PackAttack

SOC is right next to Lancaster, DeSoto and Duncanville, really good talent that may not get the same playing time in 6A, they just move in and compete well in 5A DII. As everyone else has stated, that's been going on in DFW a long time. UIL can't keep up with any of it.

Don't think many Lufkin folks understand what it takes to be in that same category as Angleton, LaPorte, College Station, Weiss and AMC. Carl Abseck, he knows, and it will take him time to build it, if he can reverse the leadership complacency that was engrained within the football culture at Lufkin the last decade.

Greg Tepper just blew off Lufkin after Stepp made a comment about them. Tepper just smiled and didn't say a single word before jumping on the PAM bandwagon. Which I agree should be head and shoulders above the rest of 9-5A. Tepper remembers giving Lufkin big props in 2018 and 2019 with some high rankings only for Lufkin to bow out in the 2nd round and 1st round at home respectively those years. Tepp has never been the same about Lufkin, doesn't matter they have new Coach Abseck. Tepp is not a fan, Stepp knows more about East Texas football.

Sorry, moved my comment to 5A.

VYPE's choices lean toward the SETX area as it should be I guess, nothing new for Lufkin, we deal with it all the time. It sort of adds incentive to the plate. Think the Panthers were picked 4th last year too and to be fair the Panthers have some substantial holes to fill this season. Anyway, you have to play the games and we will see in November how things turnout. Still think PAM has the edge to win the district with a talented senior laden team. They have been talking about that group for two years now. VYPE likes the McNeese commit QB transfer from 3A Anahuac to Barbers Hill, except I noticed Anahuac did not make the playoffs the past two seasons. BH has plenty of talent though from last year to make a lot of noise in district. Abseck left a good group there. West Brook is the team I think will surprise the most, watchout for those guys. Ball might be rated too high, Woodbury is good but the supporting cast might not be enough, even with a new coach. Lufkin has half the team back that went 10-2, and many new players have come out that previously did not want to play for the previous coaching group, plus 3 or 4 transfers in the offseason from Grand Oaks, Abilene and Jasper. It all starts in 19 days, so let's see where this ends up in November. There's going to be some very good district games.

Jordan Jones was completely left out of Coach Morgan's 2025 team analysis to DCTF. He is not discussed at all in any other article he is speaking about 2025. There must be a reason.

For all of my partial reasons I appreciate everyone picking Lufkin to win district, HOWEVER you must look at all the returning talent that PAM is bring back this year. I remember the Lufkin game at PAM last year, that was such a tough game, Lufkin was a senior laden team and it was a war. PAM IMO has few reasons not to be picked as the district favorite, they have 7 returning starter on O and 6 coming back on D. Lufkin has 5/5 returning and lost their whole starting DL and WR corp to graduation. They have some holes to fill. They get back their starting QB, all the RBs and OL from 2024, 2 LBs and plenty of experience back in the secondary. West Brook is going to be better than some think, BH had a QB transfer and if they can stay healthy they have a bunch of sophomore's who are a year older now. Ball still has talent and needs a QB, but their new coach is a winner and you can not count them out of anything. I think this is PAM's district title to lose, with all that talent, then after that it is going to be a lot of parity between teams with different areas they need to replace this offseason. Lufkin at BH is a huge game for the district race. PAM and Ball at Lufkin are big games. 9-5A DI 1. PAM 2. Lufkin 3. BH 4th and 5th. . Ball or West Brook 6. United 7. Sterling

Lufkin lost half of that 2024 team. New Coach Abseck, new system for the kids from the past 30 years. Building and changes take some time. We will see how this season develops. Absecks first indoctrination to play IN Longview, if you have never played there you will never forget the experience, it will live in your head forever. They will crush your spirit if they get that chance. IMO if PAM with all that talent doesn't win district and go at least 3 rounds you have to wonder how that goes for their program in 2026. Lots of talent on that team. I came away from our game last season at PAM knowing we had hung on to beat a really talented group of kids. Sometimes you just don't know what makes the difference. Barbers Hill was talented last year and loaded with skilled sophomores, that talent is still there, AND if key injures had not occurred for them last season we will never know. A new coach and optimism for them, Abseck had built something there and in many ways BH will be the benefactor of that this year. Thought a young 2024 Westbrook group looked good at times, you could see the flashes of talent, and with the right coaching could be a surprise in the district. If Beaumont United finds their offense, I thought their D was quite decent last year, another new coach. Galveston Ball may have graduated some key guys but there is some talent returning for them this year and a new coach.. I don't know much about them and Baytown Sterling.

You guys down on the coast have seen these guys working and would like to know your thoughts on them as assistant coaches. Matt Kuykendall as OC and Danny Cowgill as DC. The folk at Barbers Hill have the most experience with either, although Cowgill did move over to Tomball Memorial the last 4 seasons Your thoughts??

That's an interesting situation now. The guy that used to work under the AD/HC is now AD, is over and can remove his former boss if so desired? Interesting stuff. Man, I hope it all works out for PAM. Thankfully in Lufkin now, everything is absolutely all on the same page from Superintendent, the board to the AD/HC, all across the spectrum.

Good point about physicality. Not sure how physical minded Danny Cowgill will be on defense, don't know a single thing about him. He is still employed at Tomball Memorial, having a slight issue getting out of his contract there. He has been coming in here when he can get time off. We will need to see where this all goes in the next couple years. Lufkin could use some physicality, the exception was our D the last couple of years, very tough group. We have been physically knocked around by Longview or teams like them for most of the years under Coach Todd Quick, the exception was last year. In fact Quick was 2-14 against Longview over his 13 years as Lufkin HC, that's telling you everything you need to know about why Lufkin was not a top football program during Quick's tenure. After 30 years of pretty much the same mind set, this is all new ground for the Lufkin community.

Spoke to OC Matt Kuykendall last evening. Like what I heard, don't think I've ever spoke to a high school OC with the his vision. Sounds more like a college OC to me with some of the things he discussed. There is not a single negative so far that I personally can see and I've been around a long time. Your thoughts on his work at BH? The program building is happening quick. Example, there were only 55 kids moving to the freshman team next year before Abseck was hired, now they have 100 committed to play next year and they are already working an off season. New strength and conditioning coach for MS through Varsity. Several stadium and indoor practice facility improvements already done or planned to happen after graduation. The communications between the coaching staff and player parents will be upfront and personal. Not seen around here in almost 20 years. Bigger booster club involvement with player parents, things are moving very quickly, no grass growing under Abseck's feet.

Toxic?? That may need a clearer explaination. Doesn't sound good. I mean, Abseck came in right behind Westerberg. So he would have known Cowgill.

Let's somehow get this Lufkin thread back on topic. Tell me what you know about Danny Cowgill as a Defensive Coordinator? How did things go for him at Barbers Hill under Westerberg and over at Tomball Memorial these past 4 years? Honest opinions. Interesting that when Abseck was hired at BH, Cowgill went to TM, now Abseck has hired him at the new DC at Lufkin.

Well, if that existed before he got started working at BH, that seems to indicate a lot of division existed in the selection process, maybe other community powers trying to pull strings. I know Carl Abseck says he is happy to be in Lufkin, and everyone associated with the program likes what he is doing right now.