2025 ETB OFFICIAL FOOTBALL PREVIEW | WEST RUSK / A decade of postseason runs? Well, let’s run it back, son
NEW LONDON – A new season always brings challenges. Just ask the coach, any of them.
After a slow start, West Rusk turned its 2024 football fortunes completely around to finish 3-3 in the rough-and-tumble 11-3A Division II standings. That was good enough to make the playoffs for the 10th year in a row, only to run smack-dab into 12-3A DI champion Newton in bi-district. Aaaaarrrrgh.
In their run of success, West Rusk has won 52 games and five district titles.
Beginning his third season as the Raiders’ football boss, Rafe Mata is more-than-ready to turn the page from 2024 to those 2025 challenges.
Some of his leaders on this year’s team will be running back / linebacker Hunter McCandless (6 feet 1, 195 pounds), quarterback / defensive back Judson Dotson (6-1, 180), DL Adrian Vargas (5-10, 225), wide receiver / defensive back Kemontrae McGregor (5-10, 162), offensive lineman / defensive lineman Kyron Reed, wide receiver / safety Chris Sanchez and wide receiver / defensive back Kam Brown (6-1, 155).
A priority when workouts began earlier this month was getting help up front offensively, but rest assured, playmakers are available in the likes of Dotson, McCandless and Vargas.
Offensively, Dotson accounted for almost 1,400 total yards (568 rushing, 789 passing) and 12 touchdowns, while McCandless added 383 rushing yards and five scores to the final stat totals for the season.
Reed, Jose Sanchez and Phoenix Carrillo (6-1, 195) return to anchor the offensive line.
“Kyron is an explosive, young lineman with a ton of upside. Sanchez had a good off season, and Carrillo is a high motor player,” Mata said, when asked about his three returning offensive linemen.
When he wasn’t playing offense, McCandless was one of the defensive stalwarts with 104 tackles as a linebacker, while Vargas had 39 tackles and five sacks.
Other players Mata is counting on this season are running back / defensive back Daylon Williams (6-0, 180), quarterback Troy Hunley (5-9, 185), tight end /defensive lineman Anthony Starling, wide receiver / defensive back Gunner Harp, running back / linebacker Caiden Landon, fullback / linebacker Drake Mills and tight end / defensive end Syncere Cleaver (6-1, 195).
The Raiders have two scrimmages before the season begins. They’ll host Garrison on Friday at 6:30 at Bruce Bradshaw Stadium on campus. Then, they’ll host White Oak the following Thursday, Aug. 21.
The regular season opener is like a super-strong cup of coffee. The Raiders will host Malakoff (15-1 and a state finalist last year) on Friday, August 29. In fact, three of West Rusk’s four non-district games will be against playoff teams from a year ago.
Besides Malakoff, those are Diboll and Tatum. The other non-district game is against Gladewater in Gladewater on Sept. 12.
District play begins on Sept. 26 at home against Elkhart. See the Raiders’ complete schedule below.
To be a business on the ETBlitz.com team poster this season, email Jenna Lucas at ads@etblitz.com. The cost is just $100, and gets your ad on the poster for as long as the Raiders play – and the poster will be on every West Rusk football story on ETBlitz. Here’s an example of what it’ll look like, followed by the Raiders’ 2025 football schedule.
