Saturday, November 27, 2010 the Humble Wildcats took on the Friendswood Mustangs at Thorne Stadium on Aldine-Bender in Houston. Kick off was at 2pm.
Although I should not have been there (I woke up with fever that morning and later learned I have strep throat), I took some ibuprofen and went to enjoy a Texas tradition.
I had been told that this would be the best test for Friendswood so far. And that Humble ran the exact same offense that Friendswood uses. To me, this means that both defenses would know how to contain their own offense. It would all depend on which offense is better at the scheme and which defense is better at containing that offense.
Before the game even started, something went wrong. The GSL sponsor for Friendswood forgot to assign a group of representatives for this game. Some cheerleaders blue crew members took care of it when Humble's representatives began to walk across the field. Oops.
The game "started" with a delay of game penalty. Then, before the ball was kicked, the whistles blew again. Never did find out why. Friendswood won the toss and was waiting to watch the kick. It was anticlimactic everyone standing up, clapping, cheering, screaming, and . . . waiting. Once the ball was finally kicked, Kennemer caught it and passed it off to Johnson, who made it to Friendswood's 38 yard line before he was run out of bounds. Watching Friendswood's offense, it seemed that they were a bit excited. There was one false start penalty in the first drive, but they just looked like they had too much red bull before the game (a little unusual for the Mustangs).
For the first quarter both defenses were effective. There were several punts before someone finally found the end zone. Thankfully, it was Maetzold's pass to Stevens that put the first points on the board. There were only 2 minutes and 40 seconds left in the first quarter before the score became 0-7.
By the end of the first quarter, the score was still 0-7. At some point during that 1st quarter, Johnson left the game and did not return. He was never tended to on the field, so not many people realized he was injured. I later learned that he had a possible concussion and his fate for next week won't be known until the middle of the week.
It took 7 minutes 29 seconds into the second quarter for anyone to score again. Once again it was Friendswood. Friendswood could probably have scored earlier, but on 2nd and 10 and again on 3rd and 10 we tried some sort of weird "trick" play that looked like everyone was lining up for an onsides kick. The offensive line lined up on the west side of the field, leaving the center, quarterback and a receiver on the east side of the field. The offensive line just stood up and relaxed when the ball was hiked. Two receivers (one on each side of the field) ran, trying to get free. Both times, the receivers were in a position to make a catch (not necessarily an easy catch), but Maetzold overthrew his intended receivers. He seemed to have that problem off and on throughout the game. So, on 4th and 10, Friendswood punted it away.
I think the Mustangs may have been watching too much you tube.
Humble wasn't able to do anything either. The ball went back and forth for the rest of the half. At the end of the half, Humble attempted a 39 yard field goal, bur the kick was wide left. That made the score at half time 0-14 Friendswood.
Now about half time. I completely understand why bands do what they do during regular season half time shows. I understand that they are working to create a show that the judges will like during their competitions. And, believe me, I know how hard they work. That said, the play off half time shows are so much more fun. They get the crowd involved and the band looks like they're having fun.
So, with half time over, it was time for the football team to re-take the field. The third quarter continued much as the first two had gone. Lots of punting (each team did throw one interception during the first half). Once again, when the score changed, the points were added to Friendswood's score. Again, it was Maetzold's pass to Stevens that changed the score board. So, with 5:07 left in the 3rd quarter, the score was Humble 0 - Friendswood 21.
Even 21 points down, Humble did not give up. They went for it on 4th and 14 from the Friendswood 23 and got the first down. A few plays later, they put some points of their own on the board and with less than a minute to play in the third quarter, the score was Humble 7 - Friendswood 21.
It took another 8 minutes for someone to find the end zone again. This time it was a pass from Maetzold to Battle. With 3:59 left in the game, the score was Humble 7 - Friendswood 28.
Then, it looked like Humble was just coming into their stride. I'm not sure if our defense was letting up, or if their offense was playing better. They were driving to the end zone again when Wood came up with an interception near their 25 yard line and ran it back to our 35. A few plays later, with 1:27 left on the clock, Friendswood pushed it's way into the end zone to make the score Humble 7 - Friendswood 35. And then . . .
Once again, it's a good thing Zach Hardy knows how to tackle. This time, someone else might have caught the ball carrier. But still.
I think our defense thought the game was over. They showed little resistance as Humble marched down the field and scored another touch down of their own. It took the Wildcats 1:13 of playing time to score that touch down. Humble decided to go for the 2 point conversion, but were unsuccessful. Fitzpatrick ended up with the ball in the end zone, play over. The score was 13-35 Friendswood.
There were only 14 seconds left on the clock. So, that was the end of the game.
Once again, the refs were unable to call a fair game. We received 15 yard penalties for infractions that earned Humble a warning. At one point, the penalty was called against us when an Humble player tried to start a fight. There were a few calls concerning whether or not a play was a reception or an incomplete pass that were debatable. Those types of calls. I don't know why officials find it necessary to make unfair calls against Friendswood, but it seems to be happening way too often. And if you read my tweets and facebook posts during the game, you'll see that I comment on every questionable call, not just the ones that go against Friendswood. And you'll notice that there are alot more that go against Friendswood than for Friendswood.
I'm glad that our coaches have taught our team to not worry about the officials biases and go out and play the game. It shows that we have student athletes of character. And that we deserve each and everyone win we get.
This game was one of the best games I've seen our defense play. They held Humble to only 242 offensive yards. I hope they continue to improve I suspect that from here on out, each offense they see will be better than the last. Our offense this week was better than the week before, but still inconsistent. They have to maintain that level of greatness to get past the tougher defenses they will face.
The next stop on the road to the state championship game will be at Rice Stadium on Saturday, December 4, 2010. The Friendswood Mustangs will again play from the home side as we take on the Montgomery Bears in the Regional Finals (state quarter finals). Kick off will be at 7pm and the gates open at 6pm. Be there and wear blue!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Houston Wheatley Wildcats vs. Friendswood Mustangs - Nov. 19, 2010
What can I say about tonight's game. Well, the score wasn't a good reflection of the game; let's start there. As usual, the Mustangs played down to their opponent. I can see both good and bad in doing this - mostly bad. But, as I'm a "glass half full", "always look at the bright side" kind of person (usually) I had to come up with one good thing. The only good thing I can think of is that this makes the Mustangs difficult to scout. To scouts, we always look unimpressive. Even to the fans, we always look unimpressive. I'm sure that to college scouts, we look unimpressive. The players and team rarely show what they can really do. Is this by design? Or just a bad habit the team has fallen into.
So, for tonight's game, we didn't look all that great, but we got the job done. To start the game, Friendswood won the toss and elected to receive. With the very first play, we learned that Wheatley doesn't kick well. They had to re-kick the kick off. A Wildcat touched the ball at the 43 yard line, so that is where we began. You would think, after all the hype, that we would march right down to the end zone. Wrong. We made three plays and punted. Our offensive line provided no protection to Maetzold. The line of scrimmage never moved. Just out of curiosity, I wonder if Hardy or Dement could have hit a field goal from the 43 yard line?
Wheatley didn't do any better on their first possession. They punted on their first possession. We blocked the punt, but it still rolled a good ways.
Again, Friendswood had a bad possession. Someone on the offensive line consistently missed his assignment (I honestly don't know if it was the same person every time). Maetzold was almost always under pressure and the receivers were well covered. This remained a problem for the Mustangs for the entire game. The difference on this possession is that we were able to get out of it with points on the board. With 7:35 left in the first quarter, the score was Houston Wheatley 0 - Friendswood 3.
After recovering a fumble and moving back down the field, Friendswood scored again, but the point after attempt missed. With three minutes forty seven seconds left in the first quarter, the score was Houston Wheatley 0 - Friendswood 9.
Wheatley received the kick off, but wasn't ale to do anything with it - the ball went back to Friendswood on downs. And what did Friendswood do? March right down to the end zone, that's what. Now there's 1:17 left in the first quarter and the score is Houston Wheatley 0 - Friendswood 16.
Once again, (and this happened more than once during the game) it was a good thing for Friendswood that the place kickers know how to tackle (though Hardy is a better tackler than Dement). I don't know what happened, but for the last few games our kick off coverage has been terrible. And there were a few other mistakes, like players standing around watching the quarterback being sacked.
I think you've read enough to know how the game went. By half time, the score was Houston Wheatley 0 - Friendswood 23. During the first half we learned that Kennemer needs new shoes (or something, he's been tripping over his own feet for a couple of weeks). We learned that Hardy can still tackle well. We learned that Dement can tackle, but not as effectively as Hardy. We learned that Wheatley has good pass coverage and that Wheatley can get through our offensive line.
But for as much as we learned, we were also left with questions - why is Wheatley getting through our offensive line so easily? Why were they able to do this and still cover our receivers? And why is the place kicker having to tackle the ball carrier?
After half time, it took our defense a few plays to wake up, but after that they played well (when they got to play). Our defense made several tackles resulting in negative yards.
In the third quarter, Wheatley got their only points of the game. They attempted a 2 point conversion, but were unsuccessful. I later learned these were the first points a HISD school has scored against a 24-4A team (not an honor the team was looking for).
The 4th quarter brought Friendswood's back up and a few JV players onto the field. We got to see Gardner's speed, but we never saw his arm. Our players performed well. I'm glad they got some playing time, and I hope they are able to get some more.
The final score at the end of the night was Houston Wheatley Wildcats 6 - Friendswood Mustangs 50.
This was probably one of the most fairly called games this season. There were only 2 calls that I disagreed with, both being whether or not Wheatley had earned a first down.
And somone should probably mention to our offense that when playing a school where basketball is more important than football, it's a bad idea to throw long passes into coverage. The basketball players will leap up and snag the pass out of the air.
There is definitely some work for our team to do this week. The problem with bad snaps (both to Maetzold and to Garner) must be fixed. This is a must. The kick off return protection also must be fixed. And if Kennemer needs new shoes, then lets get him some; or help him figure out why he's tripping over his own two feet. Let's get our offensive line protecting Maetzold better and get our receivers open. On the defense side, the tackling is looking better for the starters, but the backups and JV players need to work on their fundamentals and techniques.
Time to do some research on Humble. They are our next opponent. Saturday, November 27, 2010 at 2:00pm at Thorne Stadium.
So, for tonight's game, we didn't look all that great, but we got the job done. To start the game, Friendswood won the toss and elected to receive. With the very first play, we learned that Wheatley doesn't kick well. They had to re-kick the kick off. A Wildcat touched the ball at the 43 yard line, so that is where we began. You would think, after all the hype, that we would march right down to the end zone. Wrong. We made three plays and punted. Our offensive line provided no protection to Maetzold. The line of scrimmage never moved. Just out of curiosity, I wonder if Hardy or Dement could have hit a field goal from the 43 yard line?
Wheatley didn't do any better on their first possession. They punted on their first possession. We blocked the punt, but it still rolled a good ways.
Again, Friendswood had a bad possession. Someone on the offensive line consistently missed his assignment (I honestly don't know if it was the same person every time). Maetzold was almost always under pressure and the receivers were well covered. This remained a problem for the Mustangs for the entire game. The difference on this possession is that we were able to get out of it with points on the board. With 7:35 left in the first quarter, the score was Houston Wheatley 0 - Friendswood 3.
After recovering a fumble and moving back down the field, Friendswood scored again, but the point after attempt missed. With three minutes forty seven seconds left in the first quarter, the score was Houston Wheatley 0 - Friendswood 9.
Wheatley received the kick off, but wasn't ale to do anything with it - the ball went back to Friendswood on downs. And what did Friendswood do? March right down to the end zone, that's what. Now there's 1:17 left in the first quarter and the score is Houston Wheatley 0 - Friendswood 16.
Once again, (and this happened more than once during the game) it was a good thing for Friendswood that the place kickers know how to tackle (though Hardy is a better tackler than Dement). I don't know what happened, but for the last few games our kick off coverage has been terrible. And there were a few other mistakes, like players standing around watching the quarterback being sacked.
I think you've read enough to know how the game went. By half time, the score was Houston Wheatley 0 - Friendswood 23. During the first half we learned that Kennemer needs new shoes (or something, he's been tripping over his own feet for a couple of weeks). We learned that Hardy can still tackle well. We learned that Dement can tackle, but not as effectively as Hardy. We learned that Wheatley has good pass coverage and that Wheatley can get through our offensive line.
But for as much as we learned, we were also left with questions - why is Wheatley getting through our offensive line so easily? Why were they able to do this and still cover our receivers? And why is the place kicker having to tackle the ball carrier?
After half time, it took our defense a few plays to wake up, but after that they played well (when they got to play). Our defense made several tackles resulting in negative yards.
In the third quarter, Wheatley got their only points of the game. They attempted a 2 point conversion, but were unsuccessful. I later learned these were the first points a HISD school has scored against a 24-4A team (not an honor the team was looking for).
The 4th quarter brought Friendswood's back up and a few JV players onto the field. We got to see Gardner's speed, but we never saw his arm. Our players performed well. I'm glad they got some playing time, and I hope they are able to get some more.
The final score at the end of the night was Houston Wheatley Wildcats 6 - Friendswood Mustangs 50.
This was probably one of the most fairly called games this season. There were only 2 calls that I disagreed with, both being whether or not Wheatley had earned a first down.
And somone should probably mention to our offense that when playing a school where basketball is more important than football, it's a bad idea to throw long passes into coverage. The basketball players will leap up and snag the pass out of the air.
There is definitely some work for our team to do this week. The problem with bad snaps (both to Maetzold and to Garner) must be fixed. This is a must. The kick off return protection also must be fixed. And if Kennemer needs new shoes, then lets get him some; or help him figure out why he's tripping over his own two feet. Let's get our offensive line protecting Maetzold better and get our receivers open. On the defense side, the tackling is looking better for the starters, but the backups and JV players need to work on their fundamentals and techniques.
Time to do some research on Humble. They are our next opponent. Saturday, November 27, 2010 at 2:00pm at Thorne Stadium.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Friendswood Mustangs vs. Richmond Foster Falcons - play offs round 1 Nov. 11, 2010
It was a move designed to give the winners a chance to scout their competition. On Thursday, November 11, 2010, both teams traveled to Angleton High School to complete in the bi-district championship. Foster played on the home side of the stadium and Friendswood on the visitors side. I don't know how it is determined which team will take which side, but there is something that should be considered: the size of the teams traveling fan base. Had that been a Friday night game, we could have easily overfilled the stands. The home side of the stands however were less than 60% full, maybe less than 50%.
Unfortunately, I had to miss the kick off, but I was in the stands about 10 minutes afterward. Which was a good thing, since the Mustangs put the first points on the board at 7:12pm. 2:47 minutes of playing time had elapsed and people began to think the Mustangs were on their way to a BBB (Big Butt Beating). Unfortunately, all those people were wrong.
The defense took to the field for the first time, and looked really good. Unfortunately, they did leave a few holes from time to time. And, unfortunatley, the Falcons saw those holes. In reality, the offense struggled more than the defense. Yes, you read that right. Our offense struggled more than our defense. Johnson "fumbled" the ball twice. I also learned that he can juggle. There was a third time that he "fumbled" the ball, but it was ruled an incomplete pass.
That combined with failed 4th down conversions three times (highly unusual for the Mustangs) and the failed punt fake, and the incomplete passes, showed the Mustangs offense to be having a bad night (unprepared? big heads?) Even after Bergeson's awesome interception, the Mustangs weren't able to get to the endzone.
It was a very close call for Friendswood. I hope that the team realizes that anyone can beat them, if they don't practice hard all week and they don't show up to play for the whole game.
This coming Friday, November 19, 2010, the Friendswood Mustangs will take on the Houston Wheatley Wildcats at Galena Park ISD Stadium at 7pm. I hope to see the Mustangs show everyone that we have what it takes to get to Dallas in December.
Unfortunately, I had to miss the kick off, but I was in the stands about 10 minutes afterward. Which was a good thing, since the Mustangs put the first points on the board at 7:12pm. 2:47 minutes of playing time had elapsed and people began to think the Mustangs were on their way to a BBB (Big Butt Beating). Unfortunately, all those people were wrong.
The defense took to the field for the first time, and looked really good. Unfortunately, they did leave a few holes from time to time. And, unfortunatley, the Falcons saw those holes. In reality, the offense struggled more than the defense. Yes, you read that right. Our offense struggled more than our defense. Johnson "fumbled" the ball twice. I also learned that he can juggle. There was a third time that he "fumbled" the ball, but it was ruled an incomplete pass.
That combined with failed 4th down conversions three times (highly unusual for the Mustangs) and the failed punt fake, and the incomplete passes, showed the Mustangs offense to be having a bad night (unprepared? big heads?) Even after Bergeson's awesome interception, the Mustangs weren't able to get to the endzone.
It was a very close call for Friendswood. I hope that the team realizes that anyone can beat them, if they don't practice hard all week and they don't show up to play for the whole game.
This coming Friday, November 19, 2010, the Friendswood Mustangs will take on the Houston Wheatley Wildcats at Galena Park ISD Stadium at 7pm. I hope to see the Mustangs show everyone that we have what it takes to get to Dallas in December.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Friendswood host Texas City and comcast on Thursday night
On Thursday, November 4, 2010, a first happened at Henry Winston Stadium in Friendswood, TX. There was a Thursday night varsity football game. The game was moved to Thursday night to accomodate Comcast, who wanted to show the game live. The home side of the stadium was full, as usual. I don't know if other families had to do as much juggling as I did. Being a Thursday game, I had to ask for help trying to be in two places at once (I hate asking for help). Being Thursday night, my kids had other activities (one of which had to be skipped and one couldn't be skipped.) And being Patriotic Half Time, that meant my older daughter was involved with the game activitites.
On a side note, for those who have never seen Friendswood's patriotic half time, you should check it out on you tube. It involves the marching band, Wranglerettes, FHS choir, FJH band and FJH choir.
This game was special for me, not only because my daughter sang at half time, but also because my dad and mom finally took me up on my invitations for them to come to a football game. Of course, my mom got there just before half time because she took my younger daughter to her activity, and they both left after half time. But still, it was fun. I really enjoyed talking football during the first half with my dad.
Now, for the game. Due to this being a Thursday game, I hadn't seen many predictions before the game. And since I ususally do my studying on Friday, I hadn't had time to look at everything. My only prediction was that Friendswood would win.
At kick off time, it was a little chilly, but thankfully the wind had died down. The wind would not be the factor it was in the Santa Fe game. Of course, the temperature dropped as the game continued and probably the only people who weren't chilly were the ones in uniforms or in the press box. Now, I know that many people are asking, what color uniforms were the Mustangs wearing. They wore the same uniforms as homecoming - blue jerseys and black pants.
Friendswood won the toss and elected to receive. I think luck is with the Mustangs. I'd have to double check, but I think the only time we didn't win the toss this year was the game against Santa Fe.
This game got off to a great start, for Friendswood. 1 minute 35 seconds into the game and after 4 plays, Friendswood drove 70 yards to the end zone.
The Mustang defense seemed to erased the loss to Santa Fe from their mouthes as well. They sacked the Texas City quarter back during Texas City's first posession and held them to less than 10 yards. Friendswood got the ball back, and took it back to the end zone. So, with 7:33 left in the first quarter, the score was Texas City - Friendswood 14.
After the point after kick, Friendswood kicked the ball to Texas City, who still couldn't do anything with it. The problem was that once Friendswood got the ball again, they didn't have as much luck as they had had. Instead of ending the drive with a touch down, the Mustang's drive ended when Tyler Dement kicked a (36 yard?) field goal. So, with 3:24 left in the 1st quarter, the score was Texas City 0 - Friendswood 17. The play before the kick had been a beautiful pass from Maetzold to Johnson. It was right on targer, but the Texas City defenders saw what was coming and nearly intercepted the ball. It could've been a touch down, but oh well.
And then, . . . something happened. Not sure what, but our defense seemed to decide it was nap time.
The first quarter ended with a score of 0-17, but the buzzer didn't seem to wake up our defense. 48 seconds after that buzzer, Texas City found the end zone for the first time that evening. With 11:12 left in the half, the score was Texas City 7 - Friendswood 17.
Shortly after that, there was a fight on the field. That's the first fight I've seen this year (but I did miss the first half of the La Marque game). Instead of saying the player who through the punch was thrown from the game, the ref said the player "disqualified himself from the game for throwing a punch." That was #7 (D'Onti Foreman) from Texas City.
It only took 4:24 of playing time for Friendswood's offense to answer. After a false start on 4th and 2 from the 35, Maetzold got the ball to Johnson, who ran into the endzone. So with, 6:48 left in the half. The score was Texas City 7 - Friendswood 24.
So, now that our defense has had a little time off the field, do you think they woke up? If you said "yes", you'd be wrong. First, Friendswood was called for unsportsmanlike conduct (Mustangs, I know the coaches taught you better than that.). Then, they got bounced around like pinballs while Texas City ran 54 yards to the end zone. Now, there's just under six minutes left before half time, and the score was Texas City 14 - Friendswood 24.
Friendswood tried to march back down the field, but after penalties for false start and holding, Friendswood was looking at 1st and 20. Maetzold handed off to Johnson, who ran one whole yard. But anyone who knows Friendswood knows they didn't give up, Friendswood marched down the field, and should have had a touch down, but Texas City benefited from the ref who looked away during the pass interference. Our receiver was tripped, and therefore didn't make the catch. If there's one thing that seriously irritates me during footall games, it's officials who don't call a fair game.
Friendswood tried again, but this time, the ball went over on downs. Texas City got the ball back. But, they didn't have the ball for long. Jordon Wood intercepted the ball on our 34 yard line. This fired up the Mustangs (as if they weren't already hyped). The next play, Maetzold passed to Bolton, who ran to Texas City's 37 yard line. Unfortunately the Mustangs just couldn't get past the 14 yard line. Instead, Tyler Dement was called on again to kick a field goal. The kick was good, and with 37 seconds left in the half, the score was Texas City 14 - Friendswood 27.
Texas City was able to take posession one more time. Our defense still looked like they were taking a nap, but were able to hold Texas City enough to prevent them for scoring again.
I was really surprised by the size of Texas City's band. I didn't count, but the drill team may have been larger than the band. The Stingeree band played "The Horse" in a "TC" formation, then marched off the field to their fight song (which, by the way, is Dickinson's school song, and Santa Fe's fight song). Then it was time for Friendswood's Annual Patriotic Half Time Show.
First, the Wranglerette's danced to a medely of patriotic tunes. Afterward, the FHS and FJH choir joined the band in a patriotic number. One of the best parts of the show was the honoring of everyone who has ever served in our military - each branch: Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, Army, Marines (always save the best for last.) was honored with part of their song. This year, my husband was unable to be there to be honored, but my dad was there.
The second half started out with all the fans screaming. The Mustangs fans were screaming for someone to tackle the runner, while the Stingeree fans were screaming for him to keep going. It's a good thing for Friendswood that Zach Hardy can kick as well as tackle. Zach was the only person between Texas City and opening the half with a touch down. Now we know that our special teams group is still enjoying their mid game nap, what about the rest of the defense? As soon as we saw them on the field, we knew the answer - Yes, they were. It took Texas City less than four minutes of playing time to put more points on the score board. With 8:15 left in the 3rd quarter, the score was Texas City 21 - Friendswood 27 (only a 6 point game). Would Friendswood add to their total when they got the ball back?
The answer - no. We had to punt. Thankfully, Texas City didn't get far before we intercepted the ball. I wish I had seen who caught it. Before we made it to midfield - there were late flags after a play. The refs said there was dead ball personal foul against Friendswood. I still don't know what we did. On the next play, the only injury of the game occured. A Texas City player was carried off the field. I never saw his number or heard what happened.
The quarter ended before anyone else added to the numbers on the score board: Texas City 21 - Friendswood 28.
Texas City was the next team to score, and for the first time that night, Texas City held the lead. With 11:05 left in the game, the score was Texas City 28 - Friendswood 27.
Five minutes later, Friendswood scored again. Friendswood decided to go with a 2 point conversion, and it worked. With 6:12 on the clock the score was Texas City 28 - Friendswood 35. Meaning, that Texas City would need more than a touch down to win the game.
Finally, our defense decided to play football again. They were able to hold Texas City and force a punt.
And for all intensive purposes, that was the all game. There were still a few plays, but only Friendswood had more chances to score.
So, with that win, Friendswood has done all it can do (expect beat Santa Fe) to win the outright district title. We would have to wait until after Friday night's games to learn their official fate on the title, as well as who the next opponent would be. We now know that Friendswood (9-1, 5-1) is the district 24-4A Champion! We also know that we will play Richmond Foster Thursday (November 11, 2010, Veteran's Day) in Angleton. I hope that our team used the Friday night (11-5-10) off to rest and scout the teams they expect to encounter in the play offs.
I'm glad that the first play off game with be on a Thursday, but purely for person reasons. My oldest daughter and I are heading to Dallas/Fort Worth for the weekend. Now we don't have to chose between going to the game and arriving in the metroplex in the daylight.
I hope Friendswood wins, and is able to do more scouting next weekend.
On a side note, for those who have never seen Friendswood's patriotic half time, you should check it out on you tube. It involves the marching band, Wranglerettes, FHS choir, FJH band and FJH choir.
This game was special for me, not only because my daughter sang at half time, but also because my dad and mom finally took me up on my invitations for them to come to a football game. Of course, my mom got there just before half time because she took my younger daughter to her activity, and they both left after half time. But still, it was fun. I really enjoyed talking football during the first half with my dad.
Now, for the game. Due to this being a Thursday game, I hadn't seen many predictions before the game. And since I ususally do my studying on Friday, I hadn't had time to look at everything. My only prediction was that Friendswood would win.
At kick off time, it was a little chilly, but thankfully the wind had died down. The wind would not be the factor it was in the Santa Fe game. Of course, the temperature dropped as the game continued and probably the only people who weren't chilly were the ones in uniforms or in the press box. Now, I know that many people are asking, what color uniforms were the Mustangs wearing. They wore the same uniforms as homecoming - blue jerseys and black pants.
Friendswood won the toss and elected to receive. I think luck is with the Mustangs. I'd have to double check, but I think the only time we didn't win the toss this year was the game against Santa Fe.
This game got off to a great start, for Friendswood. 1 minute 35 seconds into the game and after 4 plays, Friendswood drove 70 yards to the end zone.
The Mustang defense seemed to erased the loss to Santa Fe from their mouthes as well. They sacked the Texas City quarter back during Texas City's first posession and held them to less than 10 yards. Friendswood got the ball back, and took it back to the end zone. So, with 7:33 left in the first quarter, the score was Texas City - Friendswood 14.
After the point after kick, Friendswood kicked the ball to Texas City, who still couldn't do anything with it. The problem was that once Friendswood got the ball again, they didn't have as much luck as they had had. Instead of ending the drive with a touch down, the Mustang's drive ended when Tyler Dement kicked a (36 yard?) field goal. So, with 3:24 left in the 1st quarter, the score was Texas City 0 - Friendswood 17. The play before the kick had been a beautiful pass from Maetzold to Johnson. It was right on targer, but the Texas City defenders saw what was coming and nearly intercepted the ball. It could've been a touch down, but oh well.
And then, . . . something happened. Not sure what, but our defense seemed to decide it was nap time.
The first quarter ended with a score of 0-17, but the buzzer didn't seem to wake up our defense. 48 seconds after that buzzer, Texas City found the end zone for the first time that evening. With 11:12 left in the half, the score was Texas City 7 - Friendswood 17.
Shortly after that, there was a fight on the field. That's the first fight I've seen this year (but I did miss the first half of the La Marque game). Instead of saying the player who through the punch was thrown from the game, the ref said the player "disqualified himself from the game for throwing a punch." That was #7 (D'Onti Foreman) from Texas City.
It only took 4:24 of playing time for Friendswood's offense to answer. After a false start on 4th and 2 from the 35, Maetzold got the ball to Johnson, who ran into the endzone. So with, 6:48 left in the half. The score was Texas City 7 - Friendswood 24.
So, now that our defense has had a little time off the field, do you think they woke up? If you said "yes", you'd be wrong. First, Friendswood was called for unsportsmanlike conduct (Mustangs, I know the coaches taught you better than that.). Then, they got bounced around like pinballs while Texas City ran 54 yards to the end zone. Now, there's just under six minutes left before half time, and the score was Texas City 14 - Friendswood 24.
Friendswood tried to march back down the field, but after penalties for false start and holding, Friendswood was looking at 1st and 20. Maetzold handed off to Johnson, who ran one whole yard. But anyone who knows Friendswood knows they didn't give up, Friendswood marched down the field, and should have had a touch down, but Texas City benefited from the ref who looked away during the pass interference. Our receiver was tripped, and therefore didn't make the catch. If there's one thing that seriously irritates me during footall games, it's officials who don't call a fair game.
Friendswood tried again, but this time, the ball went over on downs. Texas City got the ball back. But, they didn't have the ball for long. Jordon Wood intercepted the ball on our 34 yard line. This fired up the Mustangs (as if they weren't already hyped). The next play, Maetzold passed to Bolton, who ran to Texas City's 37 yard line. Unfortunately the Mustangs just couldn't get past the 14 yard line. Instead, Tyler Dement was called on again to kick a field goal. The kick was good, and with 37 seconds left in the half, the score was Texas City 14 - Friendswood 27.
Texas City was able to take posession one more time. Our defense still looked like they were taking a nap, but were able to hold Texas City enough to prevent them for scoring again.
I was really surprised by the size of Texas City's band. I didn't count, but the drill team may have been larger than the band. The Stingeree band played "The Horse" in a "TC" formation, then marched off the field to their fight song (which, by the way, is Dickinson's school song, and Santa Fe's fight song). Then it was time for Friendswood's Annual Patriotic Half Time Show.
First, the Wranglerette's danced to a medely of patriotic tunes. Afterward, the FHS and FJH choir joined the band in a patriotic number. One of the best parts of the show was the honoring of everyone who has ever served in our military - each branch: Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, Army, Marines (always save the best for last.) was honored with part of their song. This year, my husband was unable to be there to be honored, but my dad was there.
The second half started out with all the fans screaming. The Mustangs fans were screaming for someone to tackle the runner, while the Stingeree fans were screaming for him to keep going. It's a good thing for Friendswood that Zach Hardy can kick as well as tackle. Zach was the only person between Texas City and opening the half with a touch down. Now we know that our special teams group is still enjoying their mid game nap, what about the rest of the defense? As soon as we saw them on the field, we knew the answer - Yes, they were. It took Texas City less than four minutes of playing time to put more points on the score board. With 8:15 left in the 3rd quarter, the score was Texas City 21 - Friendswood 27 (only a 6 point game). Would Friendswood add to their total when they got the ball back?
The answer - no. We had to punt. Thankfully, Texas City didn't get far before we intercepted the ball. I wish I had seen who caught it. Before we made it to midfield - there were late flags after a play. The refs said there was dead ball personal foul against Friendswood. I still don't know what we did. On the next play, the only injury of the game occured. A Texas City player was carried off the field. I never saw his number or heard what happened.
The quarter ended before anyone else added to the numbers on the score board: Texas City 21 - Friendswood 28.
Texas City was the next team to score, and for the first time that night, Texas City held the lead. With 11:05 left in the game, the score was Texas City 28 - Friendswood 27.
Five minutes later, Friendswood scored again. Friendswood decided to go with a 2 point conversion, and it worked. With 6:12 on the clock the score was Texas City 28 - Friendswood 35. Meaning, that Texas City would need more than a touch down to win the game.
Finally, our defense decided to play football again. They were able to hold Texas City and force a punt.
And for all intensive purposes, that was the all game. There were still a few plays, but only Friendswood had more chances to score.
So, with that win, Friendswood has done all it can do (expect beat Santa Fe) to win the outright district title. We would have to wait until after Friday night's games to learn their official fate on the title, as well as who the next opponent would be. We now know that Friendswood (9-1, 5-1) is the district 24-4A Champion! We also know that we will play Richmond Foster Thursday (November 11, 2010, Veteran's Day) in Angleton. I hope that our team used the Friday night (11-5-10) off to rest and scout the teams they expect to encounter in the play offs.
I'm glad that the first play off game with be on a Thursday, but purely for person reasons. My oldest daughter and I are heading to Dallas/Fort Worth for the weekend. Now we don't have to chose between going to the game and arriving in the metroplex in the daylight.
I hope Friendswood wins, and is able to do more scouting next weekend.
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