HENDERSON — Henderson followed an 11-win regional semifinal appearance in 2016 with an 11-win campaign in 2017.

There were similarities, but the difference was being a round deeper in the schoolboy playoffs, just two wins shy of Jerry World and another state championship game appearance.

The Lions won the school’s only football championship in 2010.

Coach Phil Castles, beginning his sixth season at the school and his 16^th as a head coach, welcomes 23 lettermen to camp, including five offensive starters and four on defense.

Winning and making a serious run in the postseason is the norm for this program, which has been to the regional finals three of the last six years.

Among the returnees are leading receiver Caleb Medford, leading tackler Brady Odom as well as DB Keshoyn Alexander, and standout kicker Axel Romero.

Medford had 45 receptions for 861 yards. Odom, an inside backer, finished 2017 with 146 tackles and eight sacks. As an All-East Texas 2^nd team selection a year ago, Odom also had 10 tackles for loss, a dozen QB pressures and forced two fumbles.

Alexander picked off three interceptions and Romero converted 51 of 52 extra point attempts and four of seven field goal attempts.

Other players to watch include DL Keivie Rose, OL/DL Christian Kind, OL Trace Tidwell and Clayton Conrad as well as DL Jay’quan Barnett.

Rose (6-3, 240), a DE, who missed eight games last season with a broken fibula, is receiving attention and offers from among others Boise State, Kansas, Louisiana Tech, New Mexico, Oklahoma State and SMU.

Rose is not only a defensive standout, but enjoys his chances to play and contribute to the offense as a tight end.

The Lions must fill the void left by the departure of QB Trae Hall (New Mexico) and RB Lynn Freeney. Hall passed for 1,888 yards and rushed for 1,006 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Beginning the season, the primary candidates to assume the QB role are Medford, a talented junior, and the Lions’ primary receiver a year ago, and senior Sebastian DeLeon, who was the JV QB a year ago as a junior.

There’s the possibility Alexander, a senior, could step into more of a RB role, or that Kevin Fields or Adrian Pryor could be asked to fill the position.

The Lions open the season at Whitehouse and visit Pleasant Grove before returning home to entertain Jacksonville. They also have non-district dates at Center and at home against Rusk before kicking off the district schedule at home against Palestine on Oct. 12.