CHRISTOVAL, TX — The Christoval Cougars won 39 games between 2018 and 2021, the best period of football for the program since the early 90s.
In the past few years, however, they’ve struggled to get back to a winning season.
New head coach Tanner McLean is hoping to get the Cougars on track again.
McLean, who previously served as the defensive coordinator at Comanche, inherits a team that went 4-7 last year, though the Cougars pulled off back-to-back wins over Sonora and Ozona to finish as the runner-up in District 3-2A Division I.
McLean is wasting no time setting lofty goals for Christoval.
“We have our team goals, which are to win the opener, win a district championship, play on Thanksgiving, and play in December,” McLean said. “I think my biggest goal for this team, in terms of where the program is headed, I just want to make sure that we play the game the right way, that we earn some respect in the area.”
McLean is replacing Casey Otho, who led the Cougars for nine years before stepping down to become the high school principal in January.
The Cougars return seven starters on offense and six on defense, but they’re learning new schemes on both sides of the ball.
Offensively, Christoval is moving to an option-based power-running style.
Sophomore Ty DeBusk, who was the JV quarterback last year, will elevate into the starting QB role for the varsity.
McLean said DeBusk will have some playmakers around him, including running backs Colt Floyd and Haiden Davis, and wide receivers Kelton Gibbs, Isreal Bogs and Kanin Green.
Christoval doesn’t bring back much experience on the offensive line. Ethan Lee (5-foot-10, 300 pounds) is the only returning starter.
“That’s where a lot of our leadership will come from,” McLean said of Lee. “And then Ryler Hunt has had a really good showing so far up front on both sides of the ball. He’s going to wind up being a very good one.”
Floyd will be a leader at linebacker after recording 93 tackles, six sacks and 21 QB hurries last year.
Bogs will anchor the team at free safety, which is “really kind of the brain of our defense,” McLean said.
“His leadership stuff is what I’m the most excited about. He’s a good pickup man. He’s got good energy and everybody kind of feeds off of him right now,” McLean said.
Tucker Boness is another safety who has emerged as one of the team’s top players on defense.
Christoval will open its season Friday, Aug. 29, on the road against longtime rival Eldorado.
The Cougars’ nondistrict schedule ends Sept. 26 at Mason.
“I would say that opener is a big one, just to kind of set the tone and get the table set for what we may or may not be capable of,” McLean said. “Then we've got a good measuring stick for Week 5. I think win, lose or draw, the game against Mason is going to really tell us where we're at.”
Texas Football magazine picked Christoval to finish fifth in a competitive district and miss the playoffs. The Cougars will try to prove that prediction wrong, beginning with their district opener Oct. 10 at Colorado City.
“The most important thing is that we're going to put a group on the field that competes in a way they can be proud of, not necessarily your wins and losses. Some years are going to be different than other years, but the way we play the game, the way we compete, the way we treat people. That’s going to be something that you come on a Friday night and you enjoy watching. That you leave with a sense of pride in being the group that we're putting out there,” McLean said.
Christoval Cougars
2025 schedule
Aug. 29 at Eldorado
Sept. 5 Ballinger
Sept. 12 McCamey
Sept. 19 Sterling City
Sept. 26 at Mason
Oct. 3 OPEN
Oct. 10 at Colorado City*
Oct. 17 Reagan County*
Oct. 24 at Forsan*
Oct. 31 Sonora*
Nov. 7 at Ozona*
*District 3-2A Division I game
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