LH-Gatesville article ......

[3afan]

... from the Killeen Paper:

Liberty Hill (2-0) at Gatesville (0-2), 7:30 p.m.

Gatesville might not be thinking about last year's score, but the Hornets are definitely focusing on the Panthers running attack.

In two games, Liberty Hill, the defending 3A-Division II champion, has rushed for 901 yards and is averaging 33.5 points per game. Running backs Dough Allman, Dustin Gonzales and Kyle Troxell each have more than 240 yards rushing on the season and have combined for eight touchdowns.

"We've got tough kids, but (Liberty Hill) presents a great challenge," Cooper said. "They've done a great job of putting that offense together. We're just going to have to play hard on the inside and every kid has a responsibility to execute their assignments."

The Hornets fell to Cameron Yoe 30-6 last week and have been outscored 50-13 in their first two games.

Cooper said it's going to take time for the Hornets.

"Right now we've got 21 kids that are starting in positions that didn't start last year," Cooper said. "That's tough and it makes for a lot of kids who don't know really what the varsity game is all about."

[LH Panther Mom]

From everything I've heard, it sounds like their new coach has them working toward getting things turned around. I hope for an injury-free game! :)

[JR2004]

They'll play hard the whole game this year, (Unlike what several folks correctly said about the 2nd half last season.) but they just don't have the talent to stay on the field with Liberty Hill right now. Cooper will get things going though. It took Kiff a couple of years to right the ship when he took the job there and everyone knows how his final year there ended in 2000. :)

[cl1481]

Actually Coach Hardin came to Gatesville in 97 and Gatesville went 10-2 and got beat by Crockett in the playoffs, 98 went 7-3 and missed the playoffs by 1 game (winning TD called back against Robinson in the final game w/ a minute left), 99 got beat in the state semifinals by Mathis and then in 2000 won state. Cooper has a bigger challenge.

[LH Panther Mom]

Originally posted by JR2004
They'll play hard the whole game this year,
And they certainly did! The boys never stopped giving it their all. Defensively, they were READY for our running game. We did have some snafus the first half, BUT if not for the 3 PASSES ( :eek: :p ) for touchdowns, it was looking like we would go into half with 7-0 Gatesville score. Great job! It's hard to have an accurate idea of a team based on seeing two games in two years, but it looks like they're heading in a good direction.

[JR2004]

Originally posted by cl1481
Actually Coach Hardin came to Gatesville in 97 and Gatesville went 10-2 and got beat by Crockett in the playoffs, 98 went 7-3 and missed the playoffs by 1 game (winning TD called back against Robinson in the final game w/ a minute left), 99 got beat in the state semifinals by Mathis and then in 2000 won state. Cooper has a bigger challenge.

When Hardin showed up they were pretty bad. I know the history. Did their games for five years. Hardin's job would've been as equally tough had he not had the benefit of getting to line up Moten and Henderson in his backfield during his time there.

[cl1481]

I know the talent that Gatesville had when Hardin came, I actually played for Coach Hardin in Gatesville. Trust me I also know the history of Gatesville Hornet football. Hardin came at a great time with back to back D-1 running backs in Moten and Henderson. Therefore, he came in that spring and we won district that fall. What I was saying earlier was that Coach Cooper does not have the athletes that Hardin had and it does not look like the sub varsity teams have that talent either. I was at the game on Friday and the Hornets played hard the whole game. I was just pointing out that he has a tough task at hand.

[JR2004]

Originally posted by cl1481
I was at the game on Friday and the Hornets played hard the whole game. I was just pointing out that he has a tough task at hand.

He has an impossible task. Too many of the folks in that fanbase think state championships just grow on trees. Folks like Swarm51 seem to be few and far between down there right now. I hope Cooper eventually figures it out and gets things going in the right direction. This figures to be a brutally long year though.

[cl1481]

Yes it does. From what I saw they play hard every play and from what I have heard they have gotten better week to week. As far as the state championship growing on trees, your right more people need to realize that not everyone has that board in the end zone claiming a State Championship.