The Bank of Mineral Wells Presents

Pigskin Preview 2017

701 E. Hubbard St. | Mineral Wells, TX
940-325-3740

2017
PREVIEW

RAMS REBUILD for 2017 season

M ineral We l l s M i l l s a p Perrin Santo G ordon Strawn
INSIDE
Pigskin Preview

6
MINERAL WELLS
Rams rebuild for 2017

MILLSAP
Battle-tested Bulldogs hungry for success 14

20
PERRIN
All hands on deck

SANTO
Wildcats remain confident 30

GORDON
Longhorns look at greener pastures 38

STRAWN
Greyhounds ready to make a run in 17 46
300 S.E. 1st Street Mineral Wells
(940) 325-4465
Publisher Writers/Photographers Advertising Sales
Jeff Smith Ian Pribanic David May Ronny Collins Mary Gray
Editor Layout and Design
Ian Pribanic Krissie Paine
FOOTBALL 2017

LETTERfrom the editor

F
or the casual sports fan, the winter and spring seasons are as enjoyable as any other
time of year with high school basketball, softball, baseball and track all in session.

But for the Texas football fan, that cool autumn breeze cant come fast enough, and
with the release of the Mineral Wells Indexs annual Pigskin Preview, 2017 edition,
the season lies less than a week away.

This is my first year taking a crack at the preview after a trio of superb compilations from
my predecessor Clint Foster. I am extremely grateful to him for the hard work put in and
foundation he laid during the past three Pigskin Previews,
and this years edition continues to build on that success.

Returning for the 2017 Pigskin Preview are the annual

Dandy Dozen, 12 or so area players that showcase the best
and brightest players from all six area schools, the Best of
the Brazos area super team that wonders what a fantasy
and all-star squad of area players might look like and
previews, stats and much more to help any and all fans get
hyped for week one of the 2017 football season.

New additions to the fourth edition of the Pigskin Pre-

view, and at half of the six area schools featured, include
write ups for all three first-year head coaches at Santo,
Perrin-Whitt and Gordon. In this years Pigskin Preview
Ian Pribanic each of the three new coaches provides their vision for the
Sports Editor future of football at their respective program.

Elsewhere in Palo Pinto County, established coaches Jake Johnson at Millsap, Dewaine Lee
at Strawn and Gerald Perry at Mineral Wells have high hopes for their programs as well.
The Bulldogs are in their third year under Johnson and are hungry for a playoff win, the
Greyhounds return five of six starters on both sides of the ball and are on a fast-track to a
deep playoff run after 11 wins a year ago, and the Rams will look to rebuild a talented team
that lost 12 total starters as they try to reach the playoffs for the third year in a row.

As always, a tremendous amount of gratitude is due to the many advertisers whove once
again shown their support for this project, the steady hand of graphic design artist Krissie
Paine, as well as Mineral Wells Index Editor David May and advertising rep Mary Gray for
their overwhelming support and contribution to the 2017 edition.

Thanks are also in order for all six area schools, officials, coaches and student athletes
who dedicate their time each and every summer to help ensure the fans get a compre-
hensive and enjoyable Pigskin Preview as we look forward to arguably the best time of
the year, FOOTBALL SEASON!

4 MINERAL WELLS INDEX

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 #80
DANDY DOZEN
Area players to watch

POSITION: Wide Receiver GRADE: 12th

HEIGHT: 62 40 TIME: 4.5
WEIGHT: 180 SQUAT: 520
NOTABLE/FAVORITE STAT: Hauled in two touchdowns
during the Rams 2015 area championship win against Pampa
NICKNAME: Los
FAVORITE NFL TEAM: Houston Texans
FAVORITE COLLEGE TEAM: TCU
FAVORITE ATHLETE: Deandre Hopkins (Texans WR)
FAVORITE VIDEO GAME: Overwatch
FAVORITE BAND: Panic! At the Disco
FAVORITE MOVIE OR TV SHOW: Bobs Burgers
FAVORITE ACTOR OR ACTRESS: Benedict Cumberbatch
FAVORITE SPORT (NOT FOOTBALL): Basketball
FAVORITE FOOD: Crawfish touffe
WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH $1 MILLION: Pay for college
and buy a house

7
DINNER WITH ANYONE DEAD OR ALIVE: Robin Williams

# 7
Mineral Wells

RAMS

POSITION: OT
HEIGHT: 66.5
WEIGHT: 225
GRADE: 12th
40 TIME: 5.6
BENCH: 270
SQUAT: 515
NOTABLE/FAVORITE STAT: Named to 2016 All-District
first team as an offensive lineman
NICKNAME: Ace
FAVORITE NFL TEAM: Dallas Cowboys
FAVORITE COLLEGE TEAM: Texas Tech University
FAVORITE ATHLETE: Kawhi Leonard
FAVORITE VIDEO GAME: Grand Theft Auto V
FAVORITE BAND OR MUSICIAN: Russ (rap)
FAVORITE MOVIE OR TV SHOW: The Office
FAVORITE ACTOR OR ACTRESS: Jonah Hill
FAVORITE SPORT (NOT FOOTBALL): Basketball
FAVORITE FOOD: Sushi
WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH $1 MILLION: Pay off my parents house,
cars and business. Then, after some spending on myself, save the rest.
DINNER WITH ANYONE DEAD OR ALIVE: Tim Duncan

12 MINERAL WELLS INDEX

# 3 2
DANDY DOZEN
Area players to watch

POSITION: QB/FS 40 TIME: 4.69

HEIGHT: 61 BENCH: 195
WEIGHT: 160 SQUAT: 335
GRADE: 12th DEAD LIFT: 325
NOTABLE/FAVORITE STAT: All-District honorable
mention at quarterback
NICKNAME: Red
FAVORITE NFL TEAM: Dallas Cowboys
FAVORITE COLLEGE TEAM: Texas Longhorns
FAVORITE ATHLETE: Jason Witten
FAVORITE BOARD GAME: Monopoly
FAVORITE MUSICIAN: Hank Williams Jr.
FAVORITE MOVIE OR TV SHOW: American Sniper
FAVORITE ACTOR OR ACTRESS: Jim Carrey
FAVORITE SPORT BESIDES FOOTBALL: Baseball
FAVORITE FOOD: Steak

#55
WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH $1 MILLION: African safari hunt
DINNER WITH ANYONE DEAD OR ALIVE: Waylon Jennings

Millsap
BULLDOGS

POSITION: LT/DE 40 TIME: 5.12

HEIGHT: 511 BENCH: 245
WEIGHT: 220 SQUAT: 415
GRADE: 12th DEAD LIFT: 450
NOTABLE/FAVORITE STAT: Second team
all-district offensive lineman
NICKNAME: Alpha
FAVORITE NFL TEAM: New York Giants
FAVORITE COLLEGE TEAM: TCU
FAVORITE ATHLETE: Josh Hamilton
FAVORITE BOARD GAME: Twister
FAVORITE BAND: Slipknot
FAVORITE MOVIE OR TV SHOW: 300
FAVORITE ACTOR OR ACTRESS: Jim Carrey
FAVORITE SPORT (NOT FOOTBALL): Baseball
FAVORITE FOOD: Steak
WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH $1 MILLION: Open a
veterinary clinic with hospitals all around the United States
DINNER WITH ANYONE: Dwayne The Rock Johnson

18 MINERAL WELLS INDEX

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 #8
DANDY DOZEN
Area players to watch

POSITION: QB/DB GRADE: 11th

HEIGHT: 6 40 TIME: 4.65
WEIGHT: 170 SQUAT: 320

NOTABLE/FAVORITE STAT: 13 yards per carry,

21 yards per catch
NICKNAME: Hanky
FAVORITE NFL TEAM: New England Patriots
FAVORITE COLLEGE TEAM: Clemson
FAVORITE ATHLETE: Tom Brady
FAVORITE BAND OR MUSICIAN: Migos
FAVORITE MOVIE OR TV SHOW: Friday Night Lights
FAVORITE ACTOR OR ACTRESS: Scarlett Johansson
FAVORITE SPORT (NOT FOOTBALL): Track
FAVORITE FOOD: Pasta
WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH $1 MILLION: Put it in the bank

#20
DINNER WITH ANYONE DEAD OR ALIVE: Kobe or Tom Brady

Perrin
PIRATES

POSITION: RB/OLB 40 TIME: 4.8

HEIGHT: 59 BENCH: 185
WEIGHT: 165 SQUAT: 280
GRADE: 12th DEADLIFT: 355
FAVORITE NFL TEAM: Dallas Cowboys
FAVORITE COLLEGE TEAM: Texas Longhorns
FAVORITE ATHLETE: Christian McCaffery
FAVORITE VIDEO OR BOARD GAME: Battlefield 4
FAVORITE BAND OR MUSICIAN: Guns n Roses
FAVORITE MOVIE OR TV SHOW: Southpaw
FAVORITE ACTOR OR ACTRESS: Vin Diesel
FAVORITE SPORT (NOT FOOTBALL): Basketball
FAVORITE FOOD: Pizza
WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH $1 MILLION: Anything!

24 MINERAL WELLS INDEX

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#5
DANDY DOZEN
Area players to watch

POSITION: QB/CB 40 TIME: 4.75

HEIGHT: 6 BENCH: 300
WEIGHT: 190 SQUAT: 450
GRADE: 12th DEADLIFT: 440
NOTABLE/FAVORITE STAT: 3.75 GPA
NICKNAME: The Mastodon
FAVORITE NFL TEAM: Dallas Cowboys
FAVORITE COLLEGE TEAM: TCU
FAVORITE ATHLETE: Tim Tebow
FAVORITE VIDEO OR BOARD GAME: NFL Madden
FAVORITE MUSICIAN: Chris Tomlin
FAVORITE MOVIE OR TV SHOW: Courageous
FAVORITE ACTOR OR ACTRESS: Betty White
FAVORITE SPORT (NOT FOOTBALL): Basketball
FAVORITE FOOD: Mexican food
WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH $1 MILLION: Pay my tithes
and move to Alaska

#23
DINNER WITH ANYONE: My sister (who is in Heaven)

Santo
WILDCATS

POSITION: Athlete 40 TIME: 4.49

HEIGHT: 510 BENCH: 345
WEIGHT: 180 SQUAT: 400
GRADE: 12th DEADLIFT: 480
NOTABLE/FAVORITE STAT: Two-time state qualifier
in the 100-meter dash
NICKNAME: Monty
FAVORITE NFL TEAM: Dallas Cowboys
FAVORITE COLLEGE TEAM: Navy Midshipmen
FAVORITE ATHLETE: Rueben Foster
FAVORITE VIDEO GAME: NFL Madden
FAVORITE BAND: N.W.A.
FAVORITE MOVIE OR TV SHOW: 13 Hours
FAVORITE ACTOR OR ACTRESS: Alexandra Daddario
FAVORITE SPORT (NOT FOOTBALL): Track
FAVORITE FOOD: Sushi
WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH $1 MILLION:
Pay for college and buy my parents a house
DINNER WITH ANYONE DEAD OR ALIVE: Ray Lewis

34 MINERAL WELLS INDEX

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Mann-ing the ship

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AT SANTO
By IAN PRIBANIC

W ith the spring bloom came new op-

portunities for Wildcat football as the
Santo ISD school board promoted
homegrown talent Devon Mann to the position of
head football coach in April.

Hired straight out of Tarleton State University

in 2012, Mann heads into his sixth year with the
Wildcats after coaching positions that include of-
1701 E. Hubbard Mineral Wells

fensive and defensive coordinator, special teams

200 N. Main Street Graford
www.titanbank.com

coach, head baseball and assistant track coach and

junior varsity basketball and baseball coach.
940-325-9821

940-664-2255

With big shoes to fill, Mann replaces longtime

Santo athletic director and football coach Randy
Thornton.
After 10 seasons with the Wildcats and four play-
off appearances, Thornton headed south to nearby
2A-D1 Hico, taking over a 6-5 Tigers team that
lost in the first round last year.
Well continue to get better, continue to compete
with the best in the state and continue to instill
a blue-collar work ethic into our kids, Mann
said about his goals for Wildcat football. Coach
Thornton took me in as a young coach and gave
me a chance. Hes been a brother, father and a
friend, and Ill be forever grateful for what he has
done for me. Im honored to be the first branch off
of his coaching tree.
Respectful of the established legacy Thornton
leaves him, Mann looks at the opportunity with a
next-man-up mentality and plans to lean on the
Wildcats already successful system.
The program was here before me and will be here
after me, Mann said.
We will continue to build on the success we
have experienced and will continue to adjust and
fine tune what we do every year, he said. As a
coach coming in you have to put your stamp on
it as well, so there will be changes but nothing
whole sale. Looking at 2017, we have as much
speed and depth as weve had since Ive been
here. Speed, strength, and depth will be at the
core of our success.
In the meantime, it would appear Santo football
has the best man for the job as the Cats look for
another trip to the postseason and playoff win in
2017 after losing to state runner up Iraan in the
second round last year.
We have great kids at Santo ISD who believe in
what we do, said Mann. Id like to thank the
administration and community of Santo for their
continued support, and my wife, Mitzi Mann,
who also teaches and coaches at Santo. Its tough
being a coaches wife, and she believes in what we
do as coaches and our mission. I came to Santo
five years ago not knowing anything about the
area, school or community, Mann said. While at
Santo I met my wife, who is a Santo native, and we
recently had our first child this past year. Santo has
truly become our home.

36 MINERAL WELLS INDEX

 #6
DANDY DOZEN
Area players to watch

POSITION: OLB/RB/QB 40 TIME: 5.1

HEIGHT: 57 BENCH: 135
WEIGHT: 140 SQUAT: 300
GRADE: 11th DEADLIFT: 305
FAVORITE/NOTABLE STAT: Tackles
NICKNAME: C-Floyd
FAVORITE NFL TEAM: Miami Dolphins
FAVORITE COLLEGE TEAM: TCU
FAVORITE ATHLETE: Ray Lewis
FAVORITE VIDEO OR BOARD GAME: Uno
FAVORITE BAND OR MUSICIAN: Black Bear
FAVORITE MOVIE OR TV SHOW: Shameless
FAVORITE ACTOR OR ACTRESS: Adam Sandler
FAVORITE SPORT BESIDES FOOTBALL: Golf
FAVORITE FOOD: Spaghetti
WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH $1 MILLION: Build a house

#15
DINNER WITH ANY PERSON DEAD OR ALIVE: Bill Gates

Gordon
LONGHORNS

POSITION: MLB/RB 40 TIME: 5.1

HEIGHT: 53 BENCH: 315
WEIGHT: 200 SQUAT: 525
GRADE: 12th DEADLIFT: 425
FAVORITE/NOTABLE STAT: Nine yards per carry
NICKNAME: Bowling Ball
FAVORITE NFL TEAM: New England Patriots
FAVORITE COLLEGE TEAM: Alabama Crimson Tide
FAVORITE ATHLETE: Lebron James
FAVORITE VIDEO OR BOARD GAME: NBA 2K17
FAVORITE BAND OR MUSICIAN: Lil Uzi Vert
FAVORITE MOVIE OR TV SHOW: Friday Night Lights
FAVORITE ACTOR OR ACTRESS: Mark Wahlberg
FAVORITE SPORT BESIDES FOOTBALL:
Basketball or powerlifting
FAVORITE FOOD: Whataburger
WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH $1 MILLION:
Travel the world
DINNER WITH ANY PERSON: Tom Brady

42 MINERAL WELLS INDEX

 RAMS LINE, AS
TOUGH AS OUR BRICK
MERIDIAN BRICK
500 N.E. 14th Ave.
Mineral Wells, TX | (940)-325-9466