On Saturday, November 23, 2013, the Friendswood Mustangs hosted the Stratford Spartans at Fort Bend ISD's Mercer Stadium. It was still a great day to be a Mustang, but it was not the Mustangs' day.
Before I get into what went right and what went wrong, let me say thank you to all the seniors. Thank you for your years of contribution to this program. Your influence will be felt after you leave the field house for the last time, thanks to the way you led the younger players. They will continue to look up to you in the years to come. Thank you Collin Faulk, Walker Williams, Slade Holle, Anthony Makransky, Brandon Brower, Cameron Faulk, Garon Stewart, Eric Loll, Nick Flores, Blake Reagan, James Bauer, Brad Rains, Zach Dillon, Garrett Wenzel, Wes Dooley, Ryan Wilcox, Blake Stansberry, Matt Mazza, Mason Cruse, James Richardson, Robert Mejia, Kade Beyer, Hunter Kirkland, Jake Ranostaj, Gatlin Lowe, Alan McNatt, Matt Moffitt, Blake Anderson, Justin Deatherage, Chris Ykac, Carlos Benem, Jordan Pike, Jackson Pruet, and Shawn Scheknecht.
And now, for the good, the bad and the ugly.
I hate having to do this, but I have to start with the Refs. Shame on you! Turning a blind eye to that many rule infractions should never happen in any sport at any level. Whether it's little kids just learning the game, high school varsity sports, or at the professional level. If an athlete doesn't know he/she is doing something wrong, the bad habit or illegal move will not stop. And if the athlete does know that he/she is doing something wrong, receives no consequence for the action and sees his/her team being rewarded as a result; the action will not stop. Why would it? Sports is a metaphor for life. A person must learn to play by the rules in order to have long term success in life. As an official, it is your responsibility to help these athletes learn the game. And in order to do your part in these athlete's education, you must call the game fairly. This was a playoff game. The final score of this game sent one team to the next round. And for the other team, their season is over. How do you sleep at night knowing that your lack of proper officiating could have been the difference that ended the season for the team on the wrong side of the score board? Now, with the way the Mustangs were playing Saturday (and I'm about to get to that), I can't honestly say that fair officiating would have made the difference. But, the score probably would have been much closer. This season I have seen more poor officiating than I have seen in a long time. Why? Is there some sort of shortage resulting in poorly trained officials, or officials who don't take pride in their work? Is there a lack of officials who care about doing a good job? Is the game becoming too complex for the current officials? Do we need more officials on the field to keep a better watch on the game? Do we need less officials? What is the cause in the deterioration of the quality of officiating in varsity football?
And the bad, well, most of the game could qualify for this. Stratford had obviously studied film of Friendswood's games. They knew what the Mustangs were going to do and how to stop it. They knew how to make holes in the Mustang defensive line and how to prevent the Mustang offense from creating holes. The offense did not block for the ball carriers, and the Spartans knew how to take advantage of that. This is a problem that has been seen and previous games. The play callers continued to call plays that didn't work. Someone on the Mustang sideline definitely meets Einstein's definition of insanity. Just because a play worked well against one team does not mean that it will work well against every team. Variety is the spice of life. Keep trying different things if what you think will work, doesn't. Don't give up and don't stick to the same old same old. The preparation by the Mustangs' opponent was made more apparent by the mistakes made by the Mustang offense. At least three fumbled snaps and three or four interceptions thrown. (I think Sargent at least doubled the number of interceptions he threw this season during this one game). And how many passes were incomplete either because the receiver wasn't where he was supposed to be or the ball was thrown to the wrong spot? Did the Mustangs study the Spartans? Just looking at the team stats on the Houston Chronicle's website, I knew that the team preferred to run the ball and was good at intercepting. Before Saturday, their quarterbacks only completed 50-56% of their passes and their defense had 11 interceptions. That completion percentage and interception rate both greatly improved for the Spartans on Saturday.
So that was the ugly and the bad; now for the good. Even in the face of having to play the Spartans with "blind" refs, the Mustangs never gave up. They went out and played each snap like it would be the one to be the difference between winning and losing. And every Mustang should be commended for that. As I previously said, the Mustangs played their hearts out on Saturday. They left it all on the field. Defense - once again you were the heart and soul of the team. You are a unit to be admired and looked up to by future squads of the varsity Mustangs. Seniors, please pass on your knowledge to the younger players. I've been watching high school football for more than three decades (man that makes me sound old), and I've rarely seen a defense that dominant. I know that Saturday was not your day. I don't know if you weren't prepared for Statford's offensive scheme, or if it was just a bad day. But don't let your heads hang for long. You have a lot to be proud of. Special teams + you got to work a lot more than you probably would have liked, but you played smart and consistent all day. Faulk, I know the fans weren't fond of the low punts; but when punting into the wind, that was effective. Whoever's idea that was knew what he was talking about. The Mustang offense worked for every yard they got. They earned each of them. They played two different quarterbacks and brought Williams in from the defense to play receiver for a while. Neither Longbotham nor Vandersypen touched the ball much, but they both dug deep and gave it everything they had on every play to try to get into the end zone. Page is really improving at the quarterback position as well as running and receiving the ball. Sargent didn't have a great day, but he never allowed any frustration he felt to show. He appeared calm and collected through the whole game.
So, what can the Mustangs do to help next season's team go even farther into the playoffs? A lot actually. And as many have said, next season starts today. I waited longer than usual to write this week's blog because of some things I realized while discussing what happened on the way home from the game. I wanted to spend some time thinking and organizing my thoughts before I sat down to type.
The first thing I realized is that, over the season, the quarterbacks become more like robots. This is not a phenomenon that is limited to this season. This is something that has happened many seasons. When the season begins, the quarterback(s) reads the field, sees what his options are, and chooses the best option available. Some quarterbacks have been better at this than others. Sometimes, the quarterback(s) made poor choices. But they seemed to be making choices. As the season progresses, the quarterback(s) appear to be following the play more and making decisions less. And by the time we get to the playoffs, it looks like the quarterback(s) is handing the ball or throwing the ball to the exact place that the play dictates, regardless of who is open, who is under double coverage, or where the intended receiver actually is. Again, this is not an observation that is exclusive to the game against Stratford. This is a trend that I have observed over several seasons. And I usually notice it in the game that knocks the Mustangs out of the running for state. Whether this is intended or not, I believe it is something that is deserving of a second look. It is in the best interest of the each player and the team as a whole to teach the players to think while they are on the field. Yes, have a plan, but allow the players to make adjustments when the intended receiver is under double coverage and someone else is wide open with a clear shot at the end zone. Teach the players to read their opponents, anticipate their opponents, and make decisions. And once you've taught them to do that, trust them to do it. Trust them to follow through with what you have taught them. If the coaches trust the players, the players will trust themselves.
This same principle can be applied to the whole team. Teach them to read, anticipate and make decisions. Or, "Improvise, Adapt and Overcome." Those three words can transform a team of any kind.
The second thing I realized is that the Mustangs seemed to peak in the game against Dawson. The Texas City game was a great game, and with the way the two teams played, it really could have gone either way. But the Dawson game was better. So, the question is, what changed after the Dawson game? Did the team's or coach's attitudes change? Did practice change? Did the time change effect anything? Something changed. And speaking of attitudes; attitudes can be a dangerous thing. Being over confident is just as dangerous as having no confidence. Be sure to remain confident but humble. Nothing is a given, in sports or in life. Know who you are. Know what you can and can't do. And before you take the field, believe that you can do something, not that you will. That attitude will take you far.
To the coaches, as you prepare for next season, please take the time to think on my observations. I am not at your practices, nor on your sidelines. I'm just an observer who can not only see the results of your coaching, but can also read the body language of the people on the field/sidelines. Dismiss what is irrelevant, and make changes based on what is. This is my two cents and is worth exactly that; two cents.
To the players, now that the season is over, you can read all your press that you want to read, and read it all with a grain of salt. Look at your stats and watch your game film. What can you do differently to improve yourself as a player and a person? What did you learn this season? and What can you pass on to younger players?
One more thing that I noticed this season, and I waited until the season was over to comment on this because I didn't want to jinx anyone; but the lack of serious injuries this season was a nice change. And everyone in the organization deserves credit for this. From the sports medicine trainers who help tend to the athletes, the coaches and the weight trainer(s), and the athletes themselves. Whatever you did different this year, please continue.
Don't worry, I didn't forget about the "atta boys" for the Stratford game. The last set of "atta boys" for 2013 go to: Robinson, Loll, Page, Faulk, Longbotham, Vandersypen, Williams, White, Bertlesman, Holle, and Kirkland. Good job guys.
The box score for this game is:
Spartans 6 14 7 7 34
Mustangs 7 0 0 0 7
Football season has come to an end. Time to move onto basketball, or whatever sport you prefer to play next. Only 277 days until we get to watch the Boys in Blue take the field again.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Friday, November 15, 2013
Friendswood Mustangs vs. Angleton Wildcats - November 15 , 2013 - bi-district play off
Tonight, the Friendswood Mustangs traveled to Angleton to take on the Angleton Wildcats in bi-district play, round one of the playoffs. While the result was favorable for the Mustangs, what happened on the field in the second half (mainly the third quarter) was sad and slightly worrisome.
I'll start with the box score. That should be enough to show you why I am concerned.
Friendswood 14 14 0 0 28
Angleton 7 7 6 0 20
Did the same people play both halves, you might ask. Well, they looked like the same people. They had the same jerseys, the same faces, but they did not play like the same people. So what happened? I wish I knew.
The game started off great. We kicked off to Angleton to start the game. On the first play after the kick off, it appeared that the Wildcats fumbled the ball and it was recovered by Friendswood. The refs declared the Wildcat was down by contact before losing possession of the ball. Angleton maintained possession. It didn't really make a difference except in field position, because Angleton ended up going three and out. Instead of starting at the Wildcat 30 yard line, the Mustangs started at their own 38 yard line. Friendswood looked like they would have the same fate, but decided to fake the punt and have Faulk throw the ball. Pass complete, first down Friendswood. Friendswood started the next set of downs at the Wildcat 37 yard line. A few plays later, Friendswood found the end zone for the first time during this game.
It took Angleton less than three minutes to answer, putting seven points of their own on the board. The Wildcats gained most of the yards needed for those seven points on a break away run; proving that Friendswood is still susceptible to that.
After that, it took just over one minute for the Mustangs to retake the lead.
Angleton looked like they were going to score again once they got the ball back, thanks to another break away. Angleton earned the first penalty of the game during this drive, and the clock ran out on the first quarter before the drive was over.
Friendswood scored their last two touchdowns of the night before Angleton would score again. The second quarter was probably the most exciting for the fans who packed the visitors side of the stadium. (I think there were more fans on the Friendswood side of the stadium than the Angleton side.) Even though there was only fourteen points scored in this quarter by the Mustangs, and Angleton scored seven, our defense and offense both played, and played with heart. Yes, there were mistakes, but every player worked for it. There was blocking. There was passing. There was running. There was more than one play called. And then the third quarter happened.
I wish I knew what happened during the third quarter. The team that came out of the locker room played completely different from the team that was on the field during the first half. They didn't block worth a darn. They didn't catch worth a darn. And the play caller fell victim to "Van Meter disease". (He was on the sideline tonight, so maybe that's why that happened). I've talked many times about Einstein's definition of insanity. If you've never heard it; it simply states that insanity is repeating the same action and expecting a different result. Running up the middle over and over again didn't work tonight (does that every work?). Handing off to Longbotham or Vandersypen and providing minimal to no blocking didn't work tonight. Having Page keep the ball and running with little to no blocking didn't work tonight. I believe every player who stepped onto the field during the third quarter is better than what he showed during those twelve minutes. I've seen them all play better. So what happened?
I will say that there was an issue with condensation in the bleachers before the game began and it got progressively worse throughout the game. If the field and/or the ball were as wet as the bleachers, that would definitely impact the game. However, it seemed to have much more of an impact on the Mustangs than the Wildcats.
The Mustang defense played their hearts out for three of the four quarters tonight. The Mustang offense played their hearts out for the first half of the game (some played the whole game, but most were MIA during the second half). Special teams did a good job tonight. We won! We're moving onto the next round. So I should be excited, right.
Well, here are just a few of the reasons I'm nervous. The defense is still playing too far off the receivers. Playing five or more yards off is too risky. Especially against a team with Angleton's speed. Those completed passes kept Angleton drives alive. And we were able to make the stop once the ball was caught. But isn't it better to prevent the reception or intercept the ball. This is a strategy that I have complained about for years (I think as long as I've lived here). There have been players in the past who were great at covering receivers (Taube and Wood are the first two who come to mind). But those were individuals, apparently not a team strategy.
The second reason I'm concerned is because Angleton seemed to know what the plays were before the ball was snapped. This was especially true during the third quarter. If future teams know exactly what our offense is about to do, then it won't matter how good we are, or how bad they are. We will lose, or win by the skin of our teeth. If they knew because we ran the same plays over and over or if it was because they had studied that much of our film, we have to do a better job of keeping the opposing defense on their toes.
The third reason I'm concerned is because I realized tonight that a lot of our starters haven't played a full game in about four weeks. They've played the first half, but there was a lot of subbing during the second half of the last three games. I understand the logic behind that decision. Save the starters for the playoffs. Injury prevention (they are much less likely to get hurt on the sidelines). Allow some of the non-starters to get some playing time; evaluate them for future games and future seasons. Allow seniors to get some time on the field in their last season of play. I get it. Really, I do. But, what are the negative impacts? Inability to keep focus and adrenaline going for the full forty-eight minutes (3 hours). Deteriorating cardio (I'm sure cardio and conditioning are done during practice, but the body's response to the adrenaline of the game is different from the response during practice.) Whatever the negative impacts were, they need to be negated in some way.
The fourth reason I'm concerned is attitude. Not the players (although they may have this same issue), but the parents and the fans. Everyone seems to think that the second round is always easy because it's against a Houston team. Well, guess what. Our next opponent is someone we've played before, and they didn't roll over and play dead either of the times we've faced them. So why in the world would they do that now. They won't. This is not an easy week. This is not the time to take a break. This week the players have to work harder than the week before. And no one, parent, coach, fan, or friend, should tell the players that round two is always a breeze. You can't overlook any team, or you'll be spending your Thanksgiving break watching football instead of playing.
All of that being said, there are a few player who are deserving of "atta boys" for their performance tonight. These players either played with their heart, or made great plays to help the Mustangs secure the victory. This week's "atta boys" go to: Lockwook, Thurman, Page, Holle, Robinson, Langston, Lowe, Faulk, Kirkland, Bauer, King, Williams, Longbotham, Vandersypen, Pruet, Sargent, and Blumrick. Good job, guys. If a name is not on this list, please don't take that to mean that he didn't play hard. It just means that I didn't see him do whatever he did that was great. I'll admit, I can't watch everyone all the time. But these are the player who did something on the field that I did see.
The next step on the road to state for the Mustangs will be Saturday, November 23, 2013, at 1pm. The Mustangs will play the Stratford Spartans at Mercer Stadium in Sugar Land. I will be there ready to cheer on the Mustangs. Will you be there?
- Just a person opinion ~ High school football is a sport that is best played and best enjoyed after dark. I'm sure that the coaches chose this time for a reason. But I find that games played after dark are more enjoyable and more exciting. The field lights (assuming they work for the whole game) and the night air are part of high school football. Again, just my two cents, take the two pennies, or leave them. :)
GO MUSTANGS!!!
If you want stats on this, or any other game; a couple of great sources are: http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/friendswood-mustangs-(friendswood,tx)/football/home.htm and http://www.chron.com/sports/highschool/scoreboard/?mkt=houston&site=default&tpl=team&Sport=1&TeamID=225&SchoolID=&Season=2013&DistrictID=&SearchDate=11%2F16%2F13&SearchDateEnd=11%2F16%2F13&SearchLastName=&SearchFirstName=&Market=9&SearchType=Teams
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am watching the game and "taking notes" by tweeting during the games. I am at each game with at least one of my kids, if not both. Sometimes, my husband is able to attend with us and sometimes I have other family with me as well. My football education is from attending high school football games for 30+ years and sitting between my dad and my grandpa for the first 12 of those years. I was 3 when my parents bought my first season ticket. I missed 2 home games from the time I was 3 years old through junior high, and started traveling (not missing a single game) during high school. I started taking my kids to games before they could walk and have been taking them ever since.
I'll start with the box score. That should be enough to show you why I am concerned.
Friendswood 14 14 0 0 28
Angleton 7 7 6 0 20
Did the same people play both halves, you might ask. Well, they looked like the same people. They had the same jerseys, the same faces, but they did not play like the same people. So what happened? I wish I knew.
The game started off great. We kicked off to Angleton to start the game. On the first play after the kick off, it appeared that the Wildcats fumbled the ball and it was recovered by Friendswood. The refs declared the Wildcat was down by contact before losing possession of the ball. Angleton maintained possession. It didn't really make a difference except in field position, because Angleton ended up going three and out. Instead of starting at the Wildcat 30 yard line, the Mustangs started at their own 38 yard line. Friendswood looked like they would have the same fate, but decided to fake the punt and have Faulk throw the ball. Pass complete, first down Friendswood. Friendswood started the next set of downs at the Wildcat 37 yard line. A few plays later, Friendswood found the end zone for the first time during this game.
It took Angleton less than three minutes to answer, putting seven points of their own on the board. The Wildcats gained most of the yards needed for those seven points on a break away run; proving that Friendswood is still susceptible to that.
After that, it took just over one minute for the Mustangs to retake the lead.
Angleton looked like they were going to score again once they got the ball back, thanks to another break away. Angleton earned the first penalty of the game during this drive, and the clock ran out on the first quarter before the drive was over.
Friendswood scored their last two touchdowns of the night before Angleton would score again. The second quarter was probably the most exciting for the fans who packed the visitors side of the stadium. (I think there were more fans on the Friendswood side of the stadium than the Angleton side.) Even though there was only fourteen points scored in this quarter by the Mustangs, and Angleton scored seven, our defense and offense both played, and played with heart. Yes, there were mistakes, but every player worked for it. There was blocking. There was passing. There was running. There was more than one play called. And then the third quarter happened.
I wish I knew what happened during the third quarter. The team that came out of the locker room played completely different from the team that was on the field during the first half. They didn't block worth a darn. They didn't catch worth a darn. And the play caller fell victim to "Van Meter disease". (He was on the sideline tonight, so maybe that's why that happened). I've talked many times about Einstein's definition of insanity. If you've never heard it; it simply states that insanity is repeating the same action and expecting a different result. Running up the middle over and over again didn't work tonight (does that every work?). Handing off to Longbotham or Vandersypen and providing minimal to no blocking didn't work tonight. Having Page keep the ball and running with little to no blocking didn't work tonight. I believe every player who stepped onto the field during the third quarter is better than what he showed during those twelve minutes. I've seen them all play better. So what happened?
I will say that there was an issue with condensation in the bleachers before the game began and it got progressively worse throughout the game. If the field and/or the ball were as wet as the bleachers, that would definitely impact the game. However, it seemed to have much more of an impact on the Mustangs than the Wildcats.
The Mustang defense played their hearts out for three of the four quarters tonight. The Mustang offense played their hearts out for the first half of the game (some played the whole game, but most were MIA during the second half). Special teams did a good job tonight. We won! We're moving onto the next round. So I should be excited, right.
Well, here are just a few of the reasons I'm nervous. The defense is still playing too far off the receivers. Playing five or more yards off is too risky. Especially against a team with Angleton's speed. Those completed passes kept Angleton drives alive. And we were able to make the stop once the ball was caught. But isn't it better to prevent the reception or intercept the ball. This is a strategy that I have complained about for years (I think as long as I've lived here). There have been players in the past who were great at covering receivers (Taube and Wood are the first two who come to mind). But those were individuals, apparently not a team strategy.
The second reason I'm concerned is because Angleton seemed to know what the plays were before the ball was snapped. This was especially true during the third quarter. If future teams know exactly what our offense is about to do, then it won't matter how good we are, or how bad they are. We will lose, or win by the skin of our teeth. If they knew because we ran the same plays over and over or if it was because they had studied that much of our film, we have to do a better job of keeping the opposing defense on their toes.
The third reason I'm concerned is because I realized tonight that a lot of our starters haven't played a full game in about four weeks. They've played the first half, but there was a lot of subbing during the second half of the last three games. I understand the logic behind that decision. Save the starters for the playoffs. Injury prevention (they are much less likely to get hurt on the sidelines). Allow some of the non-starters to get some playing time; evaluate them for future games and future seasons. Allow seniors to get some time on the field in their last season of play. I get it. Really, I do. But, what are the negative impacts? Inability to keep focus and adrenaline going for the full forty-eight minutes (3 hours). Deteriorating cardio (I'm sure cardio and conditioning are done during practice, but the body's response to the adrenaline of the game is different from the response during practice.) Whatever the negative impacts were, they need to be negated in some way.
The fourth reason I'm concerned is attitude. Not the players (although they may have this same issue), but the parents and the fans. Everyone seems to think that the second round is always easy because it's against a Houston team. Well, guess what. Our next opponent is someone we've played before, and they didn't roll over and play dead either of the times we've faced them. So why in the world would they do that now. They won't. This is not an easy week. This is not the time to take a break. This week the players have to work harder than the week before. And no one, parent, coach, fan, or friend, should tell the players that round two is always a breeze. You can't overlook any team, or you'll be spending your Thanksgiving break watching football instead of playing.
All of that being said, there are a few player who are deserving of "atta boys" for their performance tonight. These players either played with their heart, or made great plays to help the Mustangs secure the victory. This week's "atta boys" go to: Lockwook, Thurman, Page, Holle, Robinson, Langston, Lowe, Faulk, Kirkland, Bauer, King, Williams, Longbotham, Vandersypen, Pruet, Sargent, and Blumrick. Good job, guys. If a name is not on this list, please don't take that to mean that he didn't play hard. It just means that I didn't see him do whatever he did that was great. I'll admit, I can't watch everyone all the time. But these are the player who did something on the field that I did see.
The next step on the road to state for the Mustangs will be Saturday, November 23, 2013, at 1pm. The Mustangs will play the Stratford Spartans at Mercer Stadium in Sugar Land. I will be there ready to cheer on the Mustangs. Will you be there?
- Just a person opinion ~ High school football is a sport that is best played and best enjoyed after dark. I'm sure that the coaches chose this time for a reason. But I find that games played after dark are more enjoyable and more exciting. The field lights (assuming they work for the whole game) and the night air are part of high school football. Again, just my two cents, take the two pennies, or leave them. :)
GO MUSTANGS!!!
If you want stats on this, or any other game; a couple of great sources are: http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/friendswood-mustangs-(friendswood,tx)/football/home.htm and http://www.chron.com/sports/highschool/scoreboard/?mkt=houston&site=default&tpl=team&Sport=1&TeamID=225&SchoolID=&Season=2013&DistrictID=&SearchDate=11%2F16%2F13&SearchDateEnd=11%2F16%2F13&SearchLastName=&SearchFirstName=&Market=9&SearchType=Teams
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am watching the game and "taking notes" by tweeting during the games. I am at each game with at least one of my kids, if not both. Sometimes, my husband is able to attend with us and sometimes I have other family with me as well. My football education is from attending high school football games for 30+ years and sitting between my dad and my grandpa for the first 12 of those years. I was 3 when my parents bought my first season ticket. I missed 2 home games from the time I was 3 years old through junior high, and started traveling (not missing a single game) during high school. I started taking my kids to games before they could walk and have been taking them ever since.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Friendswood Mustangs vs. Galveston Ball Tors November 8, 2013
Last night, the Friendswood Mustangs traveled to "The Rock" Kermit Courville Stadium on Galveston Island to take on the Galveston Ball Tornadoes. While there, the Mustangs proved that they can put just as many points on the board by running the ball as they can by throwing it.
The game was not the experience that the previous games have been. First, there weren't nearly as many fans who made the trek to Galveston as there usually are for an away game. Second, I don't think the band played nearly as much as they usually do. Third, the game was rather one sided. But, many of the players got a chance to be on the field.
Four quarterbacks took snaps for Friendswood. Four running backs played during the game. Lots of players took turns blocking and making holes for those players. And the defense spent most of the first quarter on the field. Zero points were scored during that quarter, but Friendswood made up for that by scoring 31 points in the second quarter. With a 31 point lead, the Mustangs spent the second half allowing back up players to get some playing time.
Highlights from the game include all six touchdowns and the field goal as well as Longbotham reaching 1,000+ rushing yards on the season.
The Mustang defense is continuing to improve. They recovered two fumbles and displayed excellent awareness of the opposing offense. This is a nice change from years past. I really enjoy watching an explosive and controlling defense.
"Atta-boys" go to Longbotham, Page, Holle, Thurman, King, Robinson, White, Sargent, Vandersypen, Marabella, Bauer, Williams, Lowe, Langston, Kirkland, Lockwood, Dooley, Toney, Pruet, Blumrick, Makransky, Chidester, and the O-line members who opened that nice hole for Vandersypen in the third quarter (sorry, I didn't see your jersey numbers).
Now for the not so good. The kick off return team looked like the Mustangs of old. And that's not a compliment. Too many of the players missed tackles and the ball carrier(s) gained too many yards. The defense was able to take care of business after those returns, but that doesn't erase the fact that the return shouldn't have happened the way it did. And while Sargent did complete passes to Holle, they seemed to be out of sync for most of the game. Hopefully, that can be chalked up to just being one of those days.
Overall, this was an impressive performance by the Mustangs and a great way to end the regular season. Next week, the Mustangs will travel to Angleton to open play off play. It is my understanding that Friendswood lost a coin flip to determine home team/location. However, seeing as how Friendswood comes in as the number one seed for our district and Angleton is the number two seed for their district; wouldn't it make more sense for Friendswood to host and be the home team? Regardless of that logic, the game will be at the stadium at Angleton High School on Friday, November 15, 2013. Kick off will be at 7:30pm. I know where I will be next Friday. Where will you be?
Box score for the Friendswood - Galveston game
Friendswood. 0 31 20 0 51
Galveston Ball 0 0 0 6 6
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am watching the game and "taking notes" by twittering during the games. I am at each game with at least one of my kids, if not both. Sometimes, my husband is able to attend with us and sometimes I have other family with me as well. My football education is from attending high school football games for 30+ years and sitting between my dad and my grandpa for the first 12 of those years. I was 3 when my parents bought my first season ticket. I missed 2 home games from the time I was 3 years old through junior high, and started traveling (not missing a single game) during high school. I started taking my kids to games before they could walk and have been taking them ever since.
The game was not the experience that the previous games have been. First, there weren't nearly as many fans who made the trek to Galveston as there usually are for an away game. Second, I don't think the band played nearly as much as they usually do. Third, the game was rather one sided. But, many of the players got a chance to be on the field.
Four quarterbacks took snaps for Friendswood. Four running backs played during the game. Lots of players took turns blocking and making holes for those players. And the defense spent most of the first quarter on the field. Zero points were scored during that quarter, but Friendswood made up for that by scoring 31 points in the second quarter. With a 31 point lead, the Mustangs spent the second half allowing back up players to get some playing time.
Highlights from the game include all six touchdowns and the field goal as well as Longbotham reaching 1,000+ rushing yards on the season.
The Mustang defense is continuing to improve. They recovered two fumbles and displayed excellent awareness of the opposing offense. This is a nice change from years past. I really enjoy watching an explosive and controlling defense.
"Atta-boys" go to Longbotham, Page, Holle, Thurman, King, Robinson, White, Sargent, Vandersypen, Marabella, Bauer, Williams, Lowe, Langston, Kirkland, Lockwood, Dooley, Toney, Pruet, Blumrick, Makransky, Chidester, and the O-line members who opened that nice hole for Vandersypen in the third quarter (sorry, I didn't see your jersey numbers).
Now for the not so good. The kick off return team looked like the Mustangs of old. And that's not a compliment. Too many of the players missed tackles and the ball carrier(s) gained too many yards. The defense was able to take care of business after those returns, but that doesn't erase the fact that the return shouldn't have happened the way it did. And while Sargent did complete passes to Holle, they seemed to be out of sync for most of the game. Hopefully, that can be chalked up to just being one of those days.
Overall, this was an impressive performance by the Mustangs and a great way to end the regular season. Next week, the Mustangs will travel to Angleton to open play off play. It is my understanding that Friendswood lost a coin flip to determine home team/location. However, seeing as how Friendswood comes in as the number one seed for our district and Angleton is the number two seed for their district; wouldn't it make more sense for Friendswood to host and be the home team? Regardless of that logic, the game will be at the stadium at Angleton High School on Friday, November 15, 2013. Kick off will be at 7:30pm. I know where I will be next Friday. Where will you be?
Box score for the Friendswood - Galveston game
Friendswood. 0 31 20 0 51
Galveston Ball 0 0 0 6 6
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am watching the game and "taking notes" by twittering during the games. I am at each game with at least one of my kids, if not both. Sometimes, my husband is able to attend with us and sometimes I have other family with me as well. My football education is from attending high school football games for 30+ years and sitting between my dad and my grandpa for the first 12 of those years. I was 3 when my parents bought my first season ticket. I missed 2 home games from the time I was 3 years old through junior high, and started traveling (not missing a single game) during high school. I started taking my kids to games before they could walk and have been taking them ever since.
Friday, November 1, 2013
Baytown Lee Ganders vs. Friendswood Mustangs - November 1, 2013
Tonight, the Friendswood Mustangs hosted the Ganders from Baytown Lee. Tonight was also Patriotic Half Time.
While the Patriotic Half Time is pretty much the same every year (Dr. K., can we please find some new patriotic music), I still enjoy it. Its a great reminder that we live in the best country in the world. We have friends and family who have served in our armed forces (including my grandpa, dad, and husband) as well as friends and family who are currently serving. THANK YOU to everyone who is serving/served to protect our freedom. That's something that we don't say often enough, but is felt every day.
Now, on to the football game. Before the game began, the Ganders walked into the stadium with an 0-5 district record for the season and the Mustangs with a 4-1 district record. While the Mustangs definitely used their starters in the game, mainly the first half; tonight was also the night that the people who don't get to play often got some time under the Friday night lights. Lights which went out for a while in the third quarter.
The fans tonight were mostly quiet. There wasn't nearly as many plays to get excited about as there were last week against Dawson. And even though the bands played more, it still left the stadium with a somewhat dead feeling.
Friendswood's defense got some good time in on the field. They were able to force Baytown Lee to punt several times. Lots of sacks and great plays by several people. An interception for White and near interceptions for Makransky and someone else (sorry, I didn't get a good look at your jersey number to see who you were). Yes, the defense gave up a few plays they shouldn't have. And I think (hope) those who were on the field and those who were giving directions know what they did wrong and how to make sure it doesn't happen again. For tonight, those plays didn't make the difference between a W and an L, but in two weeks, they could. The Mustang defense continues to be well disciplined and tenacious. They play hard every play and they never give up. The mistakes were missed tackles and mistakes in reading the offense. Both things that the Mustangs do right regularly.
Friendswood's offense looked great during the first half. During the second half? Not so much. Blumrick came in for most of the second half and his being at the helm seems to set a different tone for the offense. I didn't get a good enough look at the O-line members during the different halves; so I don't know if it was the same players each time. But when Blumrick is playing quarter back, the protection doesn't seem to be as good. Blumrick doesn't make plays as quickly as Sargent usually does. But even if he did, he doesn't have the time to get the ball off. Even when he hands the ball off, the protection isn't as good. And unfortunatley, he doesn't seem to be in sync with the receivers. Perhaps a few more sessions of catch are in order. Or maybe just more overall practice time with the whole offense.
I was excited to see Page take a few snaps. He still played WR and on special teams, but when he's in at QB, he reminds me of Jordon Wood. I think, that with more time under his belt, he'll be even better than Wood. I haven't seen him throw much, but he's got great team mates he can hand the ball off to, and he can run and avoid tackles. He's exciting to watch and I'm glad we get more years to watch him play.
Special team - oh special teams. I'm so glad those mistakes were made against Baytown Lee instead of Dawson. During the first kick off return, you looked like the Mustangs of old, and that's not a compliment. Baytown Lee's receiver dropped the ball on almost every kick off return. You should have capitalized on that every time. Instead, the first one out of the gates and he goes eighty yards? Really? Yes, the defense made up for that, but still. Whatever you did differently this week from last (at practices, before/after school, whatever), please don't do it again.
The refs this week seemed to be okay. Much better than the ones who were here last week. But can someone please explain that delay of game penalty? I've been watching football for 30+ years and I don't think I've ever seen a delay of game penalty against the defense. And I know I haven't seen one on a defense that was standing around waiting for the offense to get themselves ready.
There were a few things that brought some excitement tonight. White's safety (wish I had seen the jersey number of the guy who helped with that play. White's interception. King chasing down receivers who thought they had gotten away. Kings fumble recovery. Holle's, Longbotham's Richardson's Flores', touchdowns. The field lights going out during the third quarter. All great plays. I just wish the fans had been more excited. A couple of other great plays that weren't as exciting - I saw some great blocking by Longbotham and Vandersypen. I've never noticed them making those plays before and I was impressed.
This week's "atta boys" go to Sargent, Page, Holle, Faulk, Faulk, White, Makransky, Longbotham, Vandersypen, Lowe, Chidester, Dooley, Thurman, Bertlesman, Robinson, and all the guys who made great plays who aren't on the published roster. I'll do what I can to learn your names before next week's game.
Before I show the box score and tell you about next week, there is one other thing I have to say. I know that I'm a big picture person when it comes to watching the game. And my eyes tend the follow the ball and miss details that don't happen near the ball carrier, passer or receiver. But I do notice when a player stops playing before the whistle. There were no injuries on the field tonight and therefore no excuse for not playing to the whistle. I'm not going to name names, but you know who you are. And if I were your coach, you'd be running Mustang miles until you threw up for that. If you're not injured and you don't have an equipment failure which prevents you from playing, then there is no excuse.
The box score from tonight's game is below. It's a bit one-sided and obvious when the non-starters got their time to shine.
Baytown Lee 6 0 0 8 14
Friendswood 16 19 0 7 44
And just for the record, did anyone else know it was going to rain tonight? I was wondering what was going on when the band left. But I found out that the awning over the pressbox is enough to keep you dry if the rain is coming at the correct angle and you have your back pressed up against the wall. I was thankful when the rain stopped for the end of the game and we were able to walk out to our cars without getting soaked.
Next week, the Friendswood Mustangs will head south to the island to take on the Galveston Ball Tors to close out the regular season. I expect that to be another game of experiments. Which isn't a bad thing, just not as exciting to watch.
It is my understanding that with tonight's win, the Mustangs have secured the top seed in the large school division of the playoffs. With tonight's loss to Richmond Foster by Angleton, I suspect that we will see Angleton in the first round of the playoffs in two weeks. If/When I get more info, I will share it on twitter: momrod2000
If you're not able to make it to the island next week, I will be there and will be tweeting the game. Amazingly, after watching Galveston County football for most of my life (mostly 4A games), I don't beleive that I have ever been to Galveston Ball's stadium. I think this is the only 4A or larger stadium I haven't been to, so this will mean that I've attended a game in every public high school stadium in the county with the exception of Hitchcock. Hope to see you on Galveston next week!
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am watching the game and "taking notes" by twittering during the games. I am at each game with at least one of my kids, if not both. Sometimes, my husband is able to attend with us and sometimes I have other family with me as well. My football education is from attending high school football games for 30+ years and sitting between my dad and my grandpa for the first 12 of those years. I was 3 when my parents bought my first season ticket. I missed 2 home games from the time I was 3 years old through junior high, and started traveling (not missing a single game) during high school. I started taking my kids to games before they could walk and have been taking them ever since.
While the Patriotic Half Time is pretty much the same every year (Dr. K., can we please find some new patriotic music), I still enjoy it. Its a great reminder that we live in the best country in the world. We have friends and family who have served in our armed forces (including my grandpa, dad, and husband) as well as friends and family who are currently serving. THANK YOU to everyone who is serving/served to protect our freedom. That's something that we don't say often enough, but is felt every day.
Now, on to the football game. Before the game began, the Ganders walked into the stadium with an 0-5 district record for the season and the Mustangs with a 4-1 district record. While the Mustangs definitely used their starters in the game, mainly the first half; tonight was also the night that the people who don't get to play often got some time under the Friday night lights. Lights which went out for a while in the third quarter.
The fans tonight were mostly quiet. There wasn't nearly as many plays to get excited about as there were last week against Dawson. And even though the bands played more, it still left the stadium with a somewhat dead feeling.
Friendswood's defense got some good time in on the field. They were able to force Baytown Lee to punt several times. Lots of sacks and great plays by several people. An interception for White and near interceptions for Makransky and someone else (sorry, I didn't get a good look at your jersey number to see who you were). Yes, the defense gave up a few plays they shouldn't have. And I think (hope) those who were on the field and those who were giving directions know what they did wrong and how to make sure it doesn't happen again. For tonight, those plays didn't make the difference between a W and an L, but in two weeks, they could. The Mustang defense continues to be well disciplined and tenacious. They play hard every play and they never give up. The mistakes were missed tackles and mistakes in reading the offense. Both things that the Mustangs do right regularly.
Friendswood's offense looked great during the first half. During the second half? Not so much. Blumrick came in for most of the second half and his being at the helm seems to set a different tone for the offense. I didn't get a good enough look at the O-line members during the different halves; so I don't know if it was the same players each time. But when Blumrick is playing quarter back, the protection doesn't seem to be as good. Blumrick doesn't make plays as quickly as Sargent usually does. But even if he did, he doesn't have the time to get the ball off. Even when he hands the ball off, the protection isn't as good. And unfortunatley, he doesn't seem to be in sync with the receivers. Perhaps a few more sessions of catch are in order. Or maybe just more overall practice time with the whole offense.
I was excited to see Page take a few snaps. He still played WR and on special teams, but when he's in at QB, he reminds me of Jordon Wood. I think, that with more time under his belt, he'll be even better than Wood. I haven't seen him throw much, but he's got great team mates he can hand the ball off to, and he can run and avoid tackles. He's exciting to watch and I'm glad we get more years to watch him play.
Special team - oh special teams. I'm so glad those mistakes were made against Baytown Lee instead of Dawson. During the first kick off return, you looked like the Mustangs of old, and that's not a compliment. Baytown Lee's receiver dropped the ball on almost every kick off return. You should have capitalized on that every time. Instead, the first one out of the gates and he goes eighty yards? Really? Yes, the defense made up for that, but still. Whatever you did differently this week from last (at practices, before/after school, whatever), please don't do it again.
The refs this week seemed to be okay. Much better than the ones who were here last week. But can someone please explain that delay of game penalty? I've been watching football for 30+ years and I don't think I've ever seen a delay of game penalty against the defense. And I know I haven't seen one on a defense that was standing around waiting for the offense to get themselves ready.
There were a few things that brought some excitement tonight. White's safety (wish I had seen the jersey number of the guy who helped with that play. White's interception. King chasing down receivers who thought they had gotten away. Kings fumble recovery. Holle's, Longbotham's Richardson's Flores', touchdowns. The field lights going out during the third quarter. All great plays. I just wish the fans had been more excited. A couple of other great plays that weren't as exciting - I saw some great blocking by Longbotham and Vandersypen. I've never noticed them making those plays before and I was impressed.
This week's "atta boys" go to Sargent, Page, Holle, Faulk, Faulk, White, Makransky, Longbotham, Vandersypen, Lowe, Chidester, Dooley, Thurman, Bertlesman, Robinson, and all the guys who made great plays who aren't on the published roster. I'll do what I can to learn your names before next week's game.
Before I show the box score and tell you about next week, there is one other thing I have to say. I know that I'm a big picture person when it comes to watching the game. And my eyes tend the follow the ball and miss details that don't happen near the ball carrier, passer or receiver. But I do notice when a player stops playing before the whistle. There were no injuries on the field tonight and therefore no excuse for not playing to the whistle. I'm not going to name names, but you know who you are. And if I were your coach, you'd be running Mustang miles until you threw up for that. If you're not injured and you don't have an equipment failure which prevents you from playing, then there is no excuse.
The box score from tonight's game is below. It's a bit one-sided and obvious when the non-starters got their time to shine.
Baytown Lee 6 0 0 8 14
Friendswood 16 19 0 7 44
And just for the record, did anyone else know it was going to rain tonight? I was wondering what was going on when the band left. But I found out that the awning over the pressbox is enough to keep you dry if the rain is coming at the correct angle and you have your back pressed up against the wall. I was thankful when the rain stopped for the end of the game and we were able to walk out to our cars without getting soaked.
Next week, the Friendswood Mustangs will head south to the island to take on the Galveston Ball Tors to close out the regular season. I expect that to be another game of experiments. Which isn't a bad thing, just not as exciting to watch.
It is my understanding that with tonight's win, the Mustangs have secured the top seed in the large school division of the playoffs. With tonight's loss to Richmond Foster by Angleton, I suspect that we will see Angleton in the first round of the playoffs in two weeks. If/When I get more info, I will share it on twitter: momrod2000
If you're not able to make it to the island next week, I will be there and will be tweeting the game. Amazingly, after watching Galveston County football for most of my life (mostly 4A games), I don't beleive that I have ever been to Galveston Ball's stadium. I think this is the only 4A or larger stadium I haven't been to, so this will mean that I've attended a game in every public high school stadium in the county with the exception of Hitchcock. Hope to see you on Galveston next week!
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am watching the game and "taking notes" by twittering during the games. I am at each game with at least one of my kids, if not both. Sometimes, my husband is able to attend with us and sometimes I have other family with me as well. My football education is from attending high school football games for 30+ years and sitting between my dad and my grandpa for the first 12 of those years. I was 3 when my parents bought my first season ticket. I missed 2 home games from the time I was 3 years old through junior high, and started traveling (not missing a single game) during high school. I started taking my kids to games before they could walk and have been taking them ever since.
Friday, October 25, 2013
Pearland Dawson Eagels vs. Friendswood Mustangs - October 25, 2013
I just love it when Friendswood is picked to lose - big - and proves all the "experts" wrong!
Tonight, the Friendswood Mustangs hosted the Dawson Eagles for the annual pink out game. If you haven't heard of the pink out, it's an effort to raise awareness for breast cancer.
Before I get into the game, let me show you the box score. It will help you understand what happened.
Dawson 0 7 7 0 14
Friendswood 0 0 28 3 31
No, that's not a typo. Friendswood scored 28 points against Dawson just in the third quarter.
Now, for the game. First, I hate to have to do this, but I have to address the officiating. The final score really should have been 7-45, instead of 14-31. The refs' terrible calls cost Friendswood two touch downs and gave Dawson one. I would love, love, love, love to give those refs a clinic on how to call a fair game. Refs should be unbiased. Meaning having no prejudice; being fair or impartial. I've come to the conclusion that asking for refs to call an unbiased game between Dawson and Friendswood is like asking for it to snow in July in Southeast Texas. No matter what anyone says, it just ain't gonna happen. Refs, please, please, please review the footage from tonight's game and learn from it. You can't call a facemask on someone who never touched the players helmet. You can't call unsportsmanlike conduct on the recipient of the infraction. You can't change the spot of the ball when the chains come out. You can't call something legal when one team does it and illegal when the other team does. You can't decide that the second half of the play doesn't count because the play wasn't blown dead in the middle of it. If you honestly don't know what you did wrong, I would be more than happy to find time in my busy schedule to go over the game film with you.
Friendswood's offense was explosive during the second half. The score only reflects that for the third quarter; but mainly during the fourth quarter this evening, Page showed why Koopman said he thought he would be the Mustang's next quarterback. He can run, he can throw and he can catch. We also found out that Longbotham knows how to throw the football. I haven't seen that play done quite like that in a while, but it was great.
Did you notice that I said that the offense was explosive in the second half. Well, that's because they couldn't' get anything going in the first half. My notes only show two punts for Friendswood in the first half. I don't think I got them all. We also turned the ball over on downs once - see note to refs above. The play callers called for way too many runs up the middle during the first half. It wasn't hard to see that Dawson can pick off a pass. But running up the middle? Really? What is the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result (-Albert Einstein). Anyone we know guilty of that mistake?????
So, what offensive changes were made at halftime? The most notable would be the use of two quarterbacks. Page came in for a few snaps. Even scored once. It appeared that the strategy was the allow Page to take the snap on first and second downs and have Sargent come in for third and fourth downs. As long as Friendswood didn't need those last two downs, Page got to stay in. It was a strategy that worked and I have to say, I am really looking forward to watching him play more and more. I didn't really notice any other changes as far as personnel on offense after halftime. But I did notice what appeared to be a change in moral. Whatever Koopman said in the locker room was effective. Page wasn't the only one who played better in the second half. I think everyone did.
But I think defense was where Friendswood really showed their muscle tonight. I haven't seen the stats for tonight's game, but I suspect that the defense was on the field at least 75% of the first half. And not once did they look tired or beat down. They played with heart for every second of every play for the whole game. And that drive and heart was what kept Dawson in check. Players, I hope you could hear the fans cheering for you all night long. Many people were on their feet almost all night. Of course, the defense wasn't perfect. If they were, Dawson would have gained zero yards on the night. But recovering a fumble at the two yard line? Chasing down breakaways on players who aren't used to being caught? Multiple sacks and tackles for losses in third and fourth down situations? Having defenders there wherever the ball is thrown? Interceptions? The Mustang defense did it all tonight. The only problem I saw was that they are still allowing that run up the middle too often. Don't allow those holes to pop up and our defense will be an unmovable wall.
Special teams, what can I say? You got lots of practice tonight during the first half on punts. And on the few punts we received, thank you for making a play. Second half you got more practice on kick offs. And that action is looking better than it has in a long time. When the season began, I thought our kick off team was going to be a repeat of years past - the kicker was the only one left to stop a touchdown on kickoff returns way to often in the not too distant past. But this group of guys has gotten better and better every week. Now, teams call for fair catches or try to run and gain a few, but nothing of significance. Well done guys. Well done.
This week's "atta-boys" go to: Page, Sargent, Longbotham, Vandersypen, Williams, White, Thurman, Holle, Faulk, Bertlesman, Robinson, King, Bauer, Dooley, Langston, Lowe, #29 (sorry, I don't know your name), the kickoff team, and everyone who kept a cool head under obviously biased officiating.
This win secures a place for Friendswood in the playoffs and should give us the number one seed in Division 1 action. Last I heard, district 23-4A seeds are still being determined.
On a side note, today was also the UIL's snapshot day for redistricting. I looks like Friendswood is on the bubble of moving up. I SERIOUSLY hope that doesn't happen. For many reasons. But if it does, we'll deal with it. We're Mustangs. We don't know how to not fight for every victory. It has been said that the UIL will release the cut off numbers in November. I'll be tweeting that as soon as I see it.
Next week will be the last regular season home game for Friendswood this year. As always, that means that it will be the annual Patriotic Halftime Show. I hear that people fly in from all over the world to see this show. If you'll be in town, be sure to come out to Henry Winston Stadium at 7pm. While you're there, stay and watch the Friendswood Mustangs take on the Baytown Lee Ganders. You could even come early and enjoy the pregame dinner hosted by the FHS band and prepared by the Knights of Columbus. I'll be there. Where will you be?
Tonight, the Friendswood Mustangs hosted the Dawson Eagles for the annual pink out game. If you haven't heard of the pink out, it's an effort to raise awareness for breast cancer.
Before I get into the game, let me show you the box score. It will help you understand what happened.
Dawson 0 7 7 0 14
Friendswood 0 0 28 3 31
No, that's not a typo. Friendswood scored 28 points against Dawson just in the third quarter.
Now, for the game. First, I hate to have to do this, but I have to address the officiating. The final score really should have been 7-45, instead of 14-31. The refs' terrible calls cost Friendswood two touch downs and gave Dawson one. I would love, love, love, love to give those refs a clinic on how to call a fair game. Refs should be unbiased. Meaning having no prejudice; being fair or impartial. I've come to the conclusion that asking for refs to call an unbiased game between Dawson and Friendswood is like asking for it to snow in July in Southeast Texas. No matter what anyone says, it just ain't gonna happen. Refs, please, please, please review the footage from tonight's game and learn from it. You can't call a facemask on someone who never touched the players helmet. You can't call unsportsmanlike conduct on the recipient of the infraction. You can't change the spot of the ball when the chains come out. You can't call something legal when one team does it and illegal when the other team does. You can't decide that the second half of the play doesn't count because the play wasn't blown dead in the middle of it. If you honestly don't know what you did wrong, I would be more than happy to find time in my busy schedule to go over the game film with you.
Friendswood's offense was explosive during the second half. The score only reflects that for the third quarter; but mainly during the fourth quarter this evening, Page showed why Koopman said he thought he would be the Mustang's next quarterback. He can run, he can throw and he can catch. We also found out that Longbotham knows how to throw the football. I haven't seen that play done quite like that in a while, but it was great.
Did you notice that I said that the offense was explosive in the second half. Well, that's because they couldn't' get anything going in the first half. My notes only show two punts for Friendswood in the first half. I don't think I got them all. We also turned the ball over on downs once - see note to refs above. The play callers called for way too many runs up the middle during the first half. It wasn't hard to see that Dawson can pick off a pass. But running up the middle? Really? What is the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result (-Albert Einstein). Anyone we know guilty of that mistake?????
So, what offensive changes were made at halftime? The most notable would be the use of two quarterbacks. Page came in for a few snaps. Even scored once. It appeared that the strategy was the allow Page to take the snap on first and second downs and have Sargent come in for third and fourth downs. As long as Friendswood didn't need those last two downs, Page got to stay in. It was a strategy that worked and I have to say, I am really looking forward to watching him play more and more. I didn't really notice any other changes as far as personnel on offense after halftime. But I did notice what appeared to be a change in moral. Whatever Koopman said in the locker room was effective. Page wasn't the only one who played better in the second half. I think everyone did.
But I think defense was where Friendswood really showed their muscle tonight. I haven't seen the stats for tonight's game, but I suspect that the defense was on the field at least 75% of the first half. And not once did they look tired or beat down. They played with heart for every second of every play for the whole game. And that drive and heart was what kept Dawson in check. Players, I hope you could hear the fans cheering for you all night long. Many people were on their feet almost all night. Of course, the defense wasn't perfect. If they were, Dawson would have gained zero yards on the night. But recovering a fumble at the two yard line? Chasing down breakaways on players who aren't used to being caught? Multiple sacks and tackles for losses in third and fourth down situations? Having defenders there wherever the ball is thrown? Interceptions? The Mustang defense did it all tonight. The only problem I saw was that they are still allowing that run up the middle too often. Don't allow those holes to pop up and our defense will be an unmovable wall.
Special teams, what can I say? You got lots of practice tonight during the first half on punts. And on the few punts we received, thank you for making a play. Second half you got more practice on kick offs. And that action is looking better than it has in a long time. When the season began, I thought our kick off team was going to be a repeat of years past - the kicker was the only one left to stop a touchdown on kickoff returns way to often in the not too distant past. But this group of guys has gotten better and better every week. Now, teams call for fair catches or try to run and gain a few, but nothing of significance. Well done guys. Well done.
This week's "atta-boys" go to: Page, Sargent, Longbotham, Vandersypen, Williams, White, Thurman, Holle, Faulk, Bertlesman, Robinson, King, Bauer, Dooley, Langston, Lowe, #29 (sorry, I don't know your name), the kickoff team, and everyone who kept a cool head under obviously biased officiating.
This win secures a place for Friendswood in the playoffs and should give us the number one seed in Division 1 action. Last I heard, district 23-4A seeds are still being determined.
On a side note, today was also the UIL's snapshot day for redistricting. I looks like Friendswood is on the bubble of moving up. I SERIOUSLY hope that doesn't happen. For many reasons. But if it does, we'll deal with it. We're Mustangs. We don't know how to not fight for every victory. It has been said that the UIL will release the cut off numbers in November. I'll be tweeting that as soon as I see it.
Next week will be the last regular season home game for Friendswood this year. As always, that means that it will be the annual Patriotic Halftime Show. I hear that people fly in from all over the world to see this show. If you'll be in town, be sure to come out to Henry Winston Stadium at 7pm. While you're there, stay and watch the Friendswood Mustangs take on the Baytown Lee Ganders. You could even come early and enjoy the pregame dinner hosted by the FHS band and prepared by the Knights of Columbus. I'll be there. Where will you be?
Friday, October 18, 2013
Friendswood Mustangs vs. Goose Creek Memorial Patriots - October 18, 2013
Tonight, the Friendswood Mustangs traveled to Baytown to take on the Goose Creek Memorial Patriots. The rain stayed away for most of the game, which was nice. I had hoped that bringing in our umbrellas would be insurance against the rain. Unfortunately, that didn't work.
Tonight, the first half was very one sided. The third quarter was a little more evenly matched and most of the fourth quarter the Mustangs looked like they forgot what a football was.
To start the game, the Patriots won the toss and elected the receive. The Patriots had to punt the ball away on their first set of downs. Friendswood called for a fair catch at the Mustang 35 yard line. Longbotham got a 39 yard run before Vandersypen tried to run up the middle and went no where. In fact, all of the running backs tonight tried, unsuccessfully to run up the middle. It took a few plays, a dropped pass (bounced off the receiver's chest) and QB keeper and Friendswood gets into the end zone! With 7:08 left in the first quarter, the score was Friendswood 7 - Goose Creek Memorial 0.
A few plays later, the Patriots fumbled the ball at the 35 and the ball was recovered by Lowe. After a flag for off sides, Holle made a great catch in the end zone for another Mustang touchdown. With 5:16 left in the first quarter, the score is Mustangs 14 - Patriots 0.
During the next possession, Sargent threw his only interception of the night. The ball was caught at the Goose Creek 29 yard line and the ball carrier was immediately stopped by Bertelsman. Goose Creek wasn't able to do anything with the ball. After their QB was chased down by Langston, GCM punted the ball away again. Page called for a fair catch at the Friendswood 30. I was actually surprised that he called for that fair catch. He had plenty of room to run. But I guess when he had to make the decision, he thought the red jerseys were coming faster, or the coaches told him to do that ahead of time. As the buzzer sounded for the end of the first quarter, the ball went into the air for a long pass to Holle, which he caught and ran into the end zone. The score at the end of the first quarter was Mustangs 21 - Patriots 0.
Here is where the dynamic of the game began to change.
The Patriots were still unable to do anything with the ball and had to punt the ball away. The punt bounced near the 48, then crossed the 50 and rolled 13 yards to the 38. On the next set of downs, there were two incomplete passes, a lack of QB protection on the 3rd down and Friendswood found themselves punting on 4th & 10. The ball carrier made it out to the 18 yard line before being stopped by Faulk. Thankfully for the Mustangs, Langston recovered the GCM fumble. But on first down, Sargent was sacked for a loss of fifteen yards. On fourth down, Friendswood made the first field goal of the night.
Friendswood got the ball back quickly and found themselves in 4th & 9 position at the 25 yard line. After a time out, Friendswood decided to go for it, pass complete for a first down. But on the next set of downs, Friendswood found themselves in 4th & 15 (I believe that's the correct "to go" yards) and decided to attempt a 32 yard field goal. The kick was good, but a roughing the kicker penalty gave Friendswood a first down. Longbotham was able to find the end zone after that. With 1:01 left in the first half, the score was Mustangs 31 - Patriots 0.
On the Patriots first down after the touchdown, they passed the ball and it was intercepted by Dooley who ran the ball into the end zone. Sixteen seconds after Longbotham scored, Dooley and Stewart make the score Mustangs 38 - Patriots 0.
On their next possession, the Patriots fumble was recovered by the Mustangs. No one heard a whistle and the ball was run into the end zone. The ref declared that the play had been blown dead (must have used a dog whistle, because no one heard it). Friendswood took over possession. Unable to get back into the end zone, Friendswood settled for a field goal. At half time, the score was Mustangs 41 - Patriots 0.
With a 41 point lead, the Mustangs appeared to have decided to try some things during the second half. One of the changes was to bring in Blumrick at quarterback. His first pass was tipped but caught. Friendswood punted the ball away on 4th & 2. The Patriots were also forced to punt. Blumrick scrambled after mishandling the snap. There was a flag on the play for holding, but Goose Creek declined the penalty, which brought up 2nd & 17. On the next play, Friendswood's fumble (I think Blumrick was the ball carrier, but I'm not positive) was recovered by GCM on the Friendswood 27 yard line. GCM was able to earn a first down, but didn't make it to the end zone. They decided to go for a 41 yard field goal attempt, but the kick was blocked. I'm sorry, I didn't see who made that block, After a few more snaps for Blumrick, Faulk tried his hand at quarterback. He didn't take many snaps. Also at this point in the game, Richardson gave running back a try. Facing 4th & 10 at the 48 yard line, Friendswood had to punt the ball away again. The third quarter ended during this set of downs with a score of Friendswood 41 - GCM 0. Notice, after scoring 41 points in the first half, none were scored in the third quarter.
After a few completed passes for the Patriots, Makransky intercepted a pass and ran to the end zone. 10:24 left in the game and the score was Mustangs 48 - Patriots 0.
Patriots weren't able to do anything with that set of downs and punted the ball. Page called for a fair catch at the 14. Blumrick was back in at quarterback. And then the rains came . . . It rained before the game began, but the rain held off during the game until the fourth quarter. And it was a good rain for most of the fourth quarter. Friendswood ended up punting again. Faulk mishandled the snap in the rain, and was able to get the punt off under a lot of pressure. I honestly didn't think he'd get the kick off, or if he did that it would be blocked. He found the hole in the red jerseys running at him and got the ball to the 42 yard line. On the next possession, Friendswood got a penalty for horse collar and gave up a lot of yards. During this possession, Goose Creek Memorial finally got on the score board with 5:42 left in the game.
Friendswood actually had to turn the ball over on downs during the next possession. Before the game was over, one more player got to try his hand at running back. The defense looked like the rain washed all their football knowledge out of their brains. But the final score was a W for the Mustangs. 48-7.
Did you notice that the Mustangs scored 41 points in the first half and only 7 in the second. Did you notice that Longbotham's name wasn't mentioned at all during the second half. And I don't think Vandersypen played after the third quarter. Friendswood used four different quarterbacks tonight, but none of whom was the player Koopman said he thought would be the next quarterback when he was interviewed in August. There were also at least four different running backs.
There was some great defense played during part of the game tonight, but not for the whole game. And it wasn't always backup players making mistakes. I didn't really mention a lot of defense plays in my run down, but some great plays were made by White, Makransky, Dooley, Chidester, King, Bauer, Kirkland, Langston, Lockwood, Robinson, Maribella, Walker, Reagan, Lowe and Flores.
Other players deserving of "atta boys" tonight include: Sargent, Faulk (another energizer bunny), Faulk, Holle, Longbotham, Vandersypen, Bertelsman, Loll, and whoever blocked that field goal.
The Mustang defense started off the game strong, but the longer the game went, the less strong they looked (I know that's not proper grammer, but that's the phrase I want to use). There was one play in the third quarter where the Mustang defense was lucky that the ball carrier didn't see the huge hole that was open for him just a little to the right of where he tried to run. If he had seen that, he would've gone right through the D-line and the secondary would have had to have made the stop. And that play was too close to the end zone. Some offensive back ups were obviously in at the end of the game, but what about the defense. Some of the starters were out there. But with the way that defense looked, I seriously hope that wasn't all starters. If it was, then I don't know what to say, except that they looked like they decided to coast through most of the fourth quarter.
And offense, you've got to protect the quarterback. Your job is to give him the time he needs to make the decision and the pass. Or to protect the running back and open holes for him after the hand off. While Sargent didn't have to scramble as much as he did last week. And he wasn't sacked as many times, it still happened too often.
And I'm still waiting for someone to give me a logical reason for watching a punt bounce and roll. My dad and I had a discussion about that strategy earlier this week. He gave lots of "reasons" why a team might employ that option, but none of those reasons were logical reasons. It didn't happen much tonight, but I really would like to understand why that choice is ever made.
Next week, the Mustangs will host the Dawson Eagles for the Pink Out game. The FHS choir will be hosting the pregame dinner (spaghetti) and the entertainment during the dinner will be provided by the FHS choir, the FJH choir and the Cline choir. Tickets are $8 and can be purchased in advance from an FHS choir member or at the door. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this game will be for second place in district 24-4A and will be for the top seed in D1 for the playoffs.
Come out to FHS and Henry Winston Stadium and wear pink to show your support for finding a cure for breast cancer. It's sure to be a great evening.
If you can't be there, be sure to follow me on twitter: momrod2000 I will be there most of the evening and will be updating throughout the game.
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am watching the game and "taking notes" by twittering during the games. I am at each game with at least one of my kids, if not both. Sometimes, my husband is able to attend with us and sometimes I have other family with me as well. My football education is from attending high school football games for 30+ years and sitting between my dad and my grandpa for the first 12 of those years. I was 3 when my parents bought my first season ticket. I missed 2 home games from the time I was 3 years old through junior high, and started traveling (not missing a single game) during high school. I started taking my kids to games before they could walk and have been taking them ever since.
Tonight, the first half was very one sided. The third quarter was a little more evenly matched and most of the fourth quarter the Mustangs looked like they forgot what a football was.
To start the game, the Patriots won the toss and elected the receive. The Patriots had to punt the ball away on their first set of downs. Friendswood called for a fair catch at the Mustang 35 yard line. Longbotham got a 39 yard run before Vandersypen tried to run up the middle and went no where. In fact, all of the running backs tonight tried, unsuccessfully to run up the middle. It took a few plays, a dropped pass (bounced off the receiver's chest) and QB keeper and Friendswood gets into the end zone! With 7:08 left in the first quarter, the score was Friendswood 7 - Goose Creek Memorial 0.
A few plays later, the Patriots fumbled the ball at the 35 and the ball was recovered by Lowe. After a flag for off sides, Holle made a great catch in the end zone for another Mustang touchdown. With 5:16 left in the first quarter, the score is Mustangs 14 - Patriots 0.
During the next possession, Sargent threw his only interception of the night. The ball was caught at the Goose Creek 29 yard line and the ball carrier was immediately stopped by Bertelsman. Goose Creek wasn't able to do anything with the ball. After their QB was chased down by Langston, GCM punted the ball away again. Page called for a fair catch at the Friendswood 30. I was actually surprised that he called for that fair catch. He had plenty of room to run. But I guess when he had to make the decision, he thought the red jerseys were coming faster, or the coaches told him to do that ahead of time. As the buzzer sounded for the end of the first quarter, the ball went into the air for a long pass to Holle, which he caught and ran into the end zone. The score at the end of the first quarter was Mustangs 21 - Patriots 0.
Here is where the dynamic of the game began to change.
The Patriots were still unable to do anything with the ball and had to punt the ball away. The punt bounced near the 48, then crossed the 50 and rolled 13 yards to the 38. On the next set of downs, there were two incomplete passes, a lack of QB protection on the 3rd down and Friendswood found themselves punting on 4th & 10. The ball carrier made it out to the 18 yard line before being stopped by Faulk. Thankfully for the Mustangs, Langston recovered the GCM fumble. But on first down, Sargent was sacked for a loss of fifteen yards. On fourth down, Friendswood made the first field goal of the night.
Friendswood got the ball back quickly and found themselves in 4th & 9 position at the 25 yard line. After a time out, Friendswood decided to go for it, pass complete for a first down. But on the next set of downs, Friendswood found themselves in 4th & 15 (I believe that's the correct "to go" yards) and decided to attempt a 32 yard field goal. The kick was good, but a roughing the kicker penalty gave Friendswood a first down. Longbotham was able to find the end zone after that. With 1:01 left in the first half, the score was Mustangs 31 - Patriots 0.
On the Patriots first down after the touchdown, they passed the ball and it was intercepted by Dooley who ran the ball into the end zone. Sixteen seconds after Longbotham scored, Dooley and Stewart make the score Mustangs 38 - Patriots 0.
On their next possession, the Patriots fumble was recovered by the Mustangs. No one heard a whistle and the ball was run into the end zone. The ref declared that the play had been blown dead (must have used a dog whistle, because no one heard it). Friendswood took over possession. Unable to get back into the end zone, Friendswood settled for a field goal. At half time, the score was Mustangs 41 - Patriots 0.
With a 41 point lead, the Mustangs appeared to have decided to try some things during the second half. One of the changes was to bring in Blumrick at quarterback. His first pass was tipped but caught. Friendswood punted the ball away on 4th & 2. The Patriots were also forced to punt. Blumrick scrambled after mishandling the snap. There was a flag on the play for holding, but Goose Creek declined the penalty, which brought up 2nd & 17. On the next play, Friendswood's fumble (I think Blumrick was the ball carrier, but I'm not positive) was recovered by GCM on the Friendswood 27 yard line. GCM was able to earn a first down, but didn't make it to the end zone. They decided to go for a 41 yard field goal attempt, but the kick was blocked. I'm sorry, I didn't see who made that block, After a few more snaps for Blumrick, Faulk tried his hand at quarterback. He didn't take many snaps. Also at this point in the game, Richardson gave running back a try. Facing 4th & 10 at the 48 yard line, Friendswood had to punt the ball away again. The third quarter ended during this set of downs with a score of Friendswood 41 - GCM 0. Notice, after scoring 41 points in the first half, none were scored in the third quarter.
After a few completed passes for the Patriots, Makransky intercepted a pass and ran to the end zone. 10:24 left in the game and the score was Mustangs 48 - Patriots 0.
Patriots weren't able to do anything with that set of downs and punted the ball. Page called for a fair catch at the 14. Blumrick was back in at quarterback. And then the rains came . . . It rained before the game began, but the rain held off during the game until the fourth quarter. And it was a good rain for most of the fourth quarter. Friendswood ended up punting again. Faulk mishandled the snap in the rain, and was able to get the punt off under a lot of pressure. I honestly didn't think he'd get the kick off, or if he did that it would be blocked. He found the hole in the red jerseys running at him and got the ball to the 42 yard line. On the next possession, Friendswood got a penalty for horse collar and gave up a lot of yards. During this possession, Goose Creek Memorial finally got on the score board with 5:42 left in the game.
Friendswood actually had to turn the ball over on downs during the next possession. Before the game was over, one more player got to try his hand at running back. The defense looked like the rain washed all their football knowledge out of their brains. But the final score was a W for the Mustangs. 48-7.
Did you notice that the Mustangs scored 41 points in the first half and only 7 in the second. Did you notice that Longbotham's name wasn't mentioned at all during the second half. And I don't think Vandersypen played after the third quarter. Friendswood used four different quarterbacks tonight, but none of whom was the player Koopman said he thought would be the next quarterback when he was interviewed in August. There were also at least four different running backs.
There was some great defense played during part of the game tonight, but not for the whole game. And it wasn't always backup players making mistakes. I didn't really mention a lot of defense plays in my run down, but some great plays were made by White, Makransky, Dooley, Chidester, King, Bauer, Kirkland, Langston, Lockwood, Robinson, Maribella, Walker, Reagan, Lowe and Flores.
Other players deserving of "atta boys" tonight include: Sargent, Faulk (another energizer bunny), Faulk, Holle, Longbotham, Vandersypen, Bertelsman, Loll, and whoever blocked that field goal.
The Mustang defense started off the game strong, but the longer the game went, the less strong they looked (I know that's not proper grammer, but that's the phrase I want to use). There was one play in the third quarter where the Mustang defense was lucky that the ball carrier didn't see the huge hole that was open for him just a little to the right of where he tried to run. If he had seen that, he would've gone right through the D-line and the secondary would have had to have made the stop. And that play was too close to the end zone. Some offensive back ups were obviously in at the end of the game, but what about the defense. Some of the starters were out there. But with the way that defense looked, I seriously hope that wasn't all starters. If it was, then I don't know what to say, except that they looked like they decided to coast through most of the fourth quarter.
And offense, you've got to protect the quarterback. Your job is to give him the time he needs to make the decision and the pass. Or to protect the running back and open holes for him after the hand off. While Sargent didn't have to scramble as much as he did last week. And he wasn't sacked as many times, it still happened too often.
And I'm still waiting for someone to give me a logical reason for watching a punt bounce and roll. My dad and I had a discussion about that strategy earlier this week. He gave lots of "reasons" why a team might employ that option, but none of those reasons were logical reasons. It didn't happen much tonight, but I really would like to understand why that choice is ever made.
Next week, the Mustangs will host the Dawson Eagles for the Pink Out game. The FHS choir will be hosting the pregame dinner (spaghetti) and the entertainment during the dinner will be provided by the FHS choir, the FJH choir and the Cline choir. Tickets are $8 and can be purchased in advance from an FHS choir member or at the door. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this game will be for second place in district 24-4A and will be for the top seed in D1 for the playoffs.
Come out to FHS and Henry Winston Stadium and wear pink to show your support for finding a cure for breast cancer. It's sure to be a great evening.
If you can't be there, be sure to follow me on twitter: momrod2000 I will be there most of the evening and will be updating throughout the game.
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am watching the game and "taking notes" by twittering during the games. I am at each game with at least one of my kids, if not both. Sometimes, my husband is able to attend with us and sometimes I have other family with me as well. My football education is from attending high school football games for 30+ years and sitting between my dad and my grandpa for the first 12 of those years. I was 3 when my parents bought my first season ticket. I missed 2 home games from the time I was 3 years old through junior high, and started traveling (not missing a single game) during high school. I started taking my kids to games before they could walk and have been taking them ever since.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Texas City Stingarees vs. Friendswood Mustangs - October 11, 2013 - Homecoming
Tonight, the Friendswood Mustangs hosted the Texas City Stingarees for Homecoming 2013. The game was expected to be a win for Texas City, and it was. But I don't think any of the "experts" expected this game to be as close as it was. The game was decided in the last two minutes. I spent probably less time sitting down than I have in quite a while, and I'm sure I'll have no voice to cheer on my daughter in her basketball game tomorrow. But, my goodness, what a game.
The game began with Texas City winning the toss and electing to receive the kick off to start the game. Everyone was expecting this game to be "The Foreman Twins Show". But I don't think people were expecting the Mustang defense to contain them as well as they did. Sure, Texas City put up some great numbers tonight. And sure, the run up the middle worked more times than not. But tonight the Mustang defense lived up to the preseason hype. Toward the beginning of the game this evening, I read on twitter that Texas City is over rated. I think I agree. Texas City has 3 really talented players that stand out above the rest. Then they have the rest of the team. If a team can completely contain those three, then Texas City will be beat. Even if an opponent can't completely contain them, the Stingarees can be beat. Don't get me wrong, they are good. But they are not as good as they are purported to be.
Something else I heard, but this was before the game, was that the Mustangs felt like this game was unwinnable. Supposedly, they were going to be happy if they played in the same ball park as Texas City. If that is true, then shame on you Mustangs. You should go into every game believing you CAN win. And had there not been a few plays that didn't go as planned, then you would have.
Based on what I saw at the very beginning of the game, I think that what I heard may have been true. The first few plays - I don't know whose defense that was out on the field, but it wasn't ours. Our defense is too good to allow that many yards without much of a challenge. But after a few plays, our defense showed up. And while they did not play perfect, and a few times they looked like they were tired, they were there to play for the whole game. Our defense was able to hold Texas City to only three points on their first drive. I think that may have been a shock to Texas City. And what shocked them even more - it only took the Mustangs seventeen seconds to score seven points after that. That's right, for almost six minutes of clock time, Friendswood held the lead.
Friendswood utilized a short kick off all night, and even attempted an onsides kick. While I completely understand the strategy and reason for it tonight, I still don't like it. However, tonight it was very effective. Both teams would score again before the end of the first quarter. Texas City a touchdown and Friendswood a field goal. Friendswood did recover a Friendswood fumble during the first quarter. That ball looked like a greased pig as everyone was trying to get it. We actually ended up gaining yards as a result of that recovered fumble. The score at the end of the first quarter was Texas City 17 - Friendswood 10.
The second quarter continued on much as the first, except we saw more punts and the ball being turned over on downs. Both quarterback were forced to throw the ball away during the second quarter; being under lots of pressure from the opposing defense. Once again, the Mustangs watched one of those punts bounce and roll. The ball rolled twenty-two yards on that one. That was after the snap was mishandled and the punter was under a great deal of pressure. I can understand calling for a fair catch in that situation. There were only two Mustangs anywhere near where the ball first bounced. If they had decided to go for it, there was only one person there to block for the ball carrier and lots of white jerseys. But why watch it bounce? Twenty-two yards is a lot. Especially against Texas City. At the end of the first half, the score remained unchanged.
This week's halftime had to be one of the longest halftimes I've ever seen. I know it was homecoming, and that stuff takes time. But it was still long. Congratulations to the Football Sweetheart and the Homecoming Queen.
It took the Mustangs a whole two seconds of clock time to prove that they were not giving up after the first half. Loll had a sixty-eight yard touchdown run on the kick off to even the score. During the third quarter, our defense demonstrated how good they are at stopping an offense that doesn't have much room to work. It took the Stingarees four plays to get into the end zone starting at about the two yard line. Despite the valiant effort of the Mustang defense, Texas City got into the end zone on 4th and 1 inch, bringing the score to 24-17
On the kick off after that score, the Mustangs got lucky. The ball was mishandled and ended up in Texas City hands. The refs declared that the ball carrier (Mustangs) was down by contact and the Mustangs were able to retain possession of the ball. Texas City disagreed with the call, and I couldn't see the play well enough to know who I think was right, but the Mustangs had the ball, so . . .
The Stingaress got close to the end zone again, but with 1:30 left in the third quarter, King got his hands on a mishandled toss and ran ninety yards for a Mustang touch down. The score was tied at twenty-four.
And here is probably the only play that led to the 'boo-birds" on the home side of the stadium On the kick off, the ball went between Foreman's legs and out of bounds. The refs rule it illegal procedure on the Mustangs for kicking the ball out of bounds (I think I've said more than once that I disagree with this rule). Many of the people in the stands said that the ball touched Foreman's leg before bouncing out of bounds. From where I was sitting, it looked like they were correct. However, the ruling on the field cost the Mustangs yards.
Again during the third quarter, Texas City was able to get around our defensive line and make a huge break. Thankfully, this year Friendswood has a couple of players that can run and chase down the opponents when that happens. But it would be better if that kind of thing didn't happen.
At the end of the third quarter, the score was Texas City 31 - Friendswood 24. But hold on, more points go up on the board for both teams.
After Texas City had to punt the ball away, thanks to many mistakes on their part, Sargent threw his only interception of the night. Texas City was able to put some points on the board after that. But they had to work for it. With 7:13 left in the game, the score was Texas City 38 - Friendswood 24.
It only took Friendswood two plays to answer, bringing it back to a seven point game. And shortly thereafter, White intercepted the ball to bring our offense back out on the field. Friendswood ended up in a 4th and 8 situation form the thirty-three yard line. They went for it and were rewarded with a touchdown. Now it's decision time. There's 2:44 left in the game. Do you go for one point, bring it to a tied game, hope you can hold Texas City for the rest of regulation and either score again or prepare for overtime? OR, do you go for two points, and give yourself the lead if you succeed. Friendswood decided to go with the later choice. Unfortunately, it didn't work. Pass was incomplete.
Texas City got the ball back with a 1 point lead and less than three minutes left. Friendswood went for an onsides kick. The kick was touched but not caught by Texas City before going out of bounds at the forty-seven yard line. And of course, Friendswood did not give up. One of the Mustangs (I didn't see who) was able to tip the pass while it was in the air, but it was still caught by Texas City for a gain of six yards. It took Texas City just over a minute to score again. The point after was no good, but there was a flag against Friendswood and Texas City got to kick again. This time the kick was good. Score 45-37 with 1:41 left to play.
Unfortunately, Friendswood wasn't able to do anything with the ball once they got it back. Sargent was sacked twice during that one set of downs. Friendswood went for it on 4th and 15, but the pass was incomplete and the Stingarees regained possession with 53 seconds left in the game.
Final score - Texas City Stingarees 45 - Friendswood Mustangs 37.
Honestly, I knew it would be a close game. And I knew that the Mustangs were capable of wining tonight. Unfortunately, a few things didn't go right and the final score reflected that. This is the first game that for a few years, at least, that the officiating crew called a fair game between Texas City and Friendswood. Yes, I think there were a few mistakes. But I don't think the officials were biased. They made mistakes that both teams profited from.
Texas City tried to help us out tonight. I counted ten penalties against Texas City. But Friendswood wasn't always able to capitalize on those penalties. Some of those penalties were declined and rightfully so. But the flag was still thrown for a Texas City mistake. For a team that is reported to not make mistakes, I'd say that our Mustangs must have rattled a few mental cages tonight.
While we didn't get nearly as many flags thrown against us (I didn't count, but I believe it was less than five), we made our own mistakes. Sargent was not as well protected as he usually is. I counted five sacks for the Stingaree defense, and I'm sure I missed a few. We had too many incomplete passes when Sargent was able to throw. Our offense tried too many times to let Longbotham run the ball up the middle, having seen that that play was ineffective (insanity, guys). And didn't utilize plays that consistently worked often enough. The Mustang offense didn't open the holes it needed to and the defense allowed too many of those holes to be opened by Texas City.
The Mustang defense worked their tails off tonight and I wouldn't be surprised if they all sleep for the whole three day weekend. Most of their breaks were short lived, thanks either to the offense taking less than twenty seconds of clock time to score, or to Sargent being sacked for huge losses forcing a punt. Friendswood proved that the defense has a secondary, which is a very nice change from years past. It also showed that the secondary is better tacklers than the front of the defense. Don't get me wrong, our D-line knows how to stop the ball. But I think the secondary shows better technique. There were too many missed tackles tonight. With as many times as our defense forced the Texas City QB to scramble, there really should have been more sacks for Friendswood than there were.
Tonight's "atta boys" go to Longbotham, Sargent, Page, Loll, White, Thurman, King, Holle, the entire defense, Robinson, Faulk, Stewart, & Makransky.
While the Mustangs played an amazing game tonight against Texas City, and the final score was not what the Mustangs had wanted, they still owe a thanks to Texas City for pointing out what works and what doesn't in order to help the team make a deep play off run. The offense needs to work on blocking as well as opening holes. They also need to work on protecting the quarterback. The defense, while they worked very hard tonight, needs to shore up the line and end the chase of the quarterback sooner. The first line defense also needs to forget how to arm tackle. I haven't seen it much this year - thank you - but I did see it a couple of times tonight.
And to the coaches - why oh why do you think it's a good idea to play off the receivers? I feel like a broken record, saying this every week. But don't allow the reception. Force the incomplete pass. It's much more effective in both the yards gained and the energy used to make the play. I heard one parent say this evening that the secondary would have to play a few yards behind the receivers so that the defense could prevent the break away. Sometimes, a defensive coach or player needs to think offensively. Why prevent big gains after the catch when you can prevent the catch. Go for the interception. Make sure the receiver isn't in place to catch the ball (legally, or course). Yes, I realize that rushing the passer forces the secondary to cover multiple receivers. But teach those players how to read the quarterback. For those long passes, it's a lot easier to be in position. And King did a great job of that tonight. But our players have the speed and ability to break up those short passes, too. Utilize it.
I believe in our Mustangs and I can't wait to see them play again. Next week, the Mustangs will travel to Baytown to take on the Goose Creek Memorial Patriots. Kick off will be at 7pm at Stallworth Stadium. I'll be there. Will you?
On a side note, it's nice to see that our players exhibit good sportsmanship. At least they appear to. As a parent, I like to see that. It also makes an opposing team's poor sportsmanship more obvious. I said this earlier, but I'll say it again. It appeared that Texas City was frustrated during tonight's game. While there was no unsportsmanlike conduct, the body language was made more obvious by the Mustangs positive body language and apparent level-headedness (is that a word?). Kudos to the parents, faculty and staff who have taught these players well.
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am watching the game and "taking notes" by twittering during the games. I am at each game with at least one of my kids, if not both. Sometimes, my husband is able to attend with us and sometimes I have other family with me as well. My football education is from attending high school football games for 30+ years and sitting between my dad and my grandpa for the first 12 of those years. I was 3 when my parents bought my first season ticket. I missed 2 home games from the time I was 3 years old through junior high, and started traveling (not missing a single game) during high school. I started taking my kids to games before they could walk and have been taking them ever since.
The game began with Texas City winning the toss and electing to receive the kick off to start the game. Everyone was expecting this game to be "The Foreman Twins Show". But I don't think people were expecting the Mustang defense to contain them as well as they did. Sure, Texas City put up some great numbers tonight. And sure, the run up the middle worked more times than not. But tonight the Mustang defense lived up to the preseason hype. Toward the beginning of the game this evening, I read on twitter that Texas City is over rated. I think I agree. Texas City has 3 really talented players that stand out above the rest. Then they have the rest of the team. If a team can completely contain those three, then Texas City will be beat. Even if an opponent can't completely contain them, the Stingarees can be beat. Don't get me wrong, they are good. But they are not as good as they are purported to be.
Something else I heard, but this was before the game, was that the Mustangs felt like this game was unwinnable. Supposedly, they were going to be happy if they played in the same ball park as Texas City. If that is true, then shame on you Mustangs. You should go into every game believing you CAN win. And had there not been a few plays that didn't go as planned, then you would have.
Based on what I saw at the very beginning of the game, I think that what I heard may have been true. The first few plays - I don't know whose defense that was out on the field, but it wasn't ours. Our defense is too good to allow that many yards without much of a challenge. But after a few plays, our defense showed up. And while they did not play perfect, and a few times they looked like they were tired, they were there to play for the whole game. Our defense was able to hold Texas City to only three points on their first drive. I think that may have been a shock to Texas City. And what shocked them even more - it only took the Mustangs seventeen seconds to score seven points after that. That's right, for almost six minutes of clock time, Friendswood held the lead.
Friendswood utilized a short kick off all night, and even attempted an onsides kick. While I completely understand the strategy and reason for it tonight, I still don't like it. However, tonight it was very effective. Both teams would score again before the end of the first quarter. Texas City a touchdown and Friendswood a field goal. Friendswood did recover a Friendswood fumble during the first quarter. That ball looked like a greased pig as everyone was trying to get it. We actually ended up gaining yards as a result of that recovered fumble. The score at the end of the first quarter was Texas City 17 - Friendswood 10.
The second quarter continued on much as the first, except we saw more punts and the ball being turned over on downs. Both quarterback were forced to throw the ball away during the second quarter; being under lots of pressure from the opposing defense. Once again, the Mustangs watched one of those punts bounce and roll. The ball rolled twenty-two yards on that one. That was after the snap was mishandled and the punter was under a great deal of pressure. I can understand calling for a fair catch in that situation. There were only two Mustangs anywhere near where the ball first bounced. If they had decided to go for it, there was only one person there to block for the ball carrier and lots of white jerseys. But why watch it bounce? Twenty-two yards is a lot. Especially against Texas City. At the end of the first half, the score remained unchanged.
This week's halftime had to be one of the longest halftimes I've ever seen. I know it was homecoming, and that stuff takes time. But it was still long. Congratulations to the Football Sweetheart and the Homecoming Queen.
It took the Mustangs a whole two seconds of clock time to prove that they were not giving up after the first half. Loll had a sixty-eight yard touchdown run on the kick off to even the score. During the third quarter, our defense demonstrated how good they are at stopping an offense that doesn't have much room to work. It took the Stingarees four plays to get into the end zone starting at about the two yard line. Despite the valiant effort of the Mustang defense, Texas City got into the end zone on 4th and 1 inch, bringing the score to 24-17
On the kick off after that score, the Mustangs got lucky. The ball was mishandled and ended up in Texas City hands. The refs declared that the ball carrier (Mustangs) was down by contact and the Mustangs were able to retain possession of the ball. Texas City disagreed with the call, and I couldn't see the play well enough to know who I think was right, but the Mustangs had the ball, so . . .
The Stingaress got close to the end zone again, but with 1:30 left in the third quarter, King got his hands on a mishandled toss and ran ninety yards for a Mustang touch down. The score was tied at twenty-four.
And here is probably the only play that led to the 'boo-birds" on the home side of the stadium On the kick off, the ball went between Foreman's legs and out of bounds. The refs rule it illegal procedure on the Mustangs for kicking the ball out of bounds (I think I've said more than once that I disagree with this rule). Many of the people in the stands said that the ball touched Foreman's leg before bouncing out of bounds. From where I was sitting, it looked like they were correct. However, the ruling on the field cost the Mustangs yards.
Again during the third quarter, Texas City was able to get around our defensive line and make a huge break. Thankfully, this year Friendswood has a couple of players that can run and chase down the opponents when that happens. But it would be better if that kind of thing didn't happen.
At the end of the third quarter, the score was Texas City 31 - Friendswood 24. But hold on, more points go up on the board for both teams.
After Texas City had to punt the ball away, thanks to many mistakes on their part, Sargent threw his only interception of the night. Texas City was able to put some points on the board after that. But they had to work for it. With 7:13 left in the game, the score was Texas City 38 - Friendswood 24.
It only took Friendswood two plays to answer, bringing it back to a seven point game. And shortly thereafter, White intercepted the ball to bring our offense back out on the field. Friendswood ended up in a 4th and 8 situation form the thirty-three yard line. They went for it and were rewarded with a touchdown. Now it's decision time. There's 2:44 left in the game. Do you go for one point, bring it to a tied game, hope you can hold Texas City for the rest of regulation and either score again or prepare for overtime? OR, do you go for two points, and give yourself the lead if you succeed. Friendswood decided to go with the later choice. Unfortunately, it didn't work. Pass was incomplete.
Texas City got the ball back with a 1 point lead and less than three minutes left. Friendswood went for an onsides kick. The kick was touched but not caught by Texas City before going out of bounds at the forty-seven yard line. And of course, Friendswood did not give up. One of the Mustangs (I didn't see who) was able to tip the pass while it was in the air, but it was still caught by Texas City for a gain of six yards. It took Texas City just over a minute to score again. The point after was no good, but there was a flag against Friendswood and Texas City got to kick again. This time the kick was good. Score 45-37 with 1:41 left to play.
Unfortunately, Friendswood wasn't able to do anything with the ball once they got it back. Sargent was sacked twice during that one set of downs. Friendswood went for it on 4th and 15, but the pass was incomplete and the Stingarees regained possession with 53 seconds left in the game.
Final score - Texas City Stingarees 45 - Friendswood Mustangs 37.
Honestly, I knew it would be a close game. And I knew that the Mustangs were capable of wining tonight. Unfortunately, a few things didn't go right and the final score reflected that. This is the first game that for a few years, at least, that the officiating crew called a fair game between Texas City and Friendswood. Yes, I think there were a few mistakes. But I don't think the officials were biased. They made mistakes that both teams profited from.
Texas City tried to help us out tonight. I counted ten penalties against Texas City. But Friendswood wasn't always able to capitalize on those penalties. Some of those penalties were declined and rightfully so. But the flag was still thrown for a Texas City mistake. For a team that is reported to not make mistakes, I'd say that our Mustangs must have rattled a few mental cages tonight.
While we didn't get nearly as many flags thrown against us (I didn't count, but I believe it was less than five), we made our own mistakes. Sargent was not as well protected as he usually is. I counted five sacks for the Stingaree defense, and I'm sure I missed a few. We had too many incomplete passes when Sargent was able to throw. Our offense tried too many times to let Longbotham run the ball up the middle, having seen that that play was ineffective (insanity, guys). And didn't utilize plays that consistently worked often enough. The Mustang offense didn't open the holes it needed to and the defense allowed too many of those holes to be opened by Texas City.
The Mustang defense worked their tails off tonight and I wouldn't be surprised if they all sleep for the whole three day weekend. Most of their breaks were short lived, thanks either to the offense taking less than twenty seconds of clock time to score, or to Sargent being sacked for huge losses forcing a punt. Friendswood proved that the defense has a secondary, which is a very nice change from years past. It also showed that the secondary is better tacklers than the front of the defense. Don't get me wrong, our D-line knows how to stop the ball. But I think the secondary shows better technique. There were too many missed tackles tonight. With as many times as our defense forced the Texas City QB to scramble, there really should have been more sacks for Friendswood than there were.
Tonight's "atta boys" go to Longbotham, Sargent, Page, Loll, White, Thurman, King, Holle, the entire defense, Robinson, Faulk, Stewart, & Makransky.
While the Mustangs played an amazing game tonight against Texas City, and the final score was not what the Mustangs had wanted, they still owe a thanks to Texas City for pointing out what works and what doesn't in order to help the team make a deep play off run. The offense needs to work on blocking as well as opening holes. They also need to work on protecting the quarterback. The defense, while they worked very hard tonight, needs to shore up the line and end the chase of the quarterback sooner. The first line defense also needs to forget how to arm tackle. I haven't seen it much this year - thank you - but I did see it a couple of times tonight.
And to the coaches - why oh why do you think it's a good idea to play off the receivers? I feel like a broken record, saying this every week. But don't allow the reception. Force the incomplete pass. It's much more effective in both the yards gained and the energy used to make the play. I heard one parent say this evening that the secondary would have to play a few yards behind the receivers so that the defense could prevent the break away. Sometimes, a defensive coach or player needs to think offensively. Why prevent big gains after the catch when you can prevent the catch. Go for the interception. Make sure the receiver isn't in place to catch the ball (legally, or course). Yes, I realize that rushing the passer forces the secondary to cover multiple receivers. But teach those players how to read the quarterback. For those long passes, it's a lot easier to be in position. And King did a great job of that tonight. But our players have the speed and ability to break up those short passes, too. Utilize it.
I believe in our Mustangs and I can't wait to see them play again. Next week, the Mustangs will travel to Baytown to take on the Goose Creek Memorial Patriots. Kick off will be at 7pm at Stallworth Stadium. I'll be there. Will you?
On a side note, it's nice to see that our players exhibit good sportsmanship. At least they appear to. As a parent, I like to see that. It also makes an opposing team's poor sportsmanship more obvious. I said this earlier, but I'll say it again. It appeared that Texas City was frustrated during tonight's game. While there was no unsportsmanlike conduct, the body language was made more obvious by the Mustangs positive body language and apparent level-headedness (is that a word?). Kudos to the parents, faculty and staff who have taught these players well.
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am watching the game and "taking notes" by twittering during the games. I am at each game with at least one of my kids, if not both. Sometimes, my husband is able to attend with us and sometimes I have other family with me as well. My football education is from attending high school football games for 30+ years and sitting between my dad and my grandpa for the first 12 of those years. I was 3 when my parents bought my first season ticket. I missed 2 home games from the time I was 3 years old through junior high, and started traveling (not missing a single game) during high school. I started taking my kids to games before they could walk and have been taking them ever since.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Friendswood Mustangs vs. Santa Fe Indians October 4, 2013
Tonight, the Friendswood Mustangs traveled to Santa Fe to take on the Indians. And while Friendswood did win tonight, I have to say that the habit of playing up to the good teams and playing down to the not so good teams still exists.
But before I get into why I say that, let me acknowledge all the things that went right. Each week Sargent improves as a quarterback. His decision making is getting better and he is getting braver with running the ball when the situation calls for it. Sargent's offense doesn't give up and grinds every yard out of every play. The kickers have really learned to use those leg muscles. And the defense's technique is continuing to improve.
I have heard that there is a stomach bug going around FHS, and that could have played a factor in tonight's game (as evidenced by the player who was puking on the field), but the team did not play as well tonight as they did last week. There were a few missed assignments tonight; not many, but a few. There were a few missed passes, due to both the receivers and the quarterback. There were a few missed tackles. And there were a few emotional mistakes (resulting in flags and lost yards). If we weren't playing Texas City (who just beat Dawson 44-14) next week, I probably wouldn't be as hard on the team after tonight's win. But, what we saw tonight won't cut it against the Stingarees. Nothing less than the Mustangs' best will get the job done against Texas City. Can the Mustangs beat Texas City? Yes. But not if they don't focus, work hard and fix those mistakes.
One of those mistakes - turnovers. By my count, Friendswood lost possession of the ball three times due to fumbles. One of those was recovered in the end zone for a touch down. A fourth fumble was recovered by the Mustangs. I also counted five penalties against us. And these weren't little five yard losses, at least three of them were close enough to the goal line that they got half the distance to the goal instead of the fifteen yards that are due for those penalties. Those mistakes have got to be fixed before next week.
Another mistake was incomplete passes. Some of the passes were overthrown or thrown wide. Some the receiver should have caught but didn't There were also some great catches tonight (Holle in the fourth quarter). But I have seen this offense pass better than they did this week. Just a suggestion - the quarterback(s) should put together a backyard football game with their receivers. Go out, throw the ball around in a place where you don't have a full stadium watching your every move or coaches watching everything. Have fun. I bet those mistakes will fix themselves in that type of environment and you'll have a place to mentally go to if you get flustered during a game.
Defense - although they got the job done, tonight wasn't as good a night for them either. They didn't penetrate the offensive line as often. There was a missed tackle or two. There were a couple of almost interceptions. But the defense allowed Santa Fe to complete too many passes. I'm going to say the same thing I said last week. Whoever has the idea that the best strategy is to play a few yards off the receivers and stop the ball once the catch is made needs to rethink his strategy. Once the ball is in the air, both the offense and the defense have a right to try to catch that ball. Why not go for those interceptions? Why not bat the pass down if you know you can't catch it? Why do you play like you're worried about pass interference calls. Go for the ball. How many less yards would Santa Fe's offense have if they hadn't completed those passes? And I'm mainly talking about the second quarter.
Oh and special teams, I didn't forget about you. The kickers are just getting better and better. I would love to watch y'all warm up one day. Can the place kickers kick a field goal from the 50? I wouldn't be surprised. However, all the great kicking in the world won't help if you don't stop the guy who catches that kick. One kick was brought out approximately 50 yards. That is something the Mustangs of old would do. Not the new and improved Mustangs.
I know I sound harsh after a win. And I don't mean to sound harsh. I just know that Texas City will be in town for homecoming next week and I do NOT want to walk out of the homecoming game having just been handed our first loss in district play. I wouldn't bother pointing out all this stuff if I didn't believe in the Friendswood Mustangs. I know you can do it. I have faith that this team could play in Dallas in December if they really want it. Remember, drive, determination, heart, focus and emotion. Fix your mistakes. Do those things and you could be handing Texas City their first loss of the season next week. I know it's homecoming, but don't get caught up in all the hoopla and festivities. If you lose that focus for one second, next Friday won't be pretty.
This week's "attaboys" go to Sargent, Longbotham, Vandersypen, White, Makransky, Holle, Bertlesman, Lockwood, Williams, Faulk, Faulk, Stewart, Thurman, the entire o-line, Lowe, and Robinson.
Again, I feel like I'm being really harsh on a team that just won. And I promise, I don't mean to be overly harsh. I've seen some great football from our boys in blue this year. I believe this team is better than the teams we've had the past few years. But I know how tough this district is, and I know that for the season to have a happy ending, the team must continue to improve every single week. No going backwards. "Keep moving forward"; "Just keep swimming" or whatever mantra you use to keep motivated.
It was great to hear the fans cheering tonight. We filled the visitor's side of the Santa Fe stadium. I hope we, as fans, will do a better job cheering for the team at home next week than we did at the last home game.
The final score for tonight's game was Friendswood 34 - Santa Fe 16
Next week, Texas City will be in Friendswood for Friendswood's homecoming game. Kickoff will be at 7pm at Henry Winston Stadium on Friday, October 11, 2013.
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am watching the game and "taking notes" by twittering during the games. I am at each game with at least one of my kids, if not both. Sometimes, my husband is able to attend with us and sometimes I have other family with me as well. My football education is from attending high school football games for 30+ years and sitting between my dad and my grandpa for the first 12 of those years. I was 3 when my parents bought my first season ticket. I missed 2 home games from the time I was 3 years old through junior high, and started traveling (not missing a single game) during high school. I started taking my kids to games before they could walk and have been taking them ever since.
But before I get into why I say that, let me acknowledge all the things that went right. Each week Sargent improves as a quarterback. His decision making is getting better and he is getting braver with running the ball when the situation calls for it. Sargent's offense doesn't give up and grinds every yard out of every play. The kickers have really learned to use those leg muscles. And the defense's technique is continuing to improve.
I have heard that there is a stomach bug going around FHS, and that could have played a factor in tonight's game (as evidenced by the player who was puking on the field), but the team did not play as well tonight as they did last week. There were a few missed assignments tonight; not many, but a few. There were a few missed passes, due to both the receivers and the quarterback. There were a few missed tackles. And there were a few emotional mistakes (resulting in flags and lost yards). If we weren't playing Texas City (who just beat Dawson 44-14) next week, I probably wouldn't be as hard on the team after tonight's win. But, what we saw tonight won't cut it against the Stingarees. Nothing less than the Mustangs' best will get the job done against Texas City. Can the Mustangs beat Texas City? Yes. But not if they don't focus, work hard and fix those mistakes.
One of those mistakes - turnovers. By my count, Friendswood lost possession of the ball three times due to fumbles. One of those was recovered in the end zone for a touch down. A fourth fumble was recovered by the Mustangs. I also counted five penalties against us. And these weren't little five yard losses, at least three of them were close enough to the goal line that they got half the distance to the goal instead of the fifteen yards that are due for those penalties. Those mistakes have got to be fixed before next week.
Another mistake was incomplete passes. Some of the passes were overthrown or thrown wide. Some the receiver should have caught but didn't There were also some great catches tonight (Holle in the fourth quarter). But I have seen this offense pass better than they did this week. Just a suggestion - the quarterback(s) should put together a backyard football game with their receivers. Go out, throw the ball around in a place where you don't have a full stadium watching your every move or coaches watching everything. Have fun. I bet those mistakes will fix themselves in that type of environment and you'll have a place to mentally go to if you get flustered during a game.
Defense - although they got the job done, tonight wasn't as good a night for them either. They didn't penetrate the offensive line as often. There was a missed tackle or two. There were a couple of almost interceptions. But the defense allowed Santa Fe to complete too many passes. I'm going to say the same thing I said last week. Whoever has the idea that the best strategy is to play a few yards off the receivers and stop the ball once the catch is made needs to rethink his strategy. Once the ball is in the air, both the offense and the defense have a right to try to catch that ball. Why not go for those interceptions? Why not bat the pass down if you know you can't catch it? Why do you play like you're worried about pass interference calls. Go for the ball. How many less yards would Santa Fe's offense have if they hadn't completed those passes? And I'm mainly talking about the second quarter.
Oh and special teams, I didn't forget about you. The kickers are just getting better and better. I would love to watch y'all warm up one day. Can the place kickers kick a field goal from the 50? I wouldn't be surprised. However, all the great kicking in the world won't help if you don't stop the guy who catches that kick. One kick was brought out approximately 50 yards. That is something the Mustangs of old would do. Not the new and improved Mustangs.
I know I sound harsh after a win. And I don't mean to sound harsh. I just know that Texas City will be in town for homecoming next week and I do NOT want to walk out of the homecoming game having just been handed our first loss in district play. I wouldn't bother pointing out all this stuff if I didn't believe in the Friendswood Mustangs. I know you can do it. I have faith that this team could play in Dallas in December if they really want it. Remember, drive, determination, heart, focus and emotion. Fix your mistakes. Do those things and you could be handing Texas City their first loss of the season next week. I know it's homecoming, but don't get caught up in all the hoopla and festivities. If you lose that focus for one second, next Friday won't be pretty.
This week's "attaboys" go to Sargent, Longbotham, Vandersypen, White, Makransky, Holle, Bertlesman, Lockwood, Williams, Faulk, Faulk, Stewart, Thurman, the entire o-line, Lowe, and Robinson.
Again, I feel like I'm being really harsh on a team that just won. And I promise, I don't mean to be overly harsh. I've seen some great football from our boys in blue this year. I believe this team is better than the teams we've had the past few years. But I know how tough this district is, and I know that for the season to have a happy ending, the team must continue to improve every single week. No going backwards. "Keep moving forward"; "Just keep swimming" or whatever mantra you use to keep motivated.
It was great to hear the fans cheering tonight. We filled the visitor's side of the Santa Fe stadium. I hope we, as fans, will do a better job cheering for the team at home next week than we did at the last home game.
The final score for tonight's game was Friendswood 34 - Santa Fe 16
Next week, Texas City will be in Friendswood for Friendswood's homecoming game. Kickoff will be at 7pm at Henry Winston Stadium on Friday, October 11, 2013.
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am watching the game and "taking notes" by twittering during the games. I am at each game with at least one of my kids, if not both. Sometimes, my husband is able to attend with us and sometimes I have other family with me as well. My football education is from attending high school football games for 30+ years and sitting between my dad and my grandpa for the first 12 of those years. I was 3 when my parents bought my first season ticket. I missed 2 home games from the time I was 3 years old through junior high, and started traveling (not missing a single game) during high school. I started taking my kids to games before they could walk and have been taking them ever since.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Galena Park Yellowjackets vs. Friendswood Mustangs September 27, 2013
Tonight the Friendswood Mustangs hosted the Galena Park Yellowjackets at Henry Winston Stadium. Because I had "mom responsibilities", I had to miss the first quarter. When I got to the stadium, the score was 0-7, Friendswood.
Tony Hopkins announces all the home games. Tonight he was not announcing. I don't know where he was, but I hope he is back soon. I'm not sure if Tony being gone was the reason behind the strange atmosphere in the stadium, but when we got there, it was almost like the fans were too busy chatting with each other to watch the game. It's hard to get excited about a game when everyone around you is just sitting. The second half was much better. People began to watch and cheer. Come on Friendswood. We can do such a great job of cheering on our team.. But we've got to do it all the time. Catch up with your friends before the game or between downs. The players play much better when we show our support and give them our energy.
In addition to missing the first quarter, I also was having problems with my phone this evening - thanks iOS7 - and missed a few plays because I couldn't get my phone to respond. If you saw one of my tweets and thought, what?; it's because of technical issues with my phone. From what I did see, I liked this officiating crew much better than those I have seen in the previous games. Tonight, they seemed to be calling a much fairer and cleaner game. They did their job to attempt to prevent injuries. Kudos to the refs!
Okay, now for the players. It seems that the theme for tonight was inconsistent. Our offensive line did a good job protecting the quarterback (Sargent), but inconsistently. Our defense did a great job stopping the Galena Park offense, but inconsistently. Our defense made some big tackles, but inconsistently. Our defense had some great pass protection, but inconsistently. You get the idea.
If the defense can make those plays consistently, and not miss those tackles (remember when I talked about diving and missing after the Dickinson game), then our defense could stop just about any offense in 4A. Those guys have amazing potential to be the defense Coach Koopman was quoted as talking about in the Friendswood Journal before the season began.
Rare is the occasion when Friendswood’s defense strikes fear into an opponent more than its offense, but the 2013 version of the Mustangfootball team may well possess that characteristic.
And in no way is that slap in the face to the Friendswood offense. “I’ve been here 19 years, and I’m not sure we’ve thrown a better-looking group of kids out there on defense, and especially at defensive end,” Mustang second-year head coach Robert Koopmann said.
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/friendswood/sports/a-horse-of-a-different-color/article_4e565ea5-b3cf-5df1-9788-2ef03dbff1df.html
Don't get me wrong. Our defense is getting the job done. And doing it well. But to really make a statement in this district, they need to make that statement more efficiently. And I have no doubt that they can.
Another way to make that statement is pass protection. There were too many plays where the Yellowjackets had a receiver that was wide open. Granted, our defense is fast and was able to get to those receivers quickly to prevent him from going far. But just making those catches moves the chains and gets the offense closer to the end zone. This is something I have "complained" about for years. Some years are better than others. There were a few players who have already graduated who really had a knack for being in the right place and providing great pass protections (Taube and Camarillo come to mind, as well as Wood), but those players who have the mind set that they should tackle the receiver after the catch instead of trying to intercept the pass need to change their strategy. When the ball is passed, the defense has just as much of a right to catch the ball as the offense does. Again, I'm not trying to knock our defense. They made some great plays tonight. They chased down the quarterback several times and caused great loss of yards for the Galena Park offense. (can't wait to see the stats) I'm just saying that they aren't living up to their potential yet, and they have two weeks to get there.
Our offense made some amazing plays, but had some dropped passes. I think the mistakes can pretty much be distributed evenly among the receivers. Which is both good and bad. It's good because we know that all of them are capable of making the plays. It's bad because that means that there were mistakes. I wish I could say something more than repetition, repetition, repetition. There were a few bad decisions, a few times that Sargent was nearly picked off. But for the most part, I just kinda felt "blah" about our offense tonight. The offensive line did a great job protecting Sargent for most of the plays. I didn't see any great drives that went all the way to the end zone. Most of the points scored (that I saw) were breakaways. And while that gets the points on the board, it left me wondering about those dropped passes and plays that didn't work as well as intended. Something else that should probably be talked about - when you're blocking for the ball carrier, be sure to stay out of the ball carrier's way. Don't be the reason he trips and goes down. I think Longbotham got tripped up by his blockers three or four times. Offense, let's not help the opponent's defense. Make them work for every stop.
In all seriousness, can someone please explain to me the logic/strategy behind allowing a punt to roll or bounce to a stop? One of those punts rolled all the way to the 1 yard line. I honestly don't understand why a team or coach would intentionally allow the ball to be any farther back into their own territory than necessary. I'm sure there's a reason why it's done, but I don't understand. Please, help me understand.
Our special teams looked better tonight. Each game they seem to improve. One thing I saws tonight that I haven't seen a Friendswood special teams do in a while was missing that many tackles. What was up with that? Why did those occasional runners get by so many of you. I've heard that Hardy and Dement used to like challenging the players to get past them in practice. And that's fine and probably fun. But not during a game. Thankfully, we have some fast players this year and none of those guys made it to the end zone, but they really should have been stopped a lot earlier than they were.
This week's first "attaboy" goes to Blake King. His stripping the Galena Park quarterback of the ball at the two yard line is why you never give up on a play. Other players receiving "attaboys" tonight are Sargent, Page, Faulk, Makransky (great interception!), Williams (caught what would have been an interception, but was out of bounds), Thurman, Bertlesman, Longbotham, Vandersypen, Kirkland, and Holle. The place kicker and the punter also deserve "attaboys" - I'm not positive who was kicking this evening, and I don't want to give the credit to the wrong players, but you know who you are, so be sure to give yourselves a pat on the back. Everyone who played defense this evening also deserves a pat on the back.
The final score of this game was Galena Park Yellowjackets 7 - Friendswood Mustangs 24.
Next up for the Mustangs is the Santa Fe Indians. They aren't the best team in the district. But if you want to know what happens when you overlook the Indians, go back and watch the film from the game we played against them in 2010. We lost a game that should have been a blowout. Yes, Texas City is the week after the Indians. And yes, Texas City will require every minute of preparation possible (I recommend setting up cots in the weight room so the guys never have to leave to field house. There's room in the hallway of the field house, too; but that hallway smells like sweaty feet. That wouldn't be a very restful environment). And teachers, please don't assign any homework the week of the Texas City game so that the players can spend every waking hour practicing, working out and eating right. But before all that happens, do NOT overlook Santa Fe. If you do, you will face Texas City and the homecoming crowd with a 3-2 record instead of a 4-1 record.
Next Friday, October 5, 2013, the Mustangs will travel to Santa Fe to face the Indians. Kick off will be at 7pm.
GO MUSTANGS!
Tony Hopkins announces all the home games. Tonight he was not announcing. I don't know where he was, but I hope he is back soon. I'm not sure if Tony being gone was the reason behind the strange atmosphere in the stadium, but when we got there, it was almost like the fans were too busy chatting with each other to watch the game. It's hard to get excited about a game when everyone around you is just sitting. The second half was much better. People began to watch and cheer. Come on Friendswood. We can do such a great job of cheering on our team.. But we've got to do it all the time. Catch up with your friends before the game or between downs. The players play much better when we show our support and give them our energy.
In addition to missing the first quarter, I also was having problems with my phone this evening - thanks iOS7 - and missed a few plays because I couldn't get my phone to respond. If you saw one of my tweets and thought, what?; it's because of technical issues with my phone. From what I did see, I liked this officiating crew much better than those I have seen in the previous games. Tonight, they seemed to be calling a much fairer and cleaner game. They did their job to attempt to prevent injuries. Kudos to the refs!
Okay, now for the players. It seems that the theme for tonight was inconsistent. Our offensive line did a good job protecting the quarterback (Sargent), but inconsistently. Our defense did a great job stopping the Galena Park offense, but inconsistently. Our defense made some big tackles, but inconsistently. Our defense had some great pass protection, but inconsistently. You get the idea.
If the defense can make those plays consistently, and not miss those tackles (remember when I talked about diving and missing after the Dickinson game), then our defense could stop just about any offense in 4A. Those guys have amazing potential to be the defense Coach Koopman was quoted as talking about in the Friendswood Journal before the season began.
Rare is the occasion when Friendswood’s defense strikes fear into an opponent more than its offense, but the 2013 version of the Mustang
And in no way is that slap in the face to the Friendswood offense. “I’ve been here 19 years, and I’m not sure we’ve thrown a better-looking group of kids out there on defense, and especially at defensive end,” Mustang second-year head coach Robert Koopmann said.
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/friendswood/sports/a-horse-of-a-different-color/article_4e565ea5-b3cf-5df1-9788-2ef03dbff1df.html
Don't get me wrong. Our defense is getting the job done. And doing it well. But to really make a statement in this district, they need to make that statement more efficiently. And I have no doubt that they can.
Another way to make that statement is pass protection. There were too many plays where the Yellowjackets had a receiver that was wide open. Granted, our defense is fast and was able to get to those receivers quickly to prevent him from going far. But just making those catches moves the chains and gets the offense closer to the end zone. This is something I have "complained" about for years. Some years are better than others. There were a few players who have already graduated who really had a knack for being in the right place and providing great pass protections (Taube and Camarillo come to mind, as well as Wood), but those players who have the mind set that they should tackle the receiver after the catch instead of trying to intercept the pass need to change their strategy. When the ball is passed, the defense has just as much of a right to catch the ball as the offense does. Again, I'm not trying to knock our defense. They made some great plays tonight. They chased down the quarterback several times and caused great loss of yards for the Galena Park offense. (can't wait to see the stats) I'm just saying that they aren't living up to their potential yet, and they have two weeks to get there.
Our offense made some amazing plays, but had some dropped passes. I think the mistakes can pretty much be distributed evenly among the receivers. Which is both good and bad. It's good because we know that all of them are capable of making the plays. It's bad because that means that there were mistakes. I wish I could say something more than repetition, repetition, repetition. There were a few bad decisions, a few times that Sargent was nearly picked off. But for the most part, I just kinda felt "blah" about our offense tonight. The offensive line did a great job protecting Sargent for most of the plays. I didn't see any great drives that went all the way to the end zone. Most of the points scored (that I saw) were breakaways. And while that gets the points on the board, it left me wondering about those dropped passes and plays that didn't work as well as intended. Something else that should probably be talked about - when you're blocking for the ball carrier, be sure to stay out of the ball carrier's way. Don't be the reason he trips and goes down. I think Longbotham got tripped up by his blockers three or four times. Offense, let's not help the opponent's defense. Make them work for every stop.
In all seriousness, can someone please explain to me the logic/strategy behind allowing a punt to roll or bounce to a stop? One of those punts rolled all the way to the 1 yard line. I honestly don't understand why a team or coach would intentionally allow the ball to be any farther back into their own territory than necessary. I'm sure there's a reason why it's done, but I don't understand. Please, help me understand.
Our special teams looked better tonight. Each game they seem to improve. One thing I saws tonight that I haven't seen a Friendswood special teams do in a while was missing that many tackles. What was up with that? Why did those occasional runners get by so many of you. I've heard that Hardy and Dement used to like challenging the players to get past them in practice. And that's fine and probably fun. But not during a game. Thankfully, we have some fast players this year and none of those guys made it to the end zone, but they really should have been stopped a lot earlier than they were.
This week's first "attaboy" goes to Blake King. His stripping the Galena Park quarterback of the ball at the two yard line is why you never give up on a play. Other players receiving "attaboys" tonight are Sargent, Page, Faulk, Makransky (great interception!), Williams (caught what would have been an interception, but was out of bounds), Thurman, Bertlesman, Longbotham, Vandersypen, Kirkland, and Holle. The place kicker and the punter also deserve "attaboys" - I'm not positive who was kicking this evening, and I don't want to give the credit to the wrong players, but you know who you are, so be sure to give yourselves a pat on the back. Everyone who played defense this evening also deserves a pat on the back.
The final score of this game was Galena Park Yellowjackets 7 - Friendswood Mustangs 24.
Next up for the Mustangs is the Santa Fe Indians. They aren't the best team in the district. But if you want to know what happens when you overlook the Indians, go back and watch the film from the game we played against them in 2010. We lost a game that should have been a blowout. Yes, Texas City is the week after the Indians. And yes, Texas City will require every minute of preparation possible (I recommend setting up cots in the weight room so the guys never have to leave to field house. There's room in the hallway of the field house, too; but that hallway smells like sweaty feet. That wouldn't be a very restful environment). And teachers, please don't assign any homework the week of the Texas City game so that the players can spend every waking hour practicing, working out and eating right. But before all that happens, do NOT overlook Santa Fe. If you do, you will face Texas City and the homecoming crowd with a 3-2 record instead of a 4-1 record.
Next Friday, October 5, 2013, the Mustangs will travel to Santa Fe to face the Indians. Kick off will be at 7pm.
GO MUSTANGS!
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Friendswood Mustangs vs. Terry Rangers September 14, 2013
This evening the Friendswood Mustangs traveled to Rosenberg to take on the Terry High School Rangers. But before I share my thoughts on this evening's game, first I have to give kudos to the players from the Mustang's JV Blue team. This week was the first time that I have been to a JV Blue game, and I have to say, I was impressed. Being a JV game, there was no band, so I expected the stands to be a little quiet. But there was a much larger turn out than I was expecting and the parents and fans in the stands kept things lively and entertaining. There were a few players who had a great game Thursday evening. I wish I knew your names, but #22, 23, 41 & 48 were impressive. #48 - I could tell by watching that you seem to be able to read an offense very well. You seemed to know what the offense was going to do, even when you were on the wrong side of the field to be able to stop the play. Keep practicing that, and you'll be a force to be reckoned with.
Now - on to this evening's game. I'm sure that, after the Dickinson game, the Mustangs were looking to make a statement. They made one. And I just love it when our Mustangs are picked to lose and instead of listening to the "experts", they win!!! The fans were just as loud and excited tonight as we were in Dickinson. I hope that same energy carries over to the next home game. Can you imagine how loud we'll be if everyone in the home stands screams and cheers like we did this evening?
One thing I was impressed with during the game was the sportsmanship exhibited by each team. Both teams played a clean game and helped each other up after the plays. I'm glad to see that these coaches are teaching their players to be good player for the whole game, not just during the plays.
I think tonight, I'm going to start by commenting on the referees. For the next few days, I'll be spending my leisure time reading the official rule book for high school football from the UIL. I'll be looking specifically for changes to the rules from years past. Last I heard, you can't fumble the ball after you're down. There were a few other "questionable" calls. I don't think it's too much to ask for the officials to call a fair game. If you're going to call something a fumble (whether it really is a fumble or not), call it a fumble all night long. Be consistent. And one that really gets on my nerves this year (which I've noticed isn't only occurring in high school football) is the refs not blowing the whistle when it's obvious that the ball carrier isn't going down. Twenty-two players in a standup dog pile is just asking for someone to get hurt. After last week's game, I skimmed the current version of the rule book and didn't find what I was looking for. This week, I'll read it cover to cover.
Fairly early in the game - two minutes and twenty-six seconds into the second quarter - Blumrick threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. That was his last snap of the game. Sargent was brought in as quarterback at that point and remained in that position for the rest of the game. And he looked good. He can throw and he can run. And he can fake. He's one of the best fakers Friendswood has had in a long time. I'm sure that's not something that a lot of people notice, but I do. And I think it's important for keeping your opponent from reading you. If you can't fake, the defense always knows whether or not you have the ball and whether or not to come after you or look for the ball. I don't know how much practice time Sargent has had with the offense, but I'm looking forward to seeing what they can do with even more practice.
I didn't say this after last week's game and I should have - the offense is getting better and better at protecting the quarter back and running backs. Each week I have seen an improvement. There were a couple of plays where Sargent had all the time he needed to look around and make a decision. Good job offensive line! All of you should give yourselves a pat on the back. It was great to see how many options Sargent had for his throws. It makes a huge difference to give the quarterback that many options. And I think that neither Longbotham nor Vandersypen know the meaning of the word quit. They are both like energizer bunnies.
Our defense is also looking better each week. Tackling technique is continuing to improve. Unfortunately, the defense is still susceptible to the breakaway play, but at least now we have someone with a chance of chasing down those fast offensive players. But, so far, the number of those breakaways in each game is getting fewer and fewer. Our defense is also getting better at stopping the run up the middle. I am seriously looking forward to seeing this defense as they get farther into the season. If they continue to improve, they will be what Mustangs fans have been waiting years to see. These guys may not be the largest defense out there, but there's more than enough evidence to say that bigger isn't always better. Our defense is playing smart and playing with heart. That heart is the reason I prefer high school football over college and professional teams.
Special teams are also looking better each week. The kick off return is getting better. They don't always get out past the twenty, but they are consistently gaining yards. The punt return is looking good, but I have to say that I don't understand the strategy of not going after the punts. Why allow them to bounce and allow the opponents to determine where the ball stops? I know that there is a strategy involved; I've seen this play employed by too many teams for there not to be. But I don't understand why you wouldn't call for a fair catch or catch the ball and run in an attempt to improve your field position. Another strategy I don't understand is why a kicker would make a short kick on a kick off. Now, I'm not talking about an onsides kick. I completely understand the logic behind that. But unless you're kicking to a specific player who has a history of being a bad ball handler, why kick to the forty or thirty-five yard line when you are capable of kicking it all the way back to the five. It appears that you are just giving your opponents a shorter distance to the goal line. If someone out there can explain these strategies to me, please do. I want to understand.
Tonight there's a long list of "attaboys" Everyone who played defense during the second half deserves a pat on the back. I'm sorry I didn't make note of everyone's names. But the whole defense gets "attaboys" Also on this week's list: Longbotham, Vandersypen, King, Sargent, Page, Thurman, Bauer, Robinson, Faulk, Bertlesman, Makransky, & Faulk. And while Blumrick was taken out of the game in the second quarter, he stood on the sidelines, helmet on, ready to play for the rest of the game. That demonstrates great support for the rest of the team and respect for the coaches.
Before tonight's game, the Terry Rangers were ranked at #40 in the state for 4A teams (down from #28 the week before), according to www.texashsfootball.com. I think we may have just knocked them out of the top 40!
Overall, if anyone is looking for my advice, it's simple. Keep on keeping on. Keep practicing what you did this week. Was it perfect? No. But it's a great step in the right direction. The tackling looked good, the passing looked good, the running looked good. Good job "dusting yourselves off" after that loss to Dickinson. You may have a bye week next week, but don't think it's a week off. The best teams you will face all season are still to come. I can't wait to see y'all in two weeks.
Final score: Friendswood Mustangs 21 - Terry Rangers 20
Next week, the Mustangs have a bye week. The next game will be on Friday, September 27, 2013, at Henry Winston Stadium against the Galena Park Yellowjackets. Kick off is at 7pm. The National Champion Wranglerettes will host that night's pre-game dinner beginning at 5pm - Chick-Fil-A! The kindergarten - 9th graders who participated in the Wranglerette's fall clinic will provide entertainment at the dinner along with the drill trainers and the Wranglerettes. Half time will feature the ever popular daddy-daughter dance. Be sure to wear white. September 27, is "White Out 2013" If you can't be at the game, you can get updates during the game by following me on twitter; www.twitter.com/momrod2000
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am watching the game and "taking notes" by tweeting during the games. I am at each game with at least one of my kids, if not both. Sometimes, my husband is able to attend with us and sometimes I have other family with me as well. My football education is from attending high school football games for 30+ years and sitting between my dad and my grandpa for the first 12 of those years. I was 3 when my parents bought my first season ticket. I missed 2 home games from the time I was 3 years old through junior high, and started traveling (not missing a single game) during high school. I started taking my kids to games before they could walk and have been taking them ever since.
Now - on to this evening's game. I'm sure that, after the Dickinson game, the Mustangs were looking to make a statement. They made one. And I just love it when our Mustangs are picked to lose and instead of listening to the "experts", they win!!! The fans were just as loud and excited tonight as we were in Dickinson. I hope that same energy carries over to the next home game. Can you imagine how loud we'll be if everyone in the home stands screams and cheers like we did this evening?
One thing I was impressed with during the game was the sportsmanship exhibited by each team. Both teams played a clean game and helped each other up after the plays. I'm glad to see that these coaches are teaching their players to be good player for the whole game, not just during the plays.
I think tonight, I'm going to start by commenting on the referees. For the next few days, I'll be spending my leisure time reading the official rule book for high school football from the UIL. I'll be looking specifically for changes to the rules from years past. Last I heard, you can't fumble the ball after you're down. There were a few other "questionable" calls. I don't think it's too much to ask for the officials to call a fair game. If you're going to call something a fumble (whether it really is a fumble or not), call it a fumble all night long. Be consistent. And one that really gets on my nerves this year (which I've noticed isn't only occurring in high school football) is the refs not blowing the whistle when it's obvious that the ball carrier isn't going down. Twenty-two players in a standup dog pile is just asking for someone to get hurt. After last week's game, I skimmed the current version of the rule book and didn't find what I was looking for. This week, I'll read it cover to cover.
Fairly early in the game - two minutes and twenty-six seconds into the second quarter - Blumrick threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. That was his last snap of the game. Sargent was brought in as quarterback at that point and remained in that position for the rest of the game. And he looked good. He can throw and he can run. And he can fake. He's one of the best fakers Friendswood has had in a long time. I'm sure that's not something that a lot of people notice, but I do. And I think it's important for keeping your opponent from reading you. If you can't fake, the defense always knows whether or not you have the ball and whether or not to come after you or look for the ball. I don't know how much practice time Sargent has had with the offense, but I'm looking forward to seeing what they can do with even more practice.
I didn't say this after last week's game and I should have - the offense is getting better and better at protecting the quarter back and running backs. Each week I have seen an improvement. There were a couple of plays where Sargent had all the time he needed to look around and make a decision. Good job offensive line! All of you should give yourselves a pat on the back. It was great to see how many options Sargent had for his throws. It makes a huge difference to give the quarterback that many options. And I think that neither Longbotham nor Vandersypen know the meaning of the word quit. They are both like energizer bunnies.
Our defense is also looking better each week. Tackling technique is continuing to improve. Unfortunately, the defense is still susceptible to the breakaway play, but at least now we have someone with a chance of chasing down those fast offensive players. But, so far, the number of those breakaways in each game is getting fewer and fewer. Our defense is also getting better at stopping the run up the middle. I am seriously looking forward to seeing this defense as they get farther into the season. If they continue to improve, they will be what Mustangs fans have been waiting years to see. These guys may not be the largest defense out there, but there's more than enough evidence to say that bigger isn't always better. Our defense is playing smart and playing with heart. That heart is the reason I prefer high school football over college and professional teams.
Special teams are also looking better each week. The kick off return is getting better. They don't always get out past the twenty, but they are consistently gaining yards. The punt return is looking good, but I have to say that I don't understand the strategy of not going after the punts. Why allow them to bounce and allow the opponents to determine where the ball stops? I know that there is a strategy involved; I've seen this play employed by too many teams for there not to be. But I don't understand why you wouldn't call for a fair catch or catch the ball and run in an attempt to improve your field position. Another strategy I don't understand is why a kicker would make a short kick on a kick off. Now, I'm not talking about an onsides kick. I completely understand the logic behind that. But unless you're kicking to a specific player who has a history of being a bad ball handler, why kick to the forty or thirty-five yard line when you are capable of kicking it all the way back to the five. It appears that you are just giving your opponents a shorter distance to the goal line. If someone out there can explain these strategies to me, please do. I want to understand.
Tonight there's a long list of "attaboys" Everyone who played defense during the second half deserves a pat on the back. I'm sorry I didn't make note of everyone's names. But the whole defense gets "attaboys" Also on this week's list: Longbotham, Vandersypen, King, Sargent, Page, Thurman, Bauer, Robinson, Faulk, Bertlesman, Makransky, & Faulk. And while Blumrick was taken out of the game in the second quarter, he stood on the sidelines, helmet on, ready to play for the rest of the game. That demonstrates great support for the rest of the team and respect for the coaches.
Before tonight's game, the Terry Rangers were ranked at #40 in the state for 4A teams (down from #28 the week before), according to www.texashsfootball.com. I think we may have just knocked them out of the top 40!
Overall, if anyone is looking for my advice, it's simple. Keep on keeping on. Keep practicing what you did this week. Was it perfect? No. But it's a great step in the right direction. The tackling looked good, the passing looked good, the running looked good. Good job "dusting yourselves off" after that loss to Dickinson. You may have a bye week next week, but don't think it's a week off. The best teams you will face all season are still to come. I can't wait to see y'all in two weeks.
Final score: Friendswood Mustangs 21 - Terry Rangers 20
Next week, the Mustangs have a bye week. The next game will be on Friday, September 27, 2013, at Henry Winston Stadium against the Galena Park Yellowjackets. Kick off is at 7pm. The National Champion Wranglerettes will host that night's pre-game dinner beginning at 5pm - Chick-Fil-A! The kindergarten - 9th graders who participated in the Wranglerette's fall clinic will provide entertainment at the dinner along with the drill trainers and the Wranglerettes. Half time will feature the ever popular daddy-daughter dance. Be sure to wear white. September 27, is "White Out 2013" If you can't be at the game, you can get updates during the game by following me on twitter; www.twitter.com/momrod2000
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am watching the game and "taking notes" by tweeting during the games. I am at each game with at least one of my kids, if not both. Sometimes, my husband is able to attend with us and sometimes I have other family with me as well. My football education is from attending high school football games for 30+ years and sitting between my dad and my grandpa for the first 12 of those years. I was 3 when my parents bought my first season ticket. I missed 2 home games from the time I was 3 years old through junior high, and started traveling (not missing a single game) during high school. I started taking my kids to games before they could walk and have been taking them ever since.
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