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Esteemed historian Edward Gibbon is famous for having said
the wind and waves are always on the side of the ablest
navigators.
That being so, one can make a strong case in favor of Waco
High weathering last weekend's stormy voyage to Tyler.
Tyler Lee, ranked No. 2 in this week's State 5A Harris
poll, rode the tide of a five touchdown onslaught en route
to an impressive 35-14 non-District victory over WHS.
But for the Lions last Friday's loss should prove more a
temporary off-course diversion than a major shipwreck.
Losing to the Red Raiders, after all, is hardly cause for
alarm. Especially when playing away from the friendly
confines of WISD Stadium. And facing a club that's
qualified for the post-season each of the past seven
years.
It's also worth noting that Waco High is no stranger to
testing troubled waters. The Lions traditionally play a
brutal pre-District schedule, and a year ago humbled then
No. 1 ranked Converse Judson with an upset triumph before
the Lion Faithful.
Veteran WHS mentor Johnny Tusa, rather than inflating the
Lions' overall ledger by facing inferior foes, prefers
matching up early in the campaign against the State's best
in order to be better prepared once the 13-5A title chase
gets under way.
Even when it means playing with a reshuffled roster, as
was the case Friday, when Lion quarterback Carl Sims made
just his third start ever under center.
Sims, Waco High's "Little Big Man" at 5-9, 165-pounds, was
a standout defensive back and kick returner in '03. He
made Lion rivals pay when they threw to his side in an
attempt to avoid highly decorated DB Marcus Walker, now a
top prospect at the University of Oklahoma.
A superb athlete who also stars on the WHS basketball
team, Sims was forced to take over at QB in last season's
finale following injuries to Lion signal callers Anthony
Hicks and Bristol Mayo.
Staring Friday night across the trenches at a bonafide
State championship contender, Sims didn't disappoint. He
scambled, juked, and threw for over 300 yards in total
offense against a Red Raider Stop Dept. featuring two
returning All-Staters in speedy linebacker Cole Scates and
ballhawking safety Erik Ejike.
"He's not really a quarterback," says one of Sims' many
admirers in the Centexfootball.com coverage area, "but
he's good enough to play the position very well at the 5A
level."
Yet the mercurial Sims (4.5 in the 40) isn't alone in
having marquee value for the Lions.
Waco High linebacker Shon Brown (6-0, 220) runs a 4.7 40
and has the ability to go sideline to sideline on every
snap. He accounted for 101 tackles in 2003, averaging just
over 10 stops per contest for a unit that had no shortage
of top-notch defenders.
Defensive end Lequantum McDonald (6-2, 230), defensive
tackle Brad Lankford (6-4, 270), and safety Rashad Johnson
(6-2, 190, 4.6) should join Brown in anchoring the Lion
defense.
Sims, Brown, and McDonald are early commitments to Baylor
University's rebuilding grid program.
Despite the loss to Texas A&M of two-time All-District
choice Torey DeGrate, a 2003 Centexfootball.com feature
profile player, Sims has talented targets at wideout this
year. He can throw outside and deep to the versatile
Anthony Hicks and junior LaGerald Betters, both of whom
know their way to the end zone.
Tailback Troy Hurbert looks to be a darting and durable
runner for the Lions.
If anything, this year's edition of the Lions appears to
be even quicker on the field than the '03 club.
WHS fans can only hope the Lions are equally quick studies
when it comes to learning new positions and executing game
plans in a revamped 13-5A, which now includes former 4A
power Harker Heights.
Despite Friday's setback don't be surprised if Waco High,
following a week both of stressing the positive and some
intensive soul searching, enjoys smooth sailing much of
the fall.
That's because, again quoting Gibbon, that while
conversation enriches understanding, it's solitude that's
the school of genius.
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