New district first look: Forney

Kevin Davis, Sports Editor • May 11, 2016

Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of profiles on the school’s opponent in next year’s new UIL district, 15-5A.

Forney

Enrollment: 1,411

Mascot: Jackrabbit

School colors: Black and Yellow

Distance from LHS: 41.7 miles (52 minutes) 1800 College Ave, Forney, TX 75126

Year opened: 1893

Jackrabbits’ 2015-2016 results (according to SportsDayHS):

Football: 8-4

Volleyball: 29-12

Basketball: 11-16

Girls Basketball: 8-18

Soccer: 8-12

Girls Soccer: 16-6

Baseball: 24-3

Softball: 20-11

Notable alumni: Don R. Willett (Class of 1984) – Justice of the Texas Supreme Court; Caleb Hanie (Class of 2003) – NFL Quarterback: Chicago Bears (08-09), Denver Broncos (2012), Baltimore Ravens (2013), Cleveland Browns (2013)

Athletes to watch: Brendan Vaughn, SS/OLB, class of 2017

Vaughn is a 6-1, 207-pound strong safety and outside backer who is currently committed to continue his football career at Oklahoma State. In 2015, Vaughn recorded 101 total tackles, seven sacks, and three fumble recoveries. Look for Vaughn to be a threat in the secondary to opposing quarterbacks while also disrupting opponent’s ground game.

Analysis: Like Royse City, Forney will also be making a return to the Leopard’s district beginning in fall of 2016. In the past, the Leopards had much success against the Jackrabbits in a wide variety of sports. However, as shown by the multitude of winning records the Jackrabbits have accumulated this past year, it will be interesting to see how the competition differs compared to the 2012 and 2013 school years when the Jackrabbits and Leopards were last common opponents.

About the Contributors

Kevin Davis, Sports Editor

Kevin Davis is returning for his fifth year is the newspaper program in middle school, and is a senior this year. He is also the sports editor of The Red Ledger for the second consecutive year. His favorite sport to cover is volleyball, because of the recent success the volleyball program has had. He plays outside linebacker for the leopard football team and wears number 22 because of ex-Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith, however his favorite football player is Adrian Peterson. On the weekends, Kevin enjoys watching the Oklahoma Sooners, Dallas Cowboys, and hanging out with friends. His favorite restaurant is Buffalo Wild Wings (medium boneless buffalo dry rub). Also, cold stone is vital for a complete meal after eating at BWW. Also, music is very important to Kevin. If he could, he would have background music playing throughout his whole day. His favorite genre is rap, his favorite rapper is Kanye West, but he listens to just about everything. Although he can’t play any instruments, he can play Through the Fire and Flames on expert on guitar hero three. Other than guitar hero, he is not very interested or good at video games. Another skill that Kevin possesses is photoshop and graphic design.

Avery Degenhardt, TRL Graphic Designer

Avery joined “Intro To Photography” in eighth grade with some curiosity, and she quickly learned the basics of photography and quickly improved. She learned to love the craft, and along with her “secret” part-time photoshop in the class, she obtained skills she never imagined she would have with a computer. Applying for newspaper and deciding if she wanted that challenge or not was probably the most difficult choice of her life, but she went through with it. Avery has established her place among the staff and continues to pursue her interest in graphic art design. As a junior this year, she hopes to improve her skills in digital art and change her haircolor again.