LAST SEASON
The Bulldogs enter season 76 with an overall record of 385 wins, 355 losses, and 24 ties. They are coming off a 3-7 season a year ago where they started 3-0 before being blanked in district play.
RETURNING STARTERS
Offense: Caiden Harmon, Arturo Lowder, and Jarron Ing.
Defense: Caiden Harmon, Arturo Lowder, J.C. Helpenstell, and Steven Waldrip
HOWE VS. PONDER HISTORY
Howe is 3-2 overall against Ponder with the series beginning in 2010. Howe beat the Lions a year ago at home, 21-18 and won the previous meeting in 2015, 49-0 at home. The Dogs haven’t traveled to Ponder since 2014 when they lost, 27- 20. Overall in the five games, Howe has outscored the Lions 139- 77, which is an average win by 28-15.
HOWE BEAT PONDER 21-18 IN 2018
Howe took the 21-18 win that came down to the last play of the game, but the contest could have been much more lopsided if it weren’t for four turnovers by the Bulldogs that kept the offense off the field for the majority of the second half. Howe’s Arturo Lowder scored a pair of touchdowns while Austin Lee broke through for the first score on the season’s first drive. Calley Vick was perfect on all three PATs (point after attempts). Howe rushed for 314 yards and passed for 17. It was the most rushing yards since the 458 Howe had in the 2016 area championship against Jefferson.
The QB
With Austin Haley getting the nod at quarterback on Friday, it marks the second time in three years that the Dogs will have a freshman opening the season at that position. In 2017, the Bulldogs went with Cirby Coheley, a transfer student who came with his father Craig who was hired as a member of the coaching staff. But the freshman experiment of 2017 lasted four games when Howe started 0-4 and Coheley finished the season on the junior varsity before eventually transferring to Iowa Park where he’s now a receiver and safety for the state semifinalists. Howe’s last quarterback to start and finish the season in that position was Brandon Wall in 2016.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP
Although Howe will be young with two freshmen in the backfield (quarterback Austin Haley and fullback Carson Daniels) and one on the offensive and defensive line (Matthew Bearden), this year’s team will count heavily on seniors to carry the load. Ball carriers-turned receivers Arturo Lowder and Caiden Harmon will be key contributors on offense along with Brandon Williams, a transfer from McKinney. Jarron Ing, Layton Elvington, Steven Waldrip, and J.C. Helpenstell will anchor the defense. The Dogs even have two starters on offense and defense that didn’t even play football last year in Kolbe Lappin (center, defensive tackle) and Hunter Brussow (cornerback).
PONDER COACHING CHANGE
Ponder is coming off a 2-8 year where Head Coach Rusty Ballard resigned after the season after going 14-27 in four years leading the Lions. He was replaced by his offensive coordinator Mike Bowling who held that position for three seasons at Ponder. Ponder has posted a losing record in five of its past seven seasons. Howe has had three losing seasons in a row after a stretch of 3-straight winning seasons and deep playoff runs.
MIKE BOWLING – NEW PONDER HEAD COACH
Courtesy Denton Record-Chronicle
Bowling grew up in Waco, Texas and attended Waco public schools until high school where he then attended Waco Christian High.
In 1999 he came back to his Alma mater as athletic director of Waco Christian High and turned the program back around and made it to the state-semifinals from a previous 1-29 program. Later, he became athletic director at Bryan St. Joseph’s in Bryan College Station area then-athletic director/head football coach at West Rusk ISD in East Texas. He’s been an offensive coordinator at Sinton, Olney, Reicher Catholic, Ranchview and Ponder. His previous assistant stops have been at West Mesquite, Flower Mound, and Saginaw. He’s been at Ponder ISD for the last four years – three as offensive coordinator with this season his first as head coach. He’s married to Meka Bowling and they have four daughters ages 24, 23, 22, and15.
SCRIMMAGES
The Bulldogs held a final scrimmage Friday night in Plano against Dallas Shelton. With Haley ill and unable to play, the offense wasn’t as crisp as in the previous scrimmage against Valley View. Defensively, Howe has struggled to stop the big play in each scrimmage.
