QB Loyd looking for big wins, not big stats while leading pass-happy Seymour

Nobody in the Wichita Falls area averaged as many pass attempts as Brayden Loyd last season.

In his first season as Seymour’s full-time quarterback, Loyd attempted 327 passes. Technically, Jacksboro’s Lando Belcher threw it more with 351 attempts. But Belcher also played 14 games compared to 11 for Loyd, giving the latter an average of 29.7 passes per game.

But no one in the Wichita Falls area had a better touchdown-to-interception ratio, either.

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Loyd consistently torched opposing secondaries, throwing an area-best 47 TDs with just four interceptions. He completed 62.4 percent of his passes for 3,501 yards, averaging 10.7 yards per attempt.

Given how often Seymour likes to throw the ball along with the work Loyd has put in during the offseason, there’s a good chance he could significantly better last year’s statistics.

Not that Loyd will be keeping track.

“Statistics are the least of my worries,” said Loyd, whose father, Dan, is entering his third season as Seymour’s head coach. “My goal is to win each game. I want to win a district title. I want to win a playoff game.”

Those are two things Loyd hasn’t added to his resume in the past two seasons — a district title and a playoff win. The Panthers haven’t won a playoff game since 2021, and every rep he’s taken since the end of last season has been toward achieving that goal.

“I’ve been learning a lot, going to camps and trying to get better,” said Loyd, who had just finished a quarterback camp at Southwestern Oklahoma State University before this interview. “My main job this season is to be a leader. We’ve got a lot of young, new guys coming in, and I need to be an example for them.”

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And in the process, Loyd will likely throw for thousands of yards and dozens of touchdowns.

“It’s going to take a lot to accomplish our goals. We have to be really unselfish, and everyone has to know they won’t always get the ball. We all have jobs to do,” Loyd said. “I want to score every play. It won’t always happen, but I’m confident that it can happen on any play we run.”

Not that he’s counting.

Offense

The Panthers are breaking in several new starters around Loyd, particularly on the offensive line where sophomore Heston Harney is the lone returning starter. Jeremiah Fobbs did get playing time in the trenches, joining the varsity squad late in the year.

Seymour also has to replace two of its top three receivers in David Charo and Isaac Willden. Charo graduated as one of the most prolific receivers to ever compete in the Wichita Falls area with 3,548 yards and 45 TDs for his varsity career. Willden had 512 yards and seven TDs last season but transferred to six-man program Guthrie.

But senior Brason Zeissel is back after a breakout junior campaign that ended with 1,013 yards and 13 TDs on 40 receptions. Layton McAdams, Hagen Anderson and Colton McGough will also figure into the mix at receiver.

In the backfield, Avery Parrish and Connor Box will be the primary running backs, and both are capable receivers as well.

Defense

The Panthers will base out of a 3-3 stack, hoping to make up for what they lack in size with plenty of speed.

McGough, Fobbs, Harney, Parrish and Nicky Dixon will be in the mix in the trenches, while Jason Hardin, Box and Corbin Mark are the likely starting linebackers.

McAdams profiles as one of the best defensive backs in the area, and he’ll be joined by Anderson and Zeissel along with some newcomers.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: QB Loyd looking for big wins, not big stats while leading pass-happy Seymour