Mineral Wells Area News

A new division, district awaits Mineral Wells

By DAVID MAY

Special to Mineral Wells Area News

The Mineral Wells Rams’ first season under head coach Cody Worrell came up a touchdown short of making the postseason. 

Three teams were vying for the last two playoff spots in the 2023 regular season’s final week. While Mineral Wells was victorious, they were left on the outside looking in. They needed to beat Burkburnett by 15 points. They won by eight, 36-28.

The Rams started the season hot, opening with three wins in its first four games. Mineral Wells would win just once more in its next six games, though they were competitive in three of those five losses.

But it’s a new season, and there is a lot new awaiting the 2024 Rams, beginning with a change in divisions. 

Mineral Wells reported average daily high school attendance to the University Interscholastic League a handful of students below the threshold to stay in Class 4A’s upper division. That means Mineral Wells will drop down and become one of the largest schools in Class 4A’s Division II ranks.

That doesn’t mean things will be a whole lot easier. The Rams will compete in 4A-II/Region I/District 3, a six-team league that features two pre-season Top 10 teams in Graham and Brock – a program Coach Worrell is very familiar with. This will be the Eagles’ first season competing in Class 4A.

Burkburnett, Bridgeport and first-year varsity program Eagle Mountain round out Mineral Wells’ district foes this season.

Mineral Wells Area News caught up with Coach Worrell on Sunday after the coaching staff met with players’ parents the day before the season’s first practice.

“I am just looking forward to taking the next step for our program,” Worrell said. “It really started in January when we started doing our offseason stuff. Our coaches have done a phenomenal job preparing our kids for the off-season. Our kids have done a phenomenal job executing that plan. I am just excited to have our kids see the gains they have made for football because of all of the work they did during the offseason and into the summer.”

The Rams face a challenging non-district schedule, highlighted by a Thursday night game Sept. 19 at Choctaw Stadium in Arlington next to Globe Life Field playing Quinlan Ford. Worrell said both teams needed a game to round out their schedules. In looking for a midway neutral site, he looked into Choctaw Stadium and saw that financially, it worked.

“We even have a chance to make some money from it,” Worrell said.

The Rams open the season Aug. 30 on the road, facing Class 5A-II Fort Worth Polytech, which went 1-9 last year. The home opener follows on Sept. 6 when the always-tough Iowa Park Hawkeyes (4-7, 3-2) return to Ram Stadium. Fort Worth Eastern Hills (5-5, 4-3) comes to town the following week before Mineral Wells and Ford meet in their Mid-City match. The Class 4A-II Panthers were 5-6 overall and 2-3 in district last season. The Rams will finish the regular season at Godley, which went 4-1 and finished second in their Class 4A-II district.

A bye week will set the Rams up for their Oct. 11 district opener hosting Bridgeport (1-9). The Brock Eagles then come to Mineral Wells the following week. The Eagles have moved up to Class 4A after proving themselves a perennial power in Class 2A and then 3A. Brock fell one game short of making the 2023 state title game, losing to Malakoff, 38-31, in the semifinal to finish the year 11-4, after going 6-0 in district.

Following that game is a trip to Graham to face the Steers. Last season, Graham finished second in district and 10-2, losing their second-round playoff game. Graham handed Mineral Wells its worst loss of the year last season.

Mineral Wells will then host first-year varsity program Eagle Mountain and close the regular season at Burkburnett – hoping not to find themselves in the same situation as last season.

“Our number one goal finding a way to get in the playoffs,” Worrell said. “I think that’s an achievable goal. Our district is tough. We have two pre-season top-10 teams in our district, and even the other teams in the district are good teams. We have to find a way to play well when it matters, so that is what I am hoping to do.”

There is a lot of work to get done in the days leading up to the season opener. With a handful of skill position players returning on offense, the Rams will be replacing all of its linemen from 2023. Everything begins up front, and Mineral Wells needs to identify who will be in the trenches when the lights come on.

“I know the names of the linemen, but I don’t know who the starting five will be,” Worrell said. “That’s the beauty of it. We lost every lineman from last year. We’re excited about the competition that it brings for those kids to show up and show out. It’s going to be fun for me to see the kids in competition to figure out the puzzle pieces we will have up front.”

One of the returning skill players is one opponents will be focused on limiting. Senior wideout Preztynn Harrison last season scored 10 touchdowns (eight receiving, two rushing) while hauling in 17 receptions for 374 yards (22 yards per catch). He added another 141 yards on the ground (10.8 yards per carry). The long, 6-foot-5 Harrison plays on both sides of the ball and is a multi-sport athlete.

He is committed to play next year in the Big 12 for the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

“I knew they were going to come,” Worrell said of recruiters scouting and looking to sign Harrison. “I talked to a bunch of college coaches. I knew it was happening. We talked about how overwhelming it can be. It’s fun at first but then it gets old.”

He said it is a relief for Harrison and his family that he is committed early and can enter his season year not having that pressure hanging over him.

“They are glad he is committed,” Worrell added. “It’s not only great for Preztynn. It’s great for his teammates, it’s great for our program and it’s great for our community to get the highlight of Preztynn and all of his accolades. He is going to be a Red Raider and he’s excited about it.”

Charged with getting the ball in Harrison’s hands is senior quarterback Owen Gadd. The Rams’ signal caller had a solid junior campaign. He threw for 924 yards with a 46.5 percent completion rate (46-of-99). Gadd tossed 17 touchdowns. Along with the eight TD passes to Harrison, junior receiver Kadin Kaspar had five of his own. Kaspar had nine receptions for 199 yards (22.1 ypc). 

The Rams lost two outstanding running backs, Jose Garcia and Jovan Ramirez, who combined for 1,630 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns. The leading returning ball carrier is senior Kayden Montalvo, who had 374 yards rushing on 36 carries (10.4 ypc). Montalvo also found the end zone three times.

Mineral Wells returns eight starters from last season on defense. That experience should help carry the Rams early in the season while the team works to find its offensive footing.

“A lot of the secondary kids are coming back,” Worrell said. “There will be some new faces there as well. We are going to have to hang our hats on our defense, especially at the start of the year.”

The Rams will be looking to plug new players in the defensive line’s interior and at linebacker.

“We will need some new players to step up,” said Worrell. “I am really excited about the potential that we could have on the defensive side of the ball.”

Non-district games are important for building chemistry, consistency and confidence. But the games that really matter are within the district slate. Mineral Wells needs to finish among the division’s top four teams to reach post-season for the first time since 2021.

“They all matter. I don’t ever want a kid on our team thinking that a game doesn’t matter because they all matter,” Worrell said. “Any time you step on the field it matters. It really intensifies and it truly matters when you go to those district ball games. So just taking it week to week, one week at a time and having our kids, win or lose, enjoy it and learn from it and go to the next game is the key to not letting anybody sneak up on you.”

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