That’s because on countless occasions last year, Belton showed potential and direction that hadn’t been evident since 2003.
The Tigers established an identity, lining up four and five receivers in their new-look spread offense. Junior-to-be quarterback David Ash burst into stardom while writing his name all over the school record books. Every opposing coach suggested Belton was on the verge of breaking out.
But this season will tell everyone if 2008 was really a preview of better things to come or just a flash in the pan.
“This is a year that’s going to really tell, ‘Has this program moved forward the way we think it has?’” said Belton coach Rodney Southern, who has gone 3-7 in each of his first two seasons.
“The success, though it was limited, finishing on a good note against Bryan (a 31-21 road victory), I think our kids are excited about it.”
The Tigers open spring practice Monday with the first of 18 sessions, concluding with the Red-White Game on May 29 at Tiger Field.
Even though Belton defeated only two opponents on the field - College Station A&M Consolidated had to forfeit its 39-22 victory - the Tigers were tiebreaker points away from reaching the playoffs.
In its seven District 12-5A games, Belton either led or was tied in the second half in every game except against Class 5A Division II state semifinalist Copperas Cove.
The Tigers’ competitiveness largely was because of the emergence of Ash as a playmaker.
A starter for the final nine games, Ash went 203-of-318 passing for 2,474 yards and 16 touchdowns with nine interceptions while being the focal point of defenses.
“From the outside looking in, everybody is always excited when you have your quarterback back,” Southern said. “The thing I’m as excited about is we have several positions that while they might not have all been starters, they got varsity experience. You can’t put a value on experience.
“Everybody can look at David Ash - I can’t put a value on what those nine starts did for him and what it’s going to do for him as we move forward.”
Ash’s favorite target, senior-to-be Kevin Thornton, returns after hauling in 58 passes, including a school-record 14 against Harker Heights. So does 6-5 Jeff Lepak, who had 38 catches, and the athletic trio of Adrian Henderson, Tayron Martin and Thomas Sholars, who will also play defensive back.
The backfield, whose primary duties were blocking and catching short passes, received a boost from Anthony Huber, who racked up 339 total yards while scoring four times in the final three games. Explosive Kenny Shuler and power back Seth Alcozer provide versatility.
Offensive linemen Cooper Smith, Nick Trent and Brandon Harding were starters at the end of the season while Patrick Carney saw significant time.
The offense piled up yards, but the defense couldn’t stop opponents from running wild.
“For us defensively, we have to stop the run. We haven’t stopped it in two years,” said Southern, whose team allowed an area-worst 269.4 rushing yards per game. “In those six (district) games (Heights, A&M Consolidated, Cove, Killeen Ellison, Temple, Bryan) we’re going to see as good of runnings backs as there are in the state of Texas.”
Belton should be better equipped to slow down foes with the return of defensive line starters Tim Bower and Zac Sakaria, along with Charleston Lewis, Will Emrick, Aaron Lozoya and Garrett Street.
At linebacker, Tyler Vail and Michael Padgett, who played the Tigers’ “stinger” position, return. Late-season varsity additions Amaury Del Real and Ricky Alvarez should fill the other spot in Belton’s 3-3 stack.
Brodrick Crain and Nick Alaniz played a lot and will lead the secondary. Reyes Jimenez, Sholars and Darrius White, a junior-to-be who spent all season on the JV, round out the backfield.
If the defense provides some relief to the offense, it’ll be interesting to see just how much Belton’s stock will rise in 2009.
“Should your third year be different? Yes, it should - I believe that,” Southern said. “I believe the kids should be more comfortable, the coaching staff should be more comfortable, you should be able to do more things in situations and know how to react to those situations.”
NOTE: Belton will travel only 295.46 miles roundtrip during its five road games, compared to 810.36 miles for six games last season.
