MONTGOMERY — Still a young varsity football program at 6 years old, Lake Creek can no longer avoid greatness.
“If we can stay healthy, we’ll be pretty good,” coach Pat Kennedy said. “I can’t shy away from that anymore, looking at the pieces.”
When Lake Creek opened in 2017, Kennedy wanted an opportunity for his boys to be the best team in their district, and one of the best in the area and county.
They’re here.
Lake Creek went 12-1 last year, winning its first district championship, undefeated, and first playoff game before falling in the third round to perennial power Fort Bend Marshall. The Lions ran off 12 straight wins before the heartbreaking setback and outscored opponents by more than 30 points per game.
HS FOOTBALL PREVIEW: District 10-5A Division II
Lake Creek, ranked No. 3 in the Houston Chronicle’s Class 5A preseason rankings, is not just the new kid on the block anymore.
“We’re not going to sneak up on anyone,” Kennedy said. “It’s one day at a time, one game at a time, and focusing on that more than what’s down the road.”
The present looks awfully fulfilling for Lake Creek.
The Lions return 13 starters. The headliner is 5-foot-9, 210-pound junior running back Tyvonn Byars, who rushed for 2,346 yards and scored 40 total touchdowns last year.
“We have to prove ourselves more than ever now,” Byars said. “They expect us to go further than we did last year. We’ve got to keep pushing and striving to do better.”
Kennedy said Byars, who averaged 8.8 yards per carry and had 11 of 13 games with at least 100 yards rushing, has a better understanding of the blocking up front. He is seeing holes sooner and faster.
“That’s a good thing for us,” Kennedy said understatedly.
“I still feel nobody can tackle me one on one,” Byars added. “I’ve been working on strength and speed. Mostly agility, though. I feel I got faster. I can move quicker. I’m more agile.”
Kennedy has been impressed with his team’s mental sharpness and senior leadership early on in fall camp.
“We know everybody is going to gun for us this year,” senior linebacker Gerard Culotta said. “We had a great season last year and are obviously coming to do it again. We just have to take things the same way we did last year, with us coming together as a team and take every little step to make the big steps.”
Last year, Lake Creek averaged 53.1 points per game and gave up 22.1.
“We want to hold people to 24 points a game,” Kennedy said. “Offensively, we want to score every time we touch the football. And I don’t mean field goals. I mean touchdowns. That’s our mentality. That’s the way we’re going about it.”
He has the weapons. Aside from the electric Byars, junior quarterback Eli Morcos has drawn rave reviews. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder has a strong arm, can run if plays break down and is tough.
“I love Cade Tessier,” Kennedy said of last year’s standout signal-caller that earned a walk-on opportunity to play at Baylor. “He’s a winner. Eli Morcos is better. We’re excited about that position.”
Senior receiver Sam Lee is the ideal perimeter playmaker that can take advantage of defenses that load the box to stop Byars. Lee had 532 yards and eight touchdowns on 26 catches last year.
“I’ve talked about this kid probably as long as the school has been open,” Kennedy said. “Sam Lee could have played for us when he was in eighth grade. He started for us as a freshman. He’s a playmaker.”
All five starting offensive linemen squat more than 300 pounds, bench-press more than 300 pounds and power-clean more than 275 points. Three-year senior starter Aiden Kaplan, a Northwestern State commit, is the anchor of the group.
Sophomore guard/tackle Hunter McKinney (6-3, 270 pounds) saw significant playing time as a freshman. He is the son of former 11-year NFL veteran Steve McKinney and nephew of eight-year NFL veteran Seth McKinney.
Defensively, Culotta is a tenacious team leader.
“He takes after his coach,” Kennedy said. “A very surly young man who loves football.”
Senior safety Blake Hayward is a team captain, a “super smart kid,” Kennedy said.
Junior cornerback Tyraun Pier was a move-in last season.
“He’s got freaky skills,” Kennedy said.
Sophomore Reed Newkirk will play both ways, cornerback and receiver. Senior 6-foot-3, 250-pound defensive lineman Jace Hersey steadies the front.
“I think we’ll be better than we were last year,” Culotta said of the defense.
Junior Kade Yeary and senior Elijah Naziruddin have also impressed. Senior specialist Alex Abbott is a program stalwart.
“The best punter/kicker combo that I’ve ever been around,” Kennedy said of Abbott. “The good thing about him is we go for two points (on extra-point attempts), we don’t punt a lot and we onside (kick) a lot. As a kicker and punter, his job is very diminished. But he’s a great kid about it. He’s a great team player.”
Kennedy said the program’s rapid rise to relevance is no mistake. Kids have bought in to what is being sold.
“That mentality of you need to take advantage of your opportunity when it’s given,” Kennedy said.
The Lions are poised for theirs this year.
“Everybody’s excited to get back to football,” Byars said. “The last time we played a game, it was a hard loss. It was tough, man. We’re ready to get back to it. I’m really excited to play Marshall again.”
