Region 3 D2 GOTW: Waco Connally (8-2) vs. Madisonville (6-4)

[SHSBulldog00]

Still looking for details

[coach]

Still looking for details

Anybody know where this game is being played?

[D'Highlander]

Friday 7:30pm Lion Memorial Stadium, Ennis

[defense51]

Connally by 14

[HEMOTOXIC]

I like the Cadets in this matchup.

Which Madisonville Mustang team will show up? The one who played Lorena tough and the one that dominated the Cleveland Indians or the one who had ugly losses against Rockdale and Taylor?

The Mustangs only lost to Fairfield by the score of 50-14. That's saying a lot considering what the Eagles have done to everyone else.

[Rabid Cougar]

Connally will win going away. Very bid and very fast.

[FB-fanatic]

One of Connaly's leading rushers is out for the year. Will be close. Connally by 6 . Connally's defense will be able to disrupt their young QB and will keep Mville runner in check.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk (http://tapatalk.com/m?id=1)

[Rocket Dad]

Connally had a replacement RB that went over 200 yards last week. I'm sure they will miss the top RB but that o-line can dominate most 3A teams. I think they will dominate Mville.

[87 TIGER]

Connelly will win big

[HEMOTOXIC]

http://www.wacotrib.com/sports/high_schools/central_texas_football/high-school-football-preview-playoffs-week/article_586cecbd-40f4-5f8d-9913-dbae557cc18f.html

Connally (8-2) vs. Madisonville (5-5)

Time/place: 7:30 p.m. at Ennis

Last week: Connally defeated West, 41-27; Madisonville lost to Taylor, 36-18

Players to watch: Connally QB Kristian Brown (45-97-1, 973 yards, 12 TDs, 118-1,113 yards rushing, 9 TDs); RB Josh Terrell (144-1,507, 17 TDs); LB De’Oryen Thornton (62 tackles, 12 for loss); Madisonville RB Dontae Crist (176-1,221, 12 TDs), LB Damien Whaley (123 tackles, 23 for loss)

Key matchup: Connally rushing attack vs. Madisonville linebackers

Breakdown: Connally coach Mike Rabe thinks the Cadets’ defense is ready for a breakout game after a its best week of preparation and the return of Thornton.

They will need it versus a strong rushing attack that has put up more than 560 yards in its last two games and has only been held under 100 yards one time this season.

For the Cadets on offense, it will be about ball security and finishing drives with points. Connally has rolled up big numbers in the stat sheet and scoreboard recently, but will face a talented group of linebackers that are strong and fast.

[HEMOTOXIC]

http://www.wacotrib.com/sports/high_schools/central_texas_football/high-school-football-playoffs-cadets-not-satisfied-yet/article_1bfd7b1c-cd84-5cff-9f5e-fc04f6924fd1.html


By DAVID ASH dash@wacotrib.com Waco Tribune-Herald

Heading to its first postseason since 2005 with a district title is a reason to be excited for Connally, but the Cadets are not ready to celebrate.

Connally enters its first playoff game in the Mike Rabe era on a three-game win streak and the coach sees more improvement ahead.

“You have to peak at the right time and I don’t think we have done that yet,” Rabe said. “We have played pretty good in spots and we have done a good job offensively, but I don’t think the whole package hasn’t come together yet. I know it’s there and I can see it. We can still improve a ton and that is what’s really exciting about this. We win this one, we get another week of practice and I think we can get a lot better still. That’s why I have a real urgency for this thing not to end. Right now we have the right pieces all in the right spots and the right guys healthy. We can start getting really good here if we can play long enough.”

The Cadets have not lacked talent in the three years under Rabe, but late-season fades have left the team without a chance to experience the postseason.

Connally lost four of its last six games in 2011 and two of its last three a year ago to end their seasons after promising starts.

This year, Connally dropped its opener, but strung together a five-game win streak, which included a win over district co-champ Lorena to open District 17-3A play. It finished with its current run, leading to optimism heading into Friday’s game with Madisonville.

“In the past, we let our confidence become cockiness,” running back Chris Robinson said, “And we didn’t prepare ourselves for this district and it came back to bite us in the butt. As a senior, I have tried to find things our team could focus on and what I came up with was finish. That’s what we did this year, we finished.”

Offensively, the Cadets have been fantastic as of late, averaging 60 points per game in their last three.

Junior quarterback Kristian Brown is in his second season as the starter and his development has been key to the team’s success.

“We put in all this work and its finally worth something now,” Brown said. “There is a lot on my shoulders as quarterback, but I have a year under my belt so I’m familiar with a lot of things now and not as nervous or anxious. I can just go play and have fun.”

Brown having fun has added up to more than 2,000 yards of total offense and 21 touchdowns this season as a dual threat out of the backfield.

Rabe points to Brown’s development as a leader being the signal caller’s greatest strength this season.

“He knows what I expect and what I want the offense to look like,” Rabe said. “The communication between me and him has gotten a lot better and he has grown into a leader that the team wants to follow.”

Even with Brown’s success, this Cadets team is far from a one-man show on offense. Running backs Josh Terrell (1,507 yards, 17 TDs), Robinson (548 yards, 10 TDs) and James Davis (408 yards, 4 TDs) have played pivotal roles in the team’s success.

“We don’t have any personalities that feel like they need the ball,” Rabe said. “They feel like they need to win the game and they will do whatever it takes. We have good wide receivers on the team, but there are games where we haven’t had to throw the ball a whole lot, but those guys will block just as good as any receivers I have ever seen. Everybody knows their role and they do their part. They just want to win on Friday night. It doesn’t matter who had a good night, how many yards this guy had and that guy had, as long as its a ‘W’, they are happy about it.”

The Cadets’ defense has been hit-or-miss this season, but should get a boost with the return of linebacker De’Oryen Thornton. Thornton missed four games with injury, but is healthy again and excited about the opportunity to be back on the field.

Being injured “makes you realize you can be out anytime,” Thornton said, “and makes me want to take advantage anytime I am out there.”

On the field, Thornton is the quarterback of the defense and his play has spoken for itself. The senior averaged 10 tackles a game and had 12 tackles for loss in his limited action.

As a leader, Rabe said the linebacker adds more than filling a spot on the field.

“It’s unbelievable the change that our defensive mentality has when he is out there,” Rabe said. “You wouldn’t think that one guy would make that big of a difference but he does. Everybody knows that he is trying to get his assignment done as hard as he can and (teammates) feel like they all need to do the same thing. They just play harder when he is out there. Not that they haven’t played hard the whole year, it’s just different. He makes that big of difference when he is out there.”

The coach and players each said they were excited about the playoffs, but they weren’t finished and continuing to focus a week at a time was all they were concerned with.

“I really enjoy what I am doing with this bunch and I don’t want it to stop,” Rabe said. “We can reflect later on, but we want to just keep doing what we are doing right now. Just keep winning. It’s a great group of kids and it’s been real fun, we just want to keep doing it.”

[Rabid Cougar]

Connally's first loss? ...... To the Cameron Yoemen.