Ozona Lions District: 3-2A Division I Head coach: Kyle Freeman (36-22; 14-17 at Ozona) Last year’s record: 2-8; 1-3 in district Last district title/playoff appearance: 2016/2018 Enrollment: 190 Stadium: Lion Stadium Returning lettermen: 16 Returning off./def. starters: 8/9 Base offense: Multiple Base defense: 4-2-5 Team strength: Numerous returning starters Team weakness: Depth Players to watch Abraham Rodriguez, RB/LB, 5-10, 185, Sr.; Sebastian De La Cruz, RB/DB, 5-11, 180, Sr.; Alec Lara, QB/DB, 5-6, 155, Sr.; Justin Yeager, WR/LB, 5-6, 160, Sr.; Joe Salas, FB/DE, 6-0, 220, Sr.; Lazaro Rodriguez, LB/FB, 5-7, 185, Sr.; Austin Damian, OL/DE, 5-8, 190, Sr.; Zachary Talamantez, WR/DB, 5-6, 160, Sr.; Emmanuel Venegas, OL/DL, 6-2, 200, Jr.; Carlos Cantu, RB/LB, 5-6, 165, Soph.; Jessie Vega, QB/DB, 6-1, 180, Jr.; Jaden Fay, TE/LB, 5-9, 175, Sr.; Orlando Garza, K/TE, 5-10, 190, Jr.; Jacob Childress, WR/DB, 5-9, 160, Sr.; Joe Perez, WR/LB, 5-10, 175, Jr.; Lane Smith, WR/DB, 5-4, 110, Soph. The idea that spring brings promise after a long winter was not lost on Ozona High School head football coach Kyle Freeman. “We went from being very good to being very average — fast,” said Freeman, whose team struggled to make the playoffs in 2018 after early-season injuries. “But with all the seniors we have, all the returning starters coming back, we’re excited. As long as we can keep everybody healthy, we feel real good about the season.” The fact that the Lions (2-8 last year) did make the playoffs and landed six athletes on the all-district first team said something. “We lost four two-way starters in the first three games, so that was pretty rough,” Freeman said. The Lions were facing a tough schedule: season opener against Sonora, another nondistrict game against Reagan County — both Class 3A Division II teams — and a new district with some Abilene-area heavyweights in Hawley and Stamford and up-and-coming Winters. Starting quarterback and preseason All-West Texas pick Alec Lara was lost for the season with a knee injury on the first night, and it kind of went downhill from there. “He was the leader. He helped make our offense go. So losing him really hindered what we could do offensively,” Freeman said. After being named Defensive MVP in Ozona’s baseball district, Lara is back for his senior year, one of 17 returning starters for the Lions. Ozona hopes to be more multi-dimensional on offense. They were expecting it last year, but injuries to Lara and starting running back Sebastian De La Cruz forced the Lions back into a more traditional run-oriented offense. “It’s not that hard to run the ball; Ozona has a history of running the ball,” said Freeman, who is going into his fourth season at the helm. “But throwing the ball has been slow-going. We had that going last year until we lost Alec.” It takes time to develop a throwing game, but with Lara and De La Cruz back to go with All-West Texas performer Abraham Rodriguez — who rushed for 1,005 yards last year — and first-team all-district picks Joe Salas, Lazaro Rodriguez, Zach Talamantez, Emmanuel Venegas and Joe Perez, the Lions advanced to the state 7on7 tournament for the first time in program history during the summer. “We had a lot of kids actually step up and really improve quite a bit in the spring and this summer especially,” Freeman said. “Alec is throwing the ball well, and he’s got several receivers he can throw to. In the past couple of years, we’ve been pretty one-dimensional, but that’s changed for us.”