2025 ETBLITZ FOOTBALL PREVIEW / WHITE OAK | In a stacked district, could Roughnecks challenge for title? | Presented by ENERGY WELDFAB
WHITE OAK – Michael Ludlow is anxious to get the third season of his football tenure as head football coach and athletic director at White Oak High School underway.
His rebuild of this once-proud program is a work in progress. And, from 0-7 in 2023 to 5-5 last season, appears headed in the right direction.
After the winless year in 2023, the Roughnecks off to a good start last year with wins against Eustace, Omaha Paul Pewitt, Quitman and Queen City, White Oak’s best beginning since a 4-0 start in 2020.
Their district, District 8-3A, D I is a far cry from a walk in the park with Atlanta, Jefferson, Liberty-Eylau – all state-ranked – and Tatum looming menacingly on a schedule which kicks off in about two weeks on the road at Eustace and a week later (Sept. 5) here at Roughneck Stadium against Pewitt.
After averaging just over a couple of touchdowns per game in 2023 (15.4 ppg), the ‘Necks jumped to 33.4 last season, a considerable improvement.
It should also help the Roughnecks returning eight starters on offense and nine on defense.
One of those starters, who his dad, the coach, considers as one of the leaders in this rebuild is senior quarterback / defensive back Jaxsen Ludlow. Others are linebacker Cameron Venable, offensive and defensive lineman Dakota Greene and wide receiver/ defensive back Tyson McKinney.
Ludlow (6 feet, 175) is a dual threat at quarterback.
“He’s special with the football in his hands,” said the elder Ludlow, “and he has speed (4.5) to burn. Jaxsen has a very high football IQ and is like having a coach on the field for us.”
As a junior, he earned all-state recognition passing for 2,103 yards and 23 touchdowns besides rushing for 875 yards and 11 more TDs.
Greene (6-2, 220), Caden Durham (6-0, 290) and Cooper Bridges (6-3, 240) are the returning starters from the offensive line back from last year’s team.
“Greene is physical with a high motor and he is extremely explosive and intelligent,” said Ludlow the coach. “Caden is sneaky athletic and moves extremely well for a 290-pounder, while Bridges, a junior, is a long and rangy athletic lineman that can move. He has an enforcer mentality and a mean streak on Friday nights,” he continued.
“Ludlow and Bridges will be extremely integral in making our offense go, big (puzzle) pieces to make sure we can get the football to our athletes.”
The other offensive lineman returning is Dylan Anderson, a 5-10, 275-pound mauler on the interior line.
Other offensive players of note include Logan Ladwig (5-9, 165, senior), Tysen McClain ( 6-1, 165, junior), Cal Jester (5-11, 160, sophomore), Kenny Pohl (5-10, 185, senior) and junior Branton Wood (5-10, 160).
Ladwig, a slot receiver with 4.5 speed, is the leading returning receiver off last year’s team, with 42 catches for 683 yards and seven touchdowns. McClain, another wide receiver, finished his sophomore season with nearly 300 yards and three touchdowns. “He has great ball skills and route-running ability,” his coach continued.
Jester, only a sophomore, is extremely savvy running his routes and has great hands and a huge catch radius, according to his coach, while Wood, another in the receiver stable, “is also a smooth route-runner with soft hands that will be one of the fastest kids on the field week in and week out,” said his coach Ludlow.
Another piece offensively, that the Roughnecks are banking own to provide a spark will be Kenny Poul, a running back with the capability of catching the football out of the backfield.
Defensive personnel which should step up and play a big role this season are Venable (5-11. 195, senior linebacker), McKinney (5-9, 150, senior defensive back), Levi Sipes (6-0, 190, senior linebacker), Greene (6-2, 220, defensive end or linebacker, senior) and Bryce Morgan (6-1, 180, senior outside linebacker).
“Venable accounted for 100 tackles for us last year and he’s physical with a nose for the football,” Ludlow said, describing the senior.
“McKinney is a great cover corner that is more than a capable open-field tackler. He’s a field general for us on the back end of our defense,” he continued talking about his defensive personnel.
“Sipes is a versatile player with a high motor that has the athleticism to play multiple positions, while Greene is physical and fast on the front with the ability to cause some chaos, and Morgan might be one of most improved players on the defensive side of the football this year,” Ludlow said, describing his players.
White Oak also returns a couple of specialists in senior place kicker Brady Prazak and Ludlow, the punter. Prazak’s long field goal last season was 43 yards and his coach feels he can be a weapon on both field goals and kickoffs.
Ludlow, the son, averaged 38.6 yards per punt last year as a junior all-state selection as a punter.
Play-for-keeps for White Oak begins on Friday, Sept. 26 at home against 11th-ranked Atlanta, followed a week later with a road game at No. 4-ranked Jefferson on Oct. 9. (Rankings are Dave Campbell’s Texas Football preseason poll).
Here is the Roughnecks’ 2025 schedule, followed by our ETBlitz.com White Oak team poster. The team poster is a community ad that will be on every single White Oak football story on ETBlitz.com this fall. To be a business on the ETBlitz White Oak 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 ‘Necks play.
