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In this district, the unknowns are bountiful.

Perennial powers Cisco and Crawford are looking to reload after losing a bevy of talented seniors.

But strong programs stay that way for a reason, meaning Cisco and Crawford should meet at Pirate Field in the final week of the season with the district crown on the line.

Millsap has the most experience of the district’s teams that made the playoffs, which should mean another postseason berth.

Hico was sitting pretty with a pair of 1,000-plus-yard rushers, but an injury to quarterback Sonny Morrow on the first day of practice cast a pall over the Tigers.

Rio Vista brings back 15 starters but finished 1-9 last season. Tolar is trying to prove that the move from 1A is doable after reaching the second round of the playoffs last season.

Crawford Pirates

Head coach: Delbert Kelm (4th season: 25-9)

All-time: 507-228-28 since 1927

Playoff history: 39-27-3 in 32 trips, most recently 2009; 1 state championship (2004)

Returning: 15 lettermen; 4 offensive, 4 defensive starters

Outlook: After a one-year hiatus, the perennially playoff-bound Pirates found their way back to the postseason last season.

Crawford safety Jake Talbert adds starting quarterback to his duties this seaosn.
Jerry Larson / Waco Tribune-Herald

This year’s team is inexperienced on both sides of the ball, but some stars remain. None is more important than Jake Talbert (right), a first-team all-state safety who picked off seven passes last year.

This season, Talbert spearheads a secondary that has the most experience of any unit on the squad and also assumes the responsibility of quarterback following the graduation of Chane Lynch.

Kelm said Talbert doesn’t have Lynch’s arm strength, but throws as well or better on the run, so Crawford will use more sprint-outs and run the option more.

Daniel Post will likely be Talbert’s best threat at receiver and will line up to him at strong safety. Cameron Kendrick moves from wide receiver to tight end, and will also be counted on at defensive end. Justin Tabor is back to anchor the offensive and defensive lines.

Hico Tigers

Head coach: Keith Wood (3rd season: 12-8)

All-time: 324-408-4 since 1912

Playoff history: 7-11 in 11 trips, most recently 2007; 0 state championships

Returning: 9 lettermen; 4 offensive, 3 defensive starters

Outlook: Everything looked rosy for Hico until seasoned senior quarterback Sonny Morrow dislocated his throwing elbow on the first day of practice. It’s a doubly hard pill to take because he also picked off five passes last year as a defensive back. The Tigers aren’t sure when he’ll return, so junior Phillip Garza, last year’s varsity backup, gets the nod to start the year.

Dual 1,000-yard running backs Dylan Turner and Alex Sikes would have been the workhorses anyway, but that’s especially the case now. The strain on the offensive line, which returns three in Brian Shepherd, Austin Bell and Patrick Baldridge, will be palpable.

Graduation took a big bite out of the defense. Sikes will double as a safety, and Charles Ratliff is the only returning starter on the line. Cory Foster moves from strong to middle linebacker as the eyes of the front seven.

Hico was already on the fence as a playoff team, and unless Morrow returns soon, it looks as though the running game will have to do almost all of the grunt work.

Hamilton Bulldogs

Head coach: David Wright (3rd season: 9-12)

All-time: 396-416-31 since 1915

Playoff history: 7-11 in 11 trips, most recently 2008; 0 state championships

Returning: 18 lettermen; 6 offensive, 6 defensive starters

Outlook: After 12 years in the wishbone, Hamilton is going to a multiple offense due to a sea change in personnel. The Bulldogs lost both their running backs and their quarterback from last year, and the run-heavy set didn’t make much sense anymore.

Senior Nic Bottlinger will start the year at quarterback after starting a pair of games last year due to an injury in front of him. He’s a former cornerback, so he has quickness. H-back Payden Nolen will be the featured running back, and tight end Jared Massingill will likely be Bottlinger’s security blanket, at least at first.

Wright hopes the offensive line, which returns four starters, will keep Bottlinger upright and punch out a few running lanes as well. Acy May, who will start at right guard and nose guard, is the leader. Wright said he’s getting some looks from Division I schools already.

Behind May defensively, linebacker Gary Stork will lead the way, along with defensive lineman Gary Schumann and safety Mitchell Cude.

— Text by Orts and Parchman
Predictions by Orts