TNG Timeline: Humble Summer Creek Bulldogs
An emerging regional challenger
The purpose of this feature is to help provide some historical context behind the Elo ratings referenced throughout the blog - methodology/primer here.
If you’ve missed the previous releases in our TNG Timeline series, those can be accessed here… Historical Superlatives. In the spotlight today is a program that is just beginning to write their own history, looking to build upon the standard established the season before. Introducing our preseason #8 ranked team, Humble Summer Creek.
Looking at the Elo progression curve above, it’s hard not to notice how successful last season (‘21) was for the Bulldogs. In stock market technical analysis terms, we’d call this a bullish breakout move, going from a relatively flat pattern to one that starts making new all-time highs. Is this a head fake, or are we catching the very beginnings of a larger move north? Our preseason Elo ratings indicate the latter, but there are also other pieces to the puzzle that make us here at TNG bullish on the program moving forward.
Summer Creek High School opened in 2009 to relieve overcrowding at Humble High and Atascocita, which itself had only been opened three years prior. Humble had long been an area power known for cranking out elite athletes, so the opening of two brand new schools in the immediate area brought along some lofty expectations for the new schools’ football programs. To put the concentration of talent in this area into context for those unfamiliar: Humble, Atascocita, Summer Creek, CE King and North Shore are separated by just 15 miles at their widest extent, bearing a striking similarity to DFW’s hotbed including Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Duncanville, and South Oak Cliff.
Atascocita jumped right into the top classification in their first season, but it took them eight years in the top flight to establish a perennial playoff contender. It just so happens that Summer Creek’s breakthrough 2021 campaign came in their eighth season in the top classification and they appear poised to continue their success, with their program well-established and a proven winner leading the charge.
Through the 2017 season, Summer Creek had only known one head coach. Brian Ford established the program in 2009 and led the Bulldogs to early success in Class 4A, winning 3 straight district titles before moving straight to 6A in the first year it was established (2014). Ford retired from coaching after leading the program he’d built to their first ever 6A playoff win in 2017. The district then approved the hiring of a man who knew a thing or two about building and sustaining a new program when they hired Port Arthur Memorial’s Kenny Harrison in the spring of 2018.
Harrison had been with Port Arthur Memorial from their inception in 2002 and had amassed a 69-36 record as their head coach, including a 13-2 state semifinal appearance in 2011. Harrison saw immediate success at Summer Creek, taking them to the third round in 2018. Lean years followed in ‘19 and ‘20, but last season’s fourth round appearance means that Harrison has led Summer Creek to their two best seasons in program history in his four seasons in charge.
Last season was particularly significant because Summer Creek was a young squad, especially on offense, and they navigated one of the toughest regular season schedules in the state to not only make the playoffs, but was a play or two from making the state semifinal against Westlake. In terms of the underlying metrics that we speak of frequently, Summer Creek’s offense last year rated as one of the most effective in the state, averaging 20 points more than their opponents allowed on the season - a number none of their district mates could match. Though our lofty preseason ranking of the Bulldogs may seem or feel premature, the fight that they showed in clawing back from that 27-7 halftime deficit against Katy, combined with their undeniable talent and an established culture bodes extremely well for Summer Creek’s future.
Summer Creek enters 2022 as our #8 rated team: TNG Preseason Top 50
See below for videos corresponding to the chart annotations above:
2018: Coach Kenny Harrison comes over from Port Arthur Memorial following a nine year stint, 69-36 record with the Titans.
2021: Came very close of pulling off a major comeback and upset of Katy in the Regional Final. Katy shot out to a 27-7 lead before three consecutive turnovers forced by the SC defense in the 3rd Q had them within six points in the blink of an eye. The Bulldogs had the ball last at midfield down only three, but ultimately moved backwards.
Soph. RB Lloyd Avant Highlights: