hollywood
11-15-2013, 10:02 AM
Remember this article? Well, 2013 Stephenville is just as potent. ;)
2010 Brownwood vs. 2012 Stephenville? A tough pick
By Evan Ren
Abilene Reporter-News
Posted December 3, 2012 at 6:15 p.m.
It's been my contention that the 2010 Brownwood Lions were the most talented Class 3A football team I've ever seen — even after watching them lose to eventual state champion Carthage in a state semifinal.
But after watching Friday's Region I-3A Division I final between Stephenville and Wylie, I'm getting the urge to hedge my bets.
Whether Stephenville wins the state championship or not, this team is extraordinary and should be labeled as such. Let's not forget that many of the players from this team played a key role in SHS reaching a Class 4A DII regional final last year.
Now they're playing 3A.
The fact that the Yellow Jackets were good enough to hang a 31-point loss on what is arguably one of the best teams Wylie has ever produced inspires comparisons.
As for who would win a hypothetical matchup between 2010 Brownwood and this year's Stephenville club ... wow.
I'd hate to have to live on the difference, yet it's fun to speculate.
Brownwood of '10 was an offensive monster, with current University of Texas receiver, Jaxon Shipley, providing an unstoppable element that helped the Lions win 14 of 15 games with an average final score of 53-16.
The Lions had an all-state quarterback in Graylon Brown, a dual-threat all-Big Country running back in Stehl Ratliff and the AP Defensive Player of the Year in Caden Ellis among 10 Players who were listed as first- or second-team all-staters.
The Lions' 35-28 loss to Carthage literally came down the game's final drive, with a deflected pass in the end zone saving CHS with 0:02 left on the game clock. Had Brownwood won that game, the Lions would have gone on to win a state championship. A week later, Carthage easily won its third straight state title, burying Coldspring-Oakhurst 47-22. So in essence, the true state championship game that year occurred in the state semis.
Is it too early to start throwing Stephenville into this mix?
I don't think so — even if the Jackets fall to East Texas Monster Kilgore on Friday.
Stephenville has DI talent at quarterback in Tyler Jones and at receiver with Brice Gunter. It also has a running back in Witt Westbrook who plays a similar game to Ratliff.
Granted, Gunter isn't as explosive as Shipley. But overall, the Jackets of 2012 have more quality receivers to throw to — so many in fact that double-teaming Gunter is potentially deadly.
SHS' average margin of victory is less dominant at 45-21. But in fairness, the Yellow Jacket schedule has been absolutely brutal, with wins over Class 4A heavies from Aledo (41-28) and Amarillo (35-14) in the mix.
I discount a season-opening loss to Monterrey (Mex.) Tech, which was largely an unknown commodity for which Stephenville was admittedly unprepared.
That leaves us with two teams that rode a similar path.
If anyone in the area would be qualified to tell us which of the two teams is best, it would be Wylie coach Hugh Sandifer, who faced both of them.
Interestingly enough, Wylie has faced three of the most dominating Class 3A teams in recent memory — 2009 state champion Gilmer, 2010 Brownwood and this year's Stephenville crew — losing 43-26 to Gilmer and 45-7 to Brownwood.
I didn't try to put Sandifer in an awkward position by asking him which of his colleague's teams he thought was best. But I did ask him to comment on each.
"They were all very talented," Sandifer said. "Of course that '09 Gilmer team that we played for a state championship was led by an outstanding quarterback (Darian Godfrey), just like this year's Stephenville team and they're similar in that area.
"Stephenville has more weapons offensively than Gilmer did that year. Stephenville was very tough for us to defend — obviously, we couldn't slow them down. ... Of course, Brownwood's 2010 team had an outstanding quarterback as well, but a lot of their (yards) came from playmakers making plays.
"All three teams had quarterbacks who were explosive, running or throwing. ... Defensively, they're hard to compare, because I don't think we were as good offensively against that 2010 Brownwood team as we were in '09 or this year. But all three were great teams. One was a state champ, one got beat in the state semis and Stephenville has yet to be determined.
"But I'd have to put the bunch we played against on Friday night against either one of those other teams."
Who am I to argue?
http://www.reporternews.com/news/2012/dec/03/bc-notebook-2010-brownwood-vs-2012-stephenville/
2010 Brownwood vs. 2012 Stephenville? A tough pick
By Evan Ren
Abilene Reporter-News
Posted December 3, 2012 at 6:15 p.m.
It's been my contention that the 2010 Brownwood Lions were the most talented Class 3A football team I've ever seen — even after watching them lose to eventual state champion Carthage in a state semifinal.
But after watching Friday's Region I-3A Division I final between Stephenville and Wylie, I'm getting the urge to hedge my bets.
Whether Stephenville wins the state championship or not, this team is extraordinary and should be labeled as such. Let's not forget that many of the players from this team played a key role in SHS reaching a Class 4A DII regional final last year.
Now they're playing 3A.
The fact that the Yellow Jackets were good enough to hang a 31-point loss on what is arguably one of the best teams Wylie has ever produced inspires comparisons.
As for who would win a hypothetical matchup between 2010 Brownwood and this year's Stephenville club ... wow.
I'd hate to have to live on the difference, yet it's fun to speculate.
Brownwood of '10 was an offensive monster, with current University of Texas receiver, Jaxon Shipley, providing an unstoppable element that helped the Lions win 14 of 15 games with an average final score of 53-16.
The Lions had an all-state quarterback in Graylon Brown, a dual-threat all-Big Country running back in Stehl Ratliff and the AP Defensive Player of the Year in Caden Ellis among 10 Players who were listed as first- or second-team all-staters.
The Lions' 35-28 loss to Carthage literally came down the game's final drive, with a deflected pass in the end zone saving CHS with 0:02 left on the game clock. Had Brownwood won that game, the Lions would have gone on to win a state championship. A week later, Carthage easily won its third straight state title, burying Coldspring-Oakhurst 47-22. So in essence, the true state championship game that year occurred in the state semis.
Is it too early to start throwing Stephenville into this mix?
I don't think so — even if the Jackets fall to East Texas Monster Kilgore on Friday.
Stephenville has DI talent at quarterback in Tyler Jones and at receiver with Brice Gunter. It also has a running back in Witt Westbrook who plays a similar game to Ratliff.
Granted, Gunter isn't as explosive as Shipley. But overall, the Jackets of 2012 have more quality receivers to throw to — so many in fact that double-teaming Gunter is potentially deadly.
SHS' average margin of victory is less dominant at 45-21. But in fairness, the Yellow Jacket schedule has been absolutely brutal, with wins over Class 4A heavies from Aledo (41-28) and Amarillo (35-14) in the mix.
I discount a season-opening loss to Monterrey (Mex.) Tech, which was largely an unknown commodity for which Stephenville was admittedly unprepared.
That leaves us with two teams that rode a similar path.
If anyone in the area would be qualified to tell us which of the two teams is best, it would be Wylie coach Hugh Sandifer, who faced both of them.
Interestingly enough, Wylie has faced three of the most dominating Class 3A teams in recent memory — 2009 state champion Gilmer, 2010 Brownwood and this year's Stephenville crew — losing 43-26 to Gilmer and 45-7 to Brownwood.
I didn't try to put Sandifer in an awkward position by asking him which of his colleague's teams he thought was best. But I did ask him to comment on each.
"They were all very talented," Sandifer said. "Of course that '09 Gilmer team that we played for a state championship was led by an outstanding quarterback (Darian Godfrey), just like this year's Stephenville team and they're similar in that area.
"Stephenville has more weapons offensively than Gilmer did that year. Stephenville was very tough for us to defend — obviously, we couldn't slow them down. ... Of course, Brownwood's 2010 team had an outstanding quarterback as well, but a lot of their (yards) came from playmakers making plays.
"All three teams had quarterbacks who were explosive, running or throwing. ... Defensively, they're hard to compare, because I don't think we were as good offensively against that 2010 Brownwood team as we were in '09 or this year. But all three were great teams. One was a state champ, one got beat in the state semis and Stephenville has yet to be determined.
"But I'd have to put the bunch we played against on Friday night against either one of those other teams."
Who am I to argue?
http://www.reporternews.com/news/2012/dec/03/bc-notebook-2010-brownwood-vs-2012-stephenville/