Vitals:

“Cedar Hill is not a team that will be on many teams' radar to start the season, but by the time the playoffs roll around, they could be one of the last teams anyone wants to face.” 

     That was the last sentence of last year’s preseason write-up for the Cedar Hill Longhorns.  I guess that’s what you’d call a fair warning.  Although, at the time it was written, we had no idea how true it would turn out to be.

     Led by one of the most electric talents the state has seen in William Cole, Cedar Hill ripped through the 2006 season like few have done before them.  The Longhorns started the year with a modest-enough 35-28 win over Colleyville Heritage and then, the following week, they exploded on an unsuspecting Lewisville Hebron squad, trouncing the previous year’s 4A Division 2 Champions 42-6 in their own backyard.  Even then, few people knew the significance of those two wins, but both Heritage and Hebron would go on to win 10 games.  Cedar Hill would go on to win their next 14 games, capped by a near-perfect performance in the State Championship in which they mauled a tremendously skilled and experienced Cy Falls squad 51-17.  Not bad for a team that hadn’t won a single playoff game prior to the season.

     The Longhorns are absolutely loaded with talent across the board.  34 lettermen, 8 starters and 2 All-District performers return from last year’s 16-0 squad including some, as of yet, unknown guys that are sure to grab headlines by season’s end.

     Taking over for William Cole is former special teams maven, James Hamilton.  Hamilton is a fierce competitor who leads by example through his effort on the field.  Last fall, you would have seen him sprinting down the field sacrificing his body to cover punts and kickoffs.  He’ll probably do less of that this year, but his leadership will be invaluable.  Hamilton is a tough runner, but he has plenty of speed as well.

    Joining Hamilton in the backfield is returning part-time starter Imari Thompson and future superstar Ben Malena, who is just a sophomore.  Thompson will be a third year varsity player who’s a proven commodity and a great athlete.  Many people are excited about seeing Ben Malena in the Cedar Hill backfield and it may have something to do with the fact that, as a freshman, Malena scored 25 TD in 7 JV games before pulling a hamstring.  Malena would’ve seen plenty of action in the playoffs for the Longhorns, but he’ll get his shot this year.  Cedar Hill also expects to get a significant contribution from another sophomore RB, Mason Hayes, who is of course another future D1 prospect.

    Paving the way for Hamilton and the rest of the offense is an outstanding group of offensive linemen led by Jr. Thomas Ashcraft.  Ashcraft’s performance as a sophomore starter was vital to Cedar Hill’s success last year and he’s rightfully being recognized as one of the best young linemen in the entire country.  Joining Ashcraft are fellow returning starters Osaze Idumwonyi and Michael Washington.

    Most people who saw Cedar Hill in the state title game marveled at their defensive speed and there will be no drop-off in that department this year.  Of the 11 projected starters, Coach McGuire lists 8 players running a 4.6 or better.  DT Jarvis Humphrey, a UT commit, returns to anchor the defensive line.  The other returning starters are FS Elijiah Olalode and OLB Corwin Hicks.  SS Howard Hodge, CB Greg Brown, and NT Tyler Washington are all Division 1 level recruits stepping in to fill vacated positions.  Perhaps the most intriguing defender this year will be MLB Aaron Benson who is just a sophomore and is already 6’1 205 with 4.6 speed.

    Many people believe that Cedar Hill’s tremendous success was all due to one player, William Cole.  While they would be correct in assuming that Cole can’t be replaced, it would be foolish to look at last year’s team and not recognize the outstanding receivers, the great offensive line, the unbelievably fast and swarming defense, and most importantly the great coaching.  What we saw from Cedar Hill last year was not a one-man show; it was the awakening of a sleeping giant.       

The Bottom Line:

2007 Schedule

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Forecast:

Strong Overall Talent,
Leader at QB,
Speed

Inexperienced in spots,
but talented

Contend for District and Region

Top Players: