Argyle Athletics Booster Club, Argyle H.S. TX

There is perhaps nothing sadder in sports than watching a group of great young men come to the realization that they have played their last high school football game.   As those of us with a few more (ok, maybe a lot more) years under our belts realize, the sadness will quickly fade and the great memories will endure. 

This year's seniors will have a lot of terrific memories including a state championship game appearance, making the playoffs every year, Argyle’s first district championship, going undefeated at Eagles stadium this year, beating Decatur on homecoming 45-0, and much more.

The 14 seniors on this team will be remembered for their play-making and they will be missed as they carried on the winning tradition of Argyle football. 

Despite being held down by a suffocating Lion defense in the first quarter, Brady Brown made his impact on the game making great catch after catch to get the Eagles in scoring position just before the end of the first half. In the second half, he consistently beat double coverage and made big gains after the catch to lead the Eagles in receptions. Brady is the all-time leading receiver in Argyle, was the most highly recruited Eagle ever, and we can’t wait to see what he does as he will play for Vanderbilt in the SEC.

Kyle Frizzell started for three years at running back and it will be very weird to not see #21 in the backfield next year. Kyle went over 1,000 yards in each of his three seasons and last night showed why he will be remembered as one of the top running backs in school history. Kyle showed his toughness, vision, and quickness last night picking up key first downs and made a “Marion Barber” like play to score Argyle’s first touchdown last night. 

Aaron Landrum stepped into the starting lineup and on his 18^th birthday last night caught 3 passes and broke several tackles with impressive runs after the catch for key Argyle first downs.   Aaron showed tremendous patience and perseverance this year and took full-advantage of every opportunity that came his way.

Left guard Lloyd Marshall is one of the most tenacious and aggressive linemen to put on an Eagle uniform. A two-year starter, he opened big holes in last night’s game for Frizzell and provided perfect pass protection all game.

Perhaps no one worked harder in the off-season than right tackle Chas Eads and his hard work definitely paid off for the Eagles this year. Last night, Chas Eads dominated his side of the ball and when the Eagles needed to get in the end zone or pick up a key first down, the coaches called the play to run behind Chas. At 6’3” and 260 pounds, Chas will have opportunities to play on Saturday next year given his work ethic.

At 6’0” and 150 pounds, linebacker Joe Durham had no business being Argyle’s leading tackler and starting middle linebacker. But someone forgot to tell Joe that and that is a good thing. Joe’s emergence this year is one of the more inspirational stories you will hear. Joe put in the hard work on JV last year, worked extremely hard in the off-season, and made an immediate impact when given the chance. Young Argyle Eagles looking for their opportunity should call on Joe’s story as inspiration. Last night, it was Joe Durham leading the team in tackles again and throwing his body into Kaufman running backs in the fourth quarter to shut down their running attack and give Argyle a chance to win.

From his position on the defensive line, Mark Capra was typically outweighed 75-100 pounds by the offensive linemen he faced. But that did not deter Mark as he was 3^rd on the team in tackles and always seemed to be the guy to make the first tackle of every game. Last night, Mark’s quickness, intelligence, and relentless pursuit helped Argyle hold the Kaufman rushing attack to more than 100 yards below their average.

Cody Keen gets the “comeback player of the year” award. After suffering a season-ending injury last year, Cody showed his mental and physical toughness to rehab and work his way back into a key role on Argyle’s defensive line. Last night, it was Cody Keen sacrificing himself to plug gaps on key short yardage situations to make those huge 4^th quarter stops, allowing Argyle a chance to come from behind for the win.

Defensive linemen and linebacker Eddie Eckert is an impact player and was one of the hardest hitters on the team as a three year lettermen. And Eddie showed a nose for the goal line as he even had a couple of touchdowns this year from the vaunted “Bulls” formation.

No player on this team showed more versatility than Jay Williams. Jay started the year at safety and then made a rare move from defensive back to defensive line without missing a beat. Last night, it was Jay with a quarterback sack while showing his toughness to stop the Lions after short gains.

Like Joe Durham, Kyle Olson showed remarkable fortitude moving up from JV and working his way into the starting lineup at defensive end.   All season long, and last night too, it was Kyle that made plays to cause turnovers or deliver big hits for lost yardage.

For the past two years, cornerback Matt Moore was Argyle’s “shut-down” player and rarely did teams succeed throwing the ball his way. He led the team in interceptions for the second year in a row. Last night, Matt did not allow a completion to his man and played great technique in the open-field to limit the Lion’s ability to break big plays on the ground.

Speed, quickness, and intelligence defined John Walker’s play from his cornerback position. John was a two year starter for the Eagles. Last night, John Walker made several huge tackles in the open field to prevent big Lion gains or touchdowns as he has done all season. John will also be remembered as one of the top kick returners in school history and that’s a role that requires a fearless approach to the game that John always displayed.

Scotty Stewart joined the Eagles last year and immediately started making an impact. Scotty’s speed and quickness at cornerback gave the Eagles a lot of flexibility on defense and it was rare for a receiver to ever beat Scotty because of his terrific technique.  Last night in his final game, it was Scotty going over the top from 1 yard out to score his first varsity touchdown in the “Bulls” formation pulling the Eagles within one score of the lead in the 4^th quarter.

Certainly these seniors have earned our gratitude and respect for the character they have shown as Argyle Eagles. They will be missed and remember for a long, long time.

Over 30 of Argyle’s finest young men will return next fall. This will be a very motivated group of young men as they gear up for next year. These players will do what Eagles do and will regroup, step up, and use the memory of last night’s game to motivate as they put in the hard work during the off-season. They know that great football programs in Texas are built based on a relentless approach to working in the off-season. We can’t wait until next August to see that hard work pay off.