panther power
12-02-2005, 07:08 AM
The goal for Monahans and first-year coach Mickey Owens was to keep playing until December. For Sweetwater, playing in December has become an almost annual tradition.
After tonight, one team will get to continue its dreams of a state championship when the Loboes (13-0) and the No. 8-ranked Mustangs (12-1) meet at 7:30 at Grande Communications in the Class 3A Division II state quarterfinals.
"You have eight teams left in the state in your classification and any of the eight have a legitimate shot," said Owens, who's guiding the Loboes into the state quarters for the first time since 1998. You want to get to December and if you can you want to throw all the records away and throw all the rankings away and try to win."
Added Monahans senior receiver/defensive back Chris Collins, "I feel good about this game. Our confidence is real good but we're not big headed. We know that if we lose this game, we have to start basketball season and we're not ready to start basketball just yet."
This is the second consecutive year the Mustangs have been in the state quaterfinals. In 2004, Sweetwater lost a 21-20 heartbreaker to District 4-3A rival Snyder.
"We're not the same team that we were last year but there are a few kids who remember how bad it hurt last year," said Sweetwater coach Kent Jackson, whose team is in the quarterfinals for the third time in the last four years. "When you get that close, you just hope you get to have that opportunity again. To get back to this same round is a blessing but our kids have earned their way back to this spot."
Owens said that Sweetwater's experience in this round of the playoffs is a slight advantage.
"Like most coaches say nothing replaces experience and those kids (at Sweetwater) have been there," Owens said. "But this late in the season, I think our kids have a lot of experience in big ballgames.
Take away that playoff experience and both teams are very similar in the way they play. Both like to run the football right at opponents and both play solid, physical defense. If there is a glaring difference it is Sweetwater's overall team speed.
"We don't have anybody that can catch those two backs (Joseph Banyard and Skye Green)," Owens said. "If they get out in the open we won't catch them. We've got to keep them bottled up and not let them hit us with the big play. If they're going to score, we've got to make them go 60 or 70 yards in seven or eight plays, and not one."
By no means is Monahans slow, but even the Lobo players are quick to acknowledge the Mustangs' speed.
"They're fast," said Monahans senior fullback Sam Graves, who rushed for 172 yards and three touchdowns in last week's 43-42 overtime victory over Bridgeport. "But the way I see it, is Sweetwater may have more speed but not as much size. We have a little more size and power. We just have to stop their run and get our own running game going."
Monahans' size is one thing that concerns the Mustangs. In their 27-21 overtime win over Iowa Park, Jackson said the Hawks wore them down especially in the second half when Iowa Park scored 21 unanswered points to take a 21-7 lead.
"That's the craziest deal I've ever been a part of," Jackson said. "We had so many bad things happen to us in the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth quarter. Luckily we were able to come back to win that game in overtime."
Like the Mustangs, the Loboes also showed resiliency in coming from behind and beating Bridgeport last week in OT.
"It's a confidence booster," said Owens of the close victory. "Our kids feel if you get into a tight situation, they feel they can come back. We did the same thing against Snyder. Being around this group, it doesn't surprise me. They're mentally tough. Overall it's been a team effort and they've had the attitude that we're not going to get beat."
Jackson, who grew up in Seminole, said he got used to seeing the Loboes fight teams on every possession and doesn't expect anything less from Monahans in tonight's game.
"They play the game the way it ought to be played," Jackson said. "This game is a tribute to two proud West Texas communities that are going to decide the winner of Region I."
Loboes notebook
Monahans vs. No. 8 Sweetwater
Class 3A Division II quarterfinals
When/where: 7:30 p.m. today, Grande Communications Stadium
On the air: KLBO (1330 AM, Monahans)
Records: Monahans 13-0; Sweetwater 12-1
Last game: Mohahans 43, Bridgeport 42, OT; Sweetwater 27, Iowa Park 21, OT
Last meeting/series: This is the first meeting between the two teams since the 2001 regular season when Sweetwater won 54-22. Both teams were former Class 4A schools and district rivals in the 1980s and early 90s.
Key injuries: None
Weather forecast: Highs in the upper 70s with lows in the upper 40s
Of note
n Both teams come into this game after surviving overtime games in the regional round.
Monahans was down 30-21 going into the fourth quarter but came back to take a 36-30 lead. Bridgeport had an opportunity to win the game in regulation after a 35-yard touchdown pass with 11 seconds left but the two-point conversion run failed. Bridgeport had numerous opportunities to win the game but missed two extra-point attempts and five two-point conversion attempts.
Monahans finally won the game in overtime when Chase Cornelius found Sean Merrick for a 20-yard TD pass and T.J. Brooks converted on the PAT.
Sweetwater took a 7-0 halftime lead over Iowa Park but the Hawks came back with 21-unanswered points in the second half. Sweetwater tied the game on touchdown passes from Sonny Birdwell and Kendal Carrillo.
Sweetwater won it in OT by stopping the Hawks on their offensive possession and then getting a 1-yard TD run by Carrillo.
n Monahans is averaging 395.4 yards per game on offense and is led by the running tandem of FB Sam Graves (5-11, 180, Sr.) and RB Chris Roberson (5-11, 185, Jr.). Graves has rushed for 1,765 yards and 33 TDs on 224 carries, while Roberson has rushed for 1,110 yards on 136 carries and 13 TDs. QB Cornelius (6-0, 185, Sr.) has completed 68 of 126 passes for 1,462 yards, 17 TDs and 7 interceptions. The top receiver is Chris Collins (5-11, 160, Sr.), who has caught 15 passes for 303 yards and five TDs.
Defensively, the Loboes have held teams to 258.5 yards per game. LB Brooks (5-9, 150, Jr.) leads the team with 88 tackles. LB Larry Jasso (5-7, 185, Sr.) has 87 tackles and DB Collins has 86 tackles and four interceptions.
n Sweetwater is averaging 360.9 yards per game and is also led by a strong running tandem of RB Joseph Banyard (5-10, 173 Jr.) and RB Skye Green (5-7, 144, Jr.). Banyard has rushed for 1,084 yards and 20 TDs on 139 carries, while Green has 1,071 yards and 21 TDs on 98 carries.
The Mustangs have used two quarterbacks in Birdwell (6-2, 170, Sr.) and Carrillo (5-10, 175, Sr.) but Birdwell takes most of the snaps as he's passed for 591 yards and rushed for another 348.
Defensively, the Mustangs have held opponents to an average of 228.9 yards per game. LB Justin Adames (5-8, 186, Jr.) leads the team with 163 tackles, while LB Banyard has 139 tackles.
n Sweetwater head coach Kent Jackson will get his 100th victory with a win tonight. Jackson enters the game with a 99-41-1 career record.
Next: The winner will face either Canton or Tatum in the Class 3A Division II state semifinals at a time and place to be determined.
©MyWestTexas.com 2005
After tonight, one team will get to continue its dreams of a state championship when the Loboes (13-0) and the No. 8-ranked Mustangs (12-1) meet at 7:30 at Grande Communications in the Class 3A Division II state quarterfinals.
"You have eight teams left in the state in your classification and any of the eight have a legitimate shot," said Owens, who's guiding the Loboes into the state quarters for the first time since 1998. You want to get to December and if you can you want to throw all the records away and throw all the rankings away and try to win."
Added Monahans senior receiver/defensive back Chris Collins, "I feel good about this game. Our confidence is real good but we're not big headed. We know that if we lose this game, we have to start basketball season and we're not ready to start basketball just yet."
This is the second consecutive year the Mustangs have been in the state quaterfinals. In 2004, Sweetwater lost a 21-20 heartbreaker to District 4-3A rival Snyder.
"We're not the same team that we were last year but there are a few kids who remember how bad it hurt last year," said Sweetwater coach Kent Jackson, whose team is in the quarterfinals for the third time in the last four years. "When you get that close, you just hope you get to have that opportunity again. To get back to this same round is a blessing but our kids have earned their way back to this spot."
Owens said that Sweetwater's experience in this round of the playoffs is a slight advantage.
"Like most coaches say nothing replaces experience and those kids (at Sweetwater) have been there," Owens said. "But this late in the season, I think our kids have a lot of experience in big ballgames.
Take away that playoff experience and both teams are very similar in the way they play. Both like to run the football right at opponents and both play solid, physical defense. If there is a glaring difference it is Sweetwater's overall team speed.
"We don't have anybody that can catch those two backs (Joseph Banyard and Skye Green)," Owens said. "If they get out in the open we won't catch them. We've got to keep them bottled up and not let them hit us with the big play. If they're going to score, we've got to make them go 60 or 70 yards in seven or eight plays, and not one."
By no means is Monahans slow, but even the Lobo players are quick to acknowledge the Mustangs' speed.
"They're fast," said Monahans senior fullback Sam Graves, who rushed for 172 yards and three touchdowns in last week's 43-42 overtime victory over Bridgeport. "But the way I see it, is Sweetwater may have more speed but not as much size. We have a little more size and power. We just have to stop their run and get our own running game going."
Monahans' size is one thing that concerns the Mustangs. In their 27-21 overtime win over Iowa Park, Jackson said the Hawks wore them down especially in the second half when Iowa Park scored 21 unanswered points to take a 21-7 lead.
"That's the craziest deal I've ever been a part of," Jackson said. "We had so many bad things happen to us in the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth quarter. Luckily we were able to come back to win that game in overtime."
Like the Mustangs, the Loboes also showed resiliency in coming from behind and beating Bridgeport last week in OT.
"It's a confidence booster," said Owens of the close victory. "Our kids feel if you get into a tight situation, they feel they can come back. We did the same thing against Snyder. Being around this group, it doesn't surprise me. They're mentally tough. Overall it's been a team effort and they've had the attitude that we're not going to get beat."
Jackson, who grew up in Seminole, said he got used to seeing the Loboes fight teams on every possession and doesn't expect anything less from Monahans in tonight's game.
"They play the game the way it ought to be played," Jackson said. "This game is a tribute to two proud West Texas communities that are going to decide the winner of Region I."
Loboes notebook
Monahans vs. No. 8 Sweetwater
Class 3A Division II quarterfinals
When/where: 7:30 p.m. today, Grande Communications Stadium
On the air: KLBO (1330 AM, Monahans)
Records: Monahans 13-0; Sweetwater 12-1
Last game: Mohahans 43, Bridgeport 42, OT; Sweetwater 27, Iowa Park 21, OT
Last meeting/series: This is the first meeting between the two teams since the 2001 regular season when Sweetwater won 54-22. Both teams were former Class 4A schools and district rivals in the 1980s and early 90s.
Key injuries: None
Weather forecast: Highs in the upper 70s with lows in the upper 40s
Of note
n Both teams come into this game after surviving overtime games in the regional round.
Monahans was down 30-21 going into the fourth quarter but came back to take a 36-30 lead. Bridgeport had an opportunity to win the game in regulation after a 35-yard touchdown pass with 11 seconds left but the two-point conversion run failed. Bridgeport had numerous opportunities to win the game but missed two extra-point attempts and five two-point conversion attempts.
Monahans finally won the game in overtime when Chase Cornelius found Sean Merrick for a 20-yard TD pass and T.J. Brooks converted on the PAT.
Sweetwater took a 7-0 halftime lead over Iowa Park but the Hawks came back with 21-unanswered points in the second half. Sweetwater tied the game on touchdown passes from Sonny Birdwell and Kendal Carrillo.
Sweetwater won it in OT by stopping the Hawks on their offensive possession and then getting a 1-yard TD run by Carrillo.
n Monahans is averaging 395.4 yards per game on offense and is led by the running tandem of FB Sam Graves (5-11, 180, Sr.) and RB Chris Roberson (5-11, 185, Jr.). Graves has rushed for 1,765 yards and 33 TDs on 224 carries, while Roberson has rushed for 1,110 yards on 136 carries and 13 TDs. QB Cornelius (6-0, 185, Sr.) has completed 68 of 126 passes for 1,462 yards, 17 TDs and 7 interceptions. The top receiver is Chris Collins (5-11, 160, Sr.), who has caught 15 passes for 303 yards and five TDs.
Defensively, the Loboes have held teams to 258.5 yards per game. LB Brooks (5-9, 150, Jr.) leads the team with 88 tackles. LB Larry Jasso (5-7, 185, Sr.) has 87 tackles and DB Collins has 86 tackles and four interceptions.
n Sweetwater is averaging 360.9 yards per game and is also led by a strong running tandem of RB Joseph Banyard (5-10, 173 Jr.) and RB Skye Green (5-7, 144, Jr.). Banyard has rushed for 1,084 yards and 20 TDs on 139 carries, while Green has 1,071 yards and 21 TDs on 98 carries.
The Mustangs have used two quarterbacks in Birdwell (6-2, 170, Sr.) and Carrillo (5-10, 175, Sr.) but Birdwell takes most of the snaps as he's passed for 591 yards and rushed for another 348.
Defensively, the Mustangs have held opponents to an average of 228.9 yards per game. LB Justin Adames (5-8, 186, Jr.) leads the team with 163 tackles, while LB Banyard has 139 tackles.
n Sweetwater head coach Kent Jackson will get his 100th victory with a win tonight. Jackson enters the game with a 99-41-1 career record.
Next: The winner will face either Canton or Tatum in the Class 3A Division II state semifinals at a time and place to be determined.
©MyWestTexas.com 2005