Story by Kaden Bessent
The 2025 high school football season begins with preseason practices on Monday, and for the four six-man schools in Brown County, three have new head coaches. Jalen Helms in Blanket is the only returnee for his second campaign with the Tigers, while May welcomes alum Jacob Brown, Derek Stevens takes over in Zephyr, and Blake Hood is the new man in charge in Brookesmith.
BLANKET
Blanket football head coach Jalen Helms is gearing up for his second year leading the Tigers. Coming off a 8-2-1 season in 2024, Helms said he’s looking forward to preseason practice. “I’m definitely real excited. We have a really good strong group of seniors. I think probably about half of our team is going to be seniors, so we should be real experienced. Should have some good leadership for some of those younger guys. I’m expecting them to be hungry and ready to get back at it.”
With a senior heavy roster that returns four starters on both sides of the ball, Helms is confident that the leadership will be there. “I’m expecting those seniors to really take on that leadership role with everything we’re doing, coming out one-hundred percent on everything we do. Kind of showing those younger guys what it takes to get to that level that they’re at,” Helms said. “There are definitely going to be some things that are rough, it’s been a while since we’ve really ran plays or did anything super football that aren’t just passing routes and stuff like that. Definitely have high expectations for this first week and obviously for the whole season.”
Helms shared his thoughts on senior running back and defensive end Kannon Kensing, who was picked as the district’s preseason Defensive MVP by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football. “For Kannon, he’s been a starter here since he was a freshman. I know that was my first year as an assistant coach here. He was a starter that year on the defensive side of the ball. He’s probably always been our best defensive end,” Helms said. “I mean he can really play anywhere, but that’s where we put him usually. He’s a good leader, hard working, always can count on him to be there and show up and show out.”
As for the plan for week one of preseason practice, Helms said,“A lot of it, probably just getting back into conditioning, maybe some of the basic plays that they should all know. I’ve been lucky enough to have coached most of these kids even in junior high and so they kind of know some of the stuff that I like to do. It shouldn’t be too big of a learning curve for even those kids to figure out what we like to do. Usually I feel like week one is a lot of conditioning, getting back into it. We’ve had a decent number of kids show up for summer workouts so there’ll be some of them a little bit more conditioned than the others. I think it’s going to be a big conditioning week, just really getting back into it.”
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ZEPHYR
Zephyr football head coach Derek Stevens’ inaugural season at the helm is fixing to be in full swing with preseason practice beginning on Monday. Stevens takes over a team that finished 10-2 in 2024 as district champs and area finalists.
“I’m pretty excited. I was over here last year as an assistant so I’m pretty familiar with the boys and what they’re good at, not good at. I’m real excited about the excitement they have and the news things that we’re implementing,” said Stevens. “I always tell kids I’ve been to quite a few places and coached under some good coaches as well so it’s kind of like a tackle box. You take some good lures out from each coach and you use them in the water a little bit. Usually, there’s more than one good lure. Coach Phillips did an excellent job here and there’s a lot of things that I can still use that he did really well here, but there’s also some things that in my coaching philosophy, I feel like we can do to make us a better program and take that next step.”
In order to repeat as district champions, Stevens said, “We’re just gonna have to stay healthy, one. Two, we’re just gonna have to execute and play fundamental, sound, football. Blanket is going to be senior heavy, we’re going to be relying on a lot of sophomores and juniors starting this year. We’re only going to have one senior on the football team, so we’re gonna be relatively young.”
Dave Campbell’s Texas Football picked junior running back and defensive back Chayden Woodcock as the district’s Offensive MVP. “Chayden’s just an athlete, he’s a well-rounded athlete. He can throw, he can run, he’s really a good ball-hawk on defense,” Stevens said. “People talk about his offense a lot, but I think he’s actually a better defensive player than an offensive player. He’s just a football player, he finds ways to make plays on both sides of the ball.”
Regarding the first week of practice, Stevens said, “I’m pretty excited actually, we had pretty good turnouts for summer workouts. For the majority part we had a lot of kids here working out. They know what’s expected of them week one, they know we’re getting after it right off the bat. Honestly, we’re gonna get after it like we’re in week five about to start district, so we’re just gonna get after it.”
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MAY
In his first season as the head football coach of the May Tigers, Jacob Brown takes over a squad that went 9-2 in 2024 and finished as bi-district finalists.
“We’re pretty heavy returners, we’re gonna have a big senior class. As far as expectations, I think they already know the expectations for the season. We wanna win,” Brown said. “But main thing I want to work on the first week of two-a-days getting back into the season is developing leadership. That’s something that I feel like this group is capable of and I think they’re going to do a good job of it. If I can develop leadership then that’s going to help me develop my younger guys. I also think that’ll carry over into life and help them become good individuals.”
The Tigers are returning eight lettermen and five starters on both sides of the ball. “Experience is a good thing, especially when you’ve got numbers like we’ve been blessed to have the past few years. That experience helps, it helps develop your underclassmen. And really it makes my job coming into it a little bit easier,” Brown said.
Dave Campbell’s Texas Football picked senior running back Kobey Morris as the district’s Offensive MVP. “Kid’s a stud. He’s good at everything. I don’t know that he’s limited in anything that he can do,” said Brown. “Having him come in last year helped out a lot and it’s another guy that we can rely on. He fits in well with that class, makes everyone around him better, has a good work ethic, he really wants to do good, but he’s one of those kids who can step into a leadership role.”
Regarding what’s most important for week one of preseason practice, Brown said, “Discipline. Discipline is big. You get in a tight game, it’s discipline that wins you those close games. I feel like we can rely heavily on fundamentals and footwork and if I can be confident that every kid knows their position and what they’re supposed to be doing then it’s going to look really good when they put it all together. So discipline’s a big thing, I feel like that’s going to help us win close games in the fourth quarter. We’re going to be in good shape this year. I’m going to be able to run everybody for four quarters because that’s what it’s going to take when we make it to district and make the playoffs.”
After two seasons serving as an assistant coach at Rochelle, Blake Hood will begin his first stint as a head football coach Monday as he takes over the Brookesmith Mustangs program.
“I’m ready for something new and the standards and expectations that Brookesmith is holding me to,” Hood said. “I love to challenge myself and this is going to be an interesting ride for me, but I’m more than excited to start his journey as a head coach.”
Hood inherits a 5-4 squad from 2024, but just one player returns from last year’s team. Brookesmith anticipates a roster of eight players for the 2025 campaign.
According to Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, the Mustangs are projected to place third in District 15-A Division II behind Richland Springs and Rochelle.
“I’ve got to know most of the kids, I’ve met most of them but not all of them, and they’re excited for change,” Hood said. “They’re ready to start a new program, they’re hungry and ready to work, and that makes me excited knowing everyone that I’ve got to talk to has bought in. The community’s been supportive and has been one of the best I’ve been around, and I’m excited for this experience and for Monday to get here.”