31-3A vs. 32-3A who will win

[Doss]

i got to go with the teams in 31-3A cause my team is in that district. GOOD LUCK OG against PI.

[PI-fan]

Look for Dist. 32 to make a sweep out of dist. 31 and redeemed itself for the early season losses to district 31 teams Bishop(too bad they're not in the playoffs) and Fal.

Hidalgo did beat Zapata in their non-district match, but Hidalgo didn't make the playoffs.

The most improved team would have to be the Lyford Bulldogs(co-champs D32), their certainly not the same team that got beat by bishop 34-0

Should be good games all around, wink

[PI-fan]

repost, i hate that.
http://www.geocities.com/rgv_fb/ptihelm1.gif

<small>[ November 10, 2003, 10:53 PM: Message edited by: PI-fan ]</small>

[Doss]

i dont see a clean sweep. that should be almost impossible. 31-3A is a whole lot better than you think. i think that the O.G vs P.I is going to be the best match up for bi-district.

[Ray_BearKat]

I agree about PI and OG being the best game but 32-3A was extremely competitive this year, as well. All the teams have improved over the weeks especially Lyford. The only team I see really having a chance of losing is LF. But they are gonna be looking for redemption for their embarrassing loss to Lyford last week.

[TarponFanInNorthTexas]

I agree with Ray. La Feria might not fare that well against Zapata. La Feria does have some injury problems to some key players.

You'd be surprised just how good a team Lyford is when they're UP for a game. They caught Port Isabel looking ahead, and paid back La Feria from last year real good 35-7.

Port Isabel are no slouches either......they have had some really bad games (Falfurrias especially) but they've picked it up some and are playing well now.

My prediction is that 32-3A should take 2 out of 3, with Zapata beating La Feria. Best game of the three is the PI/OG matchup. 4th time since 1994 these two have played each other in bi-district.

[Doss]

im not saying you guys cant win but i know all of the match up will be good ones and i wish good luck to all team GOOD LUCK TO 32-3A. go get them 31-3A.

[footballgal]

If all three play the way they are capable of playing, I honestly think 32-AAA can have a clean sweep of 31-AAA.

<small>[ November 12, 2003, 09:37 AM: Message edited by: footballgal ]</small>

[BigTim]

look doss i believe 31-3a is going to take out 32-3a easy it is going to be as easy as taft beating mathis

[Doss]

wow bigtim your agreeing with me, suprize. anyways i think its a good series. i look for at least 2 31-3A teams to advance to area.

[PI-fan]

BigTim:
look doss i believe 31-3a is going to take out 32-3a easy it is going to be as easy as taft beating mathisLoL

Dpoll, colliersharp, txfbratings and even the Harris ratings say Dist 32 will sweep D31... :p
Impossible no, Probable yes.

<small>[ November 13, 2003, 01:44 PM: Message edited by: PI-fan ]</small>

[PI-fan]

<small>[ November 13, 2003, 01:43 PM: Message edited by: PI-fan ]</small>

[Tarpon2004]

There is a fire in the eyes of the players that I have not witnessed before...P.I should dismantle O.G...P.I has set their goals and are looking to improve on their loss last year to eventual State Champs Bandera...Sorry to say O.G but your days are numbered....

Also..I wouldn't be surprised if Lyford went 3rds deep this year..heck who knows they may even give Altair Rice a game...

La Feria...well...im confident they can go 3rds deep too..but if they reach Burnet..then all I gotta say about that is OUCH....

Tarpons... LET THE TRADITION CONTINUE.....
Lyford...GIVE IT ALL YOU GOT
LaFeria...Good Luck...

32-3AAA should SWEEP 31-3AAA...

[Doss]

man you guys are trippin. you guy aint going to sweep us its just that simple. it could happen but i doubt it. you dont know 31-3A like i do. i know! i dont know 32-3A but im telling you it aint gonna happen.

[SintonFan]

Look for at least one district 31 team to make it to the second round. It should not be a clean sweep.

[footballgal]

Don't be surprised guys when it does happen this year's 32-AAA is not the same as last year, alot of improvement in the district,unless Lyford's gives in to playoff jitters, it should be a sweep. La Feria ended up with the best defense as a 3rd place team, PI 1st on offense and Lyford 2nd on offense who ended up as district co-champs.

<small>[ November 14, 2003, 08:32 AM: Message edited by: footballgal ]</small>

[footballgal]

Size faces speed when PI takes on Orange Grove
By JASON McDANIEL
The Brownsville Herald

PORT ISABEL — When the Tarpons take the field against Orange Grove at 7:30 tonight at Memorial Stadium in Alice, they’ll find themselves in a familiar position — looking up.

The Bulldogs are big, as illustrated by 6-foot-2, 210-pound star tight end Chad De Laune. But the Tarpons feature a quick, big-play offense led by lightning-fast Misael Iracheta, making this bi-distirct mathcup a classic battle between size and speed.

"They don’t worry about that because they’ve been the littlest team all year," Port Isabel head coach Monty Stumbaugh said. "We tell them it’s not size, but heart and want-to. And we’re not intimidated by size."

Stumbaugh compared the Bulldogs overall size to Raymondville and La Feria, two teams the Tarpons tripped up en route to their third consecutive District 32-3A championship.

He also said Orange Grove could easily have repeated as District 31-3A champions, a feat they achieved last season with a perfect 5-0 district record.

"We’ve been studying them and they’re a great football team that we have to be ready for," Stumbaugh said. "They have that good size, but they have speed too, and they probably should have been district champs."

De Laune, described as a precision blocker with great pass-catching hands, is joined by 6-foot running back Adrian Mesa and 6-foot receiver Geronimo Acuna to present the Tarpons with a formidable defensive challenge.

"We’ve got to use our quickness and speed to stop them in the backfield before they get going," Stumbaugh said. "Our defense has gotten better every week and we have a pretty good defense because the kids take a lot of pride in it."

That defense, led by Frankie Herrera’s 116 tackles, struggled early. The Tarpons gave up 252 yards to La Vernia and 258 yards to Falfurrias, before settling down in the final three outings.

Against the Bearkats, Port Isabel allowed only 152 yards and against the Lions, surrendered just 172.

But the Tarpons’ success will hinge on the speedy Iracheta, and the "Missile" has not disappointed this season.

After moving to running back in district play, Iracheta racked up 835 yards on 67 carries, an astounding 12.5 yards per carry.

"Misael had a good year for us," Stumbaugh said. "We moved him to running back because we had some guys hurt, and he took off. We had thought about doing it for 2 years, but we had good backs there already.

"He gained over 800 yards in just five games, and if we had started him there at the first of the year, he would probably have over 1,000 yards easy."

The Tarpons also have three other guys making significant contributions to their devastating ground attack. Running backs Josue Trejo (428 yards) and Johnny Nieto (446), and quarterback Gabriel Alvarez (496) are all averaging more than five yards per carry.

And Port Isabel also boasts another advantage — playoff savvy. This is the Tarpons’ third consecutive year in the postseason and they’ve advanced past the first round in both previous years.

"The more times you are lucky enough to get in the playoffs, the more you learn what it takes to get there and what it takes to stay there," Stumbaugh said.

"Every year is a different team, but these seniors went to two rounds as sophomores and two rounds their junior year. Now they want to set a new standard and they know what they’ve got to do."

[footballgal]

La Feria ready to begin postseason against Zapata

http://www.valleystar.com/images/uploads/LaFeria2111403.jpg
Christy Espinosa/Valley Morning Star

La Feria quarterback Matt Garcia looks for an open receiver during a game earlier this season. The Lions take on Zapata tonight in a bi-district playoff game at La Joya.

By MIKE GONZALEZ
mikeg@valleystar.com
956-421-9874

LA FERIA — The La Feria Lions have waited all season for the playoffs to start.

Well, the postseason is here now and the timing couldn’t be better. After being embarrassed by the Lyford Bulldogs last week to end the regular season, La Feria has its swagger back and is on a mission.

The Lions are set to take on the Zapata Hawks in a Class 3A Division I bi-district match slated for 7:30 at La Joya tonight.

The teams faced one another 2 years ago in the playoffs with the Lions winning the contest, 35-14.

La Feria head coach Roberto Valdez, who witnessed the onslaught, said he knows that game was a long time ago.

"We need to play hard and aggressive and get back on track," Valdez said. "It’s a new season and the kids have been there before."

The Lions (7-2) come to the postseason limping with injuries. Running back Albert Castillo has an injured leg and quarterback Adrian Limon is suffering from a bad knee contusion. Both injuries happened in the Lions’ Week 8 loss to Port Isabel. La Feria has gone 1-2 since the injuries but, luckily for Valdez, the team has depth in both positions.

Marco Cano and Steve Cox have since carried the load in the backfield. Cox finished the regular season with 469 yards and four touchdowns and said the team must step it up a notch now that the playoffs are here.

"We have to have team effort and play a perfect game," he said. "We have to play solid offense, defense and special teams. We’re going to pick it up 110 percent."

Cano came through in an important win over Raymondville when he rushed for 139 and two scores that helped secure a playoff spot for the Lions.

Matt Garcia will get the call for the third straight game at quarterback.

In last week’s loss to Lyford, the Lions had four turnovers in the first quarter alone and fell behind 14-0. With that said, Valdez knows his team must show up and not sleep walk in order to come out victorious.

"I didn’t feel like the emotion was there (last week), but give credit to Lyford," Valdez said. "It’s a new season and the kids have been there before."

Valdez said Zapata (8-2) has a stingy defense. The Hawks are led by Chris Martinez, who has 81 tackles, and Juan Guerra, who has 66 of his own.

"Their defense is very solid," Valdez said. "They’re a young team and they do whatever it takes to win."

La Feria has a stingy defense of its own, giving up only 197 yards per game, which was good enough for second in the division. Valdez said Zapata has a lot of similarities to La Feria in the style of offense they run.

The Hawks’ stud running back is Danny Solis, who led his team with 1,011 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Lions defensive tackle Javier Alvarez said the defensive unit must be aggressive in order to stop Zapata’s running attack.

"We’re a lot slower than them," said Alvarez, who has seven sacks. "We have to be focused and execute."

The winner of tonight’s game will play the winner of the Carrizo Springs-Sinton contest in next week’s area round.

[footballgal]

Bulldog running backs hold key to team’s success

Joe Hermosa / Valley Morning Star
http://www.valleystar.com/images/uploads/dogs111303.jpg
Lyford running back Aaron Infante gains ground during a game against La Feria. The Bulldogs are hoping for a big game from their backs in their bi-district playoff game Friday night.

By MIKE GONZALEZ
mikeg@valleystar.com
956-421-9874

LYFORD — Eren "Cadillac" Kirksey is one focused and hungry football player.

The Lyford running back showed up to Tuesday afternoon’s practice 15 minutes before the second guy even set foot on Bulldog Stadium’s track. The Cadillac means business.

"We’re real excited," he said. "This is the most exciting thing that’s happened in our sports careers."

Kirksey, along with the rest of the Lyford Bulldogs, is gearing up to take on the Falfurrias Jerseys in a Class 3A Division II bi-district game, slated for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Mission’s Tom Landry Stadium.

The Dogs made their first playoff appearance since 1991 when Lyford lost to Edna in the third round of the playoffs.

This season, Lyford’s key to success has been due to the running attack, led by the Four Horsemen of Kirksey, Johnny Morales, Omar Cavazos and Aaron Infante.

All four backs are responsible for the majority of the damage done by the Bulldogs’ offense, which has led to a six-game winning streak going into the postseason.

Kirksey went on to have a solid regular season, as he led the team with 888 yards and 17 touchdowns despite not getting as many touches as other featured backs in the district.

As a team, Lyford finished with 247 yards per game, which ranked second in the division behind Port Isabel.

Head coach Jaime Infante is a fan of the running game and uses misdirection plays to confuse the defense. He said having four solid backs that bring a threat in the backfield in any given play, has been a luxury for the team.

"These guys have done a great job all year long," Infante said. "It’s great when you have kids who understand their role. None of these guys is selfish. It gives defenses a problem on who they want to key on."

Along with Kirksey, Morales (588 yards, 6 TDs), Cavazos (407, 6), and Infante (391, 8) have all come through in critical situations. Infante’s moment came in Week 6, when he got a 55-yard touchdown run to ice the game against the Tarpons in a 39-20 upset win.

In one of the Bulldogs’ biggest games in 12 years, Cavazos led the attack with 104 yards in Lyford’s win over La Feria last week to capture a share of the district title.

Morales’ night came in a non-district affair when he exploded for 295 yards in a 58-7 win over Brownsville St. Joseph.

"Our running game is so strong," Morales said. "You can’t just stop one guy."

Now, the Bulldogs have their biggest test against the Jerseys, who Infante said are big and physical defensively.

"We’re expecting them to come right at us," he said. "They’re an impressive looking team."

Falfurrias (5-5) comes in giving up 171 yards per game and have beef in the D-line led by defensive end Jesse Ramirez (6-4, 250), who flies to the ball.

That’s where Infante will depend on the big boys up front to come in and execute their blocks. Heron Lopez, Joey Cepeda, Santos Castillo, J.R. Delgado and Eric Tagle make up the big men up front who have been consistent in their assignments.

"It all starts up front," said Cepeda, who plays guard. "Our backs have a lot of confidence in us. We’ve stepped up to other opponents and have come through."

For Infante, it all boils down to ball control. If the men up front can control the line of scrimmage and the backs can execute, Infante likes his chances for a win.

"That’s how you win games," Infante said. "If we can control the line, we can run the ball."

[PITarpon85]

The Difference between Valley Football and everybody else is that we may bad mouth or talk trash to about each other. But when it comes to the second season, Valley fans support Valley Teams. I see a sweep. 31-AAA havn't a chance when it come to football. PI vs. Lyford in the fourth round. :cool:

[BigTim]

i change my mind 31-AAA will take out 32-AAA

[footballgal]

BigTim:
i change my mind 31-AAA will take out 32-AAAHow did you change your mind, it's the same thing you said on an earlier post?


Scrub
Member # 3914

Rate Member posted November 12, 2003 11:36 AM
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look doss i believe 31-3a is going to take out 32-3a easy it is going to be as easy as taft beating mathis
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Posts: 8 | From: Taft | Registered: Nov 2003 | IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator

[footballgal]

Doss:
man you guys are trippin. you guy aint going to sweep us its just that simple. it could happen but i doubt it. you dont know 31-3A like i do. i know! i dont know 32-3A but im telling you it aint gonna happen.You asked the question,now you don't want to hear our opinion?? :rolleyes:

[Mid80'sTarpon]

BigTim:
look doss i believe 31-3a is going to take out 32-3a easy it is going to be as easy as taft beating mathisIf you consider having to take Mathis to overtime to beat them easy, then I like our odds.

[southtexasrat]

I have kept up with 30-3a and 31-3a pretty well and know just a little about 32-3a this year, with this being said it looks like La Feria should take Zapata (Zapata is weakest team out of both 30-3a and 31-3a to make playoffs, they won district but the football gods were on there side this year and they took advantage of it, no disrespect intended),Lyford and Fal will be a good game, Fal has some great athletes but for whatever reason have not played to their potential in district, I think Lyford will take this one. Now the PI and OG game in my opinion is a toss-up, PI has tradition (which means a lot in your early play-off games) and is very quick and aggressive on defense which tends to give OG problems (Bishop game) however OG is probably the hardest offense to defend against out of either 30-3a or 31-3a because of the diversity the can run at opposing teams (they are not the best team out of either 30-3a or 31-3a but they are in the top 2 or 3). Should be a good game and I hope that the best teams win and everybody comes out injury free.

[footballgal]

**delete repost*

<small>[ November 15, 2003, 08:52 AM: Message edited by: footballgal ]</small>

[footballgal]

footballgal:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by southtexasrat:
....Should be a good game and I hope that the best teams win and everybody comes out injury free.According with your insight in those district, sounds like it will be a good game between OG and PI. Thanks for the well wishes!

<small>[ November 15, 2003, 08:55 AM: Message edited by: footballgal ]</small>

[Mid80'sTarpon]

Scores from 32-3A vs 31-3A:

La Feria 16 Zapata 21 Final

Lyford 39 Falfurrias 19

Port Isabel 28 Orange-Grove 0 Final

<small>[ November 14, 2003, 10:19 PM: Message edited by: Mid80'sTarpon ]</small>

[Mid80'sTarpon]

ttt

[footballgal]

Ok I was wrong about the sweep, but 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

Next it will be my old high school district 29AAA- Vs 32AAA

This hopefully also be 2 of 2.

<small>[ November 15, 2003, 09:16 AM: Message edited by: footballgal ]</small>