Joey D. RichardsAbilene Reporter-News
There were times last year when Colby Hartfield, Abilene High’s first-year offensive coordinator, did some serious soul searching.
The Eagles’ defense was playing lights out, but the offense struggled to put drives together and find the end zone.
AHS lost five games in the regular season scoring two touchdowns or less in each game — three in which the defense allowed 17 points or less.
“When you’re not putting up points and your defense is playing really well, you have moments of frustration,” Hartfield said. “But I was always preaching to the kids, ‘You try to get better the next day and you keep stacking days and eventually you’re there.’”
And Hartfield, a 2011 Breckenridge grad, took the same philosophy to heart. He, with help from his fellow coaches, persevered.
“At any point last year, we could have fallen apart,” Hartfield said. “It happens all the time.”
Instead, AHS pulled together and fought to turn things around as a team.
The Eagles managed to sneak into the playoffs as the fourth seed from District 2-5A Division I and then proceeded to go three rounds before falling to Burleson Centennial 24-14 to finish the year 6-7 overall.
The offense averaged 38.8 points in its last five wins, including victories over El Paso Del Valle (42-14) and Red Oak (35-0) in the Eagles’ first two postseason games.
“Yes, it was frustrating at times, but all those guys are team guys,” Hartfield said. “It was never a thing where, ‘Hey, I need the ball and we’ll be better.’ Or anything like that. It was just every week what can we do to be a little better?”
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Flying high
The Eagles are off to a torrid start this season. The offense has been explosive in beating Odessa Permian 49-14 and Abilene Cooper 26-7.
AHS scored 44 points in starting the season 1-3 last year.
The No. 9-ranked Eagles go into Friday’s game against No. 25 6A Midland Legacy (2-0) averaging 370.5 yards a game, including 200.5 passing.
Not only has second-year starter Dylan Slack (27-35-0 355 yards 4 TDs) been successful at quarterback, but he has playmakers around him in receivers Ryland Bradford (10-202 2 TDs), Brelon Badon (4-52 TD) and Jackson Howle (6-51 TD, missed last week as a precautionary measure with a slight knee injury).
Brayden Henry, a sophom*ore, also has been electric, whether lined up as a quarterback (8-14-0 46 passing) or running back (16-148, including a 70-yard TD) — making for a nice 1-2 punch in the run game with Bam Rashaw (23-149 TD).
The Eagles have three TD plays of 52 yards or longer, including passes of 52 and 81 yards from Slack to Bradford.
“I feel like we’re more comfortable,” said Bradford, a junior playing his second season with the varsity. “Last year, it was our first year on varsity for a lot of us. This year we’re more comfortable, we’ve all improved skill-wise and our bond is better. That’s why we’re clicking.”
Growing up
Bradford was one of nine first-year varsity players on the offense last year. All dealing with a first-year offensive coordinator, too.
Hartfield had been an assistant on the team since 2020 but stepped into the offensive coordinator role when Jerale Badon left after the 2021 season to become an assistant at Abilene Christian University.
“I think it was a learning process for all of us,” Hartfield said. “I think the players learning me and me learning them, I think that’s the biggest hump to get over when you’re coming in and trying to do something a little different and a little new to what they had been doing. Kids want to believe that it will work. Once you start getting some success, you have buy-in.”
All those new players needed time to grow and click as an offensive unit.
“Our offense last year was brand new,” said Howle, a senior. “Everything was new for everybody.”
Howle appreciates what Hartfield brings to the offense.
“Hartfield’s done a great job,” Howle said. “He’s definitely stepped up his game. Everybody all across the board has. I think that goes all the way back to the off-season in February and March, doing that terrible off-season together. Everybody sweating and dying. All that stuff. Hanging out over the summer and building team chemistry and team bonding.”
Hartfield, though, gives much of the credit to the players.
“From January to now, the work they put in, they make my job fun and easy,” who played receiver at Hardin-Simmons (2011-14). “We’ve got a bunch of weapons. Our offensive line is doing a great job. Our quarterbacks are making good decisions. For me, it’s an embarrassment of riches because those guys have gotten so much better.”
The offense will be tested by a Legacy team that has allowed only 21 points this season, while averaging 49 points and 546 yards on offense.
The Rebels beat AHS 56-20 last year in Midland.
“This week is a huge test,” Howle said. “If we can come out with a win, we’ll have a lot of momentum.”
