Unbeeeelievable Play

In a play reminiscent of the Cal vs. Stanford play from the 80's, Division III Trinity (TX) lateraled their way to a game ending touchdown on Saturday.

The Quick Slant: Week Seven

A strong cold front has made it's way through most of the state and playoff football can't be far behind. There's still plenty to be decided before seasons' end though as the list of undefeated teams continues to shrink and district titles and playoff berths are at stake.

Week eight will more than make up for what seemed to be a light schedule of big games in week seven as there are "battles of the undefeateds" throughout the state.

Start off with Odessa Permian vs. Abilene and Arlington Martin vs. Arlington Bowie in class 5A. Throw in New Braunfels vs. Cibolo Steele in class 4A and top ranked Giddings vs. undefeated Caldwell in class 3A. Finally, sprinkle in East Chambers vs. Buna and Stockdale vs. Universal City Randolph in class 2A and you have the makings of a pretty good weekend of Texas high school football. Where would you rather be I ask than right here in the great state of Texas?

And remember, these are just the games between the undefeated teams. There are many other great games on tap in addition to those.

We mentioned last week that the Keller vs. Richland game would go a long way in determining whether Southlake Carroll went DI or DII. Keller staged a miraculous comeback, scoring 20 points in the 4th quarter to win 27-24 and although that outcome doesn't guarantee anything yet, it looks as if the odds favor Carroll going DII.

Donna RB Out for Season

Running back Robert Guzman of the Donna Redskins, who are 3-0 in district 30-5A (5-2 on the season), is out for the year with a broken C5 vertebra. Guzman is one of the top backs in the Rio Grande Valley, as he has rushed for 1,251 yards and was averaging 7.1 yards per carry. He wrote an open letter to the public which was published in the McAllen Monitor.

Projecting the Class 5A Playoffs

We are now in the season's second half and it's time to take a look ahead at potential playoff scenarios. Too early you say? Plenty of football left? You're right, but let's take a look ahead anyway shall we?

As opposed to last season when DI was loaded, it looks as if there will be a nice balance between DI and DII this year.

If the current form holds true across the state, this will be the division of some of the state's top teams.
DI
Arlington Bowie
Arlington Martin
Austin Westlake
Converse Judson
Euless Trinity
Galena Park Northshore
Klein
Odessa Permian
Plano
Plano East
Spring Westfield
Note: Teams listed above are virtual DI locks
DII
Abilene
Allen
Katy
Klein Oak
Leander
Longview
Lufkin
Pflugerville
San Antonio Madison
Smithson Valley
Southlake Carroll

That's great balance between the two divisions. I'm not a fan of the post season separation of classifications, but if I was dividing teams I could hardly sit down and draw it up any better.

This division of teams could lead to some of the following match ups:
DI
1st Round
Arlington Martin vs. Euless Trinity
Austin Westlake vs. Converse Judson
4th Round
Arlington Bowie vs. Odessa Permian
State Title
Odessa Permian vs. Galena Park Northshore
DII
2nd Round
San Antonio Madison vs. San Antonio Warren
3rd Round
Abilene vs. Southlake Carroll
Allen vs. Lufkin
Longview vs. Klein Oak
State Semifinals
Lufkin vs. Southlake Carroll
State Title
Katy vs. Southlake Carroll

The district 5-5A contest between Richland and Keller this Friday will in all likelihood determine whether Southlake Carroll does D1 or D2. A win by Keller will probably send the Dragons to DII, while a Richland win should put them in DI.

The Quick Slant: Week Six

News and notes from week six:

Class 5A Arlington Bowie running back Jeremy Davis, who was suspended in August for violating team and district rules, has been reinstated. Davis obviously has talent, having rushed for 1,190 yards and 13 touchdowns last year, but it remains to see how he will fit in with Bowie, who is 6-0, and in the midst of what could be the finest season in school history. Davis suited out in last week's 51-0 blowout of Arlington Sam Houston, but did not play.

Class 5A San Antonio Reagan running back Marcus Wright had another big game last week, and now has 1,524 yards rushing on the season and over 5,000 for his career.

Class 3A Chapel Hill RB Matthew Tucker and class 5A Spring Westfield RB Bo Walker both broke the 1,000 yard rushing barrier in wins over Canton and Klein Forest respectively.

According to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, the season is over for the class 1A Frost Polar Bears. The Polar Bears were low on numbers to begin with, and lost more members when grades came out. This was not unexpected as their homecoming game against Evant was moved up to Thursday so they could get it in. Frost did manage to score their first points of the year against Evant (29-8 loss), and ended up being outscored 282-8 on the season.

Class 4A Austin Johnston is in the same boat as Frost after 12 players failed to achieve passing grades and became inelgible due to the state's no-pass, no-play rule. The Rams will forfeit their next two games and if enough players become elgible they may play their final game.

Class 3A QB Brock Fitzhenry (pictured) of the Giddings Buffaloes continues to climb the state's all-time rushing list. He now has 973 yards and 15 touchdowns on the season and 6,451 yards in his career. Another 311 yards and he will move into the state's all-time top twenty list of ball carriers. If the Buffaloes can make it to the class 3A state title game, which they are favored by many to do, and Fitzhenry averages 200 yards per game, which is about his career average, he could conceivably end up with enough yards to move into third place ahead of Rodney Thomas (8,441) on the all-time list.

Red Zone Stat of the Week: The class 3A Diboll Lumberjacks, who are 6-0 this year, have scored on 27 of 28 trips into the red zone (from the 20 yd. line in).

State's Leading Passer Out for Season

Coming on the heels of the news that one of the state's top running backs is done for the season (San Antonio Madison RB Devin Thomas), comes news that the state's leading passer is out for the year.

press release follows------>
Update from Texas High School Region IV District 29 5-A

PRESS RELEASE FROM
Scouting Lrd Sports & The Texas Valley

Junior quarter back Jerry Lopez (son to head football coach Joel Lopez) from Laredo Alexander High School is out for the season with a knee injury.

Jerry Lopez was the leading passer in Texas and ranked in the top five in the nation in passing yards and yards per game.

He is being replaced with Junior Sergio RED Velasquez who stands at 6'3" 195 pounds with a rocket arm. Velasquez has started on the varsity baseball team since his freshman year as a starting pitcher for the Bulldogs. He been clocked at 90 mph and consistant at 85 mph.

Sal Sciaraffa
Senior Scout
lrdoftexas.com

Leading Rushers in the State

By my research the state's top two ball carriers in terms of total yardage are Henry Solis from class 3A Palacios, who has 1,503 yards with 20 touchdowns and a 9.05 yards-per-carry average, and Devin Thomas of San Antonio Madison, who has 1,447 yards with 17 touchdowns and an 11.3 average per carry.

Unfortunately Thomas suffered a broken ankle against San Antonio Reagan and his season is finished.

Speaking of the state's top running backs, look for Cypress Fairbanks RB Sam McGuffie to start piling up the yardage after returning to full strength from an early injury.

Article on Devin Thomas Injury

Run Defense Optional

It is reported that a number of fans who witnessed last nights' district 13-5A contest between The Belton Tigers and the Killeen Shoemaker Grey Wolves will be seeking help from their local chiropractor in the near future due to neck problems.

The two teams went up and down the field more on Friday night than a West Texas jackrabbit being chased by a pack of hound dogs.

The two teams combined for over 1300 yards in the game that was finally won by Belton, 47-45. The catch? Only 56 of the yards were gained through the air, meaning the teams harkened back to the days of the NFL Los Angeles Rams coach Chuck Knox and his "ground Chuck" attack.

Shoemaker running back Dion Demers (pictured) had a huge game with 306 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries and his total was only second best on the evening.

Belton ball carrier Keith Daniels led all rushers, romping for 375 yards and three scores on 37 totes. His total broke Ramonce Taylor's school record of 347 yards.

Shoemaker QB Andre Smith chipped in with a pedestrian 222 yards and two touchdowns on 21 rushes.

Yes the chiropractors in Central Texas will see increased activity come Monday morning, all due to a night when run defense was optional.

The State's Biggest QB?

6-5, 270 LBS., mobile and agile.
Someone gives you this description of a high school football player and what runs through your mind? The foundation of a defensive line? The anchor of your offensive line?

Not if your at El Paso Hanks. That is the height and weight of Hanks QB Branden Livingston who is one of the state's largest signal callers. Apparently he's more than a large statue as he was 19-38 for 386 yards with three touchdowns in a 28-21 upset win over El Paso Coronado last night.