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Expectations for the historic West Orange-Stark football program are as high as ever. The community, accustomed to annual excellence for one of the state’s winningest schools, finds themselves asking, “What have you done for me lately?”

Sure, the Mustangs have underwhelmed relative to expectations and historical precedent, but they’ve still finished the regular season at .500 the last two years — now in year three at the helm, head coach Hiawatha Hickman feels his team has the depth it needs to compete for district titles again.

“That’s the biggest thing now compared to my first two years,” Hickman said. “I feel like we have depth at every position. Our guys have gotten bigger and stronger, and the program has gotten stronger for us that now we’ve got pieces we can move around.”

WO-S will need as many contributors as possible to ensure they match up with opponents, even when starters are gassed. 4A-II District 10 appears to be an arms race where talent is concerned, with Jasper, Silsbee and Hamshire-Fannett all earning spots in the state rankings.

The Mustangs offense returns a handful of key contributors. 

Senior quarterback Marcus Turner Jr enters his third season as varsity quarterback and brings a dual-threat game with a cannon for an arm and plenty of rushing ability.

The team’s halfback tandem of senior Tahj Amerson and sophomore Khelvy Jefferson will be a dangerous duo. Both put together great seasons in 2023 and should be heavily involved as Hickman’s staff adds more power run concepts to the ground game.

“You’ll see Khelvy in a lot of different spots,” Hickman said. “He can line up at running back and be a slot receiver, so he’ll do quite a bit. He’s a special talent and has a chance to really leave his mark on this program. And Tahj is maybe the best football player we have. Last year, every time he touched the ball it felt like 67-68 yards and a touchdown.”

The offensive line they’ll run behind remains more uncertain. Offensive tackles Denim Orebo and Jadyn Rhodes will anchor the edges, but Hickman said there’s been a tightly-contested race for the center position and both guard spots.

As for the receivers, Amyrion Scott is the lone man left from last season’s primary pass catchers. How the rest of the WR room shakes out is yet to be seen, but Michael Davis and Quincy Walker both played varsity snaps last year and are expected to step up full-time.

On defense, the Mustangs’ linebacker corps is their most talented position group and will undoubtedly cause problems for opponents.

Amerson, who was a first team All-District safety last year, is moving to the Will linebacker position. He’s joined in the middle by sophomore Anterrion Fontenot, who already has a second team All-District selection to his name. William Pitre and the aforementioned Scott will man the outside linebacker positions and bring starting experience.

The West Orange-Stark defense should stop the run more often than not. When it comes to the secondary, the unit is largely unproven, but Hickman said some names are standing out through camp.

Sophomore Quincy Walker started six games at free safety last year. Raymond Mallet will also play cornerback — Hickman had high praise for the senior and said he could very easily earn All-District honors. 

There’s no doubt the Mustangs have talent. Now, the question is how far it will get them. Last season, they lost four games by just one score, including two district contests. Now, late-game execution and overall toughness have become a point of emphasis.

“We’ve had to rededicate ourselves in the weight room,” Hickman said. “We put some more muscle mass on and got stronger to try to hold up better against injuries. I feel like we’re stronger as a team this year.”

The Mustangs will put that strength to the test when they open the regular season at the Newton Eagles, Aug. 30 at 7 p.m.