Texas team starting fresh
At Eisenhower High School, coach Richard Carson's cup overflowed with athletes. At the Woodlands (Texas) College Park, which will play its first year of varsity in 2006, it's too early to even talk about the cup.
After taking the job nearly two years ago, Carson began building his program while coaching the freshman team at The Woodlands.
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"It was really relaxing the year we coached freshman," Carson said. "We had a good time with the kids and there was no huge pressure. We were just getting set up over here. Most of the hard part was administrative work.
"I started missing the varsity level that year when playoffs came around," he said. "You miss seeing your coaching friends and you feel a little out of the loop."
Carson, who coached at Aldine during their state championship runs in the early 1990s, left for Eisenhower and eventually became the head coach for the Eagles in the latter part of the decade.
"We will be option-oriented like we were at Eisenhower," Carson said. "We will have a power running game with play action passes. We decided on the scheme first. We couldn't do both – evaluate our kids and choose a scheme. We'll probably throw a little more here just because of the kids we have."
Carson does have three building blocks to start his first-year foundation. The biggest cornerstone is 6-foot-8, 290-pound offensive lineman Carl Simunek.
"Carl played sophomore ball at The Woodlands and played for us last year on junior varsity," he said. "He is just starting to grow into his body and is a late developer. He's got a chance to play at the next level just because of his size. He just needs to stop growing and have a good off-season."
Joining Simunek on the offensive line is Will Montgomery – a 6-foot-4, 270 pound honor student. Running behind the two giants will be Shane Morales, a 5-foot-10, 170-pound running back with legit 4.4 speed.
"Even though we are new, I know college recruiters that cover this area," he said. "I tell our kids that if you can play, coaches will find you. I think they all have a chance."