The Smithson Valley Rangers football team is one of the best programs in the greater San Antonio area annually, and this year should be no different.
According to Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, the Rangers, led by longtime head coach Larry Hill, are predicted to win District 13-5A-D1. The 8-team district is loaded with talented squads in Pieper, New Braunfels, Wagner, and Boerne Champion, so getting through won’t be easy.
The Rangers went 14-2 last season, losing in the Class 5A-D1 State final to Aledo, 51-8. They lost 27 players from that team, including all five starting offensive linemen.
“We moved some kids around,” said Hill. “We have kids playing unfamiliar positions to try to shore that up, but there’s no getting around they haven’t been there before. No one has any starting experience there, so I think that’s the biggest thing.”
Coach Hill will be returning 42 lettermen this season, including eight starters, with five of those players on the defensive side of the ball.
Smithson Valley has been ranked fifth in Dave Campbell’s preseason rankings for Class 5A-D1.