GS#17
11-25-2005, 10:43 AM
From the Austin American Statesman:
Central Texas Class 3A teams boast statewide dominance (http://www.statesman.com/sports/content/sports/stories/highschool/11/253A.html)
By Alan Trubow
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Friday, November 25, 2005
http://img.coxnewsweb.com/B/00/89/68/image_1968890.jpg
Andrew Price
AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Hutto's Dylan Martinez, left, and Cameron Yoe's T.J. Olivarri are familiar District 19-3A foes. The two teams, which played for the district title, could meet again in the fourth round of the playoffs.
Quick. Name Texas' football hotbeds.
Dallas and Houston popped into your head. Didn't they?
If so, you're missing out on a key area.
Central Texas.
Yes, right in your own backyard.
Maybe not in Class 5A, where every school save for Copperas Cove has already packed in its shoulder pads. And perhaps not in Class 4A, either.
But for Class 3A, Central Texas might be the best area in the state.
So far, Class 3A teams in Central Texas are an impressive 11-1 in the 2005 postseason.
And orangebloods.com publisher Geoff Ketchum says that's not surprising.
"I don't think it's a stretch at all to say this is the best area for Class 3A football in the state. Not just this year, but in recent memory," Ketchum said. "I think the surrounding Central Texas area has a lot of talent. I don't think it gets enough credit for the type of talent that comes out of this area."
The only team eliminated from the postseason from Districts 19- and 27-3A is Llano, which lost to everybody's No. 1 team in Class 3A, top-ranked Cuero.
Wimberley. Liberty Hill. Giddings. Hutto. Cameron Yoe. They're all still standing.
"That's pretty impressive when you look at what this area has done so far in terms of postseason success," said Cameron Yoe Coach Mike Mullins, whose 19-3A champion and state-ranked Yoemen are 12-0. "You always want to think that the area you play in is one of the best, and maybe our area is this year. I know that we have a very tough district, and I knew anybody who got into the playoffs was going to be ready because of a tough regular-season schedule."
Of the five area 3A teams left, only Hutto and Liberty Hill lost non-district games.
Amazingly, it wouldn't be shocking if all five advanced to the fourth round, where Wimberley (12-0) would face Giddings (10-2) for a spot in the Division I state final and Cameron Yoe (12-0) would face Hutto in a rematch of the 17-13 thriller that decided the 19-3A championship.
One of the reasons is top-notch coaching.
"You have to give some of these coaches credit," Ketchum said. "These are guys who have decided to coach at a Class 3A school because they wanted to raise a family there. They could be coaching a major 5A program, but instead they chose to stay where they're at because of the community support and nice lifestyle the communities have."
There are eight Division I teams left in Class 3A. Two of them are from Central Texas. Of the 24 remaining playoff teams from both Division I and Division II, only the six coming from the Dallas-Fort Worth area are more concentrated than Austin's five. Two of the state's top-five ranked teams are from Central Texas (No. 3 Cameron Yoe and No. 5 Wimberley).
Class 3A programs from the area have produced several recent Division I college football players, including Texas A&M's Stephen McGee (Burnet), and Texas' Jordan Shipley (Burnet) and Billy Pittman (Cameron Yoe). Another 3A player this season, Wimberley offensive lineman Buck Burnette, will sign with Texas in February.
"I don't think anybody will argue with you that there are some good Class 3A football programs around here," said Hutto Coach Lee Penland, who has guided the Hippos to the third round, unchartered waters for the school. "You've got programs like Cameron and Giddings in our district. Those schools are good every year and have good tradition. And then you've got Liberty Hill and Wimberley in 27-3A."
As good as things look now for area 3A schools, talented teams haven't equaled state championships in the past. Since 1991, the only Central Texas team to play in a 3A championship game is Burnet, which has qualified three times (1991, 2002, 2003). And the Bulldogs lost each one.
But Ketchum doesn't think that diminishes what's going on right now.
"That playoff record says something. I don't think you can overplay 11-1," Ketchum said. "And you look at what's happened recently, with Burnet making it to the championship game in back-to-back years, and you have to think that this is one of the best areas for 3A football right now."
The reason?
While teams like Cameron and Giddings keep their tradition-laden programs at a consistent level, others, like Hutto and Wimberley, are unusually talented.
"It's the golden years of the programs around here. Kind of like what Burnet had," Ketchum said. "Wimberley is a team that is just loaded with talent. This might be the best year they'll have just because of the spike they've got in the talent level. The same can be said for Hutto and Liberty Hill."
Wimberley Coach Weldon Nelms agrees.
"This is the most talented football team I've ever had," Nelms said. "A team like this doesn't come around too often."
Neither does a season when an area dominates like this.
All that's left is somebody claiming a state championship.
Central Texas Class 3A teams boast statewide dominance (http://www.statesman.com/sports/content/sports/stories/highschool/11/253A.html)
By Alan Trubow
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Friday, November 25, 2005
http://img.coxnewsweb.com/B/00/89/68/image_1968890.jpg
Andrew Price
AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Hutto's Dylan Martinez, left, and Cameron Yoe's T.J. Olivarri are familiar District 19-3A foes. The two teams, which played for the district title, could meet again in the fourth round of the playoffs.
Quick. Name Texas' football hotbeds.
Dallas and Houston popped into your head. Didn't they?
If so, you're missing out on a key area.
Central Texas.
Yes, right in your own backyard.
Maybe not in Class 5A, where every school save for Copperas Cove has already packed in its shoulder pads. And perhaps not in Class 4A, either.
But for Class 3A, Central Texas might be the best area in the state.
So far, Class 3A teams in Central Texas are an impressive 11-1 in the 2005 postseason.
And orangebloods.com publisher Geoff Ketchum says that's not surprising.
"I don't think it's a stretch at all to say this is the best area for Class 3A football in the state. Not just this year, but in recent memory," Ketchum said. "I think the surrounding Central Texas area has a lot of talent. I don't think it gets enough credit for the type of talent that comes out of this area."
The only team eliminated from the postseason from Districts 19- and 27-3A is Llano, which lost to everybody's No. 1 team in Class 3A, top-ranked Cuero.
Wimberley. Liberty Hill. Giddings. Hutto. Cameron Yoe. They're all still standing.
"That's pretty impressive when you look at what this area has done so far in terms of postseason success," said Cameron Yoe Coach Mike Mullins, whose 19-3A champion and state-ranked Yoemen are 12-0. "You always want to think that the area you play in is one of the best, and maybe our area is this year. I know that we have a very tough district, and I knew anybody who got into the playoffs was going to be ready because of a tough regular-season schedule."
Of the five area 3A teams left, only Hutto and Liberty Hill lost non-district games.
Amazingly, it wouldn't be shocking if all five advanced to the fourth round, where Wimberley (12-0) would face Giddings (10-2) for a spot in the Division I state final and Cameron Yoe (12-0) would face Hutto in a rematch of the 17-13 thriller that decided the 19-3A championship.
One of the reasons is top-notch coaching.
"You have to give some of these coaches credit," Ketchum said. "These are guys who have decided to coach at a Class 3A school because they wanted to raise a family there. They could be coaching a major 5A program, but instead they chose to stay where they're at because of the community support and nice lifestyle the communities have."
There are eight Division I teams left in Class 3A. Two of them are from Central Texas. Of the 24 remaining playoff teams from both Division I and Division II, only the six coming from the Dallas-Fort Worth area are more concentrated than Austin's five. Two of the state's top-five ranked teams are from Central Texas (No. 3 Cameron Yoe and No. 5 Wimberley).
Class 3A programs from the area have produced several recent Division I college football players, including Texas A&M's Stephen McGee (Burnet), and Texas' Jordan Shipley (Burnet) and Billy Pittman (Cameron Yoe). Another 3A player this season, Wimberley offensive lineman Buck Burnette, will sign with Texas in February.
"I don't think anybody will argue with you that there are some good Class 3A football programs around here," said Hutto Coach Lee Penland, who has guided the Hippos to the third round, unchartered waters for the school. "You've got programs like Cameron and Giddings in our district. Those schools are good every year and have good tradition. And then you've got Liberty Hill and Wimberley in 27-3A."
As good as things look now for area 3A schools, talented teams haven't equaled state championships in the past. Since 1991, the only Central Texas team to play in a 3A championship game is Burnet, which has qualified three times (1991, 2002, 2003). And the Bulldogs lost each one.
But Ketchum doesn't think that diminishes what's going on right now.
"That playoff record says something. I don't think you can overplay 11-1," Ketchum said. "And you look at what's happened recently, with Burnet making it to the championship game in back-to-back years, and you have to think that this is one of the best areas for 3A football right now."
The reason?
While teams like Cameron and Giddings keep their tradition-laden programs at a consistent level, others, like Hutto and Wimberley, are unusually talented.
"It's the golden years of the programs around here. Kind of like what Burnet had," Ketchum said. "Wimberley is a team that is just loaded with talent. This might be the best year they'll have just because of the spike they've got in the talent level. The same can be said for Hutto and Liberty Hill."
Wimberley Coach Weldon Nelms agrees.
"This is the most talented football team I've ever had," Nelms said. "A team like this doesn't come around too often."
Neither does a season when an area dominates like this.
All that's left is somebody claiming a state championship.