With the 2024 High School Football Season right upon us, there is certainly a buzz around the Anderson Football program. A drop into the 5A classification will see a new schedule filled with unfamiliar opponents which the Trojans will need to navigate if they want to achieve a playoff berth and make a deep run. This article will go through my predictions on how the Trojans will fare in their inaugural season playing in 5A-1 Region III District 12.
Week 1: Anderson vs. McCallum
The Taco Shack Bowl will be a pivotal game for the Trojans. It is a high-intensity rivalry game which will have the ability to give Anderson an early confidence boost or reveal some glaring issues that could pose problematic as the season continues. In the past two years Anderson has decimated McCallum, outscoring them 91-3. Last year they did not allow the Knights to score a single point as the pitched a 42-0 shutout and while I don’t think the scoreline will be as extreme, I expect Anderson to have another dominant defensive performance while establishing a connection between UTSA Quarterback Commit Max Gerlich and TCU Wideout Commit Ed Small.
38-6 Anderson
Week 2: Anderson @ Elgin
In Week 2, the Trojans will take on their second and final out-of-district opponent of the regular season in the Elgin Wildcats. The Wildcats are coming off a disappointing 4-6 season where they finished 6th in their 5A district and missed out on the playoffs. Although they gave up an average of 28 points per game, a number which isn’t awful, Elgin beat up on some bad 5A competition masking their terrible performances against better football teams. I expect Anderson to ride their high off a Taco Shack Bowl victory and win this game comfortably by over two touchdowns.
42-21 Anderson
Week 3: Anderson @ College Station
Andersons first district game against College Station will be the first big road test for this Trojan Team. The College Station Cougars are coming off an extremely successful 2023 campaign where they went 11-2 overall, finished with a flawless 7-0 record in district play, and made it to the third round of the 5A playoffs losing in a 26-21 heartbreaker to Smithson Valley. They feature 5’10 180 Running Back Aydan Martinez-Brown and 6’4 235 Tight End Jackson Verdugo who both have multiple D1 offers and will need to be game planned for if the Trojans want to have a chance in this game. I think a hostile road environment coupled with the high-powered College Station offense which only scored less the 42 points twice last season (they lost both games) will prove too much for the Trojans dropping them to 2-1 on the season.
41-17 College Station
Week 4: Anderson vs. A&M Consolidated
After a tough loss against College Station, the Trojans will be faced with another test against the A&M Consolidated Tigers. A&M Consolidated found success in the 2023 season finishing 10-4 overall, 5-2 in district (they placed 2nd behind College Station), and making a deep 4th round playoff run where they also lost to Smithson Valley 31-24. Talented 6’4 210 Edge Nazir Adams has multiple D1 offers and will certainly cause the Trojans problems if they can’t find a way to neutralize him. Running Back Ja’Marlon Mooring and Kicker Colton Chmelar both boast a D1 offer and should not be overlooked. While the Tigers don’t possess as explosive of an offense as College Station, their stifling defense which gave up only 18 points per game last year more than makes up for it. I believe that the Trojans will take a disappointing loss against A&M Consolidated and fall to .500 for the season.
34-13 A&M Consolidated
Week 5: Anderson @ Lehman
A two-game losing skid that will have the Trojans 0-2 in district play, makes their Week 5 matchup against Lehman become a must-win game. The Lehman Lobos are coming off a pretty dismal 2023 campaign where they finished 2-8 overall and came 7th in their district, missing out on the playoffs. The season included a 24-15 loss against McCallum which compared with Andersons 42-0 annihilation of the Knights looks like an awful result. The Lobos looked lost on defense last year letting up 34 point per game and I can’t see a world where they stop the Trojan offense. Anderson will come out with an intensity against Lehman and produce a comfortable bounce-back win.
45- 17 Anderson
Week 6: Anderson vs. Hendrickson
I think that Anderson vs. Hendrickson will be a make-or-break game for the Trojans. Coming off a win @ Lehman, this Week 6 matchup will be an opportunity for Anderson to pick up some momentum as they make a playoff push. The Hendrickson Hawks are coming off of a failure of a season where they finished 3-7 overall and only won 1 game in district placing them 7th in the standings. However, this record can be deceiving because Hendrickson lost 3 one score games, two of which they lost by a single point. If the Hawks can figure out how to finish games, they could be due for a bounce-back season. In this game they will look for 6’1 190 Junior Cornerback Maddox Quiller who has offers from Texas Tech and Houston to be the answer for the Ed Small. Hendrickson has proven to be able to acquire and develop talent (highlighted by NFL Running Back Samaje Perine) and I think they will improve and give Anderson a game this year. In a shootout that comes down to the wire, I am taking the Trojans to prevail against Hendrickson moving them to 4-2 on the season.
38-35 Anderson
Week 7: Anderson @ Cedar Creek
The Trojans easiest game of the season should come in Week 7 when they face the Cedar Creek Eagles. Cedar Creek is coming off a season that could not have gone worse where they went 0-10 and finished last in their district. They got blown out every game giving up a horrific 44 points per game while only scoring 13 points per game. I think that Cedar Creek will have another long season where they will be beat up and demotivated by Week 7, allowing the Trojans to dominate on all three phases of play and extend their win streak to three games.
54-13 Anderson
Week 8: Anderson vs. Hays
The Trojans will come into their home game against Hays on a roll and in a good position to make a playoff push. Last year Hays had a decent season where they finished 4-6 overall and placed 6th in district with a 2-5 record. The Hawks seemed to do exactly what they were supposed to, beating up on bad teams such as Akins, Cedar Creek, and Lehman while getting blown out by better competition like Canyon and Smithson Valley. Their inability to score points on more talented teams is a red flag that I think will continue in their 2024 campaign. There is a talent gap between the Trojans and the Hawks which I predict Coach Hatcher, and his staff will be able to exploit giving Anderson an edge and moving them to 6-2 on the season.
37-20 Anderson
Week 9: Anderson @ Lockhart
Andersons penultimate district matchup against Lockhart could turn into a dangerous trap game. If the Trojans overlook the Lions and focus too much on their important Week 10 matchup against Weiss, this game could get tricky. Lockhart finished 4-7 last year and made the playoffs placing 4th in their district with a 3-3 record. They got blown out by Alamo Heights the next week, but a season where you make the playoffs is nothing to scoff at. The Lions hung their hats on their explosive offense last year which put of 37 points per game and allowed them to stay within striking distance during many of their games. 6’2 175 Sophomore Wideout Jordan Frohock with offers from Nebraska and UTSA will look to become a focal point of this offense and could pose a problem to the Trojan secondary. If this game turns into a shootout it could get dicey for the Trojans, but I think the defense will be up to the task extending Andersons win streak to 5 games.
40-27 Anderson
Week 10: Anderson vs Weiss
Coming into Week 10 with a 5-2 district record should mean that Anderson will have a playoff spot locked up. However, this matchup with Weiss might still prove to be important as the Trojans and Wolves could be fighting for a third-place finish in the district. Weiss is coming off a good 2023 campaign where they went 9-2 overall and finished first in their district with a 5-1 record. Surprisingly they got shut out in the first round of the playoffs where they lost to Cedar Hill 62-0, leaving a bad taste which they will definitely want to get out of their mouths this year. The Wolves had a great offense last year and I expect them to take a step up this year. In my opinion they have the best wide receiver core in the district highlighted by 4-star Arizona State commit Adrian Wilson and rounded out by Tre Moore and Tylan Henderson who both have at least one D1 offer. However, their quarterback, a 3-star New Mexico State commit is out for the season with an ACL tear. Still, the Trojan secondary is going to need an excellent gameplan with flawless execution if they want to stop this high-powered Weiss passing attack. On the interior offensive line, the Wolves have another 3-star in 6’2 280 Jerald Mays who will no doubt be a powerful force in both the passing and ground game. When it comes to the defensive side of the ball, Weiss also has plenty of talent. Their secondary is led by 3-star Utah commit Jason Stokes, a lengthy 6’3 cornerback who will be fun to watch when matched up with Ed Small and Zayden Sharp. 6’2 230 Edge Tyler Gottschalk could also be a player who could wreak some havoc in the Trojan backfield. I think this game will be close throughout the first three quarters until Weiss pulls away and drops the Trojans to a 7-3 2024 regular season record.
24-34 Weiss
These predictions have Anderson finishing 7-3 overall and 5-3 in district, giving them a playoff spot as the 4th place team in 5A-1 Region III District 12.
