Chris Tobola’s arrival in Olney didn’t have the best timing.
Olney athletes had been out of school for two weeks by the time Tobola arrived in town as the Cubs’ new athletic director and head football coach, making first contact complicated.
“It’s been a tough situation,” said Tobola, 46, who was the special teams coordinator at Tomball for the six previous seasons. “The kids were off all over the place. We were still able to get a pretty good group here working all summer, but there were some kids who slipped through the cracks.
“I’m really hoping to get those kids and some of the other kids that had gotten away from playing football back in the program.”
More: Gaston gives Nocona an electric weapon in all three phases
Tobola inherited the football program from Jason Powers, who spent just one season leading the Cubs after serving as their defensive coordinator the previous three seasons. The Cubs went 3-6, missing the postseason for the first time since 2019.
Tobola does have previous head coaching experience, spending one season at the helm of Charlotte in 2010 and three years leading Wortham from 2015-17. He has a 14-27 career record with one playoff appearance.
There were a variety of reasons Tobola was attracted to the job in Olney, but it was his family that drove his decision to pursue the job. With two children attending Texas Tech and Tomball being located 35 miles northwest of Houston, Tobola was able to cut a good-sized chunk off his trips to Lubbock.
“We wanted to get closer to our older kids, but we’ve also got a younger son (Rylen) in eighth grade,” Tobola said. “I really like the small-town experience and wanted to get back to a small town. Olney checked a bunch of those boxes. I thought it was a good move.”
Offense
The Cubs will look different on the field, abandoning the flexbone offense they’ve utilized since 2018 and installing the spread.
And first things first, the Cubs need a quarterback.
For that, Tobola is turning to perhaps the school’s best athlete in senior Camron McComack, who may have been tabbed to be the Cubs’ quarterback if they had stayed in a flexbone as well.
More: Bowie football leans on experience, depth to turn around fortunes on football field
“We’ve got to develop a quarterback, and I think Cam can be that guy,” Tobola said. “We’re going to depend on him quite a bit.”
Lining up with McComack in the backfield at running back will be a mix of Eli Clayton, Rylan Carter and Jamarcus Collins.
Collins will also be an option in the slot with Tucker Cortinez and Juan Castillo offering good size at outside receiver.
Seniors Lucas Rodgers and Donavan Mullins will be leaders on the offensive line. Tobola expects Peyton Bedford and Rico Sandoval to compete for starting jobs along with several other younger options.
Defense
The Cubs will operate from a four-man front, working from multiple formations behind it. Tobola has a defensive background and will be the play caller for this side of the ball.
A lot of the names listed on offense are the same on defense with Tobola expecting to have just 18 or 19 players on varsity. However, he is committed to keeping a solid freshman class together on JV for a full season.
“I don’t care if we have to play an outlaw six-man schedule. I plan of having a JV all year,” Tobola said.
Mullins and Rogers are certain for the line, while Sandoval could fit in at end or linebacker. Clayton and Carter are top linebacker candidates.
Tobola likes his options in the secondary led by McComack along with Castillo, Collins and Cortinez.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: 2024 Olney Cubs high school football preview
Times Record News
