Texas
West Texas High School Football Preview: 10 coaches to watch ahead of the 2024 season
Miles’ Jayson Wilhelm talks after bi-district win over Sterling City
The Miles Bulldogs beat the Sterling City Eagles 48-0 in the bi-district round on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023.
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Texas high school football is only weeks away from fall practice, and excitement grows as fans, players and coaches with high aspirations anticipate the return of Friday night lights in West Texas.
For the past few weeks, the Standard-Times highlighted the top local players in seven position groups — quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs, offensive linemen, defensive backs, defensive linemen, and linebackers.
In the next installment of our 2024 high school football preview series, we will spotlight the top coaches to watch during the 2024 season.
High school coaches to watch
Scott Freeman, Junction
Freeman was the 2023 All-West Texas Coach of the Year after turning the Eagle program from winless in 2022 to a playoff squad in 2023. Junction has plenty to look forward to this season with a move down to Class 2A Division II. They return all 11 starters on offense and defense and start the season ranked in the top 25 at No. 20. If Freeman can harness the potential on his roster, expect a deep playoff run from the Eagles this season.
DJ Howell, Sterling City
Howell comes from a successful stint in six-man football at Miami, replacing Trey Sisco, who moves back to the six-man football ranks with Water Valley. Howell has a clean slate to work with as he looks to replace seven starters on offense and defense, but inherits a program with plenty of pedigree. It has been four years since Sterling moved up to 11-man football after winning a state title in Class 1A Division I in 2020.
Michael McLeod, Mason
McLeod led Mason to its 14th consecutive district championship last season with an 11-1 record. However, the Punchers failed to reach the regional semifinal for the second straight season — the first time since 2008. It has been six years since Mason won its second state title with McLeod as the offensive coordinator. Now, as the head coach, he has an opportunity to get back to the title game with a roster filled with experience and talent. The Punchers come into the season ranked ninth in Class 2A Division I and are the favorite to win their district.
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Casey Otho, Christoval
It has been two seasons since Christoval had a winning season. The Cougars moved up from Class 2A Division II to Division I at the end of the 2020 season. After losing three players to graduation last year, Christoval is primed to surprise this season with a young roster deep in the trenches. If Otho and the Cougars can take advantage of their opportunity, they could find themselves back in deep playoff territory.
Shawn Rogers, Richland Springs
The Coyotes did not take long to get themselves back into the state championship conversation after a brief hiatus in 2022. Coach Shawn Rogers deserves a lot of credit for steadying the ship after the departure of longtime coach Jerry Burkhart, quickly rebounding to a 13-1 record and a state semifinal appearance. Richland Springs begins the season as favorites to make another state championship game as the No. 2 ranked team in Class 1A Division II.
Mark Smith, Central
Smith takes command of a Central program that could be on the precipice of a turning point. The Bobcats had a tumultuous 2023 season after graduating most of their starters in 2022, fielding one of the youngest teams in Class 6A last year. Despite a competitive effort, they finished the season 1-9 and hired Smith. Before coming to Central, he spent nearly a decade among the college ranks at the University of Oklahoma, the University of Colorado and Southern Methodist University, among others. Under Brent Davis, the last Central hire from the college ranks, the program was a consistent contender in the Little Southwest Conference. The hope is Smith can capture the same magic.
Craig Slaughter, Wall
Wall finished last season falling short of a state semifinal appearance with a loss to Canadian. After the loss, longtime coach Houston Guy announced he was stepping away from his position. The school district slotted Slaughter, the defensive coordinator, as the new head coach. Slaughter transformed the Hawks’ defense into a powerhouse among Class 3A Division II programs during his as defensive coordinator. The hope is he can breathe new life into the offense and help push No. 9 Wall over the hump. If he can get the offense humming early, the Hawks could have its second state title within reach by December.
Blake Weston, Sonora
Weston was named one of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football’s ’40 under 40’ coaches in Texas after leading the Broncos to back-to-back double-digit win seasons. This year, he faces a new challenge by replacing two of his best players in quarterback Jaime Buitron and running back and linebacker Edgar DeLuna. On top of losing two star players, the Broncos return half their starters on offense and defense. Weston kept Sonora on track without Buitron for the first half of last season, but can he keep the Broncos rolling with a new engine in 2024?
Aaron Whitmire, Water Valley
After two seasons in 11-man football, the Wildcats elected to move back to the six-man game in 2024. The last time Water Valley was in six-man football, they finished the season 12-1 under previous head coach John York. This year, the Wildcats start the season ranked No. 12, but have stiff competition with two other top 25 teams in No. 19 Irion County and No. 23 Robert Lee in their district. Whitmire brought former Sterling City head coach Trey Sisco in as an offensive coordinator, forming a formidable coaching tandem. If Whitmire can adjust his team to six-man football, it will be easy to see them in state title contention.
Jayson Wilhelm, Miles
Wilhelm led Miles to its first playoff win since 2010-11 with a shutout win over Sterling City last year. The Bulldogs return most of their starters but lost All-West Texas Offensive MVP and star quarterback Hayven Book to graduation — an integral part of their explosive passing attack. Even with the loss of their quarterback, Miles has an impressive roster of upperclassmen littered with varsity experience. They face one of the toughest districts in Class 2A Division II, featuring two-time defending state champions Albany, but have all of the tools to make a deep playoff run this season.
Paul Witwer covers high school sports and Angelo State University sports for The San Angelo Standard-Times. Reach him at sports@gosanangelo.com. Follow him on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, @Paul_Witwer
FILE – Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, speaks during a news conference Dec. 7, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Mariam Zuhaib/AP
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Mariam Zuhaib/AP
WASHINGTON — Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas said late Thursday he was withdrawing from his reelection race, after having admitted an affair with a former staff member who later died by suicide, but he vowed to finish out his term in Congress.
He had faced calls from GOP leadership to end his reelection bid, and from others in Congress to resign.
“After deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek re-election,” Gonzales said in a statement posted late Thursday to X.
The move is the latest in a quickly changing situation that stunned Capitol Hill and resulted in a House Ethics Committee investigation into his conduct. Gonzales’ decision to bow out of the race appears to clear the field. On Tuesday, he had been forced into a May runoff against Brandon Herrera, a gun manufacturer and YouTube gun-rights influencer who narrowly lost to him in the 2024 primary.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and the GOP leadership earlier Thursday had called on Gonzales to withdraw from reelection after Gonzales, a day earlier, acknowledged a relationship that has upturned the political world in his home state and in Washington.
“We have encouraged him to address these very serious allegations directly with his constituents and his colleagues,” said Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Whip Tom Emmer, and GOP Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain in a statement.
“In the meantime, Leadership has asked Congressman Gonzales to withdraw from his race for reelection.”
Johnson, R-La., has been under enormous pressure from his own GOP lawmakers to take action, and several Republicans have already called for Gonzales to step aside. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., has introduced two resolutions to punish Gonzales. The first seeks to remove him from his assignments on the House Appropriations and Homeland Security committees, while the second seeks to censure him.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, meanwhile, said he would support expelling Gonzales from the House, a rare step that requires a two-thirds vote from the chamber.
GOP leaders notably did not call for Gonzales to resign from office as they struggle to maintain their slim majority in the House, which they hold by only a handful of seats.
Their move came after Gonzales, appearing on the “Joe Pags Show,” was asked whether he had a relationship with the aide, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles.
Santos-Aviles, 35, died after setting herself on fire in the backyard of her home in Uvalde, Texas. The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office later ruled her death a suicide.
“I made a mistake and I had a lapse in judgment, and there was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions,” Gonzales said.
The congressman, now in his third term, had said he would not step down in response to the allegations, telling reporters recently that there will be opportunities for all the details and facts to come out.
Gonzales, a father of six, first won his seat in 2020 after retiring from a 20-year career in the Navy that included time in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In the interview broadcast Wednesday, Gonzales said he had not spoken to Santos-Aviles since June 2024. She died in September 2025.
“I had absolutely nothing to do with her tragic passing, and in fact, I was shocked just as much as everyone else,” Gonzales said.
Gonzales went on to say he had reconciled with his wife, Angel, and has asked God to forgive him. He also said he looked forward to the Ethics Committee investigation.
Johnson and GOP leadership urged that committee to “act expeditiously.”
Under House ethics rules, lawmakers may not engage in a sexual relationship with any employee of the House under their supervision.
The Texas Rangers and veteran outfielder Andrew McCutchen agreed to a minor league contract on Thursday, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.
The person confirmed the agreement to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract had not been finalized and a physical exam still needed to be completed. The 39-year-old McCutchen would make $1.5 million this season while playing in the major leagues if he’s added to the 40-man roster, the person said.
McCutchen has three weeks of spring training to show the Rangers he’s worth a spot. They’re well-positioned in the outfield with rising standouts Wyatt Langford in left field and Evan Carter in center field and veteran newcomer Brandon Nimmo in right field.
Still, Carter was limited by injuries to 63 games in 2025, so depth is a concern that McCutchen could help alleviate. His right-handed bat could also serve as a natural complement at the designated hitter spot, where left-handed hitter Joc Pederson is slated for the bulk of the playing time.
McCutchen played the last three seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the club that drafted him in the first round in 2005 and promoted him in 2009 for his major league debut. McCutchen played his first nine years in MLB with the Pirates, making five straight All-Star teams and winning the 2013 National League MVP award while becoming one of the most popular players in that franchise’s history.
McCutchen bounced around with four other teams between 2018 and 2022, before reuniting with the Pirates. He played in 135 games last season, with 13 home runs, 57 RBIs and a .700 OPS. When the Pirates reported to spring training last month, general manager Ben Cherington publicly kept the door open to bringing back McCutchen, but the signing of veteran Marcell Ozuna effectively eliminated a spot on their roster for him.
“No matter what, Andrew’s a Pirate and certainly our desire will be to continue to have a really strong relationship with him into the future, whatever that looks like,” Cherington said then.
AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.
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