With seven starters returning on defense, Allen will be primed for a run at a second-straight Texas Class 5A-I state championship.
File photo by Neil Fonville
There is a bounty of really, really good high school football teams in the state of Texas this year.
On the strength of its second state title in five seasons,
Allen (Texas) gets the nod as the top team in the Lone Star State and as the No. 4 team in the country overall.
Following a three-point loss to Coppell in September, Allen went on a furious tear, claiming victories over Skyline, DeSoto and Lamar en route to the Class 5A-I crown.
Quarterback
Kyler Murray, the nation's top dual-threat quarterback in the Class of 2015, is back to once again lead the team's offense. He took over during the season and provided a major spark to the Eagles' offense. One of Murray's top targets,
Cole Carter, is back at receiver, as is the team's center,
Tejan Koroma.
Quarterback Kyler Murray
File photo by Neil Fonville
Defensively, Allen will be loaded, as head coach Tom Westerberg reports seven players who saw starting time last year are returning for 2013.
The experience is spread out across the defense, with a pair of returning starters on the defensive line, and more among the linebackers and in the secondary.
Tay Evans and
Christian Sam, with the help of
Zack Bishop, could make the team's linebacker unit among the best in the state.
Chad Adams, who committed to Baylor last week, returns in the secondary.
See the entire Preseason Xcellent 25If Westerberg can find replacements on the offensive line and develop a running back, Allen might be even more lethal in 2013. Keep in mind: last year's team returned only five starters -- on both sides of the ball combined.
Local outlook: "Only three offensive starters return for Allen, but one of them is quarterback phenom Kyler Murray. He passed for 2,004 yards and rushed for 25 touchdowns as a sophomore last season. As scary as the return of Murray is for opponents, Allen returns more starters on defense. The Eagles have six back, including the linebacker duo of Christian Sam and Tay Evans, who are both big-time recruits."
- Matt Wixon, Dallas Morning News
