In some ways, the next few months will represent a season of change for the Palestine football team.

Following a forgetful 2010 campaign, the Wildcats are hoping to turn their fortunes around on the field. Plus, new athletic facilities and other upgrades has created buzz on campus.

“2011 is a new season,” coach Lance Angel said.

Palestine, which consistently produces some of the area’s top athletes, struggled in Angel’s first season at the helm. The Wildcats went 2-8 and finished with only one District 20-3A win, which came against archrival Palestine Westwood.

So for the first time in his career, Angel put his team through a boot camp during the offseason and it turned out to be successful. All of the players graduated from the camp.

“I think the best that the coaches and the kids have a feeling of right now is the chemistry,” Angel said. “Team chemistry is a funny thing. I don’t know what the answer is to it; why you have it some years and other years you don’t. We feel like this year we have team chemistry. Through boot camp we tried to instill in the kids the belief that we’re all a big family and hopefully that will carry over to the field.”

 

The Wildcats are experiencing the results of a $64 million bond PISD passed two years ago, which has led to two new gyms, new coaches offices, new dressing rooms and a $70,000 upgrade to the weight room. On top of that, Wildcat Stadium has received a facelift that includes a renovated press box and field turf that debuted last season.

“We take pride right now in believing we have as good of facilities as anybody,” Angel said. “There’s a lot of tradition here at Palestine, there’s been a lot of great things that have happened here. I think now, with the new facilities, these kids feel like it’s time to start up the tradition again and take something and build on it.”

Palestine returns five starters on each side of the ball from last season’s team, whose wins came in 37-20 fashion against Westwood and 34-10 over Mabank. The Wildcats’ biggest strength is expected to be their offensive and defensive lines, Angel said.

Palestine will also have a three-man threat at running back in junior Darrius Stephens (5-11, 142), senior Dante Brown (6-1, 185, move in from Grapeland) and sophomore Jarrell Owens (6-3, 195). The Wildcats will run an up-tempo spread offense this season.

“The thing we feel best about is our offensive and defensive lines; that’s where it starts,” Angel said. “We’re always going to have speed here, we’re always going to have good running backs and defensive backs. What we feel good about this year is an offensive and defensive line that will lead the charge.”