Football Preview 2024

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Football season is closing in.

We are two weeks away from the beginning of the season which begins on Aug. 30 Atlanta Head Coach Tyler Morton is in year three and looks to continue an upwards climb with the Rabbits.

Both Linden-Kildare and Queen City have new athletic directors.

For L-K, Coach Jason Ferguson was hired as the Head Football Coach/Athletic Director. Ferguson has a career record of 57-26 with stops as head coach at DeLeon, Memphis and Shelbyville.

For Queen City, Coach David Wilbanks brings a wealth of knowledge to the table and was most recently the OL coach at Harmony.

ATLANTA – 8-3A D I

Atlanta has made the playoffs in each of the first two seasons under head coach Tyler Morton and looks to return again this year.

This year Dave Campell’s Texas Football staff has picked the Rabbits to finish second in district play behind Jefferson.

The Rabbs return 22 letterman which includes ten starters on offense and eight starters on defense.

Players to watch are: Markeylin Batton, Peyton Harrison, Jayden Riley, Asher Wells, Ty Waldon, Marshawn Woodberry, Kayden Linwood, Jaylen Finley, Chris Hale, Kameron Williams, Landon Johnson, Jamarion Austin, Sye Stroman, Marcellous Kirk, Kheaton Kinney, Zamarian Ivery and Eli Mitchell.

Atlanta will play 10 games consecutively before its off week. Normally an off week is set for some time around the beginning of district play but not this season.

With the addition of Liberty-Eylau, who dropped to 3A, there are now seven teams in District 8.

Per the schedule, the Rabbits open the season hosting Pleasant Grove with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 30.

The Rabbs visit Hooks on Sept. 6, with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff time, then hosts New Boston on Sept. 13, with a 7 p.m. kickoff time and on Sept. 20, Atlanta travels to Mount Vernon where kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.

Atlanta open district play by hosting White Oak on Sept. 27, then travels to Jefferson on Oct. 4, plays Sabine at home on Oct. 11, visits L-E on Oct. 18, hosts Tatum on Oct. 25 and plays at Gladewater on Nov. 1.

All district games are scheduled at 7 p.m. *** September 27 will be a packed night as The Atlanta Education Foundation will have its annual event on the same night as Homecoming. Atlanta’s Athletics Hall of Fame will induct three more members into the coveted hall on Oct. 11, and Senior Night is on Oct. 25. ***

QUEEN CITY – 10-3A D II

Queen City made the playoffs last year and returns a solid corps of players which includes 15 returning lettermen, seven offensive starters and six defensive starters.

First-year Head Coach David Wilbanks looks to prove Dave Campbell’s fifth place finish in district play wrong.

The Bulldogs are in one of the toughest districts in 3A DII yet again. With realignment the Bulldogs will face Hooks, DeKalb, New Boston, Daingerfield, Hughes Springs and Redwater.

Hooks won its district last season and went 11-1, 6-0, DeKalb placed second and was 7-3, 5-1, New Boston was 6-6, 3-3 and placed third in its district, Daingerfield won district last year and went 11-4, 5-1, Redwater was 4-6, 3-3 and Hughes Springs was winless.

QC was a Bi-District finalist, Hooks lost to Daingerfield in the second round of the playoffs, Daingerfield went five deep in the playoffs, DeKalb was a Bi-District finalist and New Boston ended up going two rounds into the playoffs.

Players to watch are: Hunter Parker, Willie Grundy, D.J. Henson, Jason Joffray, Brayden Wiley, Daketrick Smith, Levi Byrum, David Jackson, TJ Guest, Riley Newkirk, Noah Williams, Kordell Federick, Bryce Belk, Trenton Belk, Malaki Richardson, Derell Sewell and Xander Brown.

QC will play 10 games consecutively before its off week just like Atlanta will.

The Bulldogs kick off the regular season with an away game against Grace Community on Aug. 30, and follow that game up with another away game at Harleton on Sept. 6.

QC enjoys three consecutive home games as they host Elysian Fields on Sept. 13, White Oak on Sept. 20 and Hooks, for its first district game, on Sept. 27.

On Oct. 4, the Bulldogs visit Hughes Springs, host Daingerfield on Oct. 11, play at New Boston on Oct. 18, welcome Redwater to Smith-Wall Stadium on Oct. 25 and play at DeKalb on Nov. 1.

All of the Bulldogs’ games are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. kickoffs.

*** Queen City celebrates Homecoming on Sept. 20 and Senior Night on Oct. 25. ***

LINDEN-KILDARE – 9-2A D II

Linden-Kildare made the playoffs the past two seasons and first-year Head Coach Jason Ferguson looks to lead the Tigers back into the playoffs for a third consecutive season.

The Tigers are picked by Dave Campell’s Texas Football staff to finish fifth in district play.

After realignment the district stays the same aside from the addition of Celeste.

Celeste will be in its third year in Division II having dropped down from Division I a few years back.

Players to watch are: JaCorey Birmingham, Colton Justice, Kaysen Liles, Logan Grandmaison, Keegan Salers and Landon Farrington.

Linden-Kildare’s regular season starts with a home game against Paul Pewitt on Aug. 30, and is followed up with an away game at Colmesneil on Sept. 6.

Both of those games begin at 7 p.m. The Tigers host Hughes Springs at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 13, and will take on Tenaha on the road at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21.

L-K begins district play at home versus Celeste on Sept. 27, travels to Cumby on Oct. 4, has a BYE week Oct. 11, hosts Detroit on Oct. 18, visits Clarksville on Oct. 25, welcomes James Bowie on Nov. 1 and finishes up the regular season slate at Maud on Nov. 8.

All district games are scheduled for 7 p.m. *** L-K celebrates Homecoming on Oct. 18 and Senior Night on Nov. 1. ***