Fall 2019 Preview: Houston Football

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By Justin Sampson (For OzarksSportsZone.com)

The 2018 season showed great promise for a Houston program that has struggled to find success over the last decade. The Tigers went 5-5, their best record since 2008 and just two seasons removed from a one-win campaign.

They held opponents to a touchdown or less on five occasions and placed 10 players on the All-South Central Association Team.

While striving for more, the significance of notching five wins is not lost on head coach Eric Sloan.

“To hear the senior class talk about talk about going winless from third grade to their freshman year when they won one game… the leaps and bounds they have made to play .500 ball last year and be a couple plays away from 7-3, that’s a testament to the work ethic they have,” he said. “They refuse to give up.”

Now, Houston has eight seniors on seven starters back on each side of the ball to help try to push the season past the first round of districts.

One of those seniors is third-year quarterback Dakota Burchett, who completed 33 of 85 pass attempts for 375 yards while finding the end zone five times.

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He will be behind an experienced offensive line, a fact that not only excites Sloan, but is a walking example of what the Tigers are willing to do to win.

“We return four starters up front. Three of those are former tight ends or fullbacks that decided maybe it was best for the team if they put their hands in the dirt and block some people,” said Sloan. “We’ll be strong up front and I think that will complement our backfield as much as anything.”

Leading receiver Connor Wilson is back after hauling in 12 passes for 163 yards and two scores last year. He will also reprise his role in the secondary following an All-Conference Honorable Mention nod at defensive back.

He and Burchett will contribute one of the tallest secondaries in the area with two players at 6’3” and another at 6’4”.

Junior Chris Cichon was a unanimous All-SCA First Team defensive lineman and expects to be a force again after notching 54 tackles, four sacks, and four blocked punts. Junior Trevor Mitchell will also join him in the trenches.

Seniors Devin Wallander and Chance Mitchell will stand behind him in the linebacking corps. Wallander is the top returning tackler with 95 from a season ago, while Mitchell has added upwards of 30 pounds in the offseason.

The level of trust and understanding between these upperclassmen and coaching staff is apparent. Familiarity over the course of several seasons has contributed greatly.

“There had been such a turnover when I got here. Consistency had lacked,” said Sloan. “To be in a spot where the kids know what to expect, having the same coaching staff, eases things in their minds and allows them to focus on what they can control.”

“We feel a whole lot better than in years past. Everyone has now been in this system for their whole high school careers. It’s now just getting bigger, faster, stronger, and tweaking some things.”