. 

Class: Senior
Height: 6-1
Weight: 260
2011 Stats: 102 tackles, 34 for loss, 8 sacks
2012 Outlook: Moore holds three Division I FBS offers and should see his offer list grow. Though he'll be the focal point of Van's defense after the graduation of Dalton Santos (Texas), Moore should still make plenty of plays even while seeing double teams. Moore is an athletic penetrator and will be one of East Texas' best defensive playmakers.

Class: Senior
Height: 6-3
Weight: 215
2011 Stats: 48 tackles, 8 sacks
2012 Outlook: Lewis and fellow senior lineman D'vante Botley will give Lufkin a fearsome front-line duo in 2012. Lewis had as many as seven tackles for loss in one game last season and is getting a lot of interest from Division I FCS schools. If he has the type of season his frame and athleticism suggest, he'll start getting more attention from FBS programs.

Class: Senior
Height: 5-9
Weight: 190
2011 Stats: 150 tackles, 9 for loss, 2 kick blocks
2012 Outlook: Along with quarterback Bivins Caraway, Lathan is the face of the Longview Lobos. He is the defending consensus Class 5A Defensive Player of the Year after a huge junior season and leads eight returning defensive starters into 2012, which figures to be another lengthy season for the Lobos. Longview is ranked ninth in the Associated Press preseason Class 5A poll and will be difficult to deal with defensivley. 

Class: Senior
Height: 6-0
Weight: 220
2011 Stats: 179 tackles, 13 for loss, 3 INTs
2012 Outlook: Davis is one of the state's leading returning tacklers and enters his third season starting at middle linebacker for Kilgore, which drops to Class 3A and the "District of Doom." Kilgore will need Davis and a veteran secondary to perform like it did last year, when the Bulldogs reached the Class 4A Division II state quarterfinals. That's the kind of performance it might take to simply get into the playoffs from District 16-3A. 

Class: Senior (committed to TCU)
Height: 6-2
Weight: 200
2011 Stats: 95 tackles, 20 for loss, 6 sacks, 3 forced fumbles; 118 carries, 1,327 yards, 28 TDs
2012 Outlook: Shaw is a two-way standout, but will probably play defense at the next level. But first, Mineola needs him to play great D his senior season, which will see the Yellowjackets jump to Class 3A and a district that includes the high-powered Van offense. Shaw is one of the biggest recruits in East Texas' 2013 class, so TCU will get a good one if he remains committed to the Horned Frogs.

Class: Junior
Height: 6-1
Weight: 220
2011 Stats: 130 tackles, 9 sacks, 1 INT, 4 forced fumbles, 17 QB pressures
2012 Outlook: Like Shaw, Walker may be a two-way star before the season is over. He's got the build and athleticism to be a bruising ball carrier and got limited action doing that as a sophomore. Walker is another of East Texas' 2014 stars and will be one of Gilmer's most important players on both sides of the ball. He fits the Buckeyes' 3-4 scheme perfectly as an edge defender who is physical enough to play at the line of scrimmage, but athletic enough to play in space when he's needed to.

Class: Senior
Height: 5-9
Weight: 165
2011 Stats: 96 tackles, 7 INTs, 2 defensive TDs; 26 catches, 446 yards, 3 TDs
2012 Outlook: Roberson was one of Class 2A's best defensive backs in 2011 and should be just as good as a senior, when he'll likely factor even more into Arp's plans on offense. Arp coach Dale Irwin, who has coached LaVocheya Cooper (Oklahoma State) and Sedrick Johnson (Iowa State), among others, recently called Roberson the best athlete he's ever coached. That alone could get the talented two-way impact player on the East Texas Super Team.

Class: Senior
Height: 5-7
Weight: 155
2011 Stats: 98 tackles, 5 forced fumbles, 5 pass breakups
2012 Outlook: Bartley is perhaps Longview's toughest player, so don't let his diminutive stature fool you. He's a bulldog of a defender and one of the hardest hitters in the region. He'll lead a Longview secondary that will be among Class 5A's best. Bartley and fellow Super Teamers DeMarkus Lathan and Stephan Maxey give veteran coach John King confidence in his defense entering 2012.

Class: Junior
Height: 5-11
Weight: 185
2011 Stats: 88 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 6 pass breakups
2012 Outlook: Maxey had a breakout sophomore season and is back for what should be an even bigger year, both for himself and the Lobos. Maxey is a member of Longview's talented junior class, which has Lobo fans hoping that 2012 is the season that finally ends Longview's long state championship drought (1937). Maxey will be a Division I recruit in 2014 and is yet another in a long line of playmaking Longview defensive backs. 

Class: Senior (committed to SMU)
Height: 6-1
Weight: 170
2011 Stats: 25 tackles, 2 INTs
2012 Outlook: You might say to yourself, "Why weren't Washington's numbers better in 2011?" Because nobody liked to throw toward him. Washington, who recently told ETSN.fm he's very solid in his commitment to SMU, will be Gilmer's top cover corner and could also be a receiving threat for the Buckeyes' new quarterback, whether that's Tanner Barr, Jaidon Parrish, or McClane Carter once he's healthy. Washington is one of seven returning defensive starters, so Gilmer will make scoring difficult on most teams the Buckeyes play.

Class: Junior
Height: 5-11
Weight: 210
2011 Stats: 25 punts, 38.2 average, long of 70
2012 Outlook: Holt has the longest average per punt of any returning punter in the region, and that obviously wasn't on a hand full of boots, but more than two dozen. But punting isn't Holt's only duty; he's one of Henderson's tight end/H-back players and will be a key part of the Lions' attack in 2012 along with fellow junior tight end/H-back Jordan Dixon.

Class: Senior
Height: 5-10
Weight: 175
2011 Stats: 6 punt return TDs, 1 kickoff return TD, 1 fumble return TD; 23 carries, 226 yards, 3 TDs; 38 catches, 610 yards, 10 TDs
2012 Outlook: "Monster" may be East Texas' most versatile player, and perhaps its most dangerous in the open field. After all, he scored 21 touchdowns five different ways as a junior, when he was an absolute special teams nightmare for opponents. Brown is back for his senior year and will see more opportunities to get the end zone, particularly on offense, where the Henderson coaching staff will undoubtedly find as many ways to get the ball in his hands as possible. Don't be surprised if the Lions get creative with Brown, who has two Division I FBS offers and should see more during the coming months.