4A NO 9.: LAKE DALLAS FALCONS
2010 record: 5-6
Predicted 2011 regular-season record: 8-2
ESPNDallas.com spring ranking: Unranked
Division I commits: RB/WR Dontonio Jordan (Stanford)
Why they’re here: It says a lot about how far Lake Dallas has come under coach Michael Young that even in year where the Falcons had to reshape almost all of their offense, they still made the playoffs.
Still, 2010 was certainly a rebuilding year for Lake Dallas, but the lumps it took offensively should pay off in 2011. Eight offensive starters return from a year ago, including Jordan and QB Dalyn Williams, a likely Division I recruit.
Young said he thinks his team is deeper at the skill positions than it’s ever been. Ferrando Joseph, a two-year starter at safety, will move over to receiver where Young expects him to have an instant impact.
Holes to fill: The Falcons defensive front does not enjoy the returning experience that the offense does. The defensive line doesn’t have a single starter returning, although the players vying for those positions have played in varsity games before.
“Those guys have all played some, and I think that’s going to be the biggest surprise of our team,” Young said. “I think our defensive line will be better. We’re deeper. That kind of hurt us last year.”
Two of the three starting linebackers — John Parsons and Daltyn Marchuk — return, and the secondary is basically intact aside from Joseph’s move to receiver.
Key game: vs. Wichita Falls Rider, Sept. 30