It's hard not to expect the Allen Eagles to make it to the state final again in Texas.
File photo by Robbie Rakestraw
Call it more of a 1B.
Allen is on top of the Texas high school football landscape right now, and there's hardly a loftier perch in the sport.
The Eagles have won back-to-back Class 5A-I state titles and return the reigning
MaxPreps National Player of the Year,
Kyler Murray.
Right now, it's great to be an Allen Eagle. Tom Westerberg's squad is poised to defend its state title behind Murray and five other returning offensive starters.
After throwing for 3,248 yards and 40 touchdowns as well as rushing for 1,230 yards and 17 scores, Murray certainly earned his National Player of the Year honors. He also came up clutch down the stretch, guiding Allen to an amazing come-from-behind victory over DeSoto in the playoffs.
If one were to assemble an ideal high school football team for the 2014 season, Murray would likely be the first piece to the puzzle.
In 2014, he has the luxury of playing behind a giant offensive line that returns three starters, including
Greg Little, the nation's No. 1 junior in the country
according to 247Sports. His recruitment is a who's-who of the nation's top programs.
Bobby Evans, an Oklahoma commit, and
Cody Wheeler are also back for the Eagles. Guard
Brian Cornell figures to slide into the interior of the line.
On the outside, Murray will look to one of his favorite targets, receiver
Jalen Guyton. Guyton, who committed to Notre Dame in the spring, had a monstrous junior campaign. He snagged 42 passes for 1,028 yards and 13 touchdowns. He caught two touchdowns in the team's title game victory over Pearland.
Running backs
Will Rossy and
Keon Williams, who were underclassmen on last year's varsity roster, could see a lift in their involvement in the offense.
Defensively, fewer familiar names are back as the unit returns just one starter, defensive back
Jaylon Jones.
Allen has several things working in its favor that will offset the inexperience it shows on defense.
First, the program is as deep as any in the state. There are plenty of players who've been groomed in the program's freshman and JV levels who are ready for their opportunity to step in and carry on the team's legacy.
Second, Allen outscored teams 807-298 on the season last year. Most of its wins were lopsided, giving backups plenty of opportunity to gain varsity reps. Not every 5A program has that luxury.
In Texas, the vibe is that people need to see Allen lose again before they believe it's not the top team in the country. Given the team's success, it's a completely reasonable position. Allen will likely be the No. 1 team in state polls and possibly national polls, and is the prohibitive favorite in Class 5A-I.
Local Quote
"It’s going to be interesting to see how they handle the road this year, considering they don’t have a home game technically, but they’re used to facing top talent. With Kyler Murray and others coming back, if they can weather the storm, and weather the media circus around, they’ll be just fine. The question is whether they can once again get past those middle rounds of DeSoto and Cedar Hill and whoever else might end up popping up."
- Christopher Lyke, TexasHSFootball (@TexasHSFootball)
