New faces in skill positions
Last season, Caprock fell just shy of qualifying for the postseason for the first time since 1975.
The Longhorns lost to Canyon, 35-34, in the regular-season finale as the Eagles clinched the final playoff spot and left Caprock on the outside looking in.
That bitter taste in the mouths of the Longhorns has turned into optimism as the new season approaches. The way 2008 ended was difficult, but the players proved to themselves they can compete with anybody in District 3-4A.
“We were close to getting in the playoffs last year, and this group is focusing on taking the next step,” Caprock third-year head coach Seth Parr said. “We’re always trying to get better, and we know that’s something that’s done on a daily basis. We don’t dwell on what happened, but we know that we can compete with anybody we play with. We’re not scared of people any more, and we do believe that we belong in the top of the district.”
The Longhorns will be returning 12 lettermen, meaning those veterans will have to step up and lead a young group of players as the program attempts to build on last season. Many of the new players will be filling roles at skill positions and will have to elevate their games to make an impact.
“We’ll have some experience on the offensive and defensive lines, which I think is where we’ll be the strongest,” Parr said. “We have some positions like receiver where we have a lot of inexperience. Those kids have been in the system for two years, so hopefully they can step up and make plays for us. That’s the biggest concern we have. On defense, our linebacking corps is going to be young and will need to make plays, but we have some experience on the line and in the secondary.”
Caprock also has experience at running back with senior Jamar Johnson, who has the speed to run past defenders and the strength to run over them if he so chooses.
As the Longhorns’ biggest offensive threat, Johnson will have more responsibilities than just carrying the ball. He also will need to help lead the young offense, something Parr said he is more than capable of doing.
“We’re hoping Jamar takes some pressure off our receivers and quarterback early on,” Parr said. “People are going to try to stop him, and obviously he’s a big part of our offense, and we’re going to try and give him the ball as much as possible. What I like about Jamar is that he’s unselfish and he understands that when teams focus on shutting him down, it leaves another man open.
“Some other people are going to have to step up and make plays. We like to spread the ball around on offense and get everyone involved.”