HS Football: Development Within the Grand Oaks Program Gives Promising Potential

SPRING, TX -- With a full season under his belt, Grand Oaks Head Coach Shaun McDowell and the rest of the Grizzlies Football Team are ready for improvement in the upcoming 2024 season.

Drastic overturn has plagued most of 13-6A ahead of the 2024 season, with the playoff teams from last season suffering from losses at their most crucial positions.

Willis saw the departure of the historic D.J. Lagway and several defenders. The Woodlands lost multiple offensive weapons and key trench pieces. Oak Ridge lost two of the state’s best defenders and two 1st Team All-District runningbacks. Conroe managed to escape the graduation period between this season and last, but the question of players staying healthy looms over the Tigers like the rest of the teams.

Meanwhile, the Grizzlies took the time following a middling 2023 season to develop their players into contenders. Some players graduating on the defense hurt the team like 1st Team All-District DBs Ikenna Agoh and Simon Smith and linebacker Jace Hernandez. But, most of the starters from last season were Juniors or Sophomores.

The youth of the Grand Oaks program presented problems for the team during 2023. When the offense struggled to gain traction against opponents, the burden fell on a tough but often fatigued defensive unit. The work of Agoh, Smith, Hernandez, and fellow 1st Teamer Brandon Moylan went unrewarded by constant reliance on the squad to keep the game close. When deficits became more than one possession, the Grizzlies would get pushed around and lose their games by an average of 24.7 points.

But with the hopes of a new season and experience gained across the board, the Grizzlies are looking to their Varsity veterans to lead the charge for an incoming wave of talent from the Junior Varsity ranks.

Compared to the Varsity squad, the Grand Oaks Junior Varsity and Freshmen teams were among the most successful in the district. An undefeated season for the Grizzlies on the JV team has prepared them for a jump to Varsity that will see them face familiar athletes across from them but with the knowledge of having beaten them before.

Among the Varsity players returning from 2023 are leaders on the offense who have seen gradual improvement from their previous season. Most notable is Grant Smith, the starting quarterback for Grand Oaks. Some of the critiques against Smith in his Sophomore year were the issues of seeming frazzled in the pocket on dropbacks, rushed throws, and an overall lack of size for his position. But with a full offseason of practice in a system that suits him and a plan that has seen him bulk considerably since last year, Smith is aiming to be one of the District’s top quarterbacks for the 2024 season.

Assisting Smith on the team’s offensive path to improvement is a bevy of receiving options that can act as dual-threat options. Headlining the receiving core is standout athlete Ty Rupe. Injuries sidelined Rupe for most of the 2023 season, but changes to the Grand Oaks offense and a return to healthy shape could see Rupe make a name as the number-one tight end in 13-6A.

In addition to Rupe are 2nd Team All-District receivers Devon Wallace, Preston Cloud, and Julian Kent. Both Wallace and Cloud were only Sophomores when they entered their names as some of the best utility players in the District due to Wallace’s use at the running back spot and Cloud’s opportunities as a punt/kick returner. Kent, now a Senior, was a reliable threat across the middle of the field for the Grizzlies, and with multiple teams losing linebackers due to graduation, look for this fast receiving squad to make some damage during 2024.

A near-complete overhaul of the defensive backfield will leave some questions to be answered this upcoming season, but the replacements available to the Grizzlies will present new threats for opposing receivers. The losses of most of the linebackers also hurts Grand Oaks, but the new wave of talent coming from the sub-varsity levels, along with a returning Brandon Moylan, will likely create matchup nightmares for offenses trying to adjust to the new players.

District 13-6A looks wide open for the taking. With Willis in a quarterback battle, The Woodlands graduating most of their starters, and Oak Ridge losing some of the best players in the District, the time for teams like College Park, Conroe, and Grand Oaks to enter their names into the playoffs is now. With experience and development on their side, the Grizzlies will surely look to be one of those in hot contention.