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’Cats will have big holes to fill
By Van Hilburn
Published November 15, 2009
When the horn sounded Thursday night at McKinney’s Ron Poe Stadium, it marked an end to a Paris High season filled with impressive victories and disappointing defeats.
Thursday night’s 52-14 Class 3A bi-district loss to undefeated Argyle was also the final game for 16 Wildcat seniors. While Paris will return a wealth of talent in 2010, they will also have several holes to fill.
Paris ended up 6-5 overall and finished second in District 10-3A with a 4-1 record
Defensively, senior end Cedarius Hill will be toughest to replace. Hill led the Wildcats in tackles with 91 heading into the bi-district game. He also blocked three punts and extra points, had a team-high 14 tackles for loss and 9 1/2 sacks, also a team-high.
He took over punting duties late in the season and averaged 36.8 yards in that capacity.
Senior free safety Dominique Mitchell will be missed on both sides of the football. He had 66 tackles, including 47 solos, on defense, and he picked off two passes. Offensively, Mitchell ended up being the Wildcats’ No. 3 receiver, finishing with 22 catches for 280 yards and two touchdowns.
Senior defensive end/tackle Jamal Wooten was another versatile player, who also played some on the offensive front. His work in the trenches will be missed, as will that of lineman Jerred Guerra.
Senior linebacker Kendall King, who made a habit of blocking or recovering punts and fumbles and returning them for touchdowns, will also be missed. Out of the eight returns for touchowns Paris had this season, King had a team-high four of them, and he also caught a pass on offense and scored.
Defensive tackle Jordan Gill was a late arrival, but he made an immediate impact, and ended up with 19 tackles, two sacks and three tackles for loss.
Cornerback Equettis Jenkins, who four interceptions and 37 tackles will also the a big loss.
Offensively, senior running backs Tyrell Smith and Aaron Ethridge were the core of the Paris High ground game, accounting for 1,608 yards of the Wildcats’ 1,783 rushing yards. Tyrell Smith finished with a team-high 919 yards rushing on 135 carries and 12 touchdowns, and he ended up with 1,321 all-purpose yards.
Tyrell Smith was quarterback Corban Taylor’s No. 2 receiver, and he finished with 27 catches for 355 yards and three touchdowns, second only to Tavairus Williams’ 32 catches for 674 yards and eight touchdowns.
Ethridge rushed for 689 yards on 112 carries and scored 12 touchdowns, and he caught four passes for 88 yards.
Paris’ receiving corps takes a big hit, with Mitchell, King, Ethridge, Tyrell Smith, Equettis Jenkins and Darian Jones all graduating.
The Wildcats’ offensive line also takes a big hit with the the losses of senior guards Dylan Cathey and James Henderson, center Tez Allen, and tackle Eric Campbell. Only sophomore Dee Bogan returns up front.
“We’re losing 16 seniors, but we have a whole lot of sophomores and juniors returning, and don’t count out that eighth grade, there’s a lot of talent in that class. We have some good kids coming back,” said Paris High coach Travis Smith.
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