Dominicfrank
10-07-2009, 10:21 AM
The area’s Class 3A district almost always produces a favorite or two before it starts.
Just last year, it was clear Bridgeport and Burkburnett were 5-3A’s elite. The Bulls opened with a victory over the Bulldogs and then waltzed to the title.
But unpredictability is the consensus theme among coaches this year, and the past month’s results back that up.
“I’ve seen everybody play, and I think it’s wide open,” Hirschi coach Neil Searcy said. “If I had to pick a favorite today, I couldn’t pick one. You better not overlook anybody.”
There are more winless teams (Decatur, Vernon) than teams with winning records (Burkburnett). The defending champion Bulls are 1-4, and Hirschi — last year’s last place team — could be this year’s first-place team.
Comparing common opponents doesn’t clear up much, either.
Everyone except Hirschi played Argyle and they all lost. The Bulldogs narrowly beat Gainesville, while Decatur and the Huskies narrowly lost to the Leopards.
No. 9 Graham claimed decisive wins against Burkburnett and Iowa Park, then had to stage a late rally against Bridgeport. Vernon coach Keith Hall said the Bulls’ 49-48 loss makes the race even more interesting.
“Bridgeport confuses me,” Hall said. “Iowa Park has to be one of the top teams, but I don’t know how to rate Bridgeport, Burkburnett and Hirschi.
“Then some teams match up better with somebody. This could be the year where 3-2 wins the district.”
“I think every team we played has the potential to win that district,” Argyle coach Todd Rodgers added. “You can’t take any of those guys for granted.”
The playoff race will begin to sort itself out Friday. Bridgeport travels to Burkburnett in what will be the most telling matchup, while Hirschi goes to Vernon and Iowa Park hits the road for Decatur.
Here’s an outlook for each area 5-3A team:
BURKBURNETT (3-2)
What went right: Although there isn’t a dominant halfback behind him, Burkburnett quarterback Cannon Cornelius is running the offense well as a first-year starter.
Shining bright: Linebacker Malachi Naef (67 tackles) is a play-making machine, and there isn’t a defensive lineman better than Lorenzo Barnes (39 tackles) around.
What went wrong: Against the best two teams on Burkburnett’s schedule, it lost to by a combined 76-21 to Argyle and Graham.
Best game: The Bulldogs’ last one — a 28-0 shutout over Fort Worth Eastern Hills in their home opener.
Coach Scott Boswell says: “We’ve been making progress. I don’t think we’ve played our best game yet, but we want to be hitting on all cylinders by Week 10.”
They make the playoffs if: They protect their turf. Bridgeport, Vernon, and Iowa Park all come to town. Win those, and a third straight playoff appearance is good to go.
IOWA PARK (2-3)
What went right: The Hawks’ efficient running game is racking up 295 rushing yards a game, 80 more than they did a year ago.
Shining bright: Iowa Park’s offensive line — center Reid Graves, guards Dai Lee and Cody Smith and tackles Caleb England and Justin Thacker.
What went wrong: Injuries and sickness left Iowa Park short-handed the last half of non-district.
Best game: Iowa Park ended non-district with a 40-21 rout of Robinson that wasn’t as close as the score indicated.
Coach Chris Ellis says: “We feel like if we can get healthy, we’ll have a shot.”
They make the playoffs if: They continue to run the ball efficiently and win on the road. The Hawks open district with trips to Decatur and Bridgeport.
HIRSCHI (1-4)
What went right: The Huskies are better in every aspect this season, but the defense has made the biggest strides. After surrendering 37 points a game in 2008, Hirschi is allowing 23 an outing and has forced 14 turnovers this year.
Shining bright: Deonte Combs stepped in at quarterback when Darius Thornton went down, throwing for 489 yards and six touchdowns in three contests.
What went wrong: Hirschi could have a winning record, but has let a few winnable games slip away, something it can’t afford to do in 5-3A. Best game: The Huskies ended a 19-game losing streak on Sept. 10 against Breckenridge, 28-14.
Coach Neil Searcy says: “The most positive thing I’ve learned is that they don’t have a lot of quit in them. They play until the last buzzer comes off, and that’s a good thing. We’ve come back in every game we’ve been down in, and that can pay off in district.”
They make the playoffs if: They get off to a quick start. The Huskies face Vernon and Decatur right off the bat, and a 2-0 start would give them even more confidence heading into the meat of district.
VERNON (0-5)
What went right: It’s been 50 years since the Lions got off to this rough a start, so not much has gone right. But Keith Hall said his squad has stayed positive and is working hard in practice.
Shining bright: Vernon freshman Devin Butler has been the one constant, rushing for 552 yards and three touchdowns. Lineman Jonathan Neuberger has also been a two-way standout.
What went wrong: When they hold opponents to less than 14 points, the Lions are 19-1 during district and the playoffs in Hall’s coaching tenure. So Vernon’s defense, which is giving up 36.4 points a game, must improve rather quickly.
Best game: The Lions are still looking to put everything together for 48 minutes, but their closest loss was a 21-6 decision against Breckenridge.
Coach Keith Hall says: “We’ve headed into district at 1-4 before. We’re not playing really well right now. The big thing is we need to get that first victory.”
They make the playoffs if: They pull off a couple upsets against teams that might overlook the Lions.
---
Fourth-ranked Abilene Wylie enters District 2-3A as the team to beat — not that it’s anything new.
“Every year Wylie’s the team,” Graham coach Brad McCoy said. “You look at their roster and they have 65-70 kids. I consider them the cream of the crop.”
And once again, it’s a good crop. No. 9 Graham is also off to a quick start, and Brownwood (4-1) is very talented and getting healthier. At 3-2, Snyder also has a winning record and a strong pedigree.
All four playoff favorites meet up the first week, too. The Bulldogs travel to Brownwood, and Graham hosts Snyder.
The Steers enter the 2-3A race having needed a comeback and a last-minute PAT block to beat Bridgeport. Tailback Cameron Bailey and safety Hubbell Allen were among six Graham players who didn’t play against the Bulls.
McCoy said the players broke team rules. The group wasn’t suspended, but did dress for the game and stood on the sidelines.
GRAHAM (5-0)
What went right: A reshuffled defense designed around speed has held its first four opponents to 23 total points.
Shining bright: Case McCoy has thrown for an area-leading 1,449 yards and 17 touchdowns, plus he has only tossed three interceptions. He’s directing an offense racking up almost 37 points and 484 yards an outing.
What went wrong: When you’re ranked ninth in the state, not much usually has gone wrong. But the Steers have surrendered 275 and 271 passing yards in its last two games.
Best game: Graham avenged a bad loss to Burkburnett last year with a 41-7 win in Week 2.
Coach Brad McCoy says: “We felt like we played a tough non-district schedule. We feel good about being 5-0, but we still have a long way to go.”
They make the playoffs if: They win the games they should. Graham opens up against Snyder and Sweetwater at home. Take those, plus the season finale at Breckenridge, and it’s playoff time.
Just last year, it was clear Bridgeport and Burkburnett were 5-3A’s elite. The Bulls opened with a victory over the Bulldogs and then waltzed to the title.
But unpredictability is the consensus theme among coaches this year, and the past month’s results back that up.
“I’ve seen everybody play, and I think it’s wide open,” Hirschi coach Neil Searcy said. “If I had to pick a favorite today, I couldn’t pick one. You better not overlook anybody.”
There are more winless teams (Decatur, Vernon) than teams with winning records (Burkburnett). The defending champion Bulls are 1-4, and Hirschi — last year’s last place team — could be this year’s first-place team.
Comparing common opponents doesn’t clear up much, either.
Everyone except Hirschi played Argyle and they all lost. The Bulldogs narrowly beat Gainesville, while Decatur and the Huskies narrowly lost to the Leopards.
No. 9 Graham claimed decisive wins against Burkburnett and Iowa Park, then had to stage a late rally against Bridgeport. Vernon coach Keith Hall said the Bulls’ 49-48 loss makes the race even more interesting.
“Bridgeport confuses me,” Hall said. “Iowa Park has to be one of the top teams, but I don’t know how to rate Bridgeport, Burkburnett and Hirschi.
“Then some teams match up better with somebody. This could be the year where 3-2 wins the district.”
“I think every team we played has the potential to win that district,” Argyle coach Todd Rodgers added. “You can’t take any of those guys for granted.”
The playoff race will begin to sort itself out Friday. Bridgeport travels to Burkburnett in what will be the most telling matchup, while Hirschi goes to Vernon and Iowa Park hits the road for Decatur.
Here’s an outlook for each area 5-3A team:
BURKBURNETT (3-2)
What went right: Although there isn’t a dominant halfback behind him, Burkburnett quarterback Cannon Cornelius is running the offense well as a first-year starter.
Shining bright: Linebacker Malachi Naef (67 tackles) is a play-making machine, and there isn’t a defensive lineman better than Lorenzo Barnes (39 tackles) around.
What went wrong: Against the best two teams on Burkburnett’s schedule, it lost to by a combined 76-21 to Argyle and Graham.
Best game: The Bulldogs’ last one — a 28-0 shutout over Fort Worth Eastern Hills in their home opener.
Coach Scott Boswell says: “We’ve been making progress. I don’t think we’ve played our best game yet, but we want to be hitting on all cylinders by Week 10.”
They make the playoffs if: They protect their turf. Bridgeport, Vernon, and Iowa Park all come to town. Win those, and a third straight playoff appearance is good to go.
IOWA PARK (2-3)
What went right: The Hawks’ efficient running game is racking up 295 rushing yards a game, 80 more than they did a year ago.
Shining bright: Iowa Park’s offensive line — center Reid Graves, guards Dai Lee and Cody Smith and tackles Caleb England and Justin Thacker.
What went wrong: Injuries and sickness left Iowa Park short-handed the last half of non-district.
Best game: Iowa Park ended non-district with a 40-21 rout of Robinson that wasn’t as close as the score indicated.
Coach Chris Ellis says: “We feel like if we can get healthy, we’ll have a shot.”
They make the playoffs if: They continue to run the ball efficiently and win on the road. The Hawks open district with trips to Decatur and Bridgeport.
HIRSCHI (1-4)
What went right: The Huskies are better in every aspect this season, but the defense has made the biggest strides. After surrendering 37 points a game in 2008, Hirschi is allowing 23 an outing and has forced 14 turnovers this year.
Shining bright: Deonte Combs stepped in at quarterback when Darius Thornton went down, throwing for 489 yards and six touchdowns in three contests.
What went wrong: Hirschi could have a winning record, but has let a few winnable games slip away, something it can’t afford to do in 5-3A. Best game: The Huskies ended a 19-game losing streak on Sept. 10 against Breckenridge, 28-14.
Coach Neil Searcy says: “The most positive thing I’ve learned is that they don’t have a lot of quit in them. They play until the last buzzer comes off, and that’s a good thing. We’ve come back in every game we’ve been down in, and that can pay off in district.”
They make the playoffs if: They get off to a quick start. The Huskies face Vernon and Decatur right off the bat, and a 2-0 start would give them even more confidence heading into the meat of district.
VERNON (0-5)
What went right: It’s been 50 years since the Lions got off to this rough a start, so not much has gone right. But Keith Hall said his squad has stayed positive and is working hard in practice.
Shining bright: Vernon freshman Devin Butler has been the one constant, rushing for 552 yards and three touchdowns. Lineman Jonathan Neuberger has also been a two-way standout.
What went wrong: When they hold opponents to less than 14 points, the Lions are 19-1 during district and the playoffs in Hall’s coaching tenure. So Vernon’s defense, which is giving up 36.4 points a game, must improve rather quickly.
Best game: The Lions are still looking to put everything together for 48 minutes, but their closest loss was a 21-6 decision against Breckenridge.
Coach Keith Hall says: “We’ve headed into district at 1-4 before. We’re not playing really well right now. The big thing is we need to get that first victory.”
They make the playoffs if: They pull off a couple upsets against teams that might overlook the Lions.
---
Fourth-ranked Abilene Wylie enters District 2-3A as the team to beat — not that it’s anything new.
“Every year Wylie’s the team,” Graham coach Brad McCoy said. “You look at their roster and they have 65-70 kids. I consider them the cream of the crop.”
And once again, it’s a good crop. No. 9 Graham is also off to a quick start, and Brownwood (4-1) is very talented and getting healthier. At 3-2, Snyder also has a winning record and a strong pedigree.
All four playoff favorites meet up the first week, too. The Bulldogs travel to Brownwood, and Graham hosts Snyder.
The Steers enter the 2-3A race having needed a comeback and a last-minute PAT block to beat Bridgeport. Tailback Cameron Bailey and safety Hubbell Allen were among six Graham players who didn’t play against the Bulls.
McCoy said the players broke team rules. The group wasn’t suspended, but did dress for the game and stood on the sidelines.
GRAHAM (5-0)
What went right: A reshuffled defense designed around speed has held its first four opponents to 23 total points.
Shining bright: Case McCoy has thrown for an area-leading 1,449 yards and 17 touchdowns, plus he has only tossed three interceptions. He’s directing an offense racking up almost 37 points and 484 yards an outing.
What went wrong: When you’re ranked ninth in the state, not much usually has gone wrong. But the Steers have surrendered 275 and 271 passing yards in its last two games.
Best game: Graham avenged a bad loss to Burkburnett last year with a 41-7 win in Week 2.
Coach Brad McCoy says: “We felt like we played a tough non-district schedule. We feel good about being 5-0, but we still have a long way to go.”
They make the playoffs if: They win the games they should. Graham opens up against Snyder and Sweetwater at home. Take those, plus the season finale at Breckenridge, and it’s playoff time.