Keith7
11-11-2004, 07:43 PM
GHS riding five-game winning streak
By DARIN ALLRED
Gainesville Register Sports Editor
Five weeks ago, some were predicting gloom and doom for the Gainesville Leopard football team. After all, they had a record of 2-3 and had lost two straight ballgames heading into district play.
But now, five weeks later, the Leopards are right where they expected to be. They are district champs and in the Class 3A playoffs for the fifth straight year.
After going 2-3 in non-district play, the Leopards (7-3 overall) have won five straight games, winning their second consecutive district title.
"One of our goals when we began the season was to win the district championship," GHS head coach Jeff Cordell said. "To go 5-0 is an even bigger accomplishment for our team. Not many people in the state thought we could do it, especially after back-to-back losses to Royse City and Iowa Park. But our kids continue to believe in themselves and in our coaching staff and we won some key ballgames without all our key people, and that shows something about the character of our team."
All three of Gainesville's losses came to playoff teams in Class 3A (Decatur, Royse City and Iowa Park). In fact, all three won at least a share of a district championship. Their combined record is 27-3.
"We played some tough teams in non-district, but I think it helped prepare us for district play and the playoff run we about to make," Cordell added.
The Leopards ended the regular season with a 27-6 win over the Bowie Jackrabbits last Friday. Gainesville trailed 6-0 until scoring a touchdown with just 6 seconds remaining before halftime. They went on to score 20 more points in the second half.
"I think us scoring right there before halftime was key in that ballgame," Cordell said. "Just like in the past, we didn't go in at halftime and give a lot of speeches, we just went in and made adjustments and then came out and executed better. It wasn't necessarily what Bowie was doing in the first half, it was what we were doing to ourselves. We had to eliminate our negative plays offensively and do a better job of tackling defensively. We did that in the second half and they ended up not scoring in the second half."
The Leopards enter the playoffs as close to 100 percent healthy as they have been all season. For the first time all season, Gainesville's two returning All-State players from a year ago (running back Terrius Purvey and linebacker Jeremy Franklin) will be in the starting lineup at the same time.
"I don't know if we are at 100 percent, I just know we are a lot better off with those kids back in our system," Cordell said. "They are difference-makers, both offensively and defensively. We played well without them, but having them back allows us to do more things both offensively and defensively."
The Leopards open the playoffs against the Graham Steers (6-4), who finished as co-champs in District 5-3A.
"Coach (David) Bourquin does a great job with that ballclub up there," Cordell said of Graham. "I'm not sure what his overall record is, but I know that since like 1999, they have been the district champs or co-champs every year. They are a program that has had success over the years. They are very simple, both offensively and defensively, but they do things right."
The Leopards game plan will be simple -- stop the run. Graham runs the veer, something Gainesville has seen from Pottsboro and Bowie in consecutive weeks.
But while the Leopards are almost back to 100 percent health-wise, the same can't be said for the Steers. Three weeks ago, Graham lost their starting fullback to a knee injury. Chance Condron was the District MVP last year, but will not return this season. Then last week, starting quarterback Jeremy Louder became ineligible because of grades.
"Offensively they run the veer and do a good job of running the veer," Cordell said of Graham. "Everyone knows that one of their best running backs is out with an MCL injury and their quarterback was an academic casualty last week. However, they had two guys that stepped in and did a great job last week in the loss to Iowa Park. There is not a big step down as far as their ability."
Graham tailback Blake Rogers has taken up the slack for Condron. Rogers has rushed for 1,037 yards and 13 touchdowns this season.
Gainesville and Graham will play at the new C.H. Collins Athletic Complex in Denton Friday at 7:30 p.m. Cordell says he has visited the first-year stadium and players and fans alike are in for a treat.
"It's a great complex. Watching it being built, it's amazing how fast they got that thing up and running," he said. "They are supposed to have great service, one of the best services we've seen even during our playoff run last year. I think this will be one of the better venues we have played at in the six years I have been here."
As for the keys to the game, Cordell says it starts with his team's defense.
"We have to stop their run game and not get lulled to sleep trying to stop their run game and have someone get behind us in the secondary," he said. "Offensively, we cannot have the negative plays that we had last week. We can't have the penalties that put us in bad positions in regards to down and distance situations. We can't do that against this ballclub or we will be packing our bags and getting ready for the offseason."
LEOPARD NOTES: Gainesville is 5-1 against Graham since 1972. Their only loss came in their last meeting back in 2001 when the Steers won 38-14 at home. Gainesville won in 2000 and 1972-75 ... Graham's losses came to Decatur, Abilene Wylie, Marlin and Iowa Park. All of those teams made the playoffs in Class 3A ... Gainesville has only played two playoff games in Denton since 1980. They lost to Everman in 2001 in the 3A playoffs at the old Denton ISD Stadium. In 1990, they lost to W.T. White in the 4A playoffs at Fouts Field on the University of North Texas campus.
By DARIN ALLRED
Gainesville Register Sports Editor
Five weeks ago, some were predicting gloom and doom for the Gainesville Leopard football team. After all, they had a record of 2-3 and had lost two straight ballgames heading into district play.
But now, five weeks later, the Leopards are right where they expected to be. They are district champs and in the Class 3A playoffs for the fifth straight year.
After going 2-3 in non-district play, the Leopards (7-3 overall) have won five straight games, winning their second consecutive district title.
"One of our goals when we began the season was to win the district championship," GHS head coach Jeff Cordell said. "To go 5-0 is an even bigger accomplishment for our team. Not many people in the state thought we could do it, especially after back-to-back losses to Royse City and Iowa Park. But our kids continue to believe in themselves and in our coaching staff and we won some key ballgames without all our key people, and that shows something about the character of our team."
All three of Gainesville's losses came to playoff teams in Class 3A (Decatur, Royse City and Iowa Park). In fact, all three won at least a share of a district championship. Their combined record is 27-3.
"We played some tough teams in non-district, but I think it helped prepare us for district play and the playoff run we about to make," Cordell added.
The Leopards ended the regular season with a 27-6 win over the Bowie Jackrabbits last Friday. Gainesville trailed 6-0 until scoring a touchdown with just 6 seconds remaining before halftime. They went on to score 20 more points in the second half.
"I think us scoring right there before halftime was key in that ballgame," Cordell said. "Just like in the past, we didn't go in at halftime and give a lot of speeches, we just went in and made adjustments and then came out and executed better. It wasn't necessarily what Bowie was doing in the first half, it was what we were doing to ourselves. We had to eliminate our negative plays offensively and do a better job of tackling defensively. We did that in the second half and they ended up not scoring in the second half."
The Leopards enter the playoffs as close to 100 percent healthy as they have been all season. For the first time all season, Gainesville's two returning All-State players from a year ago (running back Terrius Purvey and linebacker Jeremy Franklin) will be in the starting lineup at the same time.
"I don't know if we are at 100 percent, I just know we are a lot better off with those kids back in our system," Cordell said. "They are difference-makers, both offensively and defensively. We played well without them, but having them back allows us to do more things both offensively and defensively."
The Leopards open the playoffs against the Graham Steers (6-4), who finished as co-champs in District 5-3A.
"Coach (David) Bourquin does a great job with that ballclub up there," Cordell said of Graham. "I'm not sure what his overall record is, but I know that since like 1999, they have been the district champs or co-champs every year. They are a program that has had success over the years. They are very simple, both offensively and defensively, but they do things right."
The Leopards game plan will be simple -- stop the run. Graham runs the veer, something Gainesville has seen from Pottsboro and Bowie in consecutive weeks.
But while the Leopards are almost back to 100 percent health-wise, the same can't be said for the Steers. Three weeks ago, Graham lost their starting fullback to a knee injury. Chance Condron was the District MVP last year, but will not return this season. Then last week, starting quarterback Jeremy Louder became ineligible because of grades.
"Offensively they run the veer and do a good job of running the veer," Cordell said of Graham. "Everyone knows that one of their best running backs is out with an MCL injury and their quarterback was an academic casualty last week. However, they had two guys that stepped in and did a great job last week in the loss to Iowa Park. There is not a big step down as far as their ability."
Graham tailback Blake Rogers has taken up the slack for Condron. Rogers has rushed for 1,037 yards and 13 touchdowns this season.
Gainesville and Graham will play at the new C.H. Collins Athletic Complex in Denton Friday at 7:30 p.m. Cordell says he has visited the first-year stadium and players and fans alike are in for a treat.
"It's a great complex. Watching it being built, it's amazing how fast they got that thing up and running," he said. "They are supposed to have great service, one of the best services we've seen even during our playoff run last year. I think this will be one of the better venues we have played at in the six years I have been here."
As for the keys to the game, Cordell says it starts with his team's defense.
"We have to stop their run game and not get lulled to sleep trying to stop their run game and have someone get behind us in the secondary," he said. "Offensively, we cannot have the negative plays that we had last week. We can't have the penalties that put us in bad positions in regards to down and distance situations. We can't do that against this ballclub or we will be packing our bags and getting ready for the offseason."
LEOPARD NOTES: Gainesville is 5-1 against Graham since 1972. Their only loss came in their last meeting back in 2001 when the Steers won 38-14 at home. Gainesville won in 2000 and 1972-75 ... Graham's losses came to Decatur, Abilene Wylie, Marlin and Iowa Park. All of those teams made the playoffs in Class 3A ... Gainesville has only played two playoff games in Denton since 1980. They lost to Everman in 2001 in the 3A playoffs at the old Denton ISD Stadium. In 1990, they lost to W.T. White in the 4A playoffs at Fouts Field on the University of North Texas campus.