'We've been very blessed the last two seasons': Dawson coach, team chase third straight district title

Dawson High sophomore running back Bruce Burgess is quickly making a name for himself.

Going into a season where the Dawson backfield was being described as one with no experience, Burgess has stood out as few others have early in the season.

In the team’s 23-6A opener at Crump Stadium, Burgess rushed for a pair of first-quarter scores to power Dawson to a 40-0 win over Alief Hastings.

It all has Dawson Coach Mike Allison dreaming of what could be in the team’s chase for a third straight district title.

“I have all kinds of respect for every team in our district,” Allison told the Houston Chronicle. “Every team brings a different challenge. It’s up to us and the coaching staff to get these kids ready to play.”

Even with the loss of 11 defensive starters from last season’s team, Dawson’s vision hasn’t wavered in eyeing a third straight district title for the Eagles.

“We’ve been very blessed the last two seasons, and the expectations aren’t any different this year. There are some talented kids and they’ve been working hard, and I believe that they’re ready to step up and play. They’ve been hearing about how good the defense was last year, which it was," he said.

Allison is hoping to turn all the chatter into motivation for his team.

“The players hear how everyone’s concerned, and that’s part of the motivation our guys used to get them through the hard workouts in the summer,” he said.

Leading the charge on defense are end Amaurion Green and noseguard Chris Herpin. Dawson is also counting on the linebacking crew, led by outside Shamar Jones.

“He’ll probably play both sides of the ball,” Allison said. “Shamar Jones is a very talented athlete. You’ll see him at linebacker and then he’ll line up in the backfield from time to time. He’ll be a big part of the things we’re doing.”

In the end, Allison said much of it all comes down to the team motto he’s working to get every player to embrace.

“We do a lot of team-building and constantly work on the family feel that we hang our hats on,” he told the Houston Chronicle. “Our strength comes from our unity. As long as we have unity, good things will happen.”