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As the summer months roll on, the countdown to high school football season continues.

Friday night lights are still two months away, but the Memorial High School Titans are already on the field preparing for the upcoming season.

The Titans are looking to continue building on last year’s success. The team is fresh off the heels of an impressive 11-2 campaign that culminated in a district title and a third-round playoff appearance.

As the upcoming season approaches, the Titans are hungry for more.

“We just want to continue doing the same thing we’ve been doing and make a deeper run in the playoffs,” head coach Brian Morgan said. “We’re improving and having a really good spring and summer so far. Right now, we’re just trying to keep getting better and understand that we’ve set a standard here of winning.”

The Titans will play the same way as before — they’ll rely on a fast, dynamic offense to break big plays, combined with a hard-hitting and versatile defense.

However, this year’s team will look quite different from its previous iteration.

Morgan said while he feels the team has a good core coming back, there are many roster holes to fill following the departure of last year’s senior class.

The Titans’ biggest changes come on offense, as they’re set to return just five starters.

Perhaps the most significant loss comes at quarterback. Former star Davion Wilson elevated his teammates’ play last year — now that he’s graduated, lofty expectations remain for his successor.

Enter the Titans’ answer to the quarterback conundrum, Cobe Stoever.

Morgan spoke highly of the senior signal-caller and said he’s proud of Stoever’s development over the offseason.

“Cobe was good enough last year to start here and probably start with most of the teams around here,” said Morgan. “He’s a little different than some of the past quarterbacks we’ve had, but he’s probably a better thrower than most of them. It’s really just having him not just grow football-wise, but grow as a leader now.”

The defense consists of a more experienced group, with eight starters returning for another run. Morgan said the defense is brimming with talent at all three levels, so he expects the players to take the next steps toward a productive season.

The defensive back tandem of Daevon Iles, Nolan White and Brock King should strike fear into opposing quarterbacks.

Linebacker Tai’yion King is already gaining major attention from colleges as a sophomore and is set for a big year.

Three players on the defensive line already have starting experience on the varsity squad, so they should be a more seasoned group as well.

“Football is important in Port Arthur,” Morgan said. “It’s been important long before I was born, and I’ve seen the high expectations to win and be successful. We’ve got some players that I think have the ability to do it, but nobody’s gonna just give it to us. We’re gonna have to go out there and play for sure.”

— Written by Keagan Smith