Being a former sports writer in the Sherman-Denison area, I know how much it hurts folks up there that DFW media outlets don't seem to pay too much attention to the two powerful 4A programs.
So I'm going to use this space to throw them some love, along with the rest of District 9-4A (not to be confused with the hit sci-fi flick, "District 9").
The race for the district title pretty much begins and ends with the Denison Yellow Jackets, who have to be one of the most loaded offensive football teams in the entire state.
And for evidence, look no further than senior running back D.J. Jones, who toted the rock 197 times last year for a grand total of 2,676 yards and 40 touchdowns. In case you're not too math-inclined, that's a whopping 13.6 yards per carry. There's also junior quarterback Jordan Taylor, who at 6 foot, 5 inches and 200 pounds, runs a blazing 4.5 40-yard dash.
Jones was one of the hottest stories around last year after the Jackets' 65-64 win over McKinney, in which Jones rushed for 432 yards and eight touchdowns, outdueling McKinney QB Zach Lee (an LSU commit), who threw for 440 yards and six scores in the game.
Then there's Sherman, which lost a Jones-esque runner in Waymon James, who signed with TCU after also averaging double-digit yards per carry. They also have some offensive firepower in quarterback Madison Carter, a dual-threat QB, and receiver Greg Jackson, who's a great athlete and Nathan James, another WR who happens to be the little brother of Waymon.
You might not find many good defenses in this district, with the exception of Denison's and possibly Sherman's, but one thing is for certain, there might not be more offensive prowess in the state, other than maybe District 5-4A.
Sports Connection
Connecting you to your favorite North Texas sports teams as well as sports news around the globe.
Offensive MVP: D.J. Jones, RB, Denison
Defensive MVP: Garrett Powell, LB, Sherman
Game of the Year: McKinney at Denison, Week 5
Adam Boedeker is a sports writer/award-winning blogger for the Denton Record-Chronicle. He wishes he could attend the Longview-Allen game on Friday.
