Robert Cessna
Second place has been good enough to help Madisonville get to the playoffs four straight times, which ties the longest run in school history, but the Mustangs want more.
Last year's second-place finish meant little when Madisonville, a two-touchdown favorite over 12-4A-II third-place finisher Gatesville, ended its season with a 45-28 loss.
"The thing that we've concentrated on in the offseason is we're three years in a row coming off second-place finishes in the district," Madisonville coach Russell Urbantke said. "We got a little bit of a bad taste in our mouth from the playoffs. The big thing that we have talked about in the offseason and the summer, is what is it going to take to get over that hump for that first district championship since 2017."
The Mustangs will attempt to do that with their fewest returning starters in Urbantke's seven seasons.
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Madisonville must replace all-district quarterback Ty Williams who last year threw for 2,064 yards and 23 touchdowns to only two interceptions and unanimous all-district running back Phillip Green who rushed for 1,591 yards and 18 touchdowns.
The Mustangs believe they have ample replacements. Jaden Simpson last year rushed for 307 yards on 31 carries (9.9 avg.) with four touchdowns and fellow senior Tristan Whaley added 22 carries for 320 yards (14.5 avg.) with three touchdowns. Whaley was a weapon in the passing game as well with 31 receptions for 537 yards (17.3 avg.) with seven touchdowns.
Sophomore Malik Kovar slides into the starting quarterback role. He threw only one pass last year and ran only once but has potential.
"He has learned a lot [already]," Madisonville senior H-back/defensive end Sovannattra Ly said. "I think he'll be great this year."
Despite the changes, Madisonville won't limit the playbook.
"It will be the same style of offense," Urbantke said. "We went to the air a little bit more the last couple years with Ty, but we return Jaden Simpson at running back, and also Tristan Whaley at running back, one of our big playmakers."
Carmelo Gilbert makes Madisonville's running game a three-headed attack. He had eight carries last year for 46 yards and a touchdown.
"The thing is, when you look at our backfield and our skill guys, and then you look out there on the track, these are the same guys running on the sprint relay, the 100 and the 4x2 [relay]," Urbankte said. "So, we feel our overall team speed is there. We just got to bring those front guys along with it. And with the Kovar kid, he is an exceptional athlete. He started for us as a freshman last year at outside linebacker; he started on the basketball team as a freshman. He started at shortstop and pitcher on the baseball team. So, he's an exceptional athlete that will be looking to lead our offense."
Simpson doesn't mind Madisonville having a balance attack, but he's a little selfish.
"Just keep the ball on the ground and give it to me," Simpson said.
Ty wouldn't mind that.
"He's tough," Ty said. "He's not only strong, but he's fast and he sees the holes."
The 5-foot-10, 190-pounder is a load.
"I think every day in practice, there's that little bit in me that's a little scared to go and tackle him," Ty said.
Madisonville's offensive success hinges on an inexperienced line led by senior tackle Kendrick Davis.
"We have a tremendous young group, maybe as big and strong as I've had in my time there in Madisonville," said Urbantke who was Madisonville's offensive coordinator for three seasons under Rusty Nail before taking over as head coach. "We've got Dylan Covington and Jose Guevara. We're talking about 300-pound benchers as sophomores, 500-pound squatters as sophomores, and they really can move. So, they were brought up at the end of last year, brought up as freshmen. So, they got a little taste of it. But this year they'll be starting, maybe on both sides of the ball."
Defense has more experience with six returning starters, but only one on the line. The Mustangs must replace all-district end Deruise Johnson and tackle Jarius Dickey, a unanimous choice.
"On both sides of the ball, the question is, up front," said Urbantke, adding that Johnson and Dickey were exceptional. "How's the D-Line going to hold up? We have Jonathan Cooper. He's coming back as a starter on the defensive line. We have another, [junior] Laderion Nellums, who wasn't a starter last year, but he got playing time as well. So, we're looking for those guys now [to step up]. Those guys are the guys."
Madisonville is picked to finish third in a top-heavy District 11-4A Division II behind Sealy and Bellville. The Mustangs claimed second last year by beating Sealy but lost the next week to Bellville. The Brahmas, who had shared the three previous district championships, lost in the area round to Silsbee. The 8-4 finish was a step down after Bellville was a combined 38-3 in the previous three years. Sealy became the district's team to beat by advancing to regional finals a year ago, falling to Waco La Vega. The Tigers return 17 starters led by quarterback Kane Killough who threw for 2,326 yards with 27 touchdowns and ran for another 879 yards with 15 touchdowns. Sealy is ranked fifth in the state by Texas Football, one spot ahead of Bellville.
Madisonville reached the regional quarterfinals in 2022 by upsetting fifth-ranked Bellville. Prior to that, the program's last time to reach the third round was in 2017 when it won the district by winning at Bellville.
"We've talked to the kids about what it takes to get over that hump," Urbantke said. "Last year, Bellville won it, and they returned a lot, and Coach [Grady] Rowe does a great job with those guys. You got Sealy that returns everybody in our district."
Madisonville will have to raise its level of play if it wants to win district, Urbantke said.
"So that's what I have talked to our kids about, is this is what we're stacked up against. This is the work ethic and the standard that we have set, and we got to go get it."
Ly believes that's possible.
"I think one thing we can do better is our attitude throughout the whole year," he said. "I think sometimes last year, when we lost, we kept that in our heads for too long."
NOTES - Madisonville has never made the playoffs five straight years. This is the third time to make four straight trips with others in 2004-07 and 2013-17. ... Carthage, which beat Waco La Vega for the 4A Division II state title II, is ranked first in the state by Texas Football with Texarkana Pleasant Grove second and La Vega third. ... Simpson, in keeping with his theme of running hard, listed driving trucks as his dream job on The Eagle's Media Days survey. Ly said the biggest problems facing high school students are balancing the future, school and extracurricular activities. Ly's dream job is to be a YouTuber... Madisonville met Bellville for the first time in 2016, but with seven games in the last nine years it's a budding rivalry, Urbantke said. Navasota is Madisonville's other current rival with 13 meetings since 2006 with Navasota having a 7-6 edge. Crockett for decades was Madisonville's main rival, but they haven't met since 2017. Crockett leads that series 42-18-4.
Madisonville Mustangs at a glance
Head coach - Russell Urbantke (32-35 in six years at Madisonville)
Assistant coaches - Brad Taylor, offensive coordinator; Heath Brittain, defensive coordinator; Adam Borgfeld, outside linebackers; Derek Watson, defensive backs; Jordan Weikert, running backs; Cameron Portwood, defensive line; Anthony Campbell, inside receivers; Bryson Nail, offensive line; Van Jordan, defensive line; Jacob McMurtry, outside receivers
District - 11-4A Division II
2024 record - 6-5 (4-1, second)
2024 playoff scores - bi-district: Gatesville 28-45
Returning lettermen/starters - 29 (3 offense, 6 defense)
Key returners - RB/OLB Carmelo Gilbert, jr. (NOY); WR/DB Tristan Whaley, sr. (A-D/un. A-D); DB Ver'renzo Childress, sr. (A-D)
Key losses - QB Ty Williams (A-D); RB Phillip Green (un. A-D); WR Anqwan Morning (A-D); DT Jarius Dickey (un. A-D); DE Deruise Johnson (A-D); TE/LB Charlie Newton (2nd A-D/A-D); PK David Zaragoza (A-D); LB Person Snook (2nd A-D)
2024 Results
Aug. 30;Diboll;28-27
Sept. 6;Navasota;27-20 OT
Sept. 13;at Malakoff;28-29
Sept. 20;^Columbus;35-62
Sept. 27;at Center;14-17
Oct. 11;*at La Grange;56-42
Oct. 18;*at Caldwell;56-14
Oct. 25;*Sealy;38-14
Nov. 1;*at Bellville;21-47
Nov. 8*Giddings;49-7
Nov. 15;Gatesville;28-45
^-Homecoming
*11-4A-II games
2025 Schedule
Aug. 29;at Diboll;7:30 p.m.
Sept. 5;at Navasota;7:30 p.m.
Sept. 12;Malakoff;7:30 p.m.
Sept. 19;at Columbus;7:30 p.m.
Sept. 26;^Center;7:30 p.m.
Oct. 10;*La Grange;7:30 p.m.
Oct. 17;*Caldwell;7:30 p.m.
Oct. 24;*at Sealy;7:30 p.m.
Oct. 31;*+Bellville;7:30 p.m.
Nov. 7;*at Giddings;7:30 p.m.
^-Homecoming
*11-4A-II games
+- senior night
Roster
0 RB/ILB Jaquan Hastings, sr.; 1 WR/FS Tristan Whaley, sr.; 2 WR Kamron Simpson, sr.; 3 QB/FS Malik Kovar, soph.; 4, WR/CB Kyus Ford, sr.; 5 RB Jaden Simpson, sr.; 6 WR Konnor Greer, soph.; 7, RB/OLB Carmelo Gilbert, jr.; 8 QB/OLB Cade Campbell, sr.; 9 WR/FS Ver'enzo Chldress, sr.; 10 RB/S Keidrick Moffett, jr.; 11 WR/DB Christopher Tolliver, jr.; 12 WR/DB Ely Williams, soph.; 13 WR/CB Malachi Kovar, jr.; 14, WR/LB Carter Smith, jr.; 15 WR/DB Jaiden Dickey, soph.; 16 WR/DB Michael Taylor, jr.; 17 PK Anson Ward, soph.; 22 TE/DL La'Derion Nullums jr.; 24 TE/DL Jonathan Cooper, sr.; 28 HB/DE Sovannattra Ly, sr.; 53 OL/DL Justin Harry, jr.; 55 OL/DL Erik Garza, soph.; 56 DE/DT Dylan Covington, soph.; 58 T Kendrick Davis, sr.; 62 OL/DL Kaydon Wheaton, soph.; 64 OL/DL Jose Guevara, soph.; 65 OL/DL Korlynn Wheaton, fr.; 72 OL/DL Blaze Richard, jr.; 75 OL/DL Braylon Smith, soph.; 88 WR Chris Smith, sr.
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