TXHSFB Coaches with the Most to Prove in 2025

___

6A: Leon Paul – Lancaster

Lancaster gambled on Paul, who built his reputation as Duncanville's track coach, when it hired him for his first football head coaching job in 2021. He hit the ground running with a 10-2 record that first season, but the Tigers' win total has decreased every year since. Granted, Lancaster reached the fourth round of the playoffs in 2023 in a remarkable rebound from a 1-4 start, and last year's 5-7 finish can be explained by growing pains in its first year in 6A in a loaded district with Duncanville, DeSoto and Waxahachie. Overall, Paul has done a solid job.

But the area round playoff loss to Longview this past season was a collapse. Lancaster was up 28-14 with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter and muffed a punt inside its 15-yard line. Then it fumbled at midfield while trying to ice the game with under two minutes remaining and gave Longview multiple chances on it's overtime-forcing drive with a pass interference on third-and-20.

It's up to Paul in 2025 to prove he's the long-term answer at Lancaster, and he'll have to do so in the state's toughest district.

5A: Rashaun Woods – Tyler

Woods was a Big 12 record setting wide receiver at Oklahoma State who's sent plenty of prospects to college football since taking over the Tyler job in 2023, including Derrick McFall (SMU) and Zach Williams (Tulsa). The Lions haven't reached the playoffs in either of his first two seasons, however. On paper, the 2025 roster once again has the talent to play deep into November. District Offensive Newcomer of the Year Trey Haralson is a DCTF four-star at wide reciever, while running back Cadarius McMiller (offers from SMU, TCU and Baylor) shares the backfield with all-district selection Ashton Arriaga.

4A: Tyler Beatty – China Spring

Beatty was elevated from defensive assistant to head coach after China Spring won the 2021 state championship, and he led the repeat performance in 2022. But this past season was his first group that hadn't been previously coached by Brian Bell. The 2-8 finish marked the first time since 2013 that China Spring didn't make the playoffs. 

Beatty, and the program as a whole, deserve the benefit of the doubt that 2024 was an aberration and not a new normal. District 12-4A DII is winnable, however, and chock-full of neighboring towns who currently hold bragging rights. 

3A: Whitney Keeling – Tatum

Keeling built a winning tradition at Waskom with a 113-40 record and two state championships. He then took over a Tatum job with a winning tradition of its own (three-consecutive state championship appearances from 2005-07) in 2022, but hasn't enjoyed the same success. Keeling's bunch has gone 17-15 in three seasons and hasn't made it out of the first round of the playoffs. Can he recapture the Waskom magic?

2A: Wes Boatmun – Sunray

It's life after Lujan in Sunray, as the Bobcats bid adieu to TXHSFB's all-time leading passer with 14,600 career yards and 231 touchdowns. Boatmun proves this season whether Sunray has staying power without their star quarterback. Before Lujan's four years starting, Sunray had just one winning season in seven years as an 11-man program. With Lujan, they went 37-14.