PackAttack Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 Another year and another topic change. The discussion of the 2024 Lufkin Panther Football possibilities are before us. More to add to this later. The 2024 Panthers will have the cream of the crop from the last two years on the defensive side of the ball. Many changes will happen on the offensive side after the graduation of Kedren Young, and a new QB will fill the QB position after the past two and a half years led by T J Hammond. As Purple Nation has stated, the defense can be an elite group in 2024, one of the best at Lufkin in many years. New faces? We will get to see what Javion Johnson can do at QB. See the duo of DeMarkus Chinn and Gavin Phillips at RB. Will the OL be improved??? I only see one starter from 2023 coming back, Mathew Chavez. Do not know if Geo Villegas returns or not, he was sidelined all last year after starting as a sophomore. There will be four starting WR returning, Kevo Taylor, KeAndre Hooper, Kriseam Preston and Quincy Coutee. If Johnson develops, and (Green) can find a way to get them the ball, good things will happen. Johnson is a legit RPO QB which is something the O has not had for 2 1/2 seasons. The KEY IMO is the O-Line. Many player faces will remain the same, and new contributors will emerge. The Panther staff to this point remains unchanged, not much needs to be said about that at this time. To be clear, I personally have not changed my mind about the coaching on the offensive side of the ball. We just finished three seasons with a P5 RB going to Notre Dame and failed to make the playoffs, that's all I need to say. As I have mentioned the defense will be loaded with nine starters returning. Jordan McClendon, Zion Williams, Elijah Alexander and Kaleb Preston return on the D-line, Kaden Hooper, Juan Laura, Keithan Davis, Ross Byrd, Jordan Booker and Baily Murphy return at LB . In the secondary Evan Young, Kenneth Timmons, Michael Mosley, KeShawn Waters, Jacoriance White and Amontia Hatton all return for 2024. Not sure yet who will contribute from the 2023 JV or Freshman groups, there is talent there as well. Hope it comes in the form of really good O-lineman that can knock some holes in the opposing defensive lines. There will be more information coming out later. We need to solidify the actual U I L district placement the next two seasons , see a finalized schedule for 2024 and there will probably be a few more Panthers who will sign scholarships. There will be stuff to talk about and certainly expectations to be had , especially with the amount of talent returning for 2024. There will be Spring football and 7 on 7 competitions leading up to another year. The more realistic question for success is not the talent in Lufkin, we know that lies in the ability of Coach Quick and his staff to get that job accomplished. Make your own judgements there, I've already exited the train. I think it will be an interesting 2024 season with the amount of talent returning, playing in a new district, just seeing a new mix of players and chemistry. Expectations? There should be this year, then again I haven't decided yet how i plan to approach the season as a fan. With the season ending results this program has endured since 2017, the only way I make it today is if I look upon a new season with the innocence of a fresh laid egg. It ain't easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PackAttack Posted January 9 Author Report Share Posted January 9 2024 Lufkin Panther Football Schedule Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PackAttack Posted January 9 Author Report Share Posted January 9 According to Matt Stepp and DCTF: District 8-5A DI would match up with District 7-5A DI in the playoffs. District 7-5ADI: Highland Park Red Oak Tyler DeSoto North Mesquite West Mesquite Midlothian Longview is gone to 6A, but get two that are just as dominate in DeSoto and Highland Park. The old saying, be cafeful what you wish for. I had wished we would end up in Region II for football. Matt Stepp/DCTF is pretty much spot on with his predictions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PackAttack Posted January 9 Author Report Share Posted January 9 Congratuations to Ja'Lynn Polk on an outstanding sophmore season for the Washington Huskies. Polk had 69 receptions for 1159 yards and 9 TD. He had a long of 92 yards. On a team that has won 25 games the past two years. I think he has an excellent chance to play in the NFL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr. b Posted January 10 Report Share Posted January 10 I see Polk just declared for the NFL draft today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LufkinPack Posted January 10 Report Share Posted January 10 12 hours ago, mr. b said: I see Polk just declared for the NFL draft today Whether it’s as a draftee or an undrafted free agent, Polk will get a shot. He was too important to that Washington offense for every team to overlook him. Good luck to that young man. Happy for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LufkinPack Posted January 10 Report Share Posted January 10 21 hours ago, PackAttack said: According to Matt Stepp and DCTF: District 8-5A DI would match up with District 7-5A DI in the playoffs. District 7-5ADI: Highland Park Red Oak Tyler DeSoto North Mesquite West Mesquite Midlothian Longview is gone to 6A, but get two that are just as dominate in DeSoto and Highland Park. The old saying, be cafeful what you wish for. I had wished we would end up in Region II for football. Matt Stepp/DCTF is pretty much spot on with his predictions. Is it set in stone that desoto isn’t gonna opt up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pimpthepen Posted January 10 Report Share Posted January 10 I have a source that told me Desoto is opting to play up this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleNation Posted January 10 Report Share Posted January 10 1 hour ago, LufkinPack said: Whether it’s as a draftee or an undrafted free agent, Polk will get a shot. He was too important to that Washington offense for every team to overlook him. Good luck to that young man. Happy for him. Draft Buzz has him Late 2nd projection #13 WR overall. It's not a matter of if he gets drafted it's a matter of when he gets drafted. I can't see him falling past the 3rd RD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleNation Posted January 10 Report Share Posted January 10 22 hours ago, PackAttack said: Another year and another topic change. The discussion of the 2024 Lufkin Panther Football possibilities are before us. More to add to this later. The 2024 Panthers will have the cream of the crop from the last two years on the defensive side of the ball. Many changes will happen on the offensive side after the graduation of Kedren Young, and a new QB will fill the QB position after the past two and a half years led by T J Hammond. As Purple Nation has stated, the defense can be an elite group in 2024, one of the best at Lufkin in many years. New faces? We will get to see what Javion Johnson can do at QB. See the duo of DeMarkus Chinn and Gavin Phillips at RB. Will the OL be improved??? I only see one starter from 2023 coming back, Mathew Chavez. Do not know if Geo Villegas returns or not, he was sidelined all last year after starting as a sophomore. There will be four starting WR returning, Kevo Taylor, KeAndre Hooper, Kriseam Preston and Quincy Coutee. If Johnson develops, and (Green) can find a way to get them the ball, good things will happen. Johnson is a legit RPO QB which is something the O has not had for 2 1/2 seasons. The KEY IMO is the O-Line. Many player faces will remain the same, and new contributors will emerge. The Panther staff to this point remains unchanged, not much needs to be said about that at this time. To be clear, I personally have not changed my mind about the coaching on the offensive side of the ball. We just finished three seasons with a P5 RB going to Notre Dame and failed to make the playoffs, that's all I need to say. As I have mentioned the defense will be loaded with nine starters returning. Jordan McClendon, Zion Williams, Elijah Alexander and Kaleb Preston return on the D-line, Kaden Hooper, Juan Laura, Keithan Davis, Ross Byrd and Baily Murphy return at LB . In the secondary Evan Young, Kenneth Timmons, Michael Mosley, KeShawn Waters, Jacoriance White and Amontia Hatton all return for 2024. Not sure yet who will contribute from the 2023 JV or Freshman groups, there is talent there as well. Hope it comes in the form of really good O-lineman that can knock some holes in the opposing defensive lines. There will be more information coming out later. We need to solidify the actual U I L district placement the next two seasons , see a finalized schedule for 2024 and there will probably be a few more Panthers who will sign scholarships. There will be stuff to talk about and certainly expectations to be had , especially with the amount of talent returning for 2024. There will be Spring football and 7 on 7 competitions leading up to another year. The more realistic question for success is not the talent in Lufkin, we know that lies in the ability of Coach Quick and his staff to get that job accomplished. Make your own judgements there, I've already exited the train. I think it will be an interesting 2024 season with the amount of talent returning, playing in a new district, just seeing a new mix of players and chemistry. Expectations? There should be this year, then again I haven't decided yet how i plan to approach the season as a fan. With the season ending results this program has endured since 2017, the only way I make it today is if I look upon a new season with the innocence of a fresh laid egg. It ain't easy. Then you have several kids on defense that didn't start that saw plenty of action or either started at least 1 game during the year. The defense if going to be really good next season. If they can get from 23 ppg to around 17 ppg they will have a really good season. We're definitely upgrading the QB position with Jayvion. Gio is expected to return at LT for his Sr season. Gavin is not as good as Kedren but he is certainly a D1 talent at RB and Chinn is probably the hardest working kid in the program. Not worried about RB. OL is the concern for me but with all these WRs coming back we probably will throw it a lot more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PackAttack Posted January 10 Author Report Share Posted January 10 52 minutes ago, pimpthepen said: I have a source that told me Desoto is opting to play up this year. Just showing you what Matt Stepp and DCTF is predicting. I have read about the possibility of them opting up to stay 6A too. We'll see soon enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PackAttack Posted January 10 Author Report Share Posted January 10 9 hours ago, PurpleNation said: Then you have several kids on defense that didn't start that saw plenty of action or either started at least 1 game during the year. The defense if going to be really good next season. If they can get from 23 ppg to around 17 ppg they will have a really good season. We're definitely upgrading the QB position with Jayvion. Gio is expected to return at LT for his Sr season. Gavin is not as good as Kedren but he is certainly a D1 talent at RB and Chinn is probably the hardest working kid in the program. Not worried about RB. OL is the concern for me but with all these WRs coming back we probably will throw it a lot more. The problem is if they had a decent OL coach here, then the OL would not be a problem. Sure miss Mr. Tommy Early as OLC, he could still be there, as could Pat Nicholson. I've talked to both. If people only knew how they were moved out, because they were deemed not to fit the good ol boy system. Guys you have no idea. The OL situation will be a mess until they get someone there who can produce a good line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PackAttack Posted January 10 Author Report Share Posted January 10 Here are two informative NFL scouting reports on Ja'Lynn Polk. Projected as a certain 2nd round pick, and a possible late 1st round pick. https://www.profootballnetwork.com/jalynn-polk-draft-scouting-2024/ https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Ja'Lynn-Polk-WR-TexasTech "Smooth as Butter". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PackAttack Posted January 10 Author Report Share Posted January 10 There are a ton of HC who are retiring right now. Some who have been at it many years. Some is well timed such as the Timpson coach, others like Marshall are they have put in the time. Great opportunities await for some younger coaches to step up and see what they can do moving toward the future. https://www.texasfootball.com/coaching-changes/?ref=subnav Teams looking for coaches, McKinney, Buda Hays, Corsicana, Greenville, Lovejoy, Nederland, Navasota, Palestine, Splendora, East Bernard, Omaha Pewitt, Hemphill, Hawkins, Waskom, Timpson, and the team they beat Tolar. Many more out there too. It looks like one of those years, had one like this about 6 or 7 years ago with a mass turnover of HC/AD in Texas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleNation Posted January 11 Report Share Posted January 11 22 hours ago, PackAttack said: The problem is if they had a decent OL coach here, then the OL would not be a problem. Sure miss Mr. Tommy Early as OLC, he could still be there, as could Pat Nicholson. I've talked to both. If people only knew how they were moved out, because they were deemed not to fit the good ol boy system. Guys you have no idea. The OL situation will be a mess until they get someone there who can produce a good line. Two really good coaches. Coach Guzman is still there but coaches Tennis now. He was a solid RB coach back in the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleNation Posted January 11 Report Share Posted January 11 On 1/9/2024 at 10:04 AM, PackAttack said: DCTF MOCK 2024-2025 5A DI District Alignments: by Matt Stepp 8-5A DI: Lufkin Beaumont Westbrook New Caney Porter Port Arthur Memorial Crosby Beaumont United Humble Kingwood Park It's just absurd to me that they would put them in 8 instead of 9. It comes down to do you wanna split Austin area or Houston area to play Dallas in bi district. You will never convince me that someone from within the UIL doesn't have a personal incentive for certain schools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PackAttack Posted January 11 Author Report Share Posted January 11 6 hours ago, PurpleNation said: It's just absurd to me that they would put them in 8 instead of 9. It comes down to do you wanna split Austin area or Houston area to play Dallas in bi district. You will never convince me that someone from within the UIL doesn't have a personal incentive for certain schools. I believe you might be on to something. There are a several of 8 and 9 team districts in 5A DI. Just know Lufkin gets moved around like a pawn to fill out any empty space North or South in 5A DI for the UIL. I'll try to post the entire mock DCTF lay out. https://www.texasfootball.com/article/2024/01/09/updated-2024-mock-realignment-5a-division-i?ref=bookmark_article_preview_img Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PackAttack Posted January 11 Author Report Share Posted January 11 I'll make a guess Crosby will not be in the Lufkin district, they will be with whatever district Barbers Hill plays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PackAttack Posted January 12 Author Report Share Posted January 12 11 hours ago, PurpleNation said: It's just absurd to me that they would put them in 8 instead of 9. It comes down to do you wanna split Austin area or Houston area to play Dallas in bi district. You will never convince me that someone from within the UIL doesn't have a personal incentive for certain schools. Here are the teams Matt Stepp predicts to be in 9-5A DI: Houston Austin Houston Milby Houston Madison Houston Sharpstown Houston Waltrip Houston Westbury Houston Chavez Houston Sterling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PackAttack Posted January 12 Author Report Share Posted January 12 Matt Stepp DCTF 10-5A DI mock prediction: LaPorte Pasadena Angleton Galveston Ball Friendswood Barbers Hill Baytown Sterling Houston Springwoods Fort Bend Kemper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Packfan49 Posted January 12 Report Share Posted January 12 On 1/10/2024 at 8:33 AM, PurpleNation said: Draft Buzz has him Late 2nd projection #13 WR overall. It's not a matter of if he gets drafted it's a matter of when he gets drafted. I can't see him falling past the 3rd RD. I,m with you on Polk, even before reading any predictions , I had him late second or third rounder. I f he drops to the fourth it should be early Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleNation Posted January 12 Report Share Posted January 12 17 hours ago, Packfan49 said: I,m with you on Polk, even before reading any predictions , I had him late second or third rounder. I f he drops to the fourth it should be early I'd be surprised to see him available in the 4th RD unless he just has a bad combine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PackAttack Posted January 12 Author Report Share Posted January 12 4 hours ago, PurpleNation said: I'd be surprised to see him available in the 4th RD unless he just has a bad combine Good timing to enter draft. Washington U coach flew the coup to Alabama. Two years at Fresno, two years at Washington now jumped to Alabama. Washington doubled his salary to 8.4M a year, yet he still left the W. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleNation Posted January 12 Report Share Posted January 12 1 hour ago, PackAttack said: Good timing to enter draft. Washington U coach flew the coup to Alabama. Two years at Fresno, two years at Washington now jumped to Alabama. Washington doubled his salary to 8.4M a year, yet he still left the W. Yep good time to come out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr. b Posted January 12 Report Share Posted January 12 I would think losing Penix to the draft was the major factor. His accuracy has probably made Polk a lot of dollars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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