GRIDIRON GLANCE ’25: Coleman Bluecats

August 20, 2025 at 8:13 am Derrick Stuckly

COLEMAN – The Coleman Bluecats dropped the first seven games of the 2024 football campaign, but still rebounded in time to make the playoffs and captured a bi-district championship.

In 2025, Coleman 12th-year head coach John Elder is seeking a quicker start and a deep playoff run as the Bluecats target a potential fifth consecutive trip to the postseason.

“The kids, the way they’ve worked through the offseason and the summer, have set their own expectations,” Elder said. “We believe in them, they’ve bought in and we expect them to do some good things and play competitive football. We’ve still got a grind of a schedule. We know that, understand that, the kids have embraced it and know what’s ahead of them. They’re excited to play good football and compete against some great teams.”

Reflecting on a 4-8 campaign a year ago, Elder said, “We had to go through some adversity last year. There was a time where they could have simply shut it down, finished it up, and been ready to move on to anything else, basketball or whatever, but they kept grinding and won the last three games and got in and had a great upset against Wolfe City in the first round. I think those young kids that had to step up took that momentum into the offseason and into the summer and here we are.”

The Bluecats bring back six offensive and five defensive starters from the 2024 team, including quarterback/defensive back Brayden Torres (716 passing yards, 3 TDs; 62 tackles), fullback/linebacker Paul Salas (207 rushing yards, TD; 116 tackles), offensive lineman/defensive end Easton Meador (80 tackles, 7 for loss, 4 sacks), quarterback/defensive end Hunter Edington (685 passing yards, 6 TDs), offensive lineman/defensive lineman Darren Hurtado (56 tackles, 3 for loss, 3 sacks), receiver/defensive back Braylon Stewart (31-300, 2 TDs receiving; 42 tackles), receiver/defensive back Lane Bowers (60 tackles), tight end/linebacker Micah Lackey (37 tackles), and lineman Corbin Rosales (13 tackles).

“Our senior leadership is going to be big,” Elder said. “Brayden Torres is back and healthy. Darren Hurtado, Paul Salas, and Braylen Stewart are some names we expect big things out of this year. We had a young quarterback last year that came in to finish the year, Hunter Edington, and we’re going to be able to do multiple things with him and moving Torres around.”

Regarding the strength of his year’s team, Elder said, “Our leadership, experience, varsity experience, playoff experience, and winning experience in the playoffs. It’s a grind at first, but they’re battle tested and they’ve seen the success of it. Carrying over the maturity level of it is going to pay dividends in the end for us this year, too.”

The Bluecats kick off the season at home against Eastland (Aug. 29) then travel to Clifton (Sept. 5), host Mason (Sept. 12), venture to Cisco (Sept. 19) and battle Collinsville (Sept. 26) in Breckenridge in the pre-district finale.

“I want to see improvement every week,” Elder said of the early objectives. “The main thing I want to see early in the season is to be more improved than we were last year, compete heavily and win some of these pre-district games so we come into district with some momentum.”

Coleman is tabbed by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football to place third in District 5-2A Division I behind De Leon and Hamilton, who the Bluecats face in their first two league outings.

“We play two extremely tough teams in the first part of district, so we need a good showing there,” Elder said. “I think the top three are going to be wide open. Everybody’s put De Leon and Hamilton at the top and it’s going to be wide open after that. Hopefully we’re able to take one off somebody and open some eyes.”

As for the key to success for Coleman and the Bluecats reaching their full potential in 2025, Elder said, “We have to stay focused, finish drives, get off the field on third down on defense, and keep people behind the chains. We want to put people in second and long, third and long, and force them to do things they’re not comfortable with. We have to be disciplined on defense and offense. Keep the flags off the field for us and force people into some situations that make them make mistakes.”

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COLEMAN BLUECATS 2025 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

August 29	Eastland	7 p.m.
September 05	at Clifton	7 p.m.
September 12	Mason	7 p.m.
September 19	at Cisco	7 p.m.
September 26	Collinsville (at Breckenridge)	7 p.m.
October 03	OPEN
October 10	Hamilton*	7 p.m.
October 17	at De Leon*	7 p.m.
October 24	at Hico*#	7 p.m.
October 31	Ballinger*	7 p.m.
November 07	at Bangs*	7 p.m.