GRIDIRON GLANCE ’24: May Tigers

August 23, 2024 at 8:15 am Derrick Stuckly

MAY – For the first time since 2004, the May Tigers will be starting a football season with a new head coach.

James Ball has taken the reins from Craig Steele, who guided May to 175 wins and four state championship game appearances in his 20-year tenure.

Ball, who spent the past two seasons leading Springlake-Earth to district championships and second-round playoff appearances, said of the transition, “The transition has been easy, really great. They’ve done a really good job here with the kids. The kids work hard, they’re very respectful and have adapted to what we’re teaching. We got three weeks in with the kids with summer workouts and they learned and picked things up very quickly.”

Other previous stops for Ball include Early as an assistant; Blanket for four years, including three as head coach; Panther Creek for a year; Knox City for two years; back to Panther Creek for 15 years; and most recently Springlake-Earth.

The Tigers are coming off a 9-4 season in 2023 with five offensive and defensive starters back, and enter the year ranked No. 7 in Class A Division I by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football.

Players to watch for May include Ben Harrell (543 rushing yards, 13 TDs; 25-536 receiving, 6 TDs; 293 passing yards, 4 TDs / 98 tackles); Jackson Lusk (37-641 receiving, 12 TDs / 112 tackles, 2 FR, 1 INT); Mikey Scheriger (365 rushing yards, 7 TDs / 14-137 receiving, 2 TDs / 91 tackles, INT, 6 FRs); Cayson Dail 8-57 rushing; 25-37 passing, 305 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs / 32 tackles, 1 FR); Lane Goodson (227 rushing yards, 8-123 receiving, TD / 36 tackles, 2 INTs), Kaden Watkins (12-234 receiving, TD / 36 tackles, 3 FRs); Wyatt Hardy (4-46 receiving, TD / 36 tackles, 3 FR, INT) and a transfer from Rising Star, Kobey Morris (50 of 77 passing for 941 yards, 22 TDs, 5 INTs / 75 tackles, 4 INTs, 1 FR).

“Coach Steele ran several different offenses and had a lot of success with it,” Ball said. “We’re going to run unbalanced, or what everybody calls the J-bird. That’s system I decided years ago I wanted to run. They had a lot of success here running the spread and T and other formations, but we’re going to really hone in on what we’re doing and teach a technique driven system.

“We have a habit of moving people around throughout the year. It’s a like a puzzle and we’re looking for the right pieces to fit in the right spots. And our guys in the backfield can not only run but throw, and that’s common in six-man.”

May opens its season at Sidney, then tackles Oglesby, Rochelle, Newcastle, Iredell, Irion County, and Moran as part of another packed pre-district slate.

“We’re not going to be a polished team right off the bat, but we have the capability to be very good,” Ball said. “We’re going to get there. It may take some games, but it’s all about time and getting those guys the right time in the right spots and getting them enough reps at those particular spots to have success. I want to see improvement from week to week in what we’re teaching, execution on both offense and defense, and their effort level has to be there. It’s been through the roof ever since we got here. “

No. 4 Jonesboro again awaits May in the District 14-A Division I race, as do Santa Anna and Lometa.

“It’s not going to be easy in district with Jonesboro, they’re always tough,” Ball said. “They have good, strong kids, they’ve been to the state championship before, so their players won’t be lacking in anything. We’re looking to compete every game with the rest of the district. Lometa and Santa Anna, I haven’t competed against them in a while, but we’re going to have to play every single week and the kids are going to have to be prepared.”

Regarding the potential of the Tigers in 2024, Ball said, “I don’t want to peg them for anything, but the sky’s the limit. I don’t want to get in their heads, but they can be really, really good. Once they see what we have brought to the table and the techniques and the things we teach on a day to day basis, then retain it and apply it and it works, it’s going to feed the fire for these guys. Their work ethic is top notch and they get after it every day, but we need to be humble in every game we play, get after people and do the absolute best job we can.”

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MAY TIGERS 2024 SCHEDULE

Aug. 30	at Sidney	7:30 p.m.
Sept. 6	Oglesby	7:30 p.m.
Sept. 13	Rochelle	7:30 p.m.
Sept. 20	at Newcastle	7:30 p.m.
Sept. 27	at Iredell	7:30 p.m.
Oct. 4	Irion County	7:30 p.m.
Oct. 11	at Moran	7:30 p.m.
Oct. 18	OPEN
Oct. 25	Santa Anna*	7:30 p.m.
Nov. 1	at Lometa*	7:30 p.m.
Nov. 8	Jonesboro*	7:30 p.m.