Key sophomores for Tyler Junior College include (front row, from left) defensive back Caleb Williams and quarterback/wide receiver Lamar Carraway; (second row) offensive linemen Conner Groom and Drew Sarvary, and linebacker Caleb Tuiasosopo. Danny Palmer (middle) is the head coach. (Phil Hicks | etfinalscore.com)

As the fall sports season begins at Tyler Junior College, there is a race among the Apache teams.

TJC has won 49 national championships and all the squads are aiming for that magical No. 50.

Soccer and volleyball are all eyeing that milestone along with Danny Palmer and his Apaches football team.

As usual TJC is expected to have a prolific offense, although the Black & Gold may be hard pressed to average 44.0 points per game like the Apaches did last season.

Gone is rifle-arm quarterback Tyrik Rollison, who is now at Texas A&M-Commerce. Rollison, a sophomore from Sulphur Springs, passed for 2,940 yards and 23 touchdowns last season in leading the Apaches to a 5-5 record and a berth in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference playoffs.

Palmer, who is entering his seventh year as Apache head coach, still is excited about the season.

“I really like this team,” said Palmer, who has a record 37-29 at TJC. “There were 77 players who were enrolled in summer two sessions and were in the conditioning program.”

TJC opens the season Saturday against Fort Scott (Kan.) on Earl Campbell Field at Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium. Kickoff is 7 p.m. Tickets are $3 (general admission) and $5 (reserved).

 

Offense

The Apaches had two standout sophomore quarterbacks returning — Randy Price (Waco) and Lamar Carraway (Lake Providence, La.) — but gained a bonus when Matt Davis (freshman, Klein) elected to come to TJC after transferring from Texas A&M.

Price led the Apaches to the SWJCFC final in 2011 before missing last year with an injury.

“Randy was almost perfect in our scrimmage (four TD passes, 60-yard TD run) Saturday,” Palmer said of TJC’s 48-14 win over Louisiana College in Shreveport, La. “We made ourselves better with Matt Davis at quarterback.

“Since we obtained Matt Davis, that has really strengthened us because we can move Lamar to starting wide receiver. Lamar needs to be on the field. He will be everywhere and he will still play some quarterback … running back and wide receiver.”

Palmer is especially pleased with his offensive line of Drew Sarvary (sophomore, Tallahassee, Fla., and transfer from Florida A&M), Frank Kee (sophomore, Mansfield), Conner Groom (sophomore, Lufkin), Idong Okon (sophomore, Tyler), Caleb Brady (sophomore, Brewer) and Samuel Jenkins (freshman, Duncanville).

He added that the receivers will be young after losing three of the top five players in the league to graduation.

Cole Staudt, a sophomore from Pearland, will play H-back and tight end.

The wideouts include Joshua Reynolds (freshman, San Antonio), Joshua Jacobs (freshman, Houston), Jonathan Epps (sophomore, Boswell), Andre Sanders (sophomore, Cedar Park), Solomon McGinty (freshman, Navasota) and Dadrian Franklin (freshman, Jacksonville).

“And we’ve got a little speedster who is a cupcake from Sherman. JT Luper is really quick,” Palmer said. “He will share duties returning kicks and punts with (Carraway).”

At running back, the Apaches are expected to use the trio of Leroy Dobbins (sophomore, Montgomery), Terrance Taylor (freshman, Diboll) and LaQuintas Wallace (freshman, Tyler).

 

Defense

Palmer expects an improvement on the defense, which allowed 27.9 points per game a year ago.

“I think our secondary is much improved from last year. We were very porous at times last year — we gave up too many easy touchdowns,” Palmer said.

However, three of the Apache safeties will likely miss the first two games due to injury — Treavor Pugh (freshman, Tyler), Jacob Kennedy (sophomore, Everman) and Russell Perkins (freshman, Arlington).

Kenny Iloka (sophomore, Fort Bend) will play strong safety, and Quincy Aldridge (freshman, Whitehouse) will play weak safety. Also, Savion Brown (freshman, Shreveport) is set for free safety.

At cornerback will be Caleb Williams (sophomore, Tyler) and Tre Rosser (freshman, Clarksville).

Up front are the ends Will Coleman (sophomore, Tyler), Colton Moorehead (freshman, Chapel Hill) and Delkei Derrett (freshman, Tyler). Also, Kendall Beal (sophomore, Chapel Hill) can play either inside or on the end, Palmer said.

Other tackles include Motekiai Maile (freshman, Euless), Jeremy Miller (sophomore, Mansfield) and Marklyn England (freshman, West Monroe, La.).

At linebacker, team leader Caleb Tuiasosopo, a sophomore from Copperas Cove who missed last season due to injury, is back.

“We missed Caleb’s leadership last year,” Palmer said. “He is a definite Division I player.”

Joining Tuiasosopo at linebacker are Turner Glasgow (freshman, Pearland), Mike Taylor (freshman, Alto), Devante Davis (sophomore, Dallas who transferred from Baylor) and Jaylin Minor (freshman, Navasota).

Palmer said the kicking game is solid with punter Christian Madrigal (sophomore, Lufkin) and kickers Ljundrim Kaba (freshman, Tyler) and Luis Garcia (freshman, Lufkin).