By Nolan Ruth
X – @RealNolanRuth
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It is officially game week for Texas High School Football and Parker County’s largest school is beginning a new era. Marshall Williams comes to town after a brief stint as the offensive coordinator under Todd Dodge at Lovejoy. Prior to that he was the head coach at Keller Timber Creek for four seasons from 2020-23, reaching the playoffs in three of those seasons.
That will be a big goal for him in his first season with Weatherford, as the Kangaroos are looking to reach the post season for the first time since 2021. That will be a bit of a tall order based off of the realignment from February. Weatherford is no stranger to the teams from Arlington ISD, but it has been a long time since Granbury was in the district, and for the first time ever Aledo is in the district.
Coming off of a one-win season, Williams has his work cut out for him. The Kangaroos only return three offensive starters and four on defense. The good news is, two of the strongest weapons are back. Senior running back D.J. Quimby returns after rushing for 1,473 yards and 14 touchdowns. Then in the passing game, Jakob Hemphill returns at receiver after catching 72 passes for 1,006 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The question is who will win the quarterback battle as Cutter Kennedy is no longer with the team. However there are options. Junior Braelyn Jones is coming off of a very strong sophomore performance on JV and definitely passes the eye test. Sophomore Grady Kness has also turned heads and has people around the program talking. It will be interesting to see who will be taking the first snaps on Friday night.
Whoever it is will benefit from a few versatile weapons. Alongside Quimby and Hemphill, juniors Reed Tidwell and Parker Clark are expected to make a difference as receivers. Both are multi-sport athletes and are standout baseball prospects as well. Hunter Ferguson is another junior that can make an impact this season just about anywhere he is needed.
Up front, the Kangaroos are fairly young. Senior tackle Buck Griffith will be the anchor of the offensive line as the only returning starter. Thomas Epps will be called up to the top of the depth chart as guard for his senior season. The remainder of the line will likely be made up of underclassmen.
Conversely, the defensive front could be an early strength for the Kangaroos. Quinton Martinez is back at defensive end after recording 40 tackles and 2 sacks as a junior in 2025. Junior Kayden Redditt is expected to make a splash in his varsity debut season on the other end of the defensive front.
Behind them, the junior duo of Ace Fereind and Levi Hall will make up the heart of the linebacker corps, both in their first year of varsity. Then in the secondary, Fisher Young is a returning starter at cornerback and junior Cam Parker is another making his varsity debut as the other corner.
Youth is going to be a concern, but there is talent on this squad. If things come together as the season goes on, the postseason is not out of the question. But do not be surprised if this season winds up being more of a foundational year under a new regime.
Schedule & Analysis:
vs Burleson Centennial
at Azle
at Fort Worth Paschal
at Arlington Martin
vs Arlington Sam Houston
at Arlington Lamar
vs Granbury
at Aledo
vs Arlington Bowie
at Arlington
Floor: 1-9
I am not pulling any punches. There is definitely talent on this ball club. However, an athletic department shift from top to bottom is not an easy thing to overcome right off the bat. With Azle being the only win from a year ago, and it coming by only one point, that could be a close one again. However, as I mentioned last week, the Hornets return a lot more and are more poised for a bounceback year. Paschal is the only game I struggle to envision a loss. Granbury and Sam Houston will likely be fighting at the bottom of the district. Those three could finish in any order.
Ceiling: 6-4
There is an outside chance that if this talent comes together quickly, it could be a great start for the Roos. Starting 3-0 would be a huge boost going into the Martin game. As I see it, the game with Martin is the game that will define the remainder of the season. If Weatherford can pull the upset, they potentially are just one more win away from the playoffs, assuming the Roos beat Granbury and Sam Houston. Unfortunately it is the end of the season where the toughest games lie. Ending with Aledo, Bowie and Arlington is brutal. With Lamar coming after the bye week, they may get some help from the rest, but I cannot quite see that.
Nolan’s Prediction: 3-7
The path to the postseason Kangaroos. Aledo joining the district puts them one step back from the playoffs already. Bowie returns a lot and appears to be the favorite for second, followed by Lamar. Then it is Arlington High and Martin fighting for the last playoff spot, which is why I believe the district opener with Martin will be the defining moment of the season. Unfortunately I just cannot see it happening given the current circumstances. Give me wins over Paschal, Sam Houston and Granbury.
