Skyline's dreams of a state title evaporated in a wild ending in the semifinals. With plenty of talent coming back, the Raiders are in position to fight for the title again in Texas' toughest classification.
Photo by Jim Redman
If not for a meandering fox,
Skyline (Dallas) could have been state champions a year ago.
Sure, the Raiders still would have had to get past Hightower, but the team’s loss in the Class 5A-I semifinals was extremely unusual to say the least, after it led 24-14 with less than 2:30 remaining.
Still, Skyline’s season helped assuage the idea that the team was a talented group of players that couldn’t win when it counted. In 2012, it could be even better, with many key pieces returning from a team that came so close a year ago.
Devante Kincade and
Ra'Shaad Samples form a potent offensive duo that could represent the nation’s best quarterback-wide receiver combination.
Ra'Shaad Samples is one of the state's most formidablereceivers and teams with Devante Kincade to form oneof the nation's best QB-WR combos.
Photo by Jim Redman
In total, seven offensive starters return, a balanced mix of linemen and skill players that should have Skyline’s offense clicking even early in the season.
Defensively, head coach Reginald Samples needs to find replacements for a dominant linebacking corps that graduated this spring. The names aren’t yet familiar to Texas high school football fans, but
Isaiah Williams,
Justin Norton,
Darnell Reed and
Mar’quaveon Jones are among the players that should be able to fill in for the Raiders.
With
Cedric Collins and
Will Barrow, the secondary has two bona fide returners and should be a strength of the defense.
Local Look: “It would be easy for the returning Skyline players to get overconfident. After all, they won 14 consecutive games and the roster is filled with talent to have another similar season. However, Reginald Samples doesn't sound like he's going to let that happen.”
- Jon Machota, Dallas Morning News
