COACH OF THE YEAR
David Biddler, Booker
Two short years ago, the town of Booker made the decision to move to Six-Man football after toiling in 11-man ball since 1964.
The man they chose to lead that change had never coached the sport that is only played with six players at a time on a smaller field. However, David Biddler accepted the challenge and, in the first year of district play, Booker not only made the playoffs but won the school’s first Six-Man postseason game.
On top of that achievement and superb year, earns Biddler the Press Pass Sports Six-Man Coach of the Year.
Biddler came to Booker, where his wife Amber was an alum, from Richardson ISD’s Apollo Junior High where he was a basketball coach for 17 years.
A former hoops star at Lake Highlands, he was initially hired to coach the girls’ basketball team in 2018 until the need for a head coach to lead the Kiowas into new waters came about.
So, the basketball coach stepped up and took over the reins of the football program last year.
“The move to Six-Man football is the best thing to happen to our community in the eight years I’ve been here,” Biddler said. “It’s something Kiowa supporters now realize they should have done sooner. The entire town is bought in, and they see how competitive we can be. People look forward to gamedays and the stands are packed.”
Six-Man football has proven to be a boom for the town that is the farthest northern point of gridiron towns in Texas.
Last year, the Kiowas played an outlaw schedule posting a winning season for the first time since 2014 with a 7-4 record. That last win was an “Outlaw Bowl” win against Weatherford Christian.
Heading into 2024, expectations were high with many experts projecting the Kiowas to be the District 1-1A Division I champions.
A high-flying offense led by an athletic group of seniors produced a 5-1 record where Biddler’s offense scored 50 or more points in each game including their only loss to eventual Class 1A Division II state quarterfinalist Follett.
Once district action started, the Kiowas picked up a big road win over Claude and took down Boys Ranch to set up a key matchup with Wildorado on the road and a district title on the line.
To complicate things, his squad had to face the Mustangs missing four starters as the cross-country team qualified for state and was in route to Round Rock at kickoff.
Things looked like they were going south in a hurry as Wildorado raced out to a 22-0 lead with only 67 seconds run off the game clock.
That’s when the Kiowas covered up an onside kick and the second-year coach called a timeout to deliver a message of quit playing scared and play to the potential he knew his team could.
That message rang out loud and clear as the Kiowas scored 44 unanswered points to notch a 73-28 win and a district title.
With that win, the next step was to try and capture a playoff victory. Standing between the maroon and white and a win was Springlake-Earth. The Wolverines were playing solid football, but Booker made another statement with an impressive win, 62-30, to grab a gold ball and a playoff win for the first time since 2014.
Biddler was quick to point out the senior group he had this season.
“They were a great group of kids that gave so much effort and wanted to win,” Biddler said. “Our district title was, in large part, a direct reflection on those players and how much they cared to represent Booker and what they wanted to accomplish.”
Biddler didn’t take all the credit. He was also quick to point out his assistant and veteran coach Shane Woods and the impact he has on the program.
“Shane is so knowledgeable,” Biddler said. “He would share his playoff experience and wanted this team to know what playoff football was all about. Shane is old-school like me and believes in discipline. We wanted to teach these young men lifelong lessons about responsibility, showing up on time and making football a priority.”
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
David Meeks, Follett, 5-foot-9, 185-pound, RB-LB, Sr.
Despite missing three games on the year due to injury, David Meeks rushed for over 1,400 yards in leading Follett to the UIL Class 1A Division II regional championship while earning the status as the Press Pass Sports Six-Man Player of the Year.
The do-it-all senior was well known among Six-Man followers in the Texas Panhandle based on his previous production but this year he took his game to new heights becoming a force on both sides of the ball.
“I put on10 to 12 pounds of bulk to help withstand the grind of carrying the ball a full game,” Meeks said. “I wanted to be able to not only shake defenders but run through them as well.”
However, the season didn’t get off to the start Meeks would have liked against state finalist Whiteface.
Early in the game he broke his pinkie finger and was told he needed to miss six weeks for it to heal. That prognosis meant he’d miss all the Panthers non-district games including a big one against rival Booker where four former players were now going to school.
Meeks took a chance and went back to the doctor to get rechecked only two and a half weeks after the injury and received great news.
There had been enough bone growth that he could return to face the Kiowas and return he did.
Using the motivation of playing against a rival and former players, Meeks picked up 234 rushing yards and three scores to go along with a receiving touchdown as Follett upset the previously unbeaten Kiowas, 70-50.
The Panthers then captured the district title as Meeks rushed for 524 yards against three district opponents and scored seven times.
Now the Panthers were wanting to make a deep playoff run and the first-team All-State linebacker was ready.
“I knew it was go time,” Meeks said. “We had two bye weeks leading up to the playoffs, so I put in a lot of work and got mentally ready. I told my teammates if we all do our jobs and play up to our standard then everything would work out.”
Up first was No. 10-ranked Paducah and Meeks was a man on a mission.
Rushing for 270 yards with five scores, taking two receptions to the house and racking up 10 tackles, the player known with the nickname “Wid” led a statement win for Follett over the Dragons.
In the following area round, Meeks was at it once more.
Follett’s Swiss Army Knife piled up another 194 yards on the ground and four total touchdowns while adding another nine tackles as Follett took down upstart Sands.
That pushed the Panthers into the regional championship against Klondike where Meeks was a focal point for the Cougars tough defense. The Panthers fell to Klondike, but Meeks was able to score the lone touchdown to finish out his football career.
The standout senior finished the year with 1,401 rushing yards and 26 combined scores but, as he noted, none of it would have been possible without his teammates.
“We couldn’t have done this without each other,” Meeks said. “Everyone had to do their job. None of this season would have been possible with us being a team, and I give them a ton of credit for helping me and we achieved a goal of a great season. We are all like brothers and we decided this year we were done with first round exits and wanted to make more of a legacy at Follett”.
To add special meaning to the year, the senior was able to play alongside his brother Logan.
“I always wanted to play with Logan,” Meeks said. “We have a special bond you can’t have with anyone else. It meant so much to me to get to play with him and watch him excel on defense”.
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Braylan King, Happy, 5-foot-10, 155-pounds, RB, So.
The speedy sophomore definitely made his mark quickly for the Cowboys.
King raced to 1,368 yards on the season and found the endzone 29 times as Happy made the second round of the playoffs for the fifth straight year. Averaging 135 yards per game also earned the newcomer a spot on the All-State team as an honorable mention utility back.
OFFENSE
QUARTERBACK
Braddek Darnell, Wildorado, 6-foot-3, 175-pounds, Sr.
Spearheading a high-flying offense for the Mustangs, Darnell put up pinball type numbers through the air. On the season, the senior was 189-for-350 amassing 3,353 passing yards with 52 touchdowns to help lead Wildorado to the playoffs.
SPREAD BACKS
Chase Nelson, Booker, 6-foot-2, 175-pounds, Sr.
Using his big arm and nimble feet, Nelson was at the helm of Booker’s prolific offense throwing for 2,420 yards and 38 touchdowns while finding paydirt 11 times on the ground while racking up 568 yards. Those stats allowed him to garner honorable mention All-State quarterback honors.
Greyson Peet, Groom, 6-foot, 165-pounds, Sr.
The offense for the Tigers ran through the senior and the stats back up his status as a second team All-Region Spread Back. The Tigers star amassed 1,386 yards on the ground and 1,967 through the air for a combined 53 touchdowns.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Blu Washington, Wildorado, 6-foot, 155-pounds, Sr.
Speed kills and Washington used his to put together a remarkable season at receiver and running back. Washington caught 67 balls on the year for 1,514 yards with 22 touchdowns and scored eight times on the ground while also capturing honorable mention All-State honors at cornerback.
Julian Barton, Booker, 6-foot, 160-pounds, Sr.
A true big play threat, Barton was often the target for Nelson when the ball went deep in the Kiowas offense. The second-team All-State wideout caught 39 balls for 903 yards and nine scores while averaging 23.2 yards per catch.
Tight End
Kayle Rogers, Nazareth, 6-foot-2, 220-pounds, Sr.
A true force on both sides of the ball, Rogers was an All-District selection. Rogers has the size and athleticism to be a mismatch for teams to guard but he also led the way for a potent Swifts rushing attack with his blocking ability.
CENTER
Kris Gorecki, Miami, 5-foot 10, 235-pounds, Sr.
The anchor for the Warriors line helped Miami total over 3,500 total yards on the season. The big man in the middle paved the way with 41 pancake blocks in 10 games that helped lead Miami to another playoff berth while wrapping up a second team All-State nod.
UTILITY PLAYER
Damian Valdes, Valley, 5-foot-9, 180-pounds, So.
Sometimes stats don’t tell the story of the impact a player can have on a team. After missing the first five games of the year with a dislocated elbow, Valdes made his mark when he returned gaining 516 combined yards with 10 touchdowns. However, it was his blocking that had the biggest impact for the Patriots. In the final six games of the year, Valley ran for over 1,700 yards behind the talented sophomore who served as the primary lead blocker for multiple backs.
DEFENSE
DEFENSIVE LINE
Mason Hix, Happy, 6-foot, 210-pounds, Sr.
For the second year in a row Hix finds himself on the Press Pass Sports Six-Man team as well as earning first team All-State defensive line honors. The hard charging senior compiled 88 tackles on the season, 32 of those solo, with six sacks and 13 tackles for loss.
Wyatt Terrell, Follett, 5-foot-11, 175-pounds, Jr.
The hard-hitting end made his mark as the Panthers made a run to the UIL Class 1A Division II regional finals. In the final five games of the year, Terrell registered 48 of his 66 tackles on the season and became a force on the edge that other teams had to game plan for.
Kole Gibson, Happy, 6-foot-2, 180-pounds, Sr.
Limited to only seven games due to injuries, Gibson made his presence felt when he was on the field by racking up 37 tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack to earn honorable mention All-State defensive line honors and first team All-Region.
Rodlee Williamson, Follett, 6-foot-3, 224-pounds, Sr.
A consistent force in the middle of the line for Follett, Williamson rolled up 62 tackles on the year. The big man also earned an honorable mention All-State nod on the offensive side of the ball as he anchored a powerful Panthers rushing attack.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Adrian Rosales, Booker, 5-foot 7, 130-pounds, Sr.
Despite his stature, the diminutive Kiowa led the defense with 75 tackles, 60 of those solo. Rosales often found himself one on one in the open field of Six-Man football and never backed down and captured second team All-Region accolades for his efforts.
Bryan Torrez, Follett, 5-foot-9, 160-pounds, Sr.
From his secondary position, Torrez had a knack for finding the ball. The heady senior forced five fumbles and picked off four passes on the year. He also registered 69 tackles on the season and picked up second team All-Region accolades in the secondary.