Before the 2009 high school football season began, not many people expected the Klein Collins Tigers to be one of the strongest teams in the Greater Houston area. By the end of the year, though, almost everyone agreed they might have been one of the best teams in the state.
“We had a great year last year,” said Drew Svoboda, the Tigers head coach who is entering his third year at the helm, “but last year is done and we’ve got to look forward to this year.”
Klein Collins has plenty to look forward to. But, not so long ago, things looked quite different for the coach and the program.
Svoboda inherited a program that was reeling two years ago following the death of former head football coach Mike Konicki, who lost a battle with colon cancer. Konicki had attempted to coach his squad while also going through chemotherapy and radiation treatments in 2007, but the Tigers managed just one win in a season understandably overshadowed by the coach’s bigger struggle.
Svoboda came to Collins from Bob Barrett’s staff at Oak Ridge and knew that he’d have work to do, both to honor Konicki’s memory and help his new squad re-focus on football. He decided to set the standards high.
“As coaches, when we came in two years ago, we set the bar pretty high,” he recalled. “I think, more than anything, it convinced the kids of what they’re capable of when they work together as a unit and the things that can be accomplished.”
What Klein Collins accomplished surprised more than a few observers last season. After rebounding in 2008 with a 6-3 record, the Tigers went undefeated through the 2009 regular season on their way to a 12-1 record overall. In the process they won a tough District 13-5A race over the likes of Westfield, Klein Oak, Klein and another surprise team, the Dekaney Wildcats.
That performance set a new level for expectations at the school that carries over into 2010.
“You can’t bring the wins with you,” Svoboda said recently, “but I think the standards have been set and the kids understand what it takes to be successful.”
Svoboda will have some talented players to lean on as his team tries to return to the playoffs.
Charles Jackson and Garrett Greenlea, recent honorees by the Touchdown Club of Houston as part of their Preseason All-Greater Houston High School Football Team, will lead a core group of returning players who now have a season of valuable experience.
“Charles Jackson and Garrett Greenlea are two great football players, obviously, but even better young men,” said Svoboda following the Touchdown Club dinner. “(They’re) hard workers, they set a great example for all their teammates and everybody in the school.”
“Both those guys’ mindsets are exactly what you’re looking for in a football player,” said the coach. “The measurables are one thing, but it’s all that other (intangible) stuff that makes the difference.”
Jackson, a 5-10 180-lb defensive back, is considering offers from Arkansas, Florida, Oklahoma and Texas A&M, according to Ahmard Vital of Scouts.com. His speed and versatility make him a valuable part of Collins’ defense, but his coach also values his contributions outside of game day.
“Charles does all kinds of different things,” Svoboda said of the “He’s a guy who’s got so many different talents. Obviously he’s extremely fast, explosive, but he gives great effort in practice every day and, really, the leadership that that provides is invaluable.”
Greenlea will be the anchor of the offensive line at tackle. At 6-7 280 lbs, Greenlea possesses the physical attributes of a prototypical lineman.
“Garrett is huge and he can move,” stated Svoboda of the University of Texas commit. “He’s aggressive and loves blocking, takes pride in being an (offensive) lineman.”
Still, Svoboda stopped short of predicting a repeat of last year’s 7-0 run through the district, when asked to discuss how he thought the always-tough district made up of Spring ISD schools, Klein ISD schools and Tomball.
“(District 13-5A) is going to be extremely competitive from top to bottom,” he says. “I don’t think anybody can honestly tell you there’s a favorite.”
“It’s an extremely talented group of coaches and then the kids they have to work with are just as talented in different ways,” Svoboda added. “So I couldn’t even begin to predict it.”
Klein Collins opens their season Saturday, August 28, against Fort Bend Travis at Mercer Stadium in Sugar Land.
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