Scoop27
11-14-2013, 11:06 AM
By JOEL LUNA joel.luna@thefacts.com | 0 comments
SWEENY — One good way to keep a pass-happy offense off the field is to keep the ball away from them.
That is one of the Sweeny Bulldogs’ goals against Houston Worthing, whose quarterback Alfred Robertson has thrown for more than 2,000 yards.
Sweeny (7-3) and Worthing (7-2) hook up at 7:30 p.m., Friday at Butler Stadium in Houston in a Class 3A Division II Region III bidistrict matchup.
The Bulldogs return to the playoffs after a one-year hiatus.
“It’s been kind of hard to mimic all of that speed and athleticism that they have there,” Sweeny coach Paul Kilby said. “They not only pass it well, but they run it well also.”
Robertson (122 completions, 212 attempts, 2,191 passing yards, 26 TDs, nine interceptions) leads the Colts on the field. He can also run, gaining more than 300 yards and scoring 10 touchdowns.
“He’s about 5-10, 160 and scrambles like Johnny Manziel,” Kilby said. “The bad thing about him running all over the place is that he keeps his eyes downfield and has about four or five guys that he looks for. We had to figure out who to stop, and it has to be Robertson.”
A couple of Robertson’s favorite targets are Yzerick Oliver (45 receptions, 1,001 yards, 12 TDs, 22 yards a catch) who is a 5-foot-9, senior and quite fast, along with Traveon Auzenne (39 catches, 774, 20 yards a catch, 9 TDs), who is also 5-foot-9.
On defense, Oliver has seven interceptions.
During the season, the Bulldogs faced their share of spread offenses like Brazosport, Bay City, Stafford and KIPP Houston. Sweeny’s pass defense has given up quite a chunk of yardage in a 10-game schedule with 1,399 passing yards. They are giving up 322.1 yards to opposing offenses as a unit. The Colts want to take advantage of that.
“They’ve gotten better game by game, and they have played some hard man coverage,” Kilby said. “I am pleased with them. They’ve improved. We are going to try a variety of things against them to throw them off. We will mix it up.”
Sweeny gave up its most passing yards during the season to Stafford (268), in a game that went into overtime.
Winning could be up to a slot-T offense that has worked well with the Bulldogs this season, producing a couple of thousand-yard rushers. Senior Dorland Fields (204 rushes, 1,837 yards, 9 yards per carry, 29 TDs) and junior Anthany Simmons (147-1,179 yards, 8.02 per carry, 15 TDs) have taken advantage of an offense that goes in all kinds of directions.
“We absolutely cannot turn the ball over,” Kilby said. “We don’t want to give them extra possessions, so turnovers will be critical.”
The Bulldogs lost 15 of 27 fumbles this season, which was the most in district.
“We are constantly working on that by swatting the ball at practice,” Kilby said. “At times we will assign coaches to rip the ball out because we have to make these runners understand that they cannot drop the ball. With constant repetition, it has helped.”
This will be the first meeting on the gridiron for the Bulldogs and Colts. The winner gets Hardin Jefferson or Liberty in the area round.
SWEENY — One good way to keep a pass-happy offense off the field is to keep the ball away from them.
That is one of the Sweeny Bulldogs’ goals against Houston Worthing, whose quarterback Alfred Robertson has thrown for more than 2,000 yards.
Sweeny (7-3) and Worthing (7-2) hook up at 7:30 p.m., Friday at Butler Stadium in Houston in a Class 3A Division II Region III bidistrict matchup.
The Bulldogs return to the playoffs after a one-year hiatus.
“It’s been kind of hard to mimic all of that speed and athleticism that they have there,” Sweeny coach Paul Kilby said. “They not only pass it well, but they run it well also.”
Robertson (122 completions, 212 attempts, 2,191 passing yards, 26 TDs, nine interceptions) leads the Colts on the field. He can also run, gaining more than 300 yards and scoring 10 touchdowns.
“He’s about 5-10, 160 and scrambles like Johnny Manziel,” Kilby said. “The bad thing about him running all over the place is that he keeps his eyes downfield and has about four or five guys that he looks for. We had to figure out who to stop, and it has to be Robertson.”
A couple of Robertson’s favorite targets are Yzerick Oliver (45 receptions, 1,001 yards, 12 TDs, 22 yards a catch) who is a 5-foot-9, senior and quite fast, along with Traveon Auzenne (39 catches, 774, 20 yards a catch, 9 TDs), who is also 5-foot-9.
On defense, Oliver has seven interceptions.
During the season, the Bulldogs faced their share of spread offenses like Brazosport, Bay City, Stafford and KIPP Houston. Sweeny’s pass defense has given up quite a chunk of yardage in a 10-game schedule with 1,399 passing yards. They are giving up 322.1 yards to opposing offenses as a unit. The Colts want to take advantage of that.
“They’ve gotten better game by game, and they have played some hard man coverage,” Kilby said. “I am pleased with them. They’ve improved. We are going to try a variety of things against them to throw them off. We will mix it up.”
Sweeny gave up its most passing yards during the season to Stafford (268), in a game that went into overtime.
Winning could be up to a slot-T offense that has worked well with the Bulldogs this season, producing a couple of thousand-yard rushers. Senior Dorland Fields (204 rushes, 1,837 yards, 9 yards per carry, 29 TDs) and junior Anthany Simmons (147-1,179 yards, 8.02 per carry, 15 TDs) have taken advantage of an offense that goes in all kinds of directions.
“We absolutely cannot turn the ball over,” Kilby said. “We don’t want to give them extra possessions, so turnovers will be critical.”
The Bulldogs lost 15 of 27 fumbles this season, which was the most in district.
“We are constantly working on that by swatting the ball at practice,” Kilby said. “At times we will assign coaches to rip the ball out because we have to make these runners understand that they cannot drop the ball. With constant repetition, it has helped.”
This will be the first meeting on the gridiron for the Bulldogs and Colts. The winner gets Hardin Jefferson or Liberty in the area round.