Jayson Larson
The Athens Review
LINDALE —
Brad Smiley, being the half-glass-full kind of guy he is, remembers standing at the podium at Southwest Junior College Football Conference Media Day last year and predicting big things for his team.
And he was right, to a point. The Trinity Valley Community College Cardinals started 3-0 before entering a season-ending losing skid that left the team on the outside of the conference playoffs looking in.
“I guess the guys started looking at the clippings and feeling good about themselves,” Smiley said at 2010 Media Day Thursday at Garden Valley Golf Resort. “About that time we’re the No. 6 team in the country. Next thing you know, we can’t figure out how to win a ballgame. ... Sometimes things don’t go the way you think.”
Smiley — whose team finished 4-5 in 2009 — was a bit more reserved about the Cardinals’ chances this season in a conference that is home to the defending national champion (11-1 Blinn) and the only team that beat the Bucs last year (11-1 Navarro).
He seems content to let the numbers speak for themselves this time.
Numbers such as “9” — representing the amount of returning defensive starters he has from last season. Anchoring the defensive unit will be ends Austin Luke (6-3, 245) and Brandon Harris (6-3, 250); tackle Chris Henderson (a 6-2, 295-pound Texas A&M commitment); linebackers Stephen Blakemore (6-0, 220 from Athens), David Curley (5-11, 195), DeJuan Lee (5-11, 225) and Everett Daniels (6-0, 220); and secondary men Kenneth Pinkard (5-10, 185) and Xavier Brown (5-11, 180).
Three is the magic number at quarterback, representing the number of signal-callers Smiley said he feels can lead the team to a championship. Chris Chapman (6-3, 185) had the upper hand heading into spring workouts, but a knee injury paved the way for Kilgore College Si’Darius Blackshire (6-1, 220) to move to the top of the depth chart to start workouts this season.
“He’s done a good job,” Smiley said of Blackshire. “You’ve got to think he’s the frontrunner.”
Blackshire’s pedigree, along with that of the other QB candidates, has Smiley wondering if they can transfer their winnings ways to the junior college game.
Blackshire led Carthage to a state championship as a senior in 2008, while Tucker Carter (6-2, 210) led Allen to a Class 5A state title that same season on the way to being named Class 5A Playoffs MVP.
TVCC also is giving a good look to Deric Davis (5-10, 220), who in 2009 was named Texas Class 5A Offensive Player of the Year out of Arlington Bowie.
“They’ve done it. They’ve been there,” Smiley said of his quarterback stable. “They’ve had some championship success, in high school at least, that we haven’t had.”
Opposing defenses will also have a number to think about when they face the Cards: “4.” That’s the number of standout running back Josh Johnson, who will replace All-American back Chad Winbush.
Johnson, a second-team All-Conference pick last season, rushed for 615 yards and seven touchdowns while sharing carries with Winbush.
Johnson was also one of the conference’s most dangerous punt returners.
2009 standings
Overall Conf.
#*Blinn 11-1 5-1
*Navarro 11-1 6-0
*Tyler 7-3 4-2
*Kilgore 4-6 3-3
TVCC 4-5 1-5
NEO 3-6 1-5
Cisco 1-8 1-5
—————
* made SWJCFC playoffs
# national champion
From first to last
Here’s how coaches picked the Southwest Junior College Football Conference to play out this coming season (points based on 10 points for each first place vote, nine for second, eight for third and so on):
1 2 3 4 5 6 Total
Blinn 4 — — — — 1 53
Navarro 2 2 — 1 1 — 51
Kilgore 1 1 4 — — — 48
Tyler — 2 2 1 1 — 47
TVCC — 2 1 1 2 — 43
NEO — — 1 1 2 2 37
Cisco — — 1 — 1 4 34
