LONGVIEW, Texas (KETK) – Can Texas high school football’s storied “District of Doom” get any tougher?
Well, the answer may be yes, as Pine Tree Pirates are moving from 5A-D2 to 4A-D1.
Pine Tree football has had a strong run the past few seasons and is poised to make a splash in 4A-1 Region III District 9.
Pine Tree ISD discusses benefits of being a pirate home town
Pine Tree senior linebacker Seth McFarland has experienced the Pirates' growth firsthand over the past two seasons.
McFarland has seen Longview turn the tide from a team that won two games his sophomore year to one that went 6-5 and made the playoffs last year.
“We're all excited. We lost a few starters here and there, but like you said, we have a lot of talented players returning,” McFarland said.
Pine Tree will rely heavily on returning talent as it moves from 5A-D2 to 4A-D1 District of Doom.
Players like McFarland and senior quarterback MJ Cates know they have to step up and perform for the Pirates.
“I know I have to play my best so that my players can play their best. They rely on me and I rely on them so it really is a team effort,” Cates said.
Cates also said he feels like this season, his third under Pine Tree High School head coach Jason Bachman, could be special.
“It's a great program. We're getting stronger, we're getting faster. He's really given us a real lesson,” Cates said.
Pine Tree is excited to compete against District of Doom powerhouse teams such as Chapel Hill, Kilgore and Lindale.
But for now, the Pirates’ main focus is on their Week 1 opponent, the defending state champion Gilmer Buckeyes.
“We're not going to hide in that shadow. We want to build a championship-level program. Are we there yet? I think we're close. How do you find that? By getting in the ring with champions, and Gilmer is a champion indeed. So we'll either shock the state or learn some lessons from what happened, but we're looking forward to that opportunity,” Bachman said.
Pine Tree will open the season at Gilmer on Friday, August 30. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 pm at Jeff Traylor Stadium in Gilmer.
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