Bay City Tribune

BAY CITY – The Blackcats will open the season Friday night with an out-of-town game against St. Pius X that will be a huge test of how far the team has come since last year’s 2-8 season.

Week Zero will start with what looks like a mismatch after comparing the two teams’ 2006 seasons. The Blackcats won just two games and returns almost everyone, including skill positions, from last year.

St. Pius, however, added to its already impressive list of state titles. They went 13-0 and won the TAPPS state championship. They sent four players on to play at Div. I colleges and return a prolific quarterback and experienced running back.

The Blackcats bring back nearly all the same players from last year, but not nearly the same team. They have a new coach, a new offense and a new look. The team that took the field Friday against Willis was a much-improved Bay City squad.

The ’Cats got rid of most of the confusion seen in last year’s no-huddle offense and the whole scheme just seemed to work. Bay City outscored Willis 21-0 in a live-action portion of their scrimmage. They put the walls up defensively and overall worked like a well-oiled machine.

Willis is picked to finish last in its district and that may have had an effect on the score, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that the Blackcats played organized football. Even the sound of the team on the sidelines cheering on the players on the field was a different sound from last season.

That said, the ‘Cats have a hard night’s work waiting for them on Parsley Field. The Panthers’ biggest threat on the field is senior quarterback Billy Noonan.

Noonan started for St. Pius as a freshman and has done just about everything. He’s started in 39 high school games on the varsity team, broken school records and played in two title games.

His passing total is 6,399 yards between his freshman and junior seasons, breaking Houston Texans head coach and St. Pius alumnus Gary Kubiak’s passing record. Noonan had 2,597 yards as a junior with 32 touchdowns.

The Panthers played for the state title his freshman year and they won it last year against Addison Trinity Christian. Jared Espinoza comes back at running back after a 1,100-plus season with 14 touchdowns. Four of St. Pius’ linemen return also so Noonan’s biggest obstacle is connecting with new receivers.

But he has two transfer targets that are bringing the stats in with them. Gino Collins moved from Cy-Fair and is a University of Houston commit and Landon Johnson comes to St. Pius from Fort Bend Baptist after picking up 1,293 yards and 16 touchdowns last season.

Noonan’s top three receivers from last year all went on to play on the collegiate level and was a big part of his passing efficiency.

Defensively, the Panthers graduated a handful of key starters and the offense will try to keep the team afloat. Linebackers Houston Hancock and Alex Knoll, along with defensive lineman Neil Crompton, will be the core of the Panthers D.