OMAHA-NAPLES, Texas-Paul Pewitt's football team is a solidarity.
Head coach Triston Abron, the staff, and the determined football squad are poised to finish atop District 11-3A along with Waskom.
"Being 4-1 is a great surprise," Abron said. "It's not that it wasn't expected, but we came in and schematically changed the offense, defense and special teams. We have been successful, and for the guys to pick up all of the changes quickly has been awesome."
The most positive thing about the team is camaraderie. The Brahmas (4-1, 1-1) have jelled well together throughout the season, and it shows on the gridiron.
"This is the first time that I have been around a team or a group of kids that genuinely love each other," Abron said. "I believe that is a factor in our success. The guys hang out together. As always, I have dealt with issues, but this guys hold each other accountable, care about each other, and their expectations of one another helps us be successful."
Kadrien Johnson is the team's leading rusher with 314 yards on just 33 carries; that is an average of 9.5 yards per tote.
"Offensively, we are doing a good job up front with coming off the football and being dominant," the Brahmas' head coach said. "The running backs are doing a great job of knowing where the gap is or where it is going to be. The gap might not be there immediately, but the running backs are doing well in being patient and anticipating where the opening is going to be. In our style of offense, there is a wall there and the runners have to wait for a gap to open."
The defense plays well as a unit, which is evident by the list of Pewitt's leading tacklers. La-Jathan Allen leads the Brahmas in tackles with 39, DJ Turner has made 32 stops, Colby Frost has 30, Kendrell Webster has made 27 tackles, and Tannor Mines has 26. That totals five players who are averaging over five stops per game.
"Defensively, the guys have done a good job in playing at the speed that I want to play at," Abron said. "I don't like for an offense to sustain a drive. Playing at a high speed, being aggressive and running to the football has been something that the team has done a good job in picking up on. For the most part, they are executing it fairly well."
Paul Pewitt hosts New Diana in a District 11-3A matchup at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.