SEASON PREVIEWS
’18 PIGSKIN PREVIEW
BALLINGER BEARCATS WINTERS BLIZZARDS MILES BULLDOGS
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RUNNELS COUNTY REGISTER PIGSKIN PREVIEW
MILES BULLDOGS
Thursday, August 30, 2018
PHOTO BY BILL HANCOCK
The Miles Bulldogs open their 2018 football schedule at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Ranger. The Bulldogs are picked to finish fifth in District 8-2A Division II by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine. By Bill Hancock Runnels County Register bhancock@gatehousemedia.com
MILES — The Miles Bulldogs kicks off their 2018 football season Friday night in Ranger, a team that like Miles won only two games last season. Both wins for the Ranger Bulldogs came on the road. The event will be a good test of two evenly matched teams and a solid offensive line. After Ranger, the Bulldogs will face a tough opponent when they take on Roby. In 2017, Roby managed a 6-4 record with a staunch defense and effective running game. They are good at shutting down a running game and then pressuring the quarterback when the tactic switches to passing. The third game of the season will be on the road against Roscoe. The Plowboys had a record of 6-5 in
2017, including a drubbing of Roby by a score of 476. Roscoe used both the running game and the passing game effectively. Quarterback Jayden Gonzales, a junior last year, passed for 172 yards and three touchdowns while the running back-by-committee consisting of three juniors and one senior, ran for over 300 yards and three more scores. Roscoe’s air attack is strong as proven in another game against the Plains Cowboys. In that victory, Gonzales passed for 285 yards and two touchdowns while the running backs scored four touchdowns on 235 yards rushing. The Miles defensive line will be relied on to pressure Gonzales and the defensive backs will have to step up and make good plays to stop the air assault. On Sept. 21, Miles will host Baird. According to the scores available on MaxPreps, Baird managed to
only put up 135 points in all of the 2017 season and went 1-10. The stats are lacking in that Baird actually played 12 games but the score from Baird’s first game of the season were not reported. The stats might be minor blessing Baird as it also shows that they gave up 448 points and unless they won that first game, and by a significant margin at that, the total might be higher. Baird gave up over 50 points six times. They were even held to a goose egg by Grape Creek that won the game by a score of 3-0. While it might seem that Miles could see this as one of their easier games on the schedule, it could also be a sleeper game that catches them by surprise on their own home turf.
SEE MILES, 11
Thursday, August 30, 2018
RUNNELS COUNTY REGISTER PIGSKIN PREVIEW
DISTRICT 8-2A DIVISION II
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By Bill Hancock Runnels County Register bhancock@gatehousemedia.com
This season District 8-2A Division II will include Christoval, Eldorado, Irion County, Menard, Miles and Rocksprings. The clear-cut favorite to win the district is Menard. Last year they went 4-0 in District 5-2A Division II and 9-3 overall. They scored an average of 30 points per game while only allowing 17 points. During the season, the Yellowjackets lost only two games. They lost 28-20 to Cross Plains in the second game of the season and then lost to Roscoe, 32-14, five weeks later. They hold the keys to the kingdom with a great offense and an even better defense. They can score and their defense can help them hold on to the lead by stopping both the running and passing games. They’re excellent at crowding the throwing lanes and causing the offense to make mistakes. When they begin district play on Oct. 12 against Miles, their offense and defense should be tuned up, tuned in and running smoothly. After Miles, they’ll face a Rocksprings team that went 7-5 last season, only giving up 278 points. But the Rocksprings offense struggled to score points, ending the season with a scoring average of 25 points per game. They will then head to Christoval, Eldorado and finish the season by hosting an Irion County team that went 4-7 last season. Christoval is a team that always seemed just on the edge of having a great deal of success last year. Brayden Wilcox was their freshman quarterback that played in 10 games, passing for 734 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions. The Cougar will be a sophomore this year and could be the team’s weapon of choice. He put 1,393 yards behind him last year while junior David Fava hammered out 918 yards. Wilcox is a true double threat quarterback and his running ability could open up a passing game that he seems more than capable of taking charge of. Christoval will be dangerous this season and there will be teams that look past them and end up getting surprised and heading home with a loss. They could definitely take second in the district. \The Eldorado Eagles were grounded for the most part last season. They scored a paltry 137 points and allowed 302 points, a 30-point per game average. Wyatt Mertz passed for 408 yards last season as a junior and Cesar Garcia passed for 534 yards as a sophomore. If they both play this year, they could wear down defenses. But, the battle will never be easy without running back Anthony Olivares, who graduated after pounding out 1,014 yards on the field in 2017. Eldorado will need a lot of help to not finish the season in the district basement. They have 43 players on their roster this season and that could help them out if they can put all of the pieces together. Coach Boles has been challenging the Miles Bulldogs to get better every practice. Their 2-8 record last year was primarily the result of their 19-point per game average score. You can’t win games scoring only 19 points while your defense is giving up an average of 31 points each time. They have 31 players on the roster which makes the challenge even more difficult. One
PHOTO BY BILL HANCOCK
The Miles Bulldogs will compete in District 8-2A Division II along with Christoval, Eldorado, Irion County, Menard and Rocksprings.
day in practice Coach Boles told his players, “We don’t play three-way football, we just play football.” He’s keeping everything pretty simple and working the players up through a progression. If they can use some of the depth on that 31-man roster, it will make their wins come a little easier. They may not break through this year but Boles is laying the foundation for them to be successful in the future. Jared Flores was a junior last year and their primary quarterback but seven different players attempted passes and all total, they only picked up 570 yards for the season. Their rushing corps lost several seniors but there are players ready to take over and try to break open a rushing game that put a combined for 2,439 hard-fought yards in the book. If they can keep their linemen healthy and keep their key multi-role players on the field, they have a decent chance of finishing the year at 5-5. The Irion County Hornets fished the 2017 season with a 4-7 record. The amazing thing is that they won four games with their defense giving up 436 points on the season. Their meager 22 points per game did not bode well for them yet they came out with those four wins by defeating Christoval, Miles, Bronte and Van Horn. Their task will not be easy this year and if they bleed points again, they can expect to win only one or two games in this competitive district. Their stats
in MaxPreps are incomplete so it’s anyone’s guess on what their game plan will be this season. Their roster for this season is showing only 15 players and that makes for some long games with some winded athletes trying to keep up with deeper teams. Rocksprings went 7-5 last season. They clipped the wings of the Eldorado Eagles by a score 3of 4-20, leashed the Miles Bulldogs by a score of 28-21, took the sting out of the Irion County Yellowjackets 37-6 but they got sheared in a 35-18 loss to Menard. Their stats, other than them scoring 294 points and allowing 278 points, are non-existent on MaxPreps. Their strength might lie in those missing stats, something that they can capitalize on as they try to wrestle for the district title. They’ll need to put more points on the board than the 25 points per game of last season if they want to contend with Menard. While they might be a mighty team, they will most likely finish second in the district to Menard. There are a lot of great games on the schedule for the district. They key district games will be on Oct. 19 when Rocksprings faces Menard and when Miles faces Irion County. Menard and Iraan in Iraan on Sept. 14 has the potential to be one of the best games of the season. Two deep football teams with with winning records will make for some great plays and excitement.
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RUNNELS COUNTY REGISTER PIGSKIN PREVIEW
Thursday, August 30, 2018
WINTERS BLIZZARDS
PHOTO BY BILL HANCOCK
The Winters Blizzards open their 2018 football schedule at 7:30 p.m. Friday at home against Goldthwaite. The Blizzards are picked to finish fifth in District 3-2A Division I by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine. By Bill Hancock Runnels County Register bhancock@gatehousemedia.com
WINTERS — The Winters Blizzards are looking to have a successful 2018 season with experienced players and a cohesive coaching staff. Athletic director and head coach Matt McCarty says that their strength this year lies in his offensive line. McCarty said that they had a good spring even though they don’t get a lot of practice time due to the athletes
competing in other sports. “We don’t get a ton of practice time in the spring but we work on getting faster and stronger, the fundamentals and that helps with everything else when we start camp in the summer,” McCarty said. “We never stop improving. That is always our goal, to improve. This is the best I’ve seen them come into camp since I’ve been here.” The practices have been solid and the execution has been sharp. McCarty said that everyone is happy
when things go right but it’s how they face adversity that is a key ingredient. “It’s easy when you’re winning but it’s how you handle adversity in the tough games that really counts,” McCarty said. “About half the athletes came into camp in good shape and some had to do some conditioning,” as they won’t put an out-of-condition athlete into the game McCarty added.
SEE WINTERS, 9
Thursday, August 30, 2018
RUNNELS COUNTY REGISTER PIGSKIN PREVIEW
DISTRICT 3-2A DIVISION I
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By Bill Hancock Runnels County Register bhancock@gatehousemedia.com
This season, District 3-2A Division I will be comprised of Forsan, Hawley, Ozona, Stamford and Winters. These five teams will face a meat grinder season. In 2017, Hawley went 8-4, Ozona went 6-5, Stamford was 10-3, Winters was 5-6 and Forsan was 3-7. The district competition will be about as tight as it can get. There are no “gimme” games on the schedule and if Forsan has improved on offense, they could be a force in the mix. Last season Forsan scored 300 points during the season but gave up 345 points on defense. Senior quarterback Bryce Hergert threw for 2,106 yards, 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He graduated and now it remains to be seen who will be their starting quarterback. Whoever it is, they will have a tough role filling the shoes of Hergert. The Buffaloes had ten players rushing at various times throughout the season. Of those ten, five of them were seniors and have graduated. Their defense seemed to be on the right track towards the end of the season and should allow less than the 345 points they allowed last season. It will be tough for Forsan in this new district, facing four other teams that were contenders last year, each going to the playoffs. Stamford lost their first game of 2017 in a blowout to powerful Brock squad. The only other game they lost was to Hamlin, in a 27-21 double overtime thriller. Stamford scored the most points of any team in the district with 476 points. Their concern this year will be their defense that gave up 328 points last season. The district battle will most likely come down to Hawley and Stamford. While Stamford’s offense scored more points than Hawley, their defense allowed more points. Hawley’s might defense only allowed 246 points last season, and they could stop almost anyone in their tracks. If they have improved on this with several returning seniors this year, they will give Stamford a run for their money. Winters went 5-6 last season, even with their offense only scoring 242 points and their defense giving up the most points of the teams in their district in their district this season. That 5-6 offense scored the fewest points of any offense in this year’s district, putting only 242 points on the board. They
PHOTO BY BILL HANCOCK
The Winters Blizzards will compete in District 3-2A Division I along with Forsan, Hawley, Ozona and Stamford.
will start off against 4-7 Goldthwaite and then face a 2-8 Eldorado team that might surprise them. Bangs and Ranger come next and the Blizzards should be able to handle them and come away with two wins. Christoval will be a good mid-season test for them, with Christoval being the slight favorite. On Oct. 5, they face Iraan, a team that went 8-5 in 2017 and will be a contender this year. Winters will have their hands full and will have to put up a solid defense to come away with a win. Their district play starts with Hawley on Oct. 12, then they face Stamford, Forsan and Ozona. As with all teams, injuries and fatigue will play a role, but more so when you’re facing those four teams at the end of a long season. Winters will have to dig deep to come away with a winning season but Coach McCarty had some really good showings in his scrimmages and seems to have the team tuned up.
Ozona could be the surprise district winner. They finished last season at 6-5, but they were on the right path when their season ended in the playoffs. They’ve certainly built on the successes of last season, mainly only allowing 260 points, the fewest of any team in their district this season. If their mighty defense is hits on all cylinders, they are capable of beating every team in their district and ending the season 7-3 or even 8-2. Anytime a team takes the field against Ozona, they get Ozona’s best because the Lions play hard on every play. They can stop the run as well as the pass and force turnovers to cement a win. Hawley is the true beast of the district. Giving up only 242 points last season, they are a true powerhouse team. Their offense scored 352 over their twelve games and they were able to score at will in many of their games.
Teams such as Forsan, Winters and Ozona will have to break through that defense to score points and win games. It is an uphill climb all the way but it can be done if the offenses are crisp and they play sharp. The games will be exciting and there will be a lot of scoring as Hawley tries to win the district. The teams are evenly and each game has the potential to be a true slugfest. It will be a grind and the only team that is favored to win each district game is Stamford. But as we all know, injuries tend to play a key role in the games toward the end of the season and this season will be no different. If Stamford stays healthy, they have the potential to make it deep into the playoffs. Hawley, Winters and Ozona are legitimate contenders but keep your eyes on Forsan, because they cold turn things around this season and go for broke in each, pulling out key wins when needed.
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RUNNELS COUNTY REGISTER PIGSKIN PREVIEW
Thursday, August 30, 2018
BALLINGER BEARCATS
PHOTO BY BILL HANCOCK
The Ballinger Bearcats open their 2018 football schedule at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Brady. The Bearcats are picked to finish third in District 4-3A Division II by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football. By Bill Hancock Runnels County Register bhancock@gatehousemedia.com
BALLINGER — The Ballinger Bearcats varsity squad has 12 returning seniors who could lead Bearcat football to a winning season. They finished 2017 with a record of 3-9. In 2016 they went 3-7 and had hoped to bounce back in 2017 but they fell short. The defense will be the key as they need to shore up their opponents’ running game. Last season they gave up 522 yards in one game, 421 yards in another and over 300 yards twice while give up 388 points. Their offense only managed to put up 191 points but this season they seem poised to improve both offensively and defensively. Head coach and athletic director Chuck Lipsey has been making strides in improving their offensive line. “Our weakness is that we only have 10 linemen,” Lipsey said. “We lost two really good linemen to graduation. I was happy the way we finished last season and we’re building on that. The players worked on speed and conditioning in the spring and had great 7-on-7.”
Lipsey pointed out that their defense is in good shape. “We have a good defense and good players in the skill positions on both sides of the ball,” he said. “We’ve built on our accomplishments from last year.” Lipsey has a cohesive coaching staff that is dependable. “The defensive and offensive coaches did great job getting everything scheduled and working,” he said. “Last year our staff didn’t know the kids that well and so I’d say that on a scale of 1 to 10 we came in here week one at a 1.5 or 2. We struggled throughout the season to get better and we did improve. This year, we’re probably at an 8. We scrimmage Jim Ned and they have a lot of good kids returning so it’s going to be a test for us. After that we open up the season against Brady and then face three teams in a row that are each picked to win their districts, Reagan County, Colorado City and Cisco.” As mentioned, the Bearcats will face off against the Brady Bulldogs for the SEE BALLINGER, 10
Thursday, August 30, 2018
RUNNELS COUNTY REGISTER PIGSKIN PREVIEW
DISTRICT 4-3A DIVISION II
By Bill Hancock Runnels County Register bhancock@gatehousemedia.com
In the 2018, Ballinger will play in District 4-3A Division II with Anson, Bangs, Cisco, Coleman, Grape Creek, Merkel and TLCA, respectively. The season should be exciting for the district and with some great games lined up. The top contenders in the district are Cisco and Merkel. Last season Cisco went 5-0 in district games and 9-3 overall. Their defense was one of the best in the region, allowing only 211 points over 12 games. Their quarterback is senior Cooper Witt who led his team in rushing attempts and rushing yards in many of their games. A key strength for the Cisco Loboes is their depth. According to their preseason roster on MaxPreps, Cisco has sixty players on their varsity squad. When the season gets into the dog days and if injuries start adding up, Cisco will have a “next man up” attitude and continue to play hard-nosed football. In 2017 the Loboes defeated three of the teams that were moved to the division this year, Coleman, Bangs and Ballinger, respectively. Coleman fell by a score of 47-0 under a balanced Loboes run/pass game plan in which the Loboes averaged 10.8 yard per carry. Witt went 5 of 6 in passing for 114 yards, one touchdown and ended the game with a QB rating of 163.2. They will face off against Bangs for their final regular season game on Nov. 9 The Anson Tigers went 5-6 last season and in several of those losses their opponents scored over 50 points. They start off with a tough game against an Hamlin, a team that won by a score of 35-14 last season. It seemed to be an “all or nothing” type of season for them last year. They played two quarterbacks, sophomore Drew Hagler and senior Riley Palmer. With Palmer having graduated, Hagler could have a breakout year as a junior this season. Palmer attempted up to 40 passes in games and against Haskell, he went 23 of 40 for 362 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ran for 15 times for 155 yards and three more touchdowns. Hagler started off the season and went 11 of 24 for 157 yards against Hamlin. His experience should be a great benefit to the Tigers this year. Ballinger will field a team that isn’t very deep on the offensive or defensive line. They gave up 388 points in 11 games last season and unless coach Lipsey and crew can make some serious strides towards improving, they could give up that amount again. Stopping the running
game will be the key, as it is with most 3A schools. Cooper Bean led the team with 82 solo tackles and 135 total tackles last season. He is a force to be reckoned with at his middle linebacker position and will be a key in plugging the gaps to limit their opponent’s rushing game. If a couple of players can step up and help Bean out they could have a staunch defense this season and force several turnovers. The defense might prove to be susceptible to the passing game but their defensive backs have had some good practices and seem to be working well together. Their offense will most likely have junior Edgar Nunez under center. Edgar Nunez and Xavier Nunez shared time at the quarterback position. Xavier was the more successful passer, going 64 of 147 for 958 yards with six touchdowns. His downfall was throwing seven interceptions in eight games. Edgar should be on course as a junior to lead a more potent offense that will almost assuredly score more points than the 191 points they scored last season. Bean’s offensive play was just as prolific as his defensive play as he led the team in rushing with 701 yards on the season. Nunez and Bean could be a formidable obstacle for defenses to overcome. If they can get a solid offensive and defensive line making plays there is no reason that the Bearcats shouldn’t put 300+ points on the board for the season and end up with a winning record. Coleman won three games last season. Two of those games were against opponents who went 0-10 during the season and their other win came against a 3-7 Dublin Lions team. Coleman scored an anemic 122 points while allowing their opponents to score 368 points. When you take into account that those three wins totaled 102 of their 122 points on the season, it does not bode well for this upcoming season. Many of the stats for Coleman are incomplete so full accounting of individual and team stats could not be compiled for this article. Their first game of the season is against Jim Ned, a team that soundly defeated them by a score of 32-0 in 2017. The Merkel Badgers went 7-6 last year and made it three rounds into the playoffs before being defeated by Comanche. Senior quarterback Cole Wilkerson led the Badgers’ effective offense in 2017. Jonah White was a junior last year and while he played thirteen games at the quarterback position, he only attempted one pass according to MaxPreps. He was used more for his feet than his arm, rushing for 421 yards and averaging nine yards per carry. Their other ball carriers, Herriott, Owens,
Holden and Bilbrey have all graduated. That leaves White and senior Rylan Holloway as the only remaining rushers. If Merkel holds true to form, they’ll add at least five more running backs to the mix. Their strength will have to be the running game unless they can start passing the ball effectively. Texas Leadership Charter Academy, TLCA, will look to improve on a three win season in 2017. The only close game they lost was to Winters by a score of 7-6. Their 122 points scored last season would not be hard to improve on. Their problem is a lack of depth at every position. With that significant challenge, they still managed to get those three wins. This year their task will not get easier and they could find themselves going 2-8 with wins against Grape Creek and Bangs, respectively. Ballinger beat them by a score of 35-6 last season, with TLCA giving up 306 yards rushing. The Bangs Dragons got burned, rather than doing the burning in 2017. Their 0-10 season didn’t have many memorable plays but they should be able to pick up the pace this year and win at least two games. Their roster isn’t incredibly deep but many of
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their skill position players are seniors and will be looking to erase that winless 2017 from their memory. They will have opportunities this season to make a positive impact and get back to winning ball games. The Grape Creek Eagles did not soar last year, but they have the opportunity to improve a great deal and begin winning in 2018. This is another team with a limited roster but they showed signs of resiliency by beating Tornillo 50-46 and blanking out Baird by a score of 3-0, but they ended up with only those two wins on the season. They’re a tough, resourceful team and many times their offense fought an up-hill battle as the defense gave up 78 points, 65 points, 62 points, 71 points and 73 points, respectively. They put up over 20 points in three of the games that they lost but it’s hard to motivate the offense when their defense is so porous and starts them out down in a hole. The season is sure to be exciting with a lot of great football being played. The air is alive with electricity around every football stadium as the players, band, cheerleaders and flag corps practice to get ready for a fantastic season.
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RUNNELS COUNTY REGISTER PIGSKIN PREVIEW
Thursday, August 30, 2018
VARSITY TEAM SCHEDULES BALLINGER BEARCATS FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY,
AUG. 31 SEPT. 7 SEPT. 14 SEPT. 28 OCT. 5 OCT. 12 OCT. 19 OCT. 26 NOV. 2 NOV. 9
AT BRADY 7:30 P.M. REAGAN COUNTY 7:30 P.M. COLORADO CITY 7:30 P.M. AT CISCO * 7:30 P.M. ANSON * (HOMECOMING) 7:30 P.M. AT BANGS * 7:30 P.M. AT GRAPE CREEK * 7:30 P.M. MERKEL * 7:30 P.M. AT COLEMAN * 7:30 P.M. SAN ANGELO TLCA * 7:30 P.M.
WINTERS BLIZZARDS FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY,
AUG. 31 SEPT. 7 SEPT. 14 SEPT. 21 SEPT. 28 OCT. 5 OCT. 12 OCT. 19 OCT. 26 NOV. 2
AUG. 31 SEPT. 7 SEPT. 14 SEPT. 21 SEPT. 28 OCT. 12 OCT. 19 OCT. 26 NOV. 2 NOV. 9
* DISTRICT GAME
GOLDTHWAITE 7:30 P.M. AT ELDORADO 7:30 P.M. BANGS 7:30 P.M. RANGER (HOMECOMING) 7:30 P.M. AT CHRISTOVAL 7:30 P.M. AT IRAAN 7:30 P.M. HAWLEY * 7:30 P.M. AT STAMFORD * 7:30 P.M. FORSAN * 7:30 P.M. AT OZONA * 7:30 P.M.
MILES BULLDOGS FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY,
* DISTRICT GAME
* DISTRICT GAME
AT RANGER 7:30 P.M. ROBY 7:30 P.M. AT ROSCOE 7:30 P.M. BAIRD (HOMECOMING) 7:30 P.M. AT MUNDAY 7:30 P.M. MENARD * 7:30 P.M. AT ELDORADO * 7:30 P.M. IRION COUNTY * 7:30 P.M. CHRISTOVAL * 7:30 P.M. AT ROCKSPRINGS * 7:30 P.M.
Thursday, August 30, 2018
WINTERS
CONTINUED FROM 4
McCarty pointed out that the team has 11 seniors returning. “One other strength we have, in addition to our offensive line, is our senior leadership,” he said. “They know the system and it helps with preparing the team and younger players. Having eleven seniors is a plus for us. Their experience is a key to having a successful season.” The coaching staff is a harmonious group and that benefits the team. “The coaching staff meshes very well. We have some new coaches that have fit in well with our other coaches,” McCarty said. “The coaches all know the style of football we play, what our strengths and weaknesses are and they feed off of each other to build a solid team.” McCarty points out that it helps that the football scheme isn’t overly complicated and they can work on executing several plays really well, rather than trying to executed a large number of plays with mediocrity, “In the middle of the season we don’t get as much practice time as we do in the summer. It helps for us to keep things simple and work on execution.” Winters will host Goldthwaite for the first game of the season on Aug. 31. Goldthwaite finished their 2017 season breaking with a 4-7 record. The teams are fairly evenly matched. Goldthwaite offense didn’t put many points on the board during the season, finishing with 208 points for and 304 points against. Winters fared somewhat better by scoring 242 points but their Achilles heel was the defense that gave up a considerable 357 points. Winters had several high scoring games both for and against them in 2017. They suffered a season opening loss to De Leon by a score of 53-0. They bounced back by scoring 52 points against Bangs the following week while the defense gave up 36 points in that win. Every game in the 2017 was a high scoring affair with the exception of the game against Texas Leadership Charter Academy. In that game, Winters only managed to put up 6 points and even though their defense was effective by only allowing one score, it was enough to get TLCA the win with a 7-6 final score. After a blowout loss to Albany the following week, the proverbial light seemed to click on for Winters and the team went on a four-game winning streak. During that streak the fewest
RUNNELS COUNTY REGISTER PIGSKIN PREVIEW
points that they scored was 35. With 11 seniors on the squad this year, including at key positions, this could be a break-through year for the team. The second game they face Eldorado, a team that won only two games last season. After Eldorado comes Bangs, a team that was winless in 2017, then Ranger that went 1-9 and a Christoval team that finished the season at 4-7. Iraan could be their first big significant challenge when they face off in Week 6. Iraan went 8-5 last season and made it to the playoffs. Their potent offense put up and impressive 442 points with their defense allowing a total of 339 points, which is an average of 26 points per game. The Blizzards could take advantage of a high scoring game and defeat Iraan. The following week they face another solid opponent in Hawley, who went 8-4 last season. Hawley’s stingy defense only gave up 246 points during the season. Hawley’s offense scored an average of 29 points per game and but their defense proves susceptible to a well organized passing attack, giving up over 240 yards in passing at least twice during the season. Their ability to stop their opponent’s running game was the key to them winning those eight games. Forcing running teams into a passing scheme resulted in some blow out wins for the Bearcats with scores of 52-0, 51-14, 51-6 and 53-6 respectively. Pressuring the defensive backs to make plays proved effective as shown by Stamford’s 244 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-32 win against Hawley. The passing game opened up the running game in Stratford’s 58-12 win over Hawley. In that game, the Elks passed for 179 yards and one touchdown while running for 356 yards and six touchdowns. Hawley’s quarterback, Quay Stokes, graduated last season so expect a determined running fame from seniors Tanner Schnoor and Jacob Caffey and a supporting cast of three more running backs. The competition doesn’t lighten up after that game as the Blizzards will face the Stamford Bulldogs, another 2017 playoff team who went 10-3. Their po-
tent offense averaged just over 43 points per game. Their quarterback, Peyton Bevel, is a senior this season and knows how to win games. Stamford has an effective rushing game and passing game. If they’re challenged on their rushing, Bevel can beat you through the air. He can throw 35 times in a game or six times in a game, depending on their ball movement via the rushing attack. In one contest Bevel attempted just six passes but the team rushed for 473 yards. After that they take on the Forsan Buffaloes. While that game might appear to be a sleeper, Forsan can put some points up surprisingly fast and could catch the Blizzards off guard. Their 3-7 record is partially due to a defense that allowed a daunting thirty five points per game. Regardless of how well
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your offense performs the challenge of overcoming those 35 points per game allowed by the defense tends to put you in a hole that’s hard to dig yourself out of. They finish off the season against a stiff Ozona Lions team that finished last season with a 6-5 record. Ozona started off 2017 with three losses in a row but then things seemed to start coming together and they only lost two more games during the season and playoffs. The Lions offense put up an average of thirty points per game while their defense only allowed 26 points per game. Their juggernaut offense scored as many as 63 points in one game. Their five losses came when their opponents were able to stop a running game that sometimes rushed for almost 500 yards. In two of those losses they were held to under 200 yards on the ground. The Blizzards certainly have a challenging schedule this season and it will take another high scoring offensive effort to win games and a staunch defense to give them the lead and help protect it in the close games. When asked if there were any particular games on the schedule that he was looking towards, said, “We’re looking at Goldthwaite. We take it one game at a time and the next team we face is all that we look at.”
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BALLINGER
CONTINUED FROM 1
Ballinger’s running game should fare well against Brady and the passing game could be hard for the Bulldogs to stop. Last season their opponents scored an average of 41 points against Brady’s 17 points per game average. They only came close to winning once in a 38-37 loss to the Early
RUNNELS COUNTY REGISTER PIGSKIN PREVIEW
Longhorns. Next they will host Reagan County, a team that ended their 2017 season with five wins and six losses. The Bearcats will be hungry for revenge as their porous defense gave up an embarrassing 421 yards and five touchdowns on the ground in a 38-20 loss. The Owls only gave up 276 points last season, the third fewest points given up by any team that the Bearcats will
face. For the third game of the season, the Bearcats will take on Colorado at Bearcat stadium. The Wolves defense feasted on opponents’ offenses last season. The team went 11–2 with the offense putting up the second highest point total of all the teams that the Bearcats will face this year. Their 357 total points, while impressive, were outdone by their vicious defense that allowed
only 139 yards, the fewest yards given up of any team on the Bearcat schedule. While the game will surely require Ballinger’s offense and defense to fire on all cylinders, it could end up being the Bearcats biggest win of the season. Ballinger will have to recover quickly during the following week as their game against Cisco will be the third significant challenge in a row. They will take on the Loboes in a game that should be a high-charged affair. Last season the Loboes took the Bearcats out to the woodshed and put up 41 points while running wild for 337 yards and four touchdowns. The Loboes went 9–3 overall and have the highest point total of any the team that the Bearcats will face, at 383 points. The stingy defense only gave up 211 points during the season. Against Ballinger in 2017, the Loboes time of possession was only 18 minutes compared to Ballinger holding onto the ball almost 30 minutes. The Loboes made the most of those 18 minutes, scoring quickly and often. The Loboes squad is experienced with several seniors on the team. The task of defeating the Loboes isn’t insurmountable and the Bearcats have the ability to score through the air and on the ground. The key is their defense stepping up to the plate and stopping the Loboes high octane running game. The next game is on Oct. 5 against the Anson Tigers. Only Bangs and Grape Creek gave up more than the 435 points given up by the Tigers. Anson’s defense proved susceptible to the passing game last season by giving up 349 passing yards to Roscoe, 286 passing yards to Forsan and 260 passing yards to Albany. In several other games they
Thursday, August 30, 2018
yards in passing in each contest. With a strong aerial assault and effective option game the Bearcats could pull off a significant victory against a team that finished 2017 with a record of 5–6. The next two games will be against opponents with a combined record of 2–19. A Bangs squad that went 0–10 will host the Bearcats on Oct. 12. The Bangs Dragons gave up a whopping 533 points last season while only managing to score 166 points. The next week the Bearcats will travel to Grape Creek to take on the Grape Creek Eagles, who only managed to scrape out two wins versus nine losses in 2017. The Eagles gave up the most points of any squad Ballinger will face in 2018, with 587 points. Grape Creek’s defense was steamrolled in nine games. Even their victories felt like defeats when they barely squeezed out a victory over a winless Baird team by a score of 3–0. They beat hapless Tornillo (2–8) by a score of 50–46 but still gave up 226 yards through the air and 238 yards on the ground. The Bearcat offense could have a stellar game and the defense should not have any problem stopping the Dragons’ offense. On Oct. 26, the Bearcats will host a solid Merkel team that went 7–6 last year. The Badgers have the most balanced game of any team the Bearcats will face. They scored 334 points while giving up only 275. The team was effective through the air as well as on the ground. Of their seven wins, only two of them were not blow out wins. They lost some close games that they probably should have won. If they’ve fine tuned their game and are firing on all cylinders this season the
a strong defense to stop them. The offense could put up a wining score along with 300+ yards on the ground with an effective running game. The season will finish against two teams that had subpar seasons in 2017. The Coleman Bluecats went 3-8 and managed to score a paltry 122 points last season while giving up 368 points. This could be the sleeper game that surprises and upsets a favored Ballinger team, especially with them playing in Coleman. In five games last season, the Bluecats failed to score even a point. A high scoring affair favors the Bearcats while a low scoring game would seem to favor Coleman. The Bearcats finish at home against the Texas Leadership Charter Academy (TLCA). Last season the TLCA Eagles found themselves in the same boat as Coleman in that they also only managed to score lowly 122 points. To top off a subpar season, TLCA gave up more points than Coleman, with 380 points against. Last year the Bearcats mauled the Eagles by a score of 35-6 while their run game pounded the defense and put up a respectable 306 yards. An experienced and strong Ballinger team with nine games in their rearview mirror should be up to the challenge and pull out another convincing victory against the Eagles. If the Bearcats start off strong and are victorious in those early games against stiff competition, they could have a winning season. The challenges come early for the squad and they are serious challenges to be sure. But playing against great teams makes both of the teams better and the Bearcats seem ready to meet challenge this
Thursday, August 30, 2018
RUNNELS COUNTY REGISTER PIGSKIN PREVIEW
MILES
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The following week they travel to take on the juggernaut that is the Munday Moguls. The Moguls’ defense stifled even the best running games as it held their opponents to a combined point total of 191 points. Their potent offense scored 453 points over the 13 games that the Moguls played. In the playoffs they soundly beat Era by a score of 47-13 and then knocked Wink out of the playoffs with a 54-12 thumping. After that, they took on eventual state champion Muenster, who defeated them by a score of 41-7. The Moguls will be looking to get back to the playoffs but Miles could put up a challenge for them and perhaps defeat them if they can keep it a low scoring game. The competition doesn’t get any easier as on Oct. 12 the Bulldogs face off at home against Menard. The Yellowjackets went 9-3 in 2017 and put up an average of 30 points in each game. Miles will have to be hitting on all cylinders to prevent getting stung in a blowout at home by the Yellowjackets. Miles averaged 33points per game last season and will need to control the flow of the game and put up a solid defensive front to prevent a loss. Miles will travel to Eldorado on Oct. 19 to face a squad that went 2-8 last year.
The Eagles could have easily been 5-5 had they not lost three very close games. Miles’ skill position players should conceivably be able to handle Eldorado and secure a win, but playing on the road in Eldorado won’t be easy. The toughness of the Bulldogs will have to come through and hold the Eagles’ offense to a low score. Last season Miles traveled to Irion County and lost a 17-6 heartbreaker. The Bulldogs only completed one pass out of four attempts and rushed 35 times for only 151 yards. They will need signifi-
cantly stronger output from their offense as they take on Irion County in Miles. Even with home field this year, avenging their loss is easier said than done, but Miles should be up to the challenge. Christoval went 4-7 last year and will come into town expecting a win. With Christoval giving up an average of 33 points per game, Miles should be able to capitalize on a strong running game and come away with a win. Christoval scored an average of 22 points per game and coupled with a defense giving up 33 points on average a high scoring game
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would seem to favor Miles. The Bulldogs, with some solid defense, should be more than capable of holding Christoval to three touchdowns or less. The Rocksprings Angoras came to Miles last year and left with a win on a 28-21 score. A non-existent passing game and sub-par rushing game that only picked up 159 were the main causes of their loss. There was some success as junior Jared Flores completed 5 of 9 passes for 62 yards but it wasn’t enough to lift the Bulldogs to a win. Jonas Garcia, who has graduated, got the bulk of the carries during the game but only gained 54 yards on his 17 carries. Mason Bryan, a junior last year, carried the ball 14 times and gained 97 yards, averaging 6.9 yards per carry. If the Bulldogs can run some options and have greater success throwing the ball, it could open up the game and end up in a rout of a Rocksprings team that had a successful 7-5 record for 2017. Miles football seems poised to finally get over the hump and end the suffering of three losing seasons, winning a combined 11 games in from 2015-2017. The Bulldogs won seven games in 2014 and there doesn’t seem to be any reason that they can’t win seven games in 2018, given the returning talent and experience of the players and coaches.