DOMINATE THE DAY | Wells and his Troup Tigers look to replace key pieces, keep rolling
Troup football coach Sam Wells feels if his Tigers can “Dominate the Day,” the way Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines did last season, they’ll have a degree of success to talk about when the 2024 season ends, hopefully that’ll include a deep playoff run if not a December date at AT&T Stadium – aka “Jerry’s World” – in Arlington.
Michigan parlayed its former coach’s expression all the way to the national championship.
Beginning his third season as Troup’s coach, Wells has turned in seasons of 6-5 in 2022 and 9-2 in 2023, reaching the second round of the University Interscholastic League playoffs both previous seasons.
Wells had stints totaling 10 years as head coach at Elkhart and Frankston, before coming to Troup, where he was the defensive coordinator for six years prior to taking his current position as head coach.
Last season’s Tigers finished second behind only West Rusk in district play, losing only once (5-1) and that was against the Raiders in 11-3A, Division II. With realignment, which the UIL does every two years, this year’s district will probably be just as tough and include sure-fire challenges along the way.
TROUP TIGERS
District: 3-A, Division II
Coach: Sam Wells (Third year at the school, 15-7; 66-61 overall)
All-time school football record: 486-494-35
Stadium: Tiger Stadium; 927 Arp Drive, Troup, Texas, 75789
2023 result: 9-2
Returning lettermen / starters: 15/11
Lettermen lost: 15
Offense: spread
Defense: 4-3
The additions are Elkhart, New Diana and Buffalo. Gone are Grand Saline, Edgewood and Quitman.
Troup kicks off its season at home against Shelbyville. The Tigers then visit former district opponent Edgewood, then host Harleton and visit Rusk before facing one of their biggest rivals Arp in nearby Arp on Sept. 27.
All four of the Tigers’ non-district opponents this year made the playoffs a year ago.
Troup returns 15 lettermen from the 2023 team and 11 returning starters, five on offense and six on defense.
“We lost some good ones, but we’re going to make do the best we can,” Well explained.
This year’s strengths will be speed, his defensive front and the running game, also the offensive linemen coming back, while weaknesses will be replacing three-year starting quarterback Grayson Hearon and wide receiver Trae Davis.
Hearon threw for 7,013 yards and 72 touchdowns and will play collegiately at McMurry in Abilene, while Davis, like Hearon a three-year starter for the Tigers caught 117 passes for 2,207 yards and 31 TDs.
Joining Hearon at McMurry will be former Troup receiver Ty Lovelady, who finished last season with 432 receiving yards.
Wells believes the quarterback competition will be between Wallum, the second-leading receiver (behind Davis) with 543 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior, or sophomore Josh Childress (5-10, 165), the JV signal-caller a year ago.
“Both Wallum and Childress are good runners,” Wells pointed out.
Other offensive players returning include sophomore running back Brett Wells (5-8, 170), tight end/running back senior Shane Jasper (6-0, 170), senior wide receiver Caden Claburn (5-10, 195), as well as senior guard Kaden Mayo (5-11, 230), offensive lineman Sean Flood (5-11, 240) and sophomore tackle Andre’a Dewberrry (6-3, 280).
Wells, the running back, as a freshman rushed for 1,155 yards and scored a dozen touchdowns, while Jasper added 348 yards rushing as a junior.
Anchoring the Tigers’ 4-3 defense will be Wallum at cornerback, Wells (outside linebacker), Jasper (inside linebacker), as well as linebacker Noble Kendrick, a junior at 6-0, 180, along with a trio of linebackers Dewberry, junior Caden Starkey (6-0, 225), and Flood, along with Claburn, an end.
“Three of the four started, and Claburn was the second leg on our 4×100 and 4×200 relay teams at the state (track) meet,” Wells continued.
Jasper is the leading tackler, returning from last season with 149 tackles as a junior, while Wells had 93 as a freshman.
“We need to find a couple of secondary players to step up as well.”
One of those might be sophomore James Pierce.
The special teams will be anchored by Wallum. He was the kicker, converting 63-of-65 extra points attempts and 3-of-4 field goal attempts a year ago. Wallum will be one of the players Wells hopes will be able to fill the void left by Davis’ graduation as a return specialist.
“I’m excited and I think we’re excited about getting started,” said Wells, beginning his 26th season as a coach.
