We are just over one month away from the start of football season. Has it been that long since we watched New England win another Super Bowl title or dare I say, Alabama lose a national title game?
The high school football season is one of the most anticipated seasons in Scurry County.
Snyder has a new head coach in Wes Wood who hopes to continue the winning tradition that’s been picking up steam the past few seasons.
After visiting with Coach Wood, I see why the search committee was so high on him. Superintendent Dr. Eddie Bland said Wood will be Snyder’s version of Lincoln Riley — a young coach who can relate to players and likes winning.
I did not realize until a few days ago how senior-heavy the 2018 Snyder roster was, but with some key players returning, Wood and his staff should be in good shape heading into the 2019 season.
You can bank on Snyder making another playoff appearance and finishing with a winning record. The only monkey left on the back of the Tiger program is to advance past the first round of the playoffs. This could be the year.
The Ira Bulldogs return several key players this season and head coach Toby Goodwin should like his team’s chances of a deep playoff run. With Nathan Goodwin, Karson Valentine and Anthony Coy among the returning players, Ira will be ready to make a run at another perfect season, but don’t count out their county rival.
Hermleigh head coach Sam Winters’ enthusiasm is infectious. Even though the Cardinals did not make the playoffs last year, Winters has been building the program for success. This could be the year Hermleigh returns to the postseason and we can discuss all three county schools making the playoffs.
Turning to the college football world, Texas Tech is entering a new era with Matt Wells taking over for Cliff Kingsbury in Lubbock. The Red Raiders have not enjoyed sustained success since the days of Mike Leach. Tech fans hope Wells can bring back some of that glory, but it will be tough with Texas and Oklahoma at the top of the Big 12 Conference.
Snyder fans will be watching Sonny Cumbie and the TCU offense this season as well. Cumbie is entering his sixth season as the Horned Frogs’ offensive coordinator and the team is hoping to improve on last year’s 7-6 season.
Yes, I will be pulling for Jalen Hurts at Oklahoma this season. He showed nothing but class during his three seasons at Alabama and he will be successful under Riley’s offense, but he will not be the third straight Sooner to win the Heisman.
That honor will go to Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, who will shine in Steve Sarkisian’s offense. Sarkisian, while at USC, was the first coach to notice Tagovailoa and he now gets to showcase his talents every Saturday.
As for the College Football Playoffs, Clemson and Oklahoma will meet in the Peach Bowl and Alabama will take on Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl. Wait for it — Alabama and Clemson will meet in New Orleans to determine the national champion again and I will get another national title hat for the office.
A quick look at the NFL crystal ball reveals Dallas will make the playoffs, but lose in the first round. Houston will also make the playoffs, but will fall to New England in the AFC title game. The Patriots’ chances of repeating were shot down when Nick Saban won the national title — when Alabama has won a title under Saban, the Patriots lost the Super Bowl that year.
The New Orleans Saints will be partying on Bourbon Street with the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Those are predictions at first glance, but we will have more on the high school football season, and other fall sports, in the annual Fall Sports Preview Section that will be published next month.
Ben Barkley is the managing editor of the Snyder Daily News. He has covered news and sports for more than 25 years in Louisiana and Texas. Comments about his column can be emailed to barkley@snyderdailynews.com.