Stangster
10-23-2004, 05:26 PM
SW close to postseason berth
By RON HOWELL/The Reporter Sports Editor
CLYDE -- Looking at the big picture, Sweetwater did every-thing it needed to do in Friday's 40-20 win at Clyde.
The Mustangs may not have enjoyed this one quite as much as beating Snyder the previous week, but the outcome was just as satisfying in regard to their playoff chances.
Which, by the way, look very good at this point.
Sweetwater is now 2-1 in dis-trict after Friday's victory, the same record as Snyder and one-half game behind Wylie, which had the night off, with just two weeks left in the regular season. Clyde and Merkel, the district's other two teams, are both 0-2.
But Sweetwater has only one game left. The Mustangs enjoy an open date this Friday before ending the season Nov. 5, when they host Merkel.
Merkel's chances suffered a big blow in a last-second 30-27 loss to Snyder, though the Bad-gers could still get into a three-way tie for second by winning their final two games and forcing a tiebreaker.
Kent Jackson, who has guid-ed Sweetwater to the playoffs in each of his three previous sea-sons as head coach, admits that a fourth straight appearance is very close. "We're knocking on the door," he said. "It's something we want to get used to but should never take for granted. It doesn't happen everywhere."
It hasn't happened for Clyde since 1996, and likely won't this year either. So far, the Bulldogs have been outscored 85-26 in their district games.
Sweetwater had 333 yards of its 428 yards, and 33 of its 40 points, in the first half. And its 33-12 halftime lead would have been even more lopsided if the Mustangs hadn't been stopped on a fourth-down run at the 1.
What was most encouraging about the win was how well that Sweetwater threw the ball.
Starting quarterback Jeremy Thompson and backup Sonny Birdwell were a combined 5-of-7 for 116 yards. Thompson was 4-0f-5, and his first completion -- a 37-yarder to sophomore Joseph Banyard -- resulted in six points. It came on a third-and-16 call, with Banyard leap-ing over his defender to make a spectacular reception and then running in for the score.
The Mustangs also found the end zone on their next possession, with Kendal Carrillo scor-ing on a 62-yard run which put Sweetwater up 13-0 at the 3:47 mark of the first quarter.
Clyde then took advantage of bad field position by the Mus-tangs and a 6-yard punt against the strong wind to cut the lead back to a touchdown. The Bull-dogs started from Sweetwater's 24, and eventually scored on a 1-yard plunge by their quarter-back, Jacob Agnew, to make it 13-6 early in the second period.
But the Mustangs quickly re-asserted themselves, taking just four plays to move 72 yards and get back on the board. Fullback Alan Copeland went the last 33 for the touchdown, followed by a two-point run by Thompson, to give Sweetwater a 21-6 lead.
A short time later, the Mus-tangs were back in Clyde terri-tory as Brittan Pittman's interception, his sixth of the year, gave it back to Sweetwater at the Bulldogs' 28. That was fol-lowed by a 19-yard reception by Pittman to give the Mustangs a first-and-goal at the 9.
Sweetwater got it to the 1, but had to turn it over on downs as Clyde's defense stiffened.
But the Mustang 'D' failed to allow Clyde a single yard after it regained possession. The Bull-dogs quickly punted, setting up a three-play, 46-yard drive that was capped by Thompson's 17-yard touchdown run with 4:59 left in the first half.
Clyde responded by going 68 yards in eight plays to narrow the lead to 27-12. The Bulldogs kept the drive going when Ag-new converted on a fourth-and-three run from the 25. He was intercepted by Banyard two plays later, but offsetting penalties wiped it out.
Given another chance, Clyde cashed in with Chase McCravey throwing a 20-yard strike to a wide-open Carlos Garza on a halfback option play.
Sweetwater got the ball back with just 57 seconds remaining, enough time to move 60 yards in six plays for a 33-12 advan-tage. Pittman outfought his de-fender to catch a 35-yard pass and put the Mustangs at the 2, and Banyard scored from there with :14 showing on the clock.
It nearly became 39-12 when Skye Green intercepted Agnew on the final play of the half, but he was brought down following a long return.
Sweetwater fumbled it away on its first offensive play of the third quarter, but made up for it with yet another interception -- this one by Carrillo -- leading to the Mustangs' last TD.
Carrillo (14 carries, 96 yards) finished what he began as he scored his second touchdown on a 1-yard run. Parker Mor-row's kick made it 40-12 with 6:23 left in the third quarter.
Agnew ended the scoring for the night with a 12-yard run to cut the lead to 22, and his two-point conversion made it 40-20 with 2:50 left in the third.
Birdwell engineered a drive that almost resulted in a touch-down. Sweetwater got it to the 1 again, only to fumble on fourth down. Clyde then took most of the rest of the game to move to Sweetwater's 42 before turning it over on downs.
By RON HOWELL/The Reporter Sports Editor
CLYDE -- Looking at the big picture, Sweetwater did every-thing it needed to do in Friday's 40-20 win at Clyde.
The Mustangs may not have enjoyed this one quite as much as beating Snyder the previous week, but the outcome was just as satisfying in regard to their playoff chances.
Which, by the way, look very good at this point.
Sweetwater is now 2-1 in dis-trict after Friday's victory, the same record as Snyder and one-half game behind Wylie, which had the night off, with just two weeks left in the regular season. Clyde and Merkel, the district's other two teams, are both 0-2.
But Sweetwater has only one game left. The Mustangs enjoy an open date this Friday before ending the season Nov. 5, when they host Merkel.
Merkel's chances suffered a big blow in a last-second 30-27 loss to Snyder, though the Bad-gers could still get into a three-way tie for second by winning their final two games and forcing a tiebreaker.
Kent Jackson, who has guid-ed Sweetwater to the playoffs in each of his three previous sea-sons as head coach, admits that a fourth straight appearance is very close. "We're knocking on the door," he said. "It's something we want to get used to but should never take for granted. It doesn't happen everywhere."
It hasn't happened for Clyde since 1996, and likely won't this year either. So far, the Bulldogs have been outscored 85-26 in their district games.
Sweetwater had 333 yards of its 428 yards, and 33 of its 40 points, in the first half. And its 33-12 halftime lead would have been even more lopsided if the Mustangs hadn't been stopped on a fourth-down run at the 1.
What was most encouraging about the win was how well that Sweetwater threw the ball.
Starting quarterback Jeremy Thompson and backup Sonny Birdwell were a combined 5-of-7 for 116 yards. Thompson was 4-0f-5, and his first completion -- a 37-yarder to sophomore Joseph Banyard -- resulted in six points. It came on a third-and-16 call, with Banyard leap-ing over his defender to make a spectacular reception and then running in for the score.
The Mustangs also found the end zone on their next possession, with Kendal Carrillo scor-ing on a 62-yard run which put Sweetwater up 13-0 at the 3:47 mark of the first quarter.
Clyde then took advantage of bad field position by the Mus-tangs and a 6-yard punt against the strong wind to cut the lead back to a touchdown. The Bull-dogs started from Sweetwater's 24, and eventually scored on a 1-yard plunge by their quarter-back, Jacob Agnew, to make it 13-6 early in the second period.
But the Mustangs quickly re-asserted themselves, taking just four plays to move 72 yards and get back on the board. Fullback Alan Copeland went the last 33 for the touchdown, followed by a two-point run by Thompson, to give Sweetwater a 21-6 lead.
A short time later, the Mus-tangs were back in Clyde terri-tory as Brittan Pittman's interception, his sixth of the year, gave it back to Sweetwater at the Bulldogs' 28. That was fol-lowed by a 19-yard reception by Pittman to give the Mustangs a first-and-goal at the 9.
Sweetwater got it to the 1, but had to turn it over on downs as Clyde's defense stiffened.
But the Mustang 'D' failed to allow Clyde a single yard after it regained possession. The Bull-dogs quickly punted, setting up a three-play, 46-yard drive that was capped by Thompson's 17-yard touchdown run with 4:59 left in the first half.
Clyde responded by going 68 yards in eight plays to narrow the lead to 27-12. The Bulldogs kept the drive going when Ag-new converted on a fourth-and-three run from the 25. He was intercepted by Banyard two plays later, but offsetting penalties wiped it out.
Given another chance, Clyde cashed in with Chase McCravey throwing a 20-yard strike to a wide-open Carlos Garza on a halfback option play.
Sweetwater got the ball back with just 57 seconds remaining, enough time to move 60 yards in six plays for a 33-12 advan-tage. Pittman outfought his de-fender to catch a 35-yard pass and put the Mustangs at the 2, and Banyard scored from there with :14 showing on the clock.
It nearly became 39-12 when Skye Green intercepted Agnew on the final play of the half, but he was brought down following a long return.
Sweetwater fumbled it away on its first offensive play of the third quarter, but made up for it with yet another interception -- this one by Carrillo -- leading to the Mustangs' last TD.
Carrillo (14 carries, 96 yards) finished what he began as he scored his second touchdown on a 1-yard run. Parker Mor-row's kick made it 40-12 with 6:23 left in the third quarter.
Agnew ended the scoring for the night with a 12-yard run to cut the lead to 22, and his two-point conversion made it 40-20 with 2:50 left in the third.
Birdwell engineered a drive that almost resulted in a touch-down. Sweetwater got it to the 1 again, only to fumble on fourth down. Clyde then took most of the rest of the game to move to Sweetwater's 42 before turning it over on downs.