BY NOLAN RUTH
X – @RealNolanRuth
The final installment of the Parker County football series will cover the four private schools that play in the county. On that note, each team will have a shortened preview to what the larger public schools received.
Of the four private schools, only one plays 11-man football: Willow Park Trinity Christian Academy. The other three all play six-man football, Weatherford Christian, Azle Christian and Weatherford Grace Christian.
Willow Park TCA Eagles
Head coach Cody McKenzie knew he was taking over a tough situation when he stepped onto campus a few years ago. However, under his leadership, the Eagles are starting to find their identity again. The last two seasons have been led mostly by freshmen and sophomores which has created a team of upperclassmen hungry to win after just two wins in the last two years. Braxton Smith and Asher Straight are among the returners that will be called upon as leaders. They do gain some help from athlete Canaan Kaznowski, who transferred in from Azle.
Nolan’s prediction: 1-9
I think the Eagles could pull off a non-district win. Possibly a second one, but that’s not too likely. It will still take another year or two before TCA returns as the playoff contender it was not that long ago.
Weatherford Christian Lions
Times are changing at WCS. Just a year after Justin Tate decided to play an outlaw six-man schedule, the Lions are back in a TAPPS district to play six-man, but Tate is gone. The former head coach left to take a position at Olney and was replaced by former Peaster assistant Nick Jones. Despite the change, the Lions could be en route for a stellar season. WCS has traditionally been a strong six-man program in the private school ranks. Now that they are back in the league, a trip to Waco sounds pretty sweet. Jace Rodriguez and Slade Evans are the two returning stars that will have opposing defenses stunned at their speed and athleticism.
Nolan’s prediction: 8-2
It’s a tough schedule for the Lions, but nothing that they should be scared of. In district, it’s the Covenant Classical game that will be the biggest push, and I cannot in good conscience give that a win since the Lions are just rejoining the league, and Covenant has won multiple state championships in recent years. In non-district, it’s the Saint Jo game that gives me concerns, but I could be very wrong about that.
Azle Christian Crusaders
The team affectionately known as “The Cru” has a tough task at hand this year, but they are more than prepared for it. Two big losses from last year’s team deliver a solid blow for head coach Clayton Sanders, but thankfully the Crusaders still have Brodie Clark as a skill player. Clark is the lone returner from last year’s squad, but that’s only because Levi Morrow and Jaxson Logan missed last season due to injury. Morrow will play a tight end and linebacker role, while Logan will be more of a physical presence on the rush. With their return, ACS could possibly be better than ever.
Nolan’s prediction: 9-1
A tough non-district game with Round Rock Christian could be the one game that gets the Cru to stumble. After that, the biggest game of the year will, of course, be the final one against Wichita Falls Christian. Most pundits have already dubbed that the de facto district championship game. If that is the case, I simply cannot pick against ACS, as they seem to be largely slept on, and WFCS will likely do just the same. Regardless, it should be another playoff year for the Cru, and possibly a run to Waco.
Weatherford Grace Christian Colts
The newest team in Parker County will play its second season as an independent under coach Rick Smith. With an outlaw schedule last season, the Colts pulled off just one win against Perrin-Whitt’s JV team. However they bring back a decent amount of players who are looking to lay the foundation for what could be the newest success story out of Parker County. Hayden Ellison returns for his sophomore season after rushing for over 300 yards a year ago. A good season this year could be the start of the next step to getting the Colts into league play.
Nolan’s Prediction: 2-8
While I would love to say that GCA will have a Hollywood season and take the state by storm with their incredible start to the football program, things just don’t work that way in the real world. I think the Colts can pull out wins against Perrin-Whitt’s JV in Week 1, and Weatherford Christian’s JV in the final game. However, two games against Three Way, and a few other small but experienced private schools thrown in, the Colts will likely still experience some growing pains before they see solid success on the gridiron.
