Merkel VS. Kennedale

[wildstangs]

Kennedale has to be the favorite in this one. I think Merkel might surprise them though. Thoughts anyone?

[mustang04]

i dunno....its hard to pick
but...i feel merkel pulls the upset

[SwtwtrMstngs04]

I feel if Merkel puts their heart into this one and play it hard they can beat kennedale.

[Bigblue07]

was it glen rose that beat kennedale or iowa park ?

[CatsDen]

Glen Rose was the only team to beat Kennedale this year.

[CatsDen]

Pre-Season Preview of Merkel Badgers:

Merkel seniors working to be first playoff team since 1963

DISTRICT 3-3A

By Troy Shockley
Reporter-News Staff Writer
August 24, 2003

The Merkel Badgers haven’t played past the second week of November in nearly four decades.

The 25 seniors on this year’s team will be fighting to make the 2003 season the first postseason appearance for the District 3-3A school since 1963.

The experience-heavy squad, according to fourth-year coach David Flowers, has both the desire and ability to be the group that finally breaks into the playoffs.

There are only five players on the preseason roster who are not seniors, all of those are juniors.

“(We) will have 20-plus seniors that have been successful throughout their high school career,” Flowers said. “They push each other and are very competitive as a team.”

The defense should be the strongest aspect of the Badgers this season, with seven returning starters expected to be back. Three starters will return to the offense.

Twin brothers Justin and Brandon Head will again be anchoring the defense for Merkel in their senior season.

Brandon, 6-3, 250 pounds, was a first-team all-district selection, an Abilene Reporter-News All-Big Country team member and a second-team all-state player for his work at defensive tackle. He totaled 111 tackles and six quarterback sacks for the Badgers in 2002.

Justin, 6-3, 240 pounds, tallied 100 tackles and 10 quarterback sacks. He was selected as a first-team all-district player as well as an All-Big Country selection.

Christopher Hart, who led the team last season with 130 tackles — 66 of them solo and eight of them resulted in a loss of yards — returns on defense. Hart, 6-0, 185 pounds, added three quarterback sacks and two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.

The senior was named to the all-district team as a first-team linebacker and was the third member of the Badgers to be selected as an All-Big Country player. Hart also helped out offensively, netting 114 yards on 19 carries.

Chris Cobb will be back at the helm for Merkel for his senior year. Cobb, 5-11, 175 pounds, completed 65-of-120 attempts for 1,083 yards and nine touchdowns in 2002 with just four interceptions on the year.

SCHEDULE

August
29 at Monahans 8 p.m.
September
5 Clyde 8 p.m.
12 at Ballinger 7:30 p.m.
19 Post 7:30 p.m.
October
3 at Breckenridge 7:30 p.m.
10 Seminole* 7:30 p.m.
17 at Snyder* 7:30 p.m.
24 Denver City* 7:30 p.m.
31 at Sweetwater* 7:30 p.m.
November
7 Lamesa* 7:30 p.m.

* District games

Merkel Badgers

School colors: purple and gold
District: 3-3A
Last year’s record: 6-4 (2-3, fourth place)
Last playoff appearance: 1963
Last district championship: 1966
Head coach: David Flowers
Career record: 60-27-1
Years at current school: fourth
Assistant coaches: Keith Mullins, Steven Flowers, Jeff Smith, Lyle Leong, Tim Cope, John Martinez, Ryan Holmes, Jimmy Bellah
Returning and/or probable starters: FL-C Aaron Walla, 5-9, 175, Sr.; QB-SS Chris Cobb, 5-11, 175, Sr.; TE-C Stephen Russel, 6-1, 175, Sr.; TB-DE Brady Rutledge, 5-8, 170, Sr.; TE-LB R.D. Perry, 6-1, 185, Sr.; FL-C Jerrad Knight, 5-11, 170, Sr.; FB-LB Christopher Hart, 6-0, 185, Sr.; OT-DT Justin Head, 6-3, 240, Sr.; OT-DT Brandon Head, 6-3, 250, Sr.; DG-NG Weyland Cooley, 5-11, 220, Sr.; C-DT Daniel McDuff, 6-0, 190, Sr.; NG Derrick Holden, 5-8, 180, Sr.; OG-DT Randal Burfiend, 5-10, 180, Sr.; TE-DE Brad Campbell, 5-11, 175, Sr.; OG-DT Juan Cerna, 6-0, 190, Sr.; OG-DT Tim Wilson, 6-3, 245, Sr.; WR-FS Brad Elliot, 5-10, 155, Sr.; OT-LB Buddy Shipman, 6-0, 185, Sr.; OG Joe Flores, 5-9, 175, Sr.; WR-C Dustin Jenkins, 5-9, 160, Sr.; WR-DE Wayne Jowers, 5-11, 175, Sr.; TE-C Matt Murdock, 6-0, 170, Sr.; FB-LB Sammy Prieto, 5-9, 180, Sr.; RB-C Timmy Wiebe, 6-0, 165, Sr.; RB-C Cody Lambert, 5-10, 175, Jr.; OT-NG Dale Dentler, 5-11, 205, Jr.; OT-LB Wade Lawson, 6-0, 200, Jr.; C-LB John Rouse, 6-0, 185, Jr.; FL-C Chris Walker, 5-8, 150, Jr.
Position changes: none listed
Returning all-district players: Rec. Walla (first team), DB Walla (second team), LB Hart (first team), DT B. Head (first team), DT J. Head (first team)
Returning All-Big Country players: B. Head, J. Head, Hart
Returning all-state players: DT B. Head (second team)
Top new players: none listed
Transfers: RB-DB Lambert, 5-11, 180, Henrietta
Team strengths: strong, quick, attitude
Team weaknesses: experience on the offensive line

[CatsDen]

Merkel-Littlfield recap

Badgers continue playoff dominance Merkel 24, Littlefield 7
By Garner Roberts / Special to the Reporter-News
November 23, 2003

SWEETWATER — If they had known it was this much fun, the Merkel High School Badgers wouldn’t have waited 40 years to qualify for the playoffs.

The Badgers, a team made up of some fiercely determined high school football players, fought off early adversity and handed Littlefield a 24-7 whipping in the area round of the Class 3A playoffs.

The unlikely winners are in the playoffs for the first time since 1963, their quarterback wears jersey number 24, they finished third in District 3-3A, they fumbled on their first two plays from scrimmage, and they didn’t reach 100 yards of total offense until the third play of the fourth quarter.

But fortunately for coach David Flowers and the growing number of Merkel fans, the Badger defense and versatile offensive weapon Chris Cobb came to play.

"The defense was the key," Cobb said after running for one touchdown, throwing for another, kicking a field goal and two extra points, and punting twice for a 60.0-yard average. "They don’t score; they don’t win. It’s exciting. The fans are behind us 100 percent."

Merkel, now 9-3 for the season, will meet the winner of Saturday night’s Iowa Park-Kennedale in its next game. Flowers has talked to officials in Wichita Falls about playing Saturday in Memorial Stadium.

Littlefield, District 2-3A champion with two 1,000-yard rushers, finished at 9-3.

"We came out tight on offense," Flowers said, "but the defense was just awesome. They never quit. We came out the second half more relaxed and played our hearts out."

The two teams combined for six turnovers in the first 14:08 of play, but the Badgers calmed down and drove 75 yards to get the first score.

Two incomplete passes stalled a Wildcat drive at the Merkel 25, and from there the Badgers ran off 12 plays in 5:49 to the end zone. Quarterback Riley Lambert turned the corner at right end on a sweep behind the blocks of Zach Maxey and Brady Rutledge and walked in untouched for the six points.

Merkel had fumbled on first down on each of its first two possessions to give Littlefield chances to grab an early lead, but Jerrad Knight’s fumble recovery and Lambert’s interception of a pass tipped by Knight turned the ball back to Merkel.

Then on the second play of the second quarter, Lambert recovered a fumble at the Merkel two-yard line to stop another Littlefield threat.

Cobb’s 76-yard punt on a quick kick from his own three-yard line was also a big play for Merkel in the first half to help get field position.

Sammy Prieto intercepted a Wildcat pass in the third period and returned it 25 yards to the Littlefield seven to set up Merkel’s next score. Cobb’s 24-yard field goal gave the Badgers a 10-0 lead.

The Badgers sealed the victory with two touchdowns in the fourth period thanks to Cobb. Rutledge sacked the Littlefield quarterback and forced a fumble that was recovered by Brandon Head to set up the next score.

After driving to the Littlefield 35, Flowers called for a halfback pass by Cobb for the first time this season. Cobb, who has played some quarterback for the Badgers, found Aaron Walla alone behind the secondary for an easy touchdown to give Merkel a 17-0 lead.

Then after a Littlefield punt, Merkel drove 63 yards in six plays with Cobb scoring from the seven on fourth down to increase the shutout to 24-7.

Lambert led Merkel with 73 yards on the ground. Tyson Reed (102 yards) and Jonas Camacho (85 yards), both 1,000 rushers, led the Wildcat attack.

Christopher Hart, Joe Flores, Trevor Hood and Derrick Holden also made key plays for the Merkel defense. Hood saved a touchdown early in the fourth quarter with Merkel leading 10-0 after a 50-yard pass to Depatrick Rosemond to the Merkel 24.

Merkel 0 7 3 14 — 24
Littlefield 0 0 0 7 — 7

SCORING SUMMARY
Second Quarter
M — Riley Lambert 9 run (Chris Cobb kick) 2:20
Third Quarter
M — Cobb 24 field goal 2:52
Fourth Quarter
M — Aaron Walla 35 pass from Cobb (Cobb kick) 7:07
M — Cobb 7 run (Cobb kick) 2:39
L — Thomas Reyes 13 pass from Aaron Hobratschak (Cory Yesel kick) 0:21

Merkel Littlefield
First downs 11 13
Rush-yds 37-147 49-157
Pass yds 76 76
Passes 3-3-0 3-11-2
Penalties 4-33 4-30
Lost-fumbles 4-4 2-7
Punts 2-60 4-35

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Merkel — Cobb 2-12, Knight 1-(-3), Lambert 14-73, Rutledge 7-10, Maxey 4-10, Hart 9-45. Littlefield — Hobratschak 5-(-37), Huseman 3-7, Camacho 21-85, Reed 20-102.
PASSING — Merkel — Lambert 2-2-0, 41 yds; Cobb 1-1-0, 35 yds, 1 TD. Littlefield — Hobratschak 3-11-2, 76 yds, 1 TD.
RECEIVING — Merkel — Cobb 2-41, Walla 1-35. Littlefield — Reyes 1-13, Rosemont 1-50, Bussanmus 1-13.

[BrainDamage]

Well I'm gonna take a stab at the scores by the quarter

1st- K-8 M-7

2nd- K-21 M-14

3rd K-27 M-21

Final K-32 M-28