2016 Region Outlooks: 5A Region III

Aledo vs Cedar Park-17702-150828The UIL recently realigned the district for the 2016 and 2017 football seasons. Realignment not only changes district races. Regional championships can be decided with new groupings competing once the playoffs begin. We’ll take a closer look at the frontrunners in each region throughout the spring doldrums. Previous Outlooks:6A Region I / 6A Region II / 6A Region III / 6A Region IV / 5A Region I / 5A Region IIClass 5A Region III This region became the best in Class 5A by a long distance when Manvel moved down from Class 6A, the remaining Class 5A programs from the old District 25-5A like Cedar Park and Georgetown were moved from Region IV to Region III and Ennis was moved from Region II. It was already the deepest region in the classification, but it may now be the deepest region in the entire state, regardless of classification. Cedar Park The Timberwolves captured the second state championship in school history by beating Frisco Lone Star for the Class 5A Division II championship in 2015. This came one year after falling to Ennis in the state championship game. Cedar Park moved into the perennial power rankings throughout the state, and 2016 should be another strong year. Cedar Park built its success on running the ball and playing strong defense. Expect both of those things to be key components of the 2016 team, but quarterback Mak Sexton is the best the school has produced at the position and makes the Timberwolves two-dimensional on offense. Crosby The Cougars had state title aspirations in 2015, but were upset in the area round of the state playoffs after an undefeated regular season. Crosby head coach Jeff Riodan and his staff has quickly turned Crosby into one of the premier Class 5A programs in the state. Code Red faces new challenges in the region, as well as inside District 21-5A. New Caney is always strong opposition, but watch out for Barbers Hill over the next few years under the direction of former Allen High School head football coach Tom Westerberg. Crosby’s offense is led by the talented duo of wide receiver Manny Netherly and running back Carlos Grace. Safety Tay’lor Perry will patrol the back half of the defense. Ennis Ennis was one of a handful of defending state champions knocked off early during the 2015 state playoffs. A one-point loss to Hallsville ended an up-and-down season for head coach Jack Alvarez and his Lions. Ennis will play in the East Texas-heavy District 17-5A, which includes teams like Nacogdoches, Whitehouse and Corsicana. The Lions boast a heavy offensive line with a lot of talent. The duo of Deven Collins and Trendon Rolen give Ennis a foundation up front to build the 2016 offense around. Temple Mike Spradlin will no longer patrol the sidelines for Temple, but he left the program in a great position. The Wildcats lost two games in 2015. Westlake, an eventual Class 6A state finalist, beat Temple in Week 2 and George Ranch, the eventual Class 5A Division I state champions, ended Temple’s season in the Region III Division I final. The defense will field one of the best players in the state – Taquon Graham. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound defensive end is a four-star recruit with big-time offers. Defensive back Ashton Logan is an All-State talent. Manvel Making the move down in classifications is always easier than the other way around, but it doesn’t necessarily mean success. For Manvel, the move had to be a welcomed one. Not only do the Mavericks and Kirk Martin not face the largest programs in the state, they also no longer have Katy standing in the way of a regional title. The defense will be in good shape with defensive back Derrick Tucker and defensive end Alfred Bryant. Wide receiver Michael Tolds is dangerous with the football.

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