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East Texas Professional Credit Union Player of the Week: White Oak's Jaxsen Ludlow

Ludlow is the son of second year head coach Mike Ludlow, who is spearheading a massive culture shift within the program.

WHITE OAK, Texas — Is there another team in East Texas having as of a big turnaround season as White Oak

The Roughnecks were 0-10 last year, but they're already 5-2 now, so how's that kind of excitement sitting with CBS19 Player of the Week, quarterback Jaxsen Ludlow?

"Our main focus right now is taking it game by game, and do everything we can to get into the playoffs," Ludlow said. 

To the trained ear, that may sound like coach speak and there's a good reason for that. Ludlow is the son of second year head coach Mike Ludlow who is spearheading a massive culture shift within the program.

"Let's build it and make it what it needs to be, build it from the ground up. Kind of almost blow that foundation up and start fresh, and we give the kids a voice in our system," Coach Ludllow said. 

The system is clearly working, and the younger Ludlow benefitted last Friday, rushing for more than 175 yards with three touchdowns, and adding over 200 passing yards, and two more touchdowns to boot.

"Our o-line opened up some great holes for me to be able to make some big plays. Our receivers making big plays with the ball in the air, getting off the DBs, just making big plays for me, helping me out," Jaxsen Ludlow said. 

He's just a junior, but this is his third year as a starting quarterback, second at White Oak, and his maturity in leading this squad has really impressed his father. 

"This year through seven games just to see the growth I mean, he's checking stuff at the line for me. He's checking us in and out of things. He's calling all the protections; he's doing all sorts of stuff for us. And understanding the game, and when he comes to the sideline, I'm talking to him like I'd talk to a coach," Coach Ludlow said. 

After going through so much adversity between the last couple years, who knows what the Ludlows and White Oak can make happen here down the stretch.

"Nobody else in this district had to go through 0-10 last year and learn the way y'all did. No one had to go through those struggles and hear everything on the outside, noise coming in and being able to shut it out. No one went through the offseason that y'all went through. No one went through the boot camp," the father and coach said. 

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