Opinion: THSCA game, 7-on-7 questions in the bag

By Tyler Mayforth Daily Record Sports

San Marcos — Football season is just around the corner as high schools in the area and Texas State are ready to gear up for two-a-day workouts.

So, it’s no wonder what dominates the third Daily Record Mailbag.

Let’s get right to the questions.



Q: Tyler, I enjoyed your coverage from the THSCA All-Star Game. Football can’t get here soon enough. What was your take on the three Texas State recruits who played? If you had to rank them based on their performance Tuesday night, how would you?

— Frank from San Antonio



A: Frank, I appreciate the kind words. I’m sure you’re in the same boat as 90 percent of all people in Texas who can’t wait for the high school, college or professional football season.

To answer your question, I’m going to start at the back and work my way forward.

Based on their performances at the THSCA All-Star Game, Carthage defensive tackle Deshun Williams leads the pack, followed by Cuero quarterback Tyler Arndt and finally Wimberley offensive lineman Charlie Will Tuttle.

Williams looked like a man among boys. While he went to a Class 3A school, Williams has Class 5A talent. Williams easily shed blockers and forced the North to double-team him.

Arndt played well, but not at the caliber of Williams. The Cureo quarterback stood tall in the pocket, but was constantly on the run due to an awful performance by the South offensive line. Arndt threw most of his passes off his back foot, but was able to find the tallest receiver on the field most of the time. When Arndt did step into his throws, I was less than impressed with his arm strength.

While I rank Tuttle last, it has nothing to do with his ability, more so I lost him in the mix. When I did locate Tuttle, he definitely held his own against Texas Tech-bound Dartwan Bush, a 6-foot-2, 250-pound defensive end.



Q: You’re probably getting a lot of questions about the THSCA All-Star Game, but here’s another: Which recruit (Arndt, Tuttle or Williams) has the best opportunity to make an impact for the Bobcats in 2010?

— Dante from Buda



A: Dante, thanks for the question. I know a lot of people Arndt going to be happy with this answer, but Williams has the best shot at being an impact player in 2010.

Texas State lacks a nose tackle with collegiate experience and while some think Prestin Brown might be the answer at the position, one former defensive lineman feels Brown is “...still a little light in the rear” and “...even though he put on weight, gets pushed around too easily.”

Williams comes in with size (280 pounds) and if he’s ready to play, there isn’t much stopping him from earning the start.

Arndt, on the other hand, has a good amount of roadblocks in his way.

While Arndt has the size (6-foot-5, 205 pounds), will he be mentally ready to start as a true freshman? Texas State also has three quarterbacks (Tim Hawkins, Bryan Hill and Andrew McCloud) with collegiate experience, so can Arndt prove himself a better option than those three?

Only time will tell and the Bobcats’ first practice is only 14 days away.



Q: I wanted to make it out to Texas State’s 7-on-7 workout with Texas but work got the best of me, so I had to follow along on your Twitter feed. All I can say is ‘Wow.’ The Bobcats really came out to play! Reason for excitement or much ado about nothing?

— Zack from Austin



A: As of this moment, Zack, it’s a little bit of each.

Yes, Texas State did score more touchdowns than the Longhorns but it was in a glorified practice. Both squads cycled between its first- and second-team offenses and defenses and there wasn’t a true competitive feel to the workout.

With that being said, any time the Bobcats can “play up” against a faster and stronger team, it gives them an opportunity to see where they stack up. The “win” should give Texas State confidence, but the players also need to understand what it was.

Lastly, players weren’t wearing pads and 7-on-7 workouts are non-contact drills. If both teams were hitting, the Bobcats might be without a few wide receivers as they were sold out across the middle several times.



Thanks for sending in questions and to send in YOUR inquiry, e-mail tmayforth@sanmarcosrecord.com or include Tyler Mayforth in a Twitter mention @smdrtyler.

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