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?
Friday, October 25, 2013
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.
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