Snyder_TigerFan
10-06-2006, 03:16 PM
Mats don't want just one victory
BY GEORGE WATSON
AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
After finally lifting the burden of a 33-game losing streak, maybe the worst thing that could have happened for Estacado was having a bye.
But considering all the attention the Matadors received in the wake of the streak-busting win over Caprock two weeks ago, perhaps the open date last week actually turned out to be a blessing, allowing the team to deal with the distraction for a few days and not let it affect preparation for its next opponent.
"What we've been talking about with the kids is we don't want this to be a one-time thing, a flash-in-the-pan thing," head coach Buster Leaf said. "We need to use this to get better and hopefully get some good things going and see what happens. The kids have responded well and know what they have to do in order to have a chance to keep that success going."
And therein lies maybe the hardest part of busting the losing streak - repeating the performance when the Matadors (1-3) and Snyder Tigers (2-3) clash at 7:30 p.m. today at Lowrey Field. While the Mats have been savoring their victory and have had two weeks to prepare for Snyder, the Tigers have found a groove after opening the season with three straight losses.
Snyder, which has made deep runs in the playoffs in two of the last three years, has turned things around and done so with a dominating defense. The Tigers have shut out their last two opponents, beating Palo Duro 35-0 and Cooper 14-0, and it's the matchup between the Estacado offensive front and the aggressive Tigers defense which most concerns Leaf.
"We've got to be able to stop the quickness of their defensive front," Leaf said. "If we're going to have any success offensively our offensive line can't allow them to get penetration with their quickness. They do a great job up front and that's going to be the key is what we do up front."
Estacado, however, will be without two key players. Starting quarterback Marcus Limon injured a knee against Caprock and is not expected to play today, leaving the Mats leaning on second-team signal-caller Chris Scott, a senior. Also, running back Xavier Essix will be a game-time decision.
The emphasis rests on running back Donald Atkins, who in three games has rushed for 138 yards on 30 carries but likely will see more of the workload to make up for the absence of Limon (46-230 rushing). The passing game also will need to step up, led by the tandem of Jamale Gormany and Jeremy Watson, who have combined for 15 catches and 326 yards on the season.
Snyder, meanwhile, has looked toward the tandem of quarterback Lance Day and running back Will Clay for most of the season. Day, who started at free safety for the Tigers as a sophomore but missed most of last season due to injury, has thrown for 288 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 147 yards on 41 carries. Clay leads the team with 464 rushing yards on 67 carries.
The Tigers struggled early offensively, scoring 14 points or fewer in two of their first three games before hanging 35 on the Dons.
"I don't think anything has changed because we were right there," Tigers head coach Chad Rogers said. "We saw little spurts of it during the first three weeks, but the kids just kept getting closer and closer together. I don't know if we were playing a complete game, but we're getting more experience as the season goes on. We've got a good team and we're getting better and better."
BY GEORGE WATSON
AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
After finally lifting the burden of a 33-game losing streak, maybe the worst thing that could have happened for Estacado was having a bye.
But considering all the attention the Matadors received in the wake of the streak-busting win over Caprock two weeks ago, perhaps the open date last week actually turned out to be a blessing, allowing the team to deal with the distraction for a few days and not let it affect preparation for its next opponent.
"What we've been talking about with the kids is we don't want this to be a one-time thing, a flash-in-the-pan thing," head coach Buster Leaf said. "We need to use this to get better and hopefully get some good things going and see what happens. The kids have responded well and know what they have to do in order to have a chance to keep that success going."
And therein lies maybe the hardest part of busting the losing streak - repeating the performance when the Matadors (1-3) and Snyder Tigers (2-3) clash at 7:30 p.m. today at Lowrey Field. While the Mats have been savoring their victory and have had two weeks to prepare for Snyder, the Tigers have found a groove after opening the season with three straight losses.
Snyder, which has made deep runs in the playoffs in two of the last three years, has turned things around and done so with a dominating defense. The Tigers have shut out their last two opponents, beating Palo Duro 35-0 and Cooper 14-0, and it's the matchup between the Estacado offensive front and the aggressive Tigers defense which most concerns Leaf.
"We've got to be able to stop the quickness of their defensive front," Leaf said. "If we're going to have any success offensively our offensive line can't allow them to get penetration with their quickness. They do a great job up front and that's going to be the key is what we do up front."
Estacado, however, will be without two key players. Starting quarterback Marcus Limon injured a knee against Caprock and is not expected to play today, leaving the Mats leaning on second-team signal-caller Chris Scott, a senior. Also, running back Xavier Essix will be a game-time decision.
The emphasis rests on running back Donald Atkins, who in three games has rushed for 138 yards on 30 carries but likely will see more of the workload to make up for the absence of Limon (46-230 rushing). The passing game also will need to step up, led by the tandem of Jamale Gormany and Jeremy Watson, who have combined for 15 catches and 326 yards on the season.
Snyder, meanwhile, has looked toward the tandem of quarterback Lance Day and running back Will Clay for most of the season. Day, who started at free safety for the Tigers as a sophomore but missed most of last season due to injury, has thrown for 288 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 147 yards on 41 carries. Clay leads the team with 464 rushing yards on 67 carries.
The Tigers struggled early offensively, scoring 14 points or fewer in two of their first three games before hanging 35 on the Dons.
"I don't think anything has changed because we were right there," Tigers head coach Chad Rogers said. "We saw little spurts of it during the first three weeks, but the kids just kept getting closer and closer together. I don't know if we were playing a complete game, but we're getting more experience as the season goes on. We've got a good team and we're getting better and better."