wildstangs
01-16-2003, 10:12 PM
3A Coach of the Year wanted 'one more play'
By Mark Wilson / Reporter-News Staff Writer
January 16, 2003
Sweetwater football coach Kent Jackson has to wonder what could have happened if just a couple of breaks had gone
in favor of his Mustangs in their Class 3A Division II state quarterfinal playoff game.
The Mustangs were eliminated by Midland Greenwood, by six points (34-28), and the Rangers went on to reach the state championship game. Greenwood was then beaten by Bandera, but the 27-24 decision in the title game came in overtime.
As the saying goes, anything can happen in the playoffs. So if the Mustangs hadn’t lost a fumble inside Greenwood’s 20-yard line with 21 seconds left in the game ? and, if the Mustangs had scored a touchdown at the end and kicked the extra point, perhaps they could have been the team battling in overtime against Bandera for the state crown.
"There’s no doubt — you wonder," said Jackson, who is the Abilene Reporter-News All-Big Country Class 3A Coach of the Year for the 2002 season. "But at the same time, our guys did everything they could that day. I sure would like to have one more play."
Sweetwater quarterback Mychal Carrillo — one of the most valuable offensive players in the area for any classification — is the All-Big Country Class 3A Offensive Player of the Year. And middle linebacker Jeremy Mullins of Merkel is the Defensive Player of the Year.
Others on the Class 3A offensive honor team are: quarterbacks Eric Mendez of Breckenridge and Travis McGee of Ballinger; running backs Antonio Posey of Ballinger, Tommy Felts of Wylie and Junior Moya of Comanche; fullback Jack Squires of Sweetwater; wide receivers Kelby Sullivan of Breckenridge and Randy Allen of Clyde; tight end Josh Mendoza of Snyder; offensive linemen Isidro Gutierrez of Snyder, Jarrod Clark of Ballinger, Luke Schuman of Comanche and Chris Cardwell of Wylie; center Josh Knox of Snyder; utility back Scott Edwards, who played quarterback for Clyde; and place-kicker Aaron Philpot of Wylie.
Joining Mullins, additional members of the defensive team are: linemen Tyler Crump of Wylie, J.R. Galvan of Ballinger, Travis Carpenter of Clyde, Justin Head of Merkel and Brandon Head of Merkel; linebackers Christopher Hart of Merkel, Matt Gross of Wylie, Daniel Quirino of Ballinger and Tye Elkins of Breckenridge; defensive backs Marcus Villarreal of Snyder, Zane Denton and John King of Ballinger and Demotric Sanchez of Early; and punter Isaac Ramon of Snyder.
Brandon Head and Mullins of Merkel were second-team, all-state selections on the Associated Press squad. Gutierrez, Knox and Posey were AP honorable mention all-state on offense, and Justin Head, Hart, Denton and Villarreal received honorable mention on defense.
Last year, Carrillo was on the Class 3A team offense as a utility back, while Squires made it at fullback, and both also had been named to the All-Big Country Super Team offense for 2001. Snyder’s Mendoza also was on the 2001 Class 3A team and the Super Team. Knox was on the Class 4A-5A team a year ago, when Snyder was still competing in Class 4A.
Others on the Class 3A team a year ago who repeated on the Class 3A team this year are Posey, Justin Head, Brandon Head, and Felts, who was named as a defensive back.
Carrillo, a senior at Sweetwater, had 5,228 yards in total offense the past two seasons — including 1,920 yards rushing with 25 touchdowns as a senior in 2002.
Sweetwater was 7-3 in the regular season, with the only District 3-3A loss coming to Snyder. The Mustangs managed to keep playing until early December after knocking off Kermit, Perryton and Decatur in the first three rounds of postseason play before finishing the season at 11-4. It was only Jackson’s second year at Sweetwater, after arriving from Olney where he was 12-1 in 2000 and reached the Class 2A quarterfinals.
Jackson said that 2002 was an enjoyable season, but it wasn’t without a few road bumps — including back-to-back losses to Graham and Greenwood in early September.
"It’s easy to get up and come to work every day," Jackson said. "It wasn’t without its rough spots. It (adversity) is one of the greatest teachers. I watched our kids and staff grow, and I think that’s what made the difference."
The following week was what Jackson calls a "huge" win over Andrews, followed by a loss to Snyder in district play. That sequence seemed to help spur the Mustangs to a greater level of performance, according to Jackson.
"To respond and wind up (district) co-champions, that was a high point," Jackson said. "It would have been real easy to let things go south on us, and (the players) just didn’t do it."
Jackson said he wasn’t really surprised that the Mustangs were able to put it together and play into the fourth round of the playoffs.
"I believed in my heart they had the opportunity to do that," Jackson said. "I felt confident that if they hung together as a team and played together as a team, they would have that chance. (December football) had always been one of their goals."
As always at Sweetwater, tradition and community support also helped propel the Mustangs.
"They want us to play well, and they expect us to play well," Jackson said of the Sweetwater fans.
Contact assistant sports editor Mark Wilson at 676-6775 or wilsonm@reporternews.com.
By Mark Wilson / Reporter-News Staff Writer
January 16, 2003
Sweetwater football coach Kent Jackson has to wonder what could have happened if just a couple of breaks had gone
in favor of his Mustangs in their Class 3A Division II state quarterfinal playoff game.
The Mustangs were eliminated by Midland Greenwood, by six points (34-28), and the Rangers went on to reach the state championship game. Greenwood was then beaten by Bandera, but the 27-24 decision in the title game came in overtime.
As the saying goes, anything can happen in the playoffs. So if the Mustangs hadn’t lost a fumble inside Greenwood’s 20-yard line with 21 seconds left in the game ? and, if the Mustangs had scored a touchdown at the end and kicked the extra point, perhaps they could have been the team battling in overtime against Bandera for the state crown.
"There’s no doubt — you wonder," said Jackson, who is the Abilene Reporter-News All-Big Country Class 3A Coach of the Year for the 2002 season. "But at the same time, our guys did everything they could that day. I sure would like to have one more play."
Sweetwater quarterback Mychal Carrillo — one of the most valuable offensive players in the area for any classification — is the All-Big Country Class 3A Offensive Player of the Year. And middle linebacker Jeremy Mullins of Merkel is the Defensive Player of the Year.
Others on the Class 3A offensive honor team are: quarterbacks Eric Mendez of Breckenridge and Travis McGee of Ballinger; running backs Antonio Posey of Ballinger, Tommy Felts of Wylie and Junior Moya of Comanche; fullback Jack Squires of Sweetwater; wide receivers Kelby Sullivan of Breckenridge and Randy Allen of Clyde; tight end Josh Mendoza of Snyder; offensive linemen Isidro Gutierrez of Snyder, Jarrod Clark of Ballinger, Luke Schuman of Comanche and Chris Cardwell of Wylie; center Josh Knox of Snyder; utility back Scott Edwards, who played quarterback for Clyde; and place-kicker Aaron Philpot of Wylie.
Joining Mullins, additional members of the defensive team are: linemen Tyler Crump of Wylie, J.R. Galvan of Ballinger, Travis Carpenter of Clyde, Justin Head of Merkel and Brandon Head of Merkel; linebackers Christopher Hart of Merkel, Matt Gross of Wylie, Daniel Quirino of Ballinger and Tye Elkins of Breckenridge; defensive backs Marcus Villarreal of Snyder, Zane Denton and John King of Ballinger and Demotric Sanchez of Early; and punter Isaac Ramon of Snyder.
Brandon Head and Mullins of Merkel were second-team, all-state selections on the Associated Press squad. Gutierrez, Knox and Posey were AP honorable mention all-state on offense, and Justin Head, Hart, Denton and Villarreal received honorable mention on defense.
Last year, Carrillo was on the Class 3A team offense as a utility back, while Squires made it at fullback, and both also had been named to the All-Big Country Super Team offense for 2001. Snyder’s Mendoza also was on the 2001 Class 3A team and the Super Team. Knox was on the Class 4A-5A team a year ago, when Snyder was still competing in Class 4A.
Others on the Class 3A team a year ago who repeated on the Class 3A team this year are Posey, Justin Head, Brandon Head, and Felts, who was named as a defensive back.
Carrillo, a senior at Sweetwater, had 5,228 yards in total offense the past two seasons — including 1,920 yards rushing with 25 touchdowns as a senior in 2002.
Sweetwater was 7-3 in the regular season, with the only District 3-3A loss coming to Snyder. The Mustangs managed to keep playing until early December after knocking off Kermit, Perryton and Decatur in the first three rounds of postseason play before finishing the season at 11-4. It was only Jackson’s second year at Sweetwater, after arriving from Olney where he was 12-1 in 2000 and reached the Class 2A quarterfinals.
Jackson said that 2002 was an enjoyable season, but it wasn’t without a few road bumps — including back-to-back losses to Graham and Greenwood in early September.
"It’s easy to get up and come to work every day," Jackson said. "It wasn’t without its rough spots. It (adversity) is one of the greatest teachers. I watched our kids and staff grow, and I think that’s what made the difference."
The following week was what Jackson calls a "huge" win over Andrews, followed by a loss to Snyder in district play. That sequence seemed to help spur the Mustangs to a greater level of performance, according to Jackson.
"To respond and wind up (district) co-champions, that was a high point," Jackson said. "It would have been real easy to let things go south on us, and (the players) just didn’t do it."
Jackson said he wasn’t really surprised that the Mustangs were able to put it together and play into the fourth round of the playoffs.
"I believed in my heart they had the opportunity to do that," Jackson said. "I felt confident that if they hung together as a team and played together as a team, they would have that chance. (December football) had always been one of their goals."
As always at Sweetwater, tradition and community support also helped propel the Mustangs.
"They want us to play well, and they expect us to play well," Jackson said of the Sweetwater fans.
Contact assistant sports editor Mark Wilson at 676-6775 or wilsonm@reporternews.com.