STEPHENVILLE – The Tarleton football team wrapped up a very successful 2011 campaign, ending with a five-game winning streak and getting a number of individuals recognized for their efforts on the field.
The Texans started the year against a gauntlet of tough competition. Four of the team's five losses came against opponents that finished the season in the top 25 nationally. Their other loss came against Division I opponent Texas State on the road.
A 1-5 start had Tarleton fans already looking forward to the 2012 season. But head coach Cary Fowler and his staff challenged the team to rally and finish the year strong. Led by a talented young group of athletes and veteran leadership from the seniors, the Texans rebounded to win their final five contests.
Tarleton's highlight win came in Kingsville where the Texans escaped with a 41-34 victory over the preseason No. 4-ranked Javelinas. Tarleton also enjoyed big Lone Star Conference wins over Texas A&M-Commerce, Incarnate Word and Angelo State.
At 6-5, the Texans looked like they struggled on paper, but anybody that watched Tarleton football over the final five weeks of the season saw a foundation for the future and a passion to make the program a nationally recognized entity.
“I am really proud of the way our kids battled when times were tough,” said Coach Fowler. “We faced some of the best teams in the country early on in the year and we folded at times. But as the season progressed, we stepped up in those same situations. It showed our young guys can adapt in the face of adversity.”
Those young guys that Coach Fowler mentioned were all underclassmen and will play a big role for the Texans in the future.
Sophomore defensive back Dashaun Phillips led Tarleton and the conference with seven interceptions and 15 passes defended. In just his second season at Tarleton, Phillips earned first team all-conference and All-Super Region 4 team honors. The Duncanville native was also named the LSC Defensive Back of the Year for his efforts.
Alongside Phillips on the fourth defense in the conference was sophomore linebacker Marquis Wadley. Wadley finished in the top 10 in the nation in total tackles, solo tackles and tackles per game. He also led the LSC in tackles with 119 total. The Mesquite native was named BeyondSportsNetwork.Com second team All-American, as well as second team all-conference and second team all-region. Phillips was also named to the second team for BeyondSportsNetwork.Com as well.
Senior quarterback Nick Stephens had an outstanding year in his final season with Texans. The 6-5 righty threw for 3,005 yards and 20 touchdowns while completing 56.4 percent of his passes. Stephens only threw eight picks on the year in 429 attempts. He was named honorable mention all-conference.
His number one target was not a veteran or even a senior. It was yet another underclassmen in freshman Clifton Rhodes from Fort Worth. Rhodes started off the season with a bang and had four 100-yard games in the first five contests. He finished the season with 827 yards and three touchdowns on 52 catches, all team highs. Rhodes was named to the second team all-conference.
Also earning all-conference recognition were junior offensive tackle Adrian Campbell and junior defensive back Desmond Jackson, who were named to the second team. Other honorable mention Texans were senior guard Shawn Wyatt, senior defensive end Logan Johnson, junior defensive end Rufus Johnson, junior rover Dan Jackson and junior safety Blair Johnson.
“It is good to see that our players get these awards because it shows they are getting respect from other players, coaches and teams in our conference,” said Fowler. “The Lone Star Conference is one of the best in the nation and has so many talented young men. To see our guys recognized among them gives the awards even more meaning.”
The Texan football program will say goodbye to 16 seniors and welcome back an experienced sophomore and junior classes.
Coach Fowler and his staff will also say goodbye to offensive coordinator Lee Hays, who after the season, joined the coaching staff at the University of Houston.
Moving forward and looking the 2012 season, Fowler is excited to get back to work on a team that does not need a lot of rebuilding unlike most of the schools in the Lone Star Conference.
“Our guys faced some ups and downs this year, but they stuck with it,” said Fowler. “We have kids here that have bought into the program and I plan on giving them the opportunity to prove themselves. I am even more excited about watching the guys that we had to redshirt this season because I think they have so much ability and we knew that when we recruited them. In the second half of the season, fans got to see what Tarleton football is all about. We hope to continue that through the offseason and work hard on getting better for next year.”
For more information regarding the Tarleton football program, check out TarletonSports.com.
