High school football preview: Whiteface, Whitharral lead area six-man landscape in 2023
Whiteface head coach Clint Linman isn't concerning himself with anybody else's perception of his football team entering the 2023 season.
He does, however, share similar sentiments as Dave Campbell's Texas Football about what the Antelopes are capable of achieving. Coming off a 9-3 season with four starters back on both sides of the ball, Whiteface will start the season ranked 12th in Class 1A Division I.
"Every year I just want to reach our potential," Linman said. "And I do think the potential of our team's pretty high. But you've got to line up and practice and you've got to play the games, so, you know, we're working on one day at a time."
The Antelopes offense will be led by running back Ethan Kaufman and quarterback Jeremiah Rendon. The juniors paired nicely together last year, and Linman expects more of the same.
Fellow returning starters include Noah Rendon and Julio Borunda, who occupy linebacker positions.
To Linman, the key to the Antelopes' potential success is a simple formula.
"You've got to be able to run the football and you've got to be able to stop the run defensively," Linman said. "Especially in six-man football, you've got to find a way to get stops."
Whitharral, Jayton and Klondike start in top 10
Whiteface is one of 10 six-man teams in the Lubbock area ranked in the preseason top 25. As is Whitharral, which had the deepest playoff run a year ago, advancing to the state semifinals in Division II.
The Panthers, ranked fourth, charged to a 12-2 record and a perfect 4-0 mark in district. They'll need to replace key players but return quarterback Jack Griffin and rushing options Brent Robinson and Dawson Rodgers. Namar Gomez is back at linebacker.
Just behind the Panthers is No. 5 Jayton, which loses two lettermen from last year's 8-4 squad. Among the returners are quarterback Sean Stanaland, Ayden Salazar and Bode Ham.
As is tradition, rival Motley County isn't too far behind in the rankings, coming in at No. 12. The Matadors are expected to have four starters back from a 4-7 campaign.
A team to keep an eye on is Klondike. The Cougars, who are ranked eighth in the preseason, bring back five two-way starters, led by Creed Warren and a plethora of other weapons. Lineman Truett Thixton is expected to be disruptive on both sides of the ball.
Lubbock-area six-man schools preseason rankings
As determined by Dave Campbell's Texas Football
1A Division I
No. 12 — Whiteface
No. 14 — Nazareth
No. 15 — Borden County
No. 20 — Springlake-Earth
1A Division II
No. 4 — Whitharral
No. 5 — Jayton
No. 8 — Klondike
No. 12 — Motley County
No. 16 — Amherst
No. 23 — Loop
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Six-man football preview: Whiteface, Whitharral lead Lubbock landscape
