On Saturday, November 27, 2016, the Friendswood Mustangs traveled to NRG Stadium to take on the Cinco Ranch Cougars in their first ever meeting. Cinco Ranch, while being in 6A, D2, is a much larger school than Friendswood, though the enrollment difference isn't as wide as what Friendswood faced last year against Katy.
There are alot of things I want to say about the game - but I'm going to limit myself to only a few of the topics.
First, on the first play of the game (after the kick off and return), the Mustangs saw a nightmare unfold on the field and the most egregious actions I've ever seen displayed by the opposing team and their fans. When the whistle was finally blown to officially end the play (an issue I will get to later), one Mustang did not move. Everyone on the field had gotten up and began walking to where they needed to regroup, and he was still lying face down as still as if he were sound asleep. Everyone who was in the area took a knee while the trainers rushed to him. I think everyone on the Friendswood side of the stadium was holding his breath, hoping that he had just had the wind knocked out of him. As painful as that is, it is not a lasting injury. Once they got him sitting up, it was obvious to everyone who could see him that Page was in pain and his ankle was the problem. Page was carried off the field by two trainers and did not put any weight on that leg. Friendswood fans offered the polite applause appropriate to a player who is conscious and being helped off the field. Cinco Ranch players and fans, on the other hand, cheered, whooped, whistled and hollered as if they had just won the World Series and all their dreams had come true. The Cougar players were encouraging their fans to scream louder. In my 35+ years of watching high school football, I have never seen anything so disrespectful or inappropriate. Ever.
I immediately made a comment about this on my facebook page. One of my husband's aunts, who lives in Katy, responded to me via messenger instead of posting her comments publicly. She told me that in Katy, they are taught to give a "tribute to a warrior" when an injured player leaves the field. She was not at the game, just saw my comment and offered an explanation. What they did was no tribute. That was rude beyond measure and wholly inappropriate. I would challenge each of those people to put the shoe on the other foot. Imagine if that were you being carried off the field. Imagine if that were your son being carried off the field. Then listen to they way you cheered. Louder than when any other injured player was helped off the field. Louder than any touchdown you scored. Louder than anything else that happened that day. Your actions in that moment spoke volumes about your school and your school district as well as your community. You should be embarrassed. You should be offering apologies with your tails tucked between your legs. At that point in time, I think you convinced every parent listening that we would never want our children to be part of your community. What type of community teaches their children to cheer and encourage others to cheer when an opponent is injured. Remember, these are kids we are talking about - high school students. Do you have no conscience???
While twitter and facebook blew up with how incensed the Friendswood fans were, the players on the sidelines checked on Page often and the players on the field concentrated on their task. I'm sure that was not easy - not only would it be natural for them to worry about their friend and teammate who is sitting on the trainers table in pain, but now the entire game plan for this game has gone out the window and they have to come up with something else quick. The Mustangs maintained their composure throughout the game and played with everything they had for the entire 48 minutes. Each and everyone of them deserves a pat on the back.
I was very impressed with the discipline the Mustangs showed, not only when the Cougar fans were acting so horribly, but also with all the cheap shots and late hits the officials allowed. I don't think I've ever seen a group of officials "talk to" players so many times in one game. As officials, it is your responsibility to know that one of the reasons that many of the rules exist is to prevent as many injuries as possible. Anyone who has been around sports will tell you that injuries are part of the game. And while that is true, rules exist to help minimize the risk. Mowing down a player after the whistle is a personal foul. And yet, more than once, these officials watched it happen and never did anything about it. And the only way they didn't see it is if their eyes were closed - it happened right in front of them. This was not a one time incident, but repeated. And how sad it is that anytime there was a flag or controversial call, the refs were watching the jumbo-tron before announcing the call. This just solidified their appearance of being incompetent. I am honestly surprised that more players were not injured. Not only were there late hits, but the officials allowed play to continue after forward progress had stopped. In one particular play, the ball carrier had his legs wrapped up, but was taking hits to his upper body from several different directions before the officials finally blew the whistle.
I realize that it would be impossible for the Texas Association of Sports Officials or the UIL to supervise the officials at every game, but in this day and age, I believe it is important that the governing bodies do a better job of holding officials accountable. I sincerely hope that the officials lack of rule enforcement does not lead to a lasting injury.
With this heartbreaking loss, the Friendswood Mustang's season comes to a close. While every team member deserves an atta-boy, I'm reserving this week's list for the senior class of 2017. Some of them will continue to play football at the collegiate level; and for others, this was the last time they will put on pads and a helmet. Thank you Tyler Page, Tom Hermes, Weston Owens, Reed Roher, Cade Roenne, Brandon Scott, Nick McMahon, Zach Cacciapaglia, Alex Klump, Carson Briones, Jacob Blain, Ian Ringer, Kyle Ford, Dalton Malek, Cody Williamson, Dylan LaFavers, Zach Romine, Connor Phinney, Devin Molander, Evan Mueller, Zach Follis, Jose Pena III, Ben Salughter, Jorde Iniguez, Alex Garza, Chase Willis, Karney Lynch, Elijah Blackburn, C.J. Henson, Parker Carnes, Connor Stanford, Nathan Coyle, Tristan Martinez, Anthony Lucarelli, Zach Riggs, Dane Grissom. Jared Stasky, Matthew Virts, John Heyart, Josh Gardiner, Chase Rueter, Nicky Stevens, Liam Reeves III, Drake Dobard, Derrick Bowers, Zach Uhart, and Valen Cepak. Thank you for your contribution to the Mustangs. Thank you for your blood, sweat, and tears given to make this team a team others didn't want to face. Thank you for what you've done to shed a positive light on Friendswood - the high school and the community. Thank you for being leaders and being a positive example to the younger students in our community. Thank you. I wish you good fortunes for the rest of your senior year and wherever life takes you afterward. There's just one thing left to say - GO MUSTANGS!!
Monday, November 28, 2016
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
La Ports Bulldogs vs. Friendswood Mustangs - November 18, 2016
On Friday, November 18, 2016, the Friendswood Mustangs hosted the La Ports Bulldogs at CCISD's Challenger Columbia Stadium in round 2 of the 6A, Div 2 playoffs. This was the first time these two teams had met since 1973.
I was very thankful that the rain cleared out before game time. Left behind from the cool front that moved through was cooler temps and a strong wind blowing from goalpost to goalpost. After the game, I read that the winds were 30 mph. I can't remember a game with that much wind since the Mustangs traveled to Orange to play West Orange Stark. I believe that game was in 2010. The difference with that game is that the wind blew at an angle to the field as opposed to down the field.
La Porte had posession of the ball first and spent almost 3 minutes on their first drive, ending when a Bulldog drug a Mustang with him into the end zone. For the most part, Friendswood defense did a good job of controlling the game during this first drive. But all it takes is for one person to misread the play or play a little too far off a receiver and the results can be points on the board.
When it was time for La Porte to kick off to the Mustangs, the kicker was having to kick straight into the wind. His first kick and his rekick both sailed out of bounds. After the second kick was caught by the coaches on the sidelines, the ball was placed at the 35 yard line for Friendswood's offense to get their first chance to play in this game. Unfortunately, for Friendswood, their first offensive drive ended with a three and out. However, the defense learned a few things about La Porte during that first drive and this was another three & out.
The Mustangs drive started near mid-field and needed 5 plays to get to the end zone. At this point, it began to look like the game might be a back and forth. Both teams had scored and both teams had used their punting team - something we aren't used to seeing. While it could have been a back and forth similar to the first half of the game last week, that's not exactly how it worked out.
Both teams had a strong team. La Porte's offensive style was a little different than what I was expecting, but it was easy to see how they got to the 2nd round of the playoffs. La Porte's defense was also good, but they just weren't ready for the Friendswood offense. Many people will tell you how awesome Page played during this game - and none of them would be wrong - but the rest of his offensive unit helped to make him look great. When Whitaker wasn't driving forward, he was blocking or creating the illusion that he was driving. When Roher wasn't racing toward the end zone with the ball, he was helping to create a path for Page. Yes, Page picked up a dropped snap and raced 60+ yards to the end zone, and yes he probably ran over 500 total yards (actual running, not the number of yards he advanced the ball). Yes, Page looked great! The rest of the offense didn't look too shabby either. It was nice to see the play callers mixing things up a little bit, too. Plays where the fans thought, "We've been here before. Page will do this or that", and he did neither - and it worked. Great effort by the Friendswood offense.
I've heard that Friendswood's defense is a little disappointed in their performance. I can see why they would feel that way, but the fact is, they got the job done. For the most part, the Mustang defense looked very strong and capable. There were a few misreads that led to points being scored, or the ball being much too close to the goal line than anyone would have liked. But you can't let a few mistakes color your opinion of the whole game. That being said, arm tackling is never a good idea and neither is playing 5 yards off a receiver. The defense did have that pass batted down in the red zone by Owens, and the interception by Nickerson. And how many times did the defense chase La Porte's quarterback out of bounds? Something else, La Porte hasn't ended a game with fewer points scored than that since they played Clear Springs before district play began. The only point in looking back now is looking for what you need to work on. Now is the time to look forward.
The boxscore for the game is
1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q FINAL
La Porte Bulldogs 7 7 14 7 35
Friendswood Mustangs 14 14 14 14 56
Several players deserve a pat on the back after this game. This week's atta-boys go to Follis, Horman, Halata, Ford, Hurst, Whitaker, Page, Roher, Swaney, Blackburn, Bell, Roenne, Peterson, Nickerson, Owens, Willis, Yurachek, Boddie, and Klump.
Thanks to the great playing by the Mustang offense and the defense getting the job done, Friendswood lives to play another week. For Friendswood (9-2, 5-2), the third round of the Texas High School Football Playoffs will take place at NRG Stadium on Saturday, November 26. Kick off will be at 2pm. The opponent - Katy Cinco Ranch (9-3, 5-2). Cinco Ranch hasn't been past the 2nd round of the playoffs since 2009 when they made it to the state semifinals. Friendswood's last trip to the 3rd round was last year. The Mustangs haven't advanced from there since 2010 when they made it to the state semifinals. For the Mustangs and their fans, this will be a white out game. Tickets are being sold around town during the week and will be sold for a higher price at the gates on Saturday. Don't forget to bring cash for parking. Oh, and
I was very thankful that the rain cleared out before game time. Left behind from the cool front that moved through was cooler temps and a strong wind blowing from goalpost to goalpost. After the game, I read that the winds were 30 mph. I can't remember a game with that much wind since the Mustangs traveled to Orange to play West Orange Stark. I believe that game was in 2010. The difference with that game is that the wind blew at an angle to the field as opposed to down the field.
La Porte had posession of the ball first and spent almost 3 minutes on their first drive, ending when a Bulldog drug a Mustang with him into the end zone. For the most part, Friendswood defense did a good job of controlling the game during this first drive. But all it takes is for one person to misread the play or play a little too far off a receiver and the results can be points on the board.
When it was time for La Porte to kick off to the Mustangs, the kicker was having to kick straight into the wind. His first kick and his rekick both sailed out of bounds. After the second kick was caught by the coaches on the sidelines, the ball was placed at the 35 yard line for Friendswood's offense to get their first chance to play in this game. Unfortunately, for Friendswood, their first offensive drive ended with a three and out. However, the defense learned a few things about La Porte during that first drive and this was another three & out.
The Mustangs drive started near mid-field and needed 5 plays to get to the end zone. At this point, it began to look like the game might be a back and forth. Both teams had scored and both teams had used their punting team - something we aren't used to seeing. While it could have been a back and forth similar to the first half of the game last week, that's not exactly how it worked out.
Both teams had a strong team. La Porte's offensive style was a little different than what I was expecting, but it was easy to see how they got to the 2nd round of the playoffs. La Porte's defense was also good, but they just weren't ready for the Friendswood offense. Many people will tell you how awesome Page played during this game - and none of them would be wrong - but the rest of his offensive unit helped to make him look great. When Whitaker wasn't driving forward, he was blocking or creating the illusion that he was driving. When Roher wasn't racing toward the end zone with the ball, he was helping to create a path for Page. Yes, Page picked up a dropped snap and raced 60+ yards to the end zone, and yes he probably ran over 500 total yards (actual running, not the number of yards he advanced the ball). Yes, Page looked great! The rest of the offense didn't look too shabby either. It was nice to see the play callers mixing things up a little bit, too. Plays where the fans thought, "We've been here before. Page will do this or that", and he did neither - and it worked. Great effort by the Friendswood offense.
I've heard that Friendswood's defense is a little disappointed in their performance. I can see why they would feel that way, but the fact is, they got the job done. For the most part, the Mustang defense looked very strong and capable. There were a few misreads that led to points being scored, or the ball being much too close to the goal line than anyone would have liked. But you can't let a few mistakes color your opinion of the whole game. That being said, arm tackling is never a good idea and neither is playing 5 yards off a receiver. The defense did have that pass batted down in the red zone by Owens, and the interception by Nickerson. And how many times did the defense chase La Porte's quarterback out of bounds? Something else, La Porte hasn't ended a game with fewer points scored than that since they played Clear Springs before district play began. The only point in looking back now is looking for what you need to work on. Now is the time to look forward.
The boxscore for the game is
1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q FINAL
La Porte Bulldogs 7 7 14 7 35
Friendswood Mustangs 14 14 14 14 56
Several players deserve a pat on the back after this game. This week's atta-boys go to Follis, Horman, Halata, Ford, Hurst, Whitaker, Page, Roher, Swaney, Blackburn, Bell, Roenne, Peterson, Nickerson, Owens, Willis, Yurachek, Boddie, and Klump.
Thanks to the great playing by the Mustang offense and the defense getting the job done, Friendswood lives to play another week. For Friendswood (9-2, 5-2), the third round of the Texas High School Football Playoffs will take place at NRG Stadium on Saturday, November 26. Kick off will be at 2pm. The opponent - Katy Cinco Ranch (9-3, 5-2). Cinco Ranch hasn't been past the 2nd round of the playoffs since 2009 when they made it to the state semifinals. Friendswood's last trip to the 3rd round was last year. The Mustangs haven't advanced from there since 2010 when they made it to the state semifinals. For the Mustangs and their fans, this will be a white out game. Tickets are being sold around town during the week and will be sold for a higher price at the gates on Saturday. Don't forget to bring cash for parking. Oh, and
GO MUSTANGS!!!!!!
Monday, November 14, 2016
George Ranch Longhorns vs. Friendswood Mustangs - November 11, 2016
On Friday, November 11, 2016, the Friendswood Mustangs hosted the George Ranch Longhorns at Henry Winston Stadium in the first round of the 2016 6A, Div 2 playoffs.
These two teams have previously met twice, with each contest ending in favor of the home team. I don't think there was anyone in the stadium Friday night who didn't know that George Ranch won the 2015 5A Div 1 State Championships. George Ranch was known for being fast and powerful, having 3 D1 pledges on their squad. This was a high energy game and moving the student section to be next to the band added to the fire.
George Ranch won the toss and elected to receive to start the game. The Friendswood defense spent those first ten plays by George Ranch learning their offense. One of those plays being a rather impressive pass as the QB was being chased out of bounds by Stanford & someone (sorry, I didn't see your jersey number.) that was caught for a 35 yard gain. There were some really nice stops and a few misreads before Friendswood found themselves behind 7-0 less than halfway through the first quarter. In only one other game has Friendswood not scored first. Unlike in that other game, this score came before Friendswood had touched the ball.
Friendswood's offense took the field next and I have to say I was not impressed with the way they chose to play that kick return. Apparently, the powers that be weren't impressed with the way it turned out either because they didn't try that approach again. Friendswood made some great plays on this drive and was helped along by a face mask penalty against George Ranch on a complete pass. Bell ran into the end zone about 4 minutes after George Ranch scored, bringing the score to a tie. That was the score at the end of the 1st quarter.
During the second quarter, there was a play that squeaked out five or ten more yards in a way I can try to describe, but could never do justice. Page was running up the left and was caught by the Longhorn defense. Before they could bring him down, Whitaker made it over and starts pushing Page and keeping him upright. Try to picture this, George Ranch has someone behind Page and someone on his left, Page is running backwards facing Whitaker while Whitaker runs and pushes everyone forward. They went more than 5 yards like this. It was very impressive and I'm sure my description doesn't do it justice. If he hasn't already, Whitaker should consider adding this to his highlight reel for the year. Also during the second quarter, Hermes caught an interception, after dropping one earlier in the game.
The second quarter saw both teams score once each, bringing us to another tie at halftime.
The second half of the game was not nearly as close as the first. George Ranch played hard through the 3rd quarter, but I think after the interception that was made inside the 5 yard line by Owens, the second interception for Friendswood, the Longhorns were emotionally defeated. At this point, Friendswood was up by 1 touchdown, but George Ranch seemed to check out.
The final score for the evening was
1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q FINAL
George Ranch Longhorns 7 7 7 0 21
Friendwood Mustangs 7 7 14 14 42
Several players earned a pat on the back after that huge win against George Ranch. This week's atta-boys go to: Hermes, Nickerson, Follis, Boddie, Bell, Page, Whitaker, Ford, Roher, Klump, Yurachek, Roenne, Willis, Stanford, Owens, Redding, & Horman.
The Mustangs still aren't perfect, but each week they do something better than they did the previous week. As long as all those improvements show up on the field at the same time, the Mustangs could be playing for a while. However, if they look at a team, look at who that team previously played and what their style is and think, "This will be an easy win for us" - then that will be the end of the season. If you're goal is to play at AT&T Stadium on Saturday, December 17, then there are no breaks from here on out. No rest stops, no days off, no easy weeks. You have to play every down of every game like your future depends on it. Because it does.
One piece of advice I will offer, if you're going for a spectacular play that looks amazing, make sure it works. Diving tackles only look cool when you make the stop. Otherwise, you look like a little kid playing superman.
In round 2 of the playoffs, Friendswood (8-2, 5-2) will host the La Porte Bulldogs (9-2, 6-0) at Challenger Columbia Stadium in CCISD. La Porte has made the playoffs for at least the last 10 years, but hasn't played past the first round since 2012. They will be hungry and looking to return to their former glory. From what little I know about La Porte, expect to see an offense that is similar to Friendswood. The question will be, which offense executes this style better and which defense is better prepared to stop it. I, for one, am not ready to see this season come to an end. There's just one thing left to say:
These two teams have previously met twice, with each contest ending in favor of the home team. I don't think there was anyone in the stadium Friday night who didn't know that George Ranch won the 2015 5A Div 1 State Championships. George Ranch was known for being fast and powerful, having 3 D1 pledges on their squad. This was a high energy game and moving the student section to be next to the band added to the fire.
George Ranch won the toss and elected to receive to start the game. The Friendswood defense spent those first ten plays by George Ranch learning their offense. One of those plays being a rather impressive pass as the QB was being chased out of bounds by Stanford & someone (sorry, I didn't see your jersey number.) that was caught for a 35 yard gain. There were some really nice stops and a few misreads before Friendswood found themselves behind 7-0 less than halfway through the first quarter. In only one other game has Friendswood not scored first. Unlike in that other game, this score came before Friendswood had touched the ball.
Friendswood's offense took the field next and I have to say I was not impressed with the way they chose to play that kick return. Apparently, the powers that be weren't impressed with the way it turned out either because they didn't try that approach again. Friendswood made some great plays on this drive and was helped along by a face mask penalty against George Ranch on a complete pass. Bell ran into the end zone about 4 minutes after George Ranch scored, bringing the score to a tie. That was the score at the end of the 1st quarter.
During the second quarter, there was a play that squeaked out five or ten more yards in a way I can try to describe, but could never do justice. Page was running up the left and was caught by the Longhorn defense. Before they could bring him down, Whitaker made it over and starts pushing Page and keeping him upright. Try to picture this, George Ranch has someone behind Page and someone on his left, Page is running backwards facing Whitaker while Whitaker runs and pushes everyone forward. They went more than 5 yards like this. It was very impressive and I'm sure my description doesn't do it justice. If he hasn't already, Whitaker should consider adding this to his highlight reel for the year. Also during the second quarter, Hermes caught an interception, after dropping one earlier in the game.
The second quarter saw both teams score once each, bringing us to another tie at halftime.
The second half of the game was not nearly as close as the first. George Ranch played hard through the 3rd quarter, but I think after the interception that was made inside the 5 yard line by Owens, the second interception for Friendswood, the Longhorns were emotionally defeated. At this point, Friendswood was up by 1 touchdown, but George Ranch seemed to check out.
The final score for the evening was
1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q FINAL
George Ranch Longhorns 7 7 7 0 21
Friendwood Mustangs 7 7 14 14 42
Several players earned a pat on the back after that huge win against George Ranch. This week's atta-boys go to: Hermes, Nickerson, Follis, Boddie, Bell, Page, Whitaker, Ford, Roher, Klump, Yurachek, Roenne, Willis, Stanford, Owens, Redding, & Horman.
The Mustangs still aren't perfect, but each week they do something better than they did the previous week. As long as all those improvements show up on the field at the same time, the Mustangs could be playing for a while. However, if they look at a team, look at who that team previously played and what their style is and think, "This will be an easy win for us" - then that will be the end of the season. If you're goal is to play at AT&T Stadium on Saturday, December 17, then there are no breaks from here on out. No rest stops, no days off, no easy weeks. You have to play every down of every game like your future depends on it. Because it does.
One piece of advice I will offer, if you're going for a spectacular play that looks amazing, make sure it works. Diving tackles only look cool when you make the stop. Otherwise, you look like a little kid playing superman.
In round 2 of the playoffs, Friendswood (8-2, 5-2) will host the La Porte Bulldogs (9-2, 6-0) at Challenger Columbia Stadium in CCISD. La Porte has made the playoffs for at least the last 10 years, but hasn't played past the first round since 2012. They will be hungry and looking to return to their former glory. From what little I know about La Porte, expect to see an offense that is similar to Friendswood. The question will be, which offense executes this style better and which defense is better prepared to stop it. I, for one, am not ready to see this season come to an end. There's just one thing left to say:
GO MUSTANGS!!!!!!
Monday, November 7, 2016
Alvin Yellowjackets vs. Friendswood Mustangs - November 4, 2016
On Friday, November 4, 2016, the Friendswood Mustangs hosted the Alvin Yellowjackets for the final regular season game of the 2016 football season. Alvin was already out of the playoff picture. For Friendswood, this game would determine if the team would be playing their first playoff game at home or away.
This game was senior recognition for Friendswood and to the best of my knowledge, all the senior football players got to play at some point during the game.
To start the game, Alvin won the toss and elected to receive the kickoff. With their first possession, Alvin went 3 & out thanks, in part, to Yurachek, & Follis. The punt was brought across the 50 and into Alvin territory by Halata. Friendswood didn't get off to the quick start the offense normally does, taking 6 plays to reach the end zone. While the offense was not as explosive as they were earlier in the season, the blocking for this game was much improved over games past. Several times in my notes I complimented Whitaker, Swaney, Bell, & Blackburn on their blocking. There were also some members of the defense who had a great night. Ford tipped a punt and nearly got his hands on a second punt. Hermes had another interception.
During most games, the offense is the unit that gets all the glory because they are the ones putting points on the scoreboard. This week, I think the defense deserves more recognition. If you've read my blog before, you know that I don't keep up with stats. If you're interested in stats, I would recommend you check out http://www.chron.com/sports/highschool/ You can search by team, player, sport, year or other filters to see plenty of stats. I haven't seen a breakdown, but I think that Alvin earned less than 100 yards total during the first half. Friendswood's defense knew exactly how to handle Alvin's offensive style. In fact, if you took out kick returns, their total yards in the first half would probably be around 50.
During the second half, seniors who don't normally play got their turn under the Friday Night Lights. Those seniors whose names made it into my notes during the last half of the game were Blackburn, Garza, Mueller, Iniguez, Riggs, Scott, Slaughter, Lucarelli, and Martinez. I know there are other seniors who played during this time, but those are the names I noted for one thing or another.
The boxscore for the game was
1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q FINAL
Alvin Yellowjackets 0 0 0 7 7
Friendswood Mustangs 17 17 0 3 37
This week, several players earned a pat on the back. In addition to the senior mentioned above, this week's atta-boys go to: Yuracheck, Follis, Halata, Bell, Page, Hall, Boddie, Horman, Hermes, Willis, Ford, Blackburn, Page, Nemecheck, Dobard, Whitaker, Lynch, Nickerson, Roher, Redding, Karam, Dobard, & Williamson.
Friendswood (7-2, 5-2) will have huge test after huge test from here on out. Playoffs start this week. There will be no easy weeks and the first game is against last year's 5A D1 State Champs, George Ranch (7-4, 4-2). These two teams have faced other twice, each ending in favor of the home team. Friendswood is considered to be the underdog in this game - a position they are very familiar with. For at least the last 2 years Friendswood was expected to lose the first game in the playoffs. Both were great games that didn't turn out the way the sports "authorities" expected. Hopefully this will be true again this year.
This game will be played at Henry Winston Stadium on Friday, November 11, 2016. Kickoff will be at 7pm. The stadium will open at 5:00pm for season ticket holders who have purchased a ticket for this game. All other ticket holders will be able to enter the stadium at 5:30pm. FHS CTE will host a pregame dinner of Joe's BBQ for $10/person. Friendswood hasn't hosted a playoff game in 7 years and I hope the stadium is just as packed as it always is.
Seniors - From here on out, you are not guaranteed next week. Play your heart out, leave it all on the field, and say your prayers that you get another week of playing the game you love.
This game was senior recognition for Friendswood and to the best of my knowledge, all the senior football players got to play at some point during the game.
To start the game, Alvin won the toss and elected to receive the kickoff. With their first possession, Alvin went 3 & out thanks, in part, to Yurachek, & Follis. The punt was brought across the 50 and into Alvin territory by Halata. Friendswood didn't get off to the quick start the offense normally does, taking 6 plays to reach the end zone. While the offense was not as explosive as they were earlier in the season, the blocking for this game was much improved over games past. Several times in my notes I complimented Whitaker, Swaney, Bell, & Blackburn on their blocking. There were also some members of the defense who had a great night. Ford tipped a punt and nearly got his hands on a second punt. Hermes had another interception.
During most games, the offense is the unit that gets all the glory because they are the ones putting points on the scoreboard. This week, I think the defense deserves more recognition. If you've read my blog before, you know that I don't keep up with stats. If you're interested in stats, I would recommend you check out http://www.chron.com/sports/highschool/ You can search by team, player, sport, year or other filters to see plenty of stats. I haven't seen a breakdown, but I think that Alvin earned less than 100 yards total during the first half. Friendswood's defense knew exactly how to handle Alvin's offensive style. In fact, if you took out kick returns, their total yards in the first half would probably be around 50.
During the second half, seniors who don't normally play got their turn under the Friday Night Lights. Those seniors whose names made it into my notes during the last half of the game were Blackburn, Garza, Mueller, Iniguez, Riggs, Scott, Slaughter, Lucarelli, and Martinez. I know there are other seniors who played during this time, but those are the names I noted for one thing or another.
The boxscore for the game was
1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q FINAL
Alvin Yellowjackets 0 0 0 7 7
Friendswood Mustangs 17 17 0 3 37
This week, several players earned a pat on the back. In addition to the senior mentioned above, this week's atta-boys go to: Yuracheck, Follis, Halata, Bell, Page, Hall, Boddie, Horman, Hermes, Willis, Ford, Blackburn, Page, Nemecheck, Dobard, Whitaker, Lynch, Nickerson, Roher, Redding, Karam, Dobard, & Williamson.
Friendswood (7-2, 5-2) will have huge test after huge test from here on out. Playoffs start this week. There will be no easy weeks and the first game is against last year's 5A D1 State Champs, George Ranch (7-4, 4-2). These two teams have faced other twice, each ending in favor of the home team. Friendswood is considered to be the underdog in this game - a position they are very familiar with. For at least the last 2 years Friendswood was expected to lose the first game in the playoffs. Both were great games that didn't turn out the way the sports "authorities" expected. Hopefully this will be true again this year.
This game will be played at Henry Winston Stadium on Friday, November 11, 2016. Kickoff will be at 7pm. The stadium will open at 5:00pm for season ticket holders who have purchased a ticket for this game. All other ticket holders will be able to enter the stadium at 5:30pm. FHS CTE will host a pregame dinner of Joe's BBQ for $10/person. Friendswood hasn't hosted a playoff game in 7 years and I hope the stadium is just as packed as it always is.
Seniors - From here on out, you are not guaranteed next week. Play your heart out, leave it all on the field, and say your prayers that you get another week of playing the game you love.
Monday, October 31, 2016
Friendswood Mustangs vs. Clear Springs Chargers - October 28, 2016
On Friday, October 28, 2016, the Friendswood Mustangs made the short trip to the new Challenger Columbia Stadium to face off against the Clear Springs Chargers. On the line for Clear Springs was the district title; for Friendswood it was a share in the title.
This game had been hyped for weeks beforehand and many people thought it would be a shootout with each team scoring 50+ points. It turned out to be a game of defense and more points were scored in the 4th quarter than in the first three quarter combined. Before Friday night, I could probably count the number of times Friendswood has punted the ball on my fingers and I don't think the team had ever turned the ball over on downs. Friday night, Friendswood punted the ball 4 times and turned it over on downs twice. Friendswood players also were slipping on the turf and displayed minimal blocking on special teams. Oh, and add in the unfortunate number of dropped passes and the fact that Clear Springs receivers are faster than Friendswood's D-backs and you have a recipe for disaster. Thankfully, some players played very well resulting in the game being much closer that it would appear from my notes.
Honestly, I think Tyler Page could play any position on the field at the varsity level and it showed how serious the coaches were taking this game when we saw him line up deep for the kick off. Clear Springs realized he was back there and made a point of kicking away from where he was. Unfortunately, for the guys catching the football on the kick offs, there was little to no blocking for them. More than once, the Mustang who tried to move the ball forward was tackled almost immediately.
On both sides of the ball there were some people who don't usually start who started Friday night. I'm not sure where the usual starters were, but the guys who started in their place on Friday played well.
The first three quarters were a back and forth battle with a few mistakes by Friendswood that were capitalized on by Clear Springs, and the score board showed this. To the best of my knowledge, this was the first game of this season where Friendswood had a zero on the score board at the end of the first quarter and at the end of the first half. I'll show you the score board before I talk about that fourth quarter.
1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q FINAL
Friendswood Mustangs 0 0 7 21 28
Clear Springs Chargers 7 7 10 28 38
Like I said, more points were scored in the fourth quarter than in the rest of the game combined. While Friendswood never took the lead, the Mustangs did pull within 3 points twice. Of course, the Mustangs fans felt like they saw two different obvious fouls that the refs didn't call. One of them led to a touchdown for Clear Springs (holding) and the other prevented a touchdown for Friendswood (pass interference). I saw both and say that the fans have a reason to argue. Without the benefit of instant replay, we have to rely on what the officials actually saw (were literally looking the other way on the hold and not at the right angle to see that the D-back's head never turned to look for the ball). In this particular instance, I'm not saying that the officials were biased. I am saying that they are human and made mistakes that could have changed the outcome of the game. They were not the only ones who made mistakes. According to my notes, Friendswood dropped or missed eight passes. That is out of character for the Mustangs, especially for those receivers.
Friendswood's defense looked strong against the Chargers, but the lack of track stars and missed tackles hurt them. Unfortunately, all those strong plays and good stops can be wiped out by one mistake when you're playing a team who is faster.
This week, there are more defensive players on the list of atta-boys. Owens got his third interception on the year thanks to Horman's tipped pass. The players who earned a pat on the back this week were: Klump, Roenne, Stanford, Follis, Hermes, Owens, Nickerson, Page, Stevens and Yurachek.
I am hopeful that the kinks will be worked out this week and the running back committee will continue to improve and show it's strength. This week will be the last regular season game of the season and senior night. The Mustangs (6-2, 4-2) will take on the Alvin Yellowjackets (4-4, 2-3). The choir will host the pregame dinner in the cafeteria, For $10/person, the adults will be served spaghetti, garlic bread, salad and dessert. For $5/person, the kids will be served pizza and dessert. Both meals come with a beverage. The FHS choirs and FJH 7th & 8th grade choirs will perform. On this senior night, the non-senior band kids will be leaving after halftime to go home and get cleaned up before they leave at midnight on charter buses to compete at Bands of America in San Antonio. They will be home for a day and a half before leaving to go back to San Antonio for the UIL State Marching Contest.
This game had been hyped for weeks beforehand and many people thought it would be a shootout with each team scoring 50+ points. It turned out to be a game of defense and more points were scored in the 4th quarter than in the first three quarter combined. Before Friday night, I could probably count the number of times Friendswood has punted the ball on my fingers and I don't think the team had ever turned the ball over on downs. Friday night, Friendswood punted the ball 4 times and turned it over on downs twice. Friendswood players also were slipping on the turf and displayed minimal blocking on special teams. Oh, and add in the unfortunate number of dropped passes and the fact that Clear Springs receivers are faster than Friendswood's D-backs and you have a recipe for disaster. Thankfully, some players played very well resulting in the game being much closer that it would appear from my notes.
Honestly, I think Tyler Page could play any position on the field at the varsity level and it showed how serious the coaches were taking this game when we saw him line up deep for the kick off. Clear Springs realized he was back there and made a point of kicking away from where he was. Unfortunately, for the guys catching the football on the kick offs, there was little to no blocking for them. More than once, the Mustang who tried to move the ball forward was tackled almost immediately.
On both sides of the ball there were some people who don't usually start who started Friday night. I'm not sure where the usual starters were, but the guys who started in their place on Friday played well.
The first three quarters were a back and forth battle with a few mistakes by Friendswood that were capitalized on by Clear Springs, and the score board showed this. To the best of my knowledge, this was the first game of this season where Friendswood had a zero on the score board at the end of the first quarter and at the end of the first half. I'll show you the score board before I talk about that fourth quarter.
1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q FINAL
Friendswood Mustangs 0 0 7 21 28
Clear Springs Chargers 7 7 10 28 38
Like I said, more points were scored in the fourth quarter than in the rest of the game combined. While Friendswood never took the lead, the Mustangs did pull within 3 points twice. Of course, the Mustangs fans felt like they saw two different obvious fouls that the refs didn't call. One of them led to a touchdown for Clear Springs (holding) and the other prevented a touchdown for Friendswood (pass interference). I saw both and say that the fans have a reason to argue. Without the benefit of instant replay, we have to rely on what the officials actually saw (were literally looking the other way on the hold and not at the right angle to see that the D-back's head never turned to look for the ball). In this particular instance, I'm not saying that the officials were biased. I am saying that they are human and made mistakes that could have changed the outcome of the game. They were not the only ones who made mistakes. According to my notes, Friendswood dropped or missed eight passes. That is out of character for the Mustangs, especially for those receivers.
Friendswood's defense looked strong against the Chargers, but the lack of track stars and missed tackles hurt them. Unfortunately, all those strong plays and good stops can be wiped out by one mistake when you're playing a team who is faster.
This week, there are more defensive players on the list of atta-boys. Owens got his third interception on the year thanks to Horman's tipped pass. The players who earned a pat on the back this week were: Klump, Roenne, Stanford, Follis, Hermes, Owens, Nickerson, Page, Stevens and Yurachek.
I am hopeful that the kinks will be worked out this week and the running back committee will continue to improve and show it's strength. This week will be the last regular season game of the season and senior night. The Mustangs (6-2, 4-2) will take on the Alvin Yellowjackets (4-4, 2-3). The choir will host the pregame dinner in the cafeteria, For $10/person, the adults will be served spaghetti, garlic bread, salad and dessert. For $5/person, the kids will be served pizza and dessert. Both meals come with a beverage. The FHS choirs and FJH 7th & 8th grade choirs will perform. On this senior night, the non-senior band kids will be leaving after halftime to go home and get cleaned up before they leave at midnight on charter buses to compete at Bands of America in San Antonio. They will be home for a day and a half before leaving to go back to San Antonio for the UIL State Marching Contest.
GO MUSTANGS!
Monday, October 24, 2016
Clear Lake Falcons vs. Friendswood Mustangs - October 21, 2016 - Homecoming
On Friday, October 21, 2016, the Friendswood Mustangs hosted the Clear Lake Falcons for their 2016 Homecoming. Due to the homecoming activities at half time, the Wranglerettes and the Mighty Mustang Band both performed before the game and both groups did a fabulous job.
I love Homecoming. I enjoy seeing all the alumni who return for the game and visiting with people I haven't seen in a while. However, I am always nervous for the game itself. When I was in junior high and high school, I always thought that our football coaches chose a team they knew they could beat for Homecoming because they wanted to look good in front of the larger crowd. As an adult and parent of high school students, I think that whoever made that decision did so knowing that the students' focus would be divided during the week - and who wants to lose on Homecoming? Seeing everything going on during the week, I can see how it would be difficult for the coaches and teachers to keep the students focused on anything during the week of Homecoming. To those coaches and teacher who succeeded, congratulations.
Congratulations are also in order to the 2016 Football Sweetheart candidates and Homecoming Queen candidates. The 2016 Football Sweetheart is Natalie Crowder and the 2016 Homecoming Queen is Elaina Roher.
The game itself started with Friendswood receiving the kickoff and the offense needing only 3 plays to find the end zone. For the most part, during the first half, the Friendswood offense looked like they were not as effected by all the extra festivities of the game. There were some mistakes, but for the most part, they were without lasting consequences. During the first quarter, Page, Whitaker, and Roher found themselves with the ball in the end zone. Williamson accounted for 7 points (field goal and 4 extra point kicks). During that same time, the defense only gave up 7 points, but for the most part, they didn't look great. Throughout the game, Clear Lake was able to slip tackles and bounce off defenders. I am hopeful that that was just lack of focus and not the sign of things to come.
Karam was able to get into the game for the entire second half and played well despite the fact that the O-line didn't protect him as well as they have in the past. I admit, I missed most of the 3rd quarter due to Homecoming, but when I got back to my seat, I saw that the score hadn't changed much. One thing I did notice during the second half is that Karam is more in sync with the non-starting receivers than with the starters. Practice time?
The box score for the game was:
1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q TOTAL
Clear Lake Falcons 7 0 0 14 21
Friendswood Mustangs 17 14 3 7 41
I'm sorry I don't have more to say about the game itself. Now, I will say, if what I have heard about what goes on in practices in true, I sincerely hope that it doesn't come back to bite the team later. Everyone should be participating in practices. Every receiver should spend time catching passes from both quarterbacks and every O-line member should be spending time protecting the quarterbacks and opening holes for the run and everyone on the offense should be well versed in blocking. Every D-line member should practice plugging holes and every D-back and safety should spend time defending against the pass. No team member should ever be able to say that he didn't touch the ball or weren't running plays/shcemes during practice.
This week's atta-boys go to: Swaney, Blackburn, Page, Broddie, Peterson, Hermes, Karam, Lynch, Dobard, Roher, Whitaker, Williamson, Ford, Horman, Nickerson, Halata, Nemecek, Lucarelli, Riggs & Hurst.
Next week, the Mustangs (6-1, 4-1) will travel to the new CCISD Challenger Columbia Stadium to take on the Clear Springs Chargers (7-1, 5-0) in what will be the toughest game the Mustangs have faced in several weeks, maybe even the whole season to date. Up for grabs Friday night is the district title for Springs or a share in the district title for Friendswood. Clear Springs is the only undefeated team left in 24-6A. Springs beat Dickinson and Dickinson beat Friendswood. IF Springs wins, they will remain undefeated with only Clear Lake (3-5, 2-3) on their regular season schedule. IF Friendswood wins, there will be a 3-way tie for the district title with only Alvin (4-4, 2-3) left on their schedule. Dickinson, who will be the third team in this three-way tie scenario, is playing Clear Creek (3-5, 0-5) on Friday and will play Clear Falls (2-6, 0-5) next week. This scenario is why the tie breaker rule is important. After all that, I just have one thing left to say -
I love Homecoming. I enjoy seeing all the alumni who return for the game and visiting with people I haven't seen in a while. However, I am always nervous for the game itself. When I was in junior high and high school, I always thought that our football coaches chose a team they knew they could beat for Homecoming because they wanted to look good in front of the larger crowd. As an adult and parent of high school students, I think that whoever made that decision did so knowing that the students' focus would be divided during the week - and who wants to lose on Homecoming? Seeing everything going on during the week, I can see how it would be difficult for the coaches and teachers to keep the students focused on anything during the week of Homecoming. To those coaches and teacher who succeeded, congratulations.
Congratulations are also in order to the 2016 Football Sweetheart candidates and Homecoming Queen candidates. The 2016 Football Sweetheart is Natalie Crowder and the 2016 Homecoming Queen is Elaina Roher.
The game itself started with Friendswood receiving the kickoff and the offense needing only 3 plays to find the end zone. For the most part, during the first half, the Friendswood offense looked like they were not as effected by all the extra festivities of the game. There were some mistakes, but for the most part, they were without lasting consequences. During the first quarter, Page, Whitaker, and Roher found themselves with the ball in the end zone. Williamson accounted for 7 points (field goal and 4 extra point kicks). During that same time, the defense only gave up 7 points, but for the most part, they didn't look great. Throughout the game, Clear Lake was able to slip tackles and bounce off defenders. I am hopeful that that was just lack of focus and not the sign of things to come.
Karam was able to get into the game for the entire second half and played well despite the fact that the O-line didn't protect him as well as they have in the past. I admit, I missed most of the 3rd quarter due to Homecoming, but when I got back to my seat, I saw that the score hadn't changed much. One thing I did notice during the second half is that Karam is more in sync with the non-starting receivers than with the starters. Practice time?
The box score for the game was:
1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q TOTAL
Clear Lake Falcons 7 0 0 14 21
Friendswood Mustangs 17 14 3 7 41
I'm sorry I don't have more to say about the game itself. Now, I will say, if what I have heard about what goes on in practices in true, I sincerely hope that it doesn't come back to bite the team later. Everyone should be participating in practices. Every receiver should spend time catching passes from both quarterbacks and every O-line member should be spending time protecting the quarterbacks and opening holes for the run and everyone on the offense should be well versed in blocking. Every D-line member should practice plugging holes and every D-back and safety should spend time defending against the pass. No team member should ever be able to say that he didn't touch the ball or weren't running plays/shcemes during practice.
This week's atta-boys go to: Swaney, Blackburn, Page, Broddie, Peterson, Hermes, Karam, Lynch, Dobard, Roher, Whitaker, Williamson, Ford, Horman, Nickerson, Halata, Nemecek, Lucarelli, Riggs & Hurst.
Next week, the Mustangs (6-1, 4-1) will travel to the new CCISD Challenger Columbia Stadium to take on the Clear Springs Chargers (7-1, 5-0) in what will be the toughest game the Mustangs have faced in several weeks, maybe even the whole season to date. Up for grabs Friday night is the district title for Springs or a share in the district title for Friendswood. Clear Springs is the only undefeated team left in 24-6A. Springs beat Dickinson and Dickinson beat Friendswood. IF Springs wins, they will remain undefeated with only Clear Lake (3-5, 2-3) on their regular season schedule. IF Friendswood wins, there will be a 3-way tie for the district title with only Alvin (4-4, 2-3) left on their schedule. Dickinson, who will be the third team in this three-way tie scenario, is playing Clear Creek (3-5, 0-5) on Friday and will play Clear Falls (2-6, 0-5) next week. This scenario is why the tie breaker rule is important. After all that, I just have one thing left to say -
GO MUSTANGS!!
Monday, October 17, 2016
Friendswood Mustangs vs. Clear Creek Wildcats - October 15, 2016
In a rare Saturday afternoon game, the Friendswood Mustangs traveled to League City to take on the Clear Creek Wildcats on Saturday, October 15, 2016. I think everyone in Southeast Texas would agree that Saturday afternoon football games would not be their first choice. The feels like temperature in the stands was in the upper 90s and on the field it was around 100*F. I am thankful that that was the only Saturday afternoon game on our regular schedule. If we have any Saturday afternoon play-off games, I hope they are indoors or that the weather has cooled off by then.
Not only do I not prefer Saturday afternoon games for the temperatures, but for the routine and the atmosphere. Both teams were at the same disadvantage of being out of their normal routines, so you can't say that benefits one team over the other. But it definitely effects the atmosphere of the stadium. Instead of playing under the artificial lights with the bands playing and the fans cheering, games when its this hot under the bright sun result in a quieter stadium with everyone talking about how bad they feel for the bands, drill teams, cheerleaders and mostly the players.
All that being said, there was a district football game being played with what could be reaching consequences.
Friendswood received the ball first and spent less than 1:30 to get to the end zone - 4 snaps after the opening kick off the score was 7-0. Yay Friendswood!! Business as usual, right? Then the defense took the field and Clear Creek answered in 3 snaps. Three. One, two, three. What happened you ask. If you know, please tell me. I've heard that some of the players were showboating for the Dave Campbell's Texas Football writer who was in the stands. I've heard that some of the players made choices that didn't lead to a good night's sleep on Friday night. Regardless of the reason, enough of the defense played at a level that was less than their best and the scoreboard showed it. You won't see many defensive players receive atta-boys this week. You cannot miss tackles, or give the opposing quarterback enough time to write a novel and earn a reward for a game well played.
The problems that plagued the defense were not evident on the offense. Sure, there were mistakes, but I don't think anyone on the offense looked like he was trying to run through knee deep mud. The entire O-line looked great. They gave Page plenty of time to make a decision to run or throw and in turn, gave the receivers time to get open. Speaking of the receivers, a friend of mine made an observation Saturday - two are great receivers when they can turn their shoulders to the ball. One is much better at the over-the-shoulder catch than the others. Page looked great, as always. I think the Friendswood fans have gotten so used to his "razzle dazzle" that we don't notice it anymore. Reading what others wrote about Saturday, I was reminded that most people aren't used to seeing any player, let alone a quarterback, who can slip tackles, stay on his feet and change directions the way Page can. He has an uncanny ability to see plays develop before they develop. I hope he is able to teach the younger quarterbacks in Friendswood what it is he sees that allows him to do that. And Yarbrough - how many other O-linemen can hold off 2 or more defenders at once?
Yes, Friendwood won, but Friendswood also allowed more points than in any other game this season. More points than in the game against Dickinson. More points than in the game against Clear Brook. Too many points that, had they looked like their usual selves, would not have been scored.
The box score from Saturday was
1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q TOTAL
Friendswood Mustangs 17 21 7 7 52
Clear Creek Wildcats 7 6 14 7 34
I am hopeful that the defense allowing that many points does not cause a problem later. IF Friendswood beats Clear Springs later this month, they could find themselves in a 3-way tie for the district title. I have been told that the current tie-breaker method of 24-6A is points allowed. Before Saturday, Friendswood had allowed fewer points than any other team in 24-6A. Now, Dickinson holds that title. And who does Dickinson have left on their schedule? Clear Creek, Clear Falls, and Clear Brook. Who does Friendswood have left in the regular season? Clear Lake, Clear Springs and Alvin. If the information I was given is correct, Friendswood's defense is going to have to be a wall to get back to having the fewest points allowed.
Despite the sub-par play by the defense, there were some good plays made. Someone of those players definitely deserve a pat on the back this week. This week's atta-boys go to: Blackburn, Page, Ford, Whitaker, Stanford, Bell, Roher, Willis, Hall, Horman, Virts, Yarbrough, Follis, and Nickerson (who got his second interception of the season).
And one more thing - I take back my compliment to the coaches for variety in their play calling. I think they ran two plays during the fourth quarter - Blackburn up the middle or Page up the left. Yes, they got positive yards out of each play. But really guys? Were the pages in the play book stuck? Was there not enough fresh air in the press box? Why just the 2 options. Mix it up a little.
This week is Homecoming for Friendswood. This is a fun week, but I always worry about the game - will the players be too distracted with all the activities during the week to focus on the game. Good luck to the coaches on keeping the players focused during practice.
The Homecoming parade will be on Thursday, October 20 at 6:30pm beginning at the Comerica Bank and ending at the community pep rally in the parking lot by Chase Bank. Pregame activities begin with the dinner sponsored by the Junior Class on Friday, Oct 21 at 4:30pm. The Junior Class will be serving BBQ brisket, potato salad, beans, bread, pickles, onions, and homemade deserts. Plates are $10/each. Activities in the stadium begin at 6:30pm with the band and Wranglerettes performing before the game, Friendswood's portion of halftime will feature the crowning of this year's Football Sweetheart and Homecoming Queen.
Not only do I not prefer Saturday afternoon games for the temperatures, but for the routine and the atmosphere. Both teams were at the same disadvantage of being out of their normal routines, so you can't say that benefits one team over the other. But it definitely effects the atmosphere of the stadium. Instead of playing under the artificial lights with the bands playing and the fans cheering, games when its this hot under the bright sun result in a quieter stadium with everyone talking about how bad they feel for the bands, drill teams, cheerleaders and mostly the players.
All that being said, there was a district football game being played with what could be reaching consequences.
Friendswood received the ball first and spent less than 1:30 to get to the end zone - 4 snaps after the opening kick off the score was 7-0. Yay Friendswood!! Business as usual, right? Then the defense took the field and Clear Creek answered in 3 snaps. Three. One, two, three. What happened you ask. If you know, please tell me. I've heard that some of the players were showboating for the Dave Campbell's Texas Football writer who was in the stands. I've heard that some of the players made choices that didn't lead to a good night's sleep on Friday night. Regardless of the reason, enough of the defense played at a level that was less than their best and the scoreboard showed it. You won't see many defensive players receive atta-boys this week. You cannot miss tackles, or give the opposing quarterback enough time to write a novel and earn a reward for a game well played.
The problems that plagued the defense were not evident on the offense. Sure, there were mistakes, but I don't think anyone on the offense looked like he was trying to run through knee deep mud. The entire O-line looked great. They gave Page plenty of time to make a decision to run or throw and in turn, gave the receivers time to get open. Speaking of the receivers, a friend of mine made an observation Saturday - two are great receivers when they can turn their shoulders to the ball. One is much better at the over-the-shoulder catch than the others. Page looked great, as always. I think the Friendswood fans have gotten so used to his "razzle dazzle" that we don't notice it anymore. Reading what others wrote about Saturday, I was reminded that most people aren't used to seeing any player, let alone a quarterback, who can slip tackles, stay on his feet and change directions the way Page can. He has an uncanny ability to see plays develop before they develop. I hope he is able to teach the younger quarterbacks in Friendswood what it is he sees that allows him to do that. And Yarbrough - how many other O-linemen can hold off 2 or more defenders at once?
Yes, Friendwood won, but Friendswood also allowed more points than in any other game this season. More points than in the game against Dickinson. More points than in the game against Clear Brook. Too many points that, had they looked like their usual selves, would not have been scored.
The box score from Saturday was
1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q TOTAL
Friendswood Mustangs 17 21 7 7 52
Clear Creek Wildcats 7 6 14 7 34
I am hopeful that the defense allowing that many points does not cause a problem later. IF Friendswood beats Clear Springs later this month, they could find themselves in a 3-way tie for the district title. I have been told that the current tie-breaker method of 24-6A is points allowed. Before Saturday, Friendswood had allowed fewer points than any other team in 24-6A. Now, Dickinson holds that title. And who does Dickinson have left on their schedule? Clear Creek, Clear Falls, and Clear Brook. Who does Friendswood have left in the regular season? Clear Lake, Clear Springs and Alvin. If the information I was given is correct, Friendswood's defense is going to have to be a wall to get back to having the fewest points allowed.
Despite the sub-par play by the defense, there were some good plays made. Someone of those players definitely deserve a pat on the back this week. This week's atta-boys go to: Blackburn, Page, Ford, Whitaker, Stanford, Bell, Roher, Willis, Hall, Horman, Virts, Yarbrough, Follis, and Nickerson (who got his second interception of the season).
And one more thing - I take back my compliment to the coaches for variety in their play calling. I think they ran two plays during the fourth quarter - Blackburn up the middle or Page up the left. Yes, they got positive yards out of each play. But really guys? Were the pages in the play book stuck? Was there not enough fresh air in the press box? Why just the 2 options. Mix it up a little.
This week is Homecoming for Friendswood. This is a fun week, but I always worry about the game - will the players be too distracted with all the activities during the week to focus on the game. Good luck to the coaches on keeping the players focused during practice.
The Homecoming parade will be on Thursday, October 20 at 6:30pm beginning at the Comerica Bank and ending at the community pep rally in the parking lot by Chase Bank. Pregame activities begin with the dinner sponsored by the Junior Class on Friday, Oct 21 at 4:30pm. The Junior Class will be serving BBQ brisket, potato salad, beans, bread, pickles, onions, and homemade deserts. Plates are $10/each. Activities in the stadium begin at 6:30pm with the band and Wranglerettes performing before the game, Friendswood's portion of halftime will feature the crowning of this year's Football Sweetheart and Homecoming Queen.
GO MUSTANGS!
Monday, October 10, 2016
Friendswood Mustangs vs. Clear Brook Wolverines - October 7, 2016
On Friday, October 7, 2016, the Friendswood Mustangs traveled to League City to take on the Clear Brook Wolverines. Clear Brook came into the game off a win against the former powerhouse of Clear Creek while Friendswood defeated their last opponent by 76 points. Several years ago, this was a cross town rivalry that many took seriously. Clear Brook and Friendswood are both in the City of Friendswood, however they are in different counties and different school districts (I know, it's confusing). After not playing each other for years before finding themselves in the same district, the rivalry has changed in tone to a more friendly rivalry. Many of these students played sports on the same teams when they were younger and remain friends. It's all business during the 48 minutes that the clock is running, then its handshakes, smiles and photo ops.
To start the game, Friendswood won the toss and elected to receive the opening kick. Clear Brooks' improvement over last year was immediately evident. On their first set of downs, Friendwood found themselves in a 4th & 6 situation at the Clear Brook 35 yard line. Friendswood went for it and was rewarded with a completed pass and a 1st down. After driving to the 7 yard line, Friendswood had to settle for a field goal. The kick was tipped, but still made it through the uprights. For anyone who didn't realize that the kick was tipped and was questioning Williamson's leg, the kick off after the field goal was caught near the 3 yard line, In fact, almost every kick off of the night by Williamson was caught inside the 5. Now it's the defenses turn to go to work.
During Clear Brook's first set of downs, Roenne had his first big play and he continued to be a factor on both sides of the ball. Yurachek, Whitaker, and Stanford also had big plays before Clear Brook was forced to punt from their own 16 yard line.
With this possession, Friendswood tried a couple of new things that should have worked well, but not everyone was on the same page. I would like to have seen at least one of those plays again. This time Page found the end zone with his feet and with 6:01 left in the first quarter, the score was Friendswood 10 - Clear Brook 0. But that goose egg wouldn't last.
Clear Brook proved that they have some kids who can run. Thankfully for Friendswood, Nickerson is fast, too. Clear Brook had multiple opportunities to put points on the board here, and even made it into the end zone, but their own mistakes hurt them. Holding and a false start put Clear Brook in a 2nd & 22 situation at the Friendswood 25 yard line when a pass was intercepted by Owens just inside the goal line. He made it out to the 2 before being brought down. That is the 2nd week in a row for Owens to intercept a pass (Hopefully he can keep the streak alive next week).
The rest of the first half didn't look as good for Friendswood and by the time the 2nd quarter was over Friendswood had another field goal while giving up a touch down. But the second half was a different ball game.
It took just under two minutes for Page to connect with Roenne on a beautiful pass up the middle. Roenne was wide open and made it to the end zone for his first TD of the season. Four minutes later, Page found himself in the end zone again. The game continued on this pace until the 2nd string players got their turn. Just for the record, some of the 2nd string players would be starters in another school. But in a school where the talent pool for their position is so rich, they find themselves playing backup.
While still not perfect, yet, Friendswood did plenty of things right in this game. The fakes are getting much more believable. Page's arm is continuing to improve, meaning that an opposing defense has to cover more people and has to realize that the receivers are not only there to provide a distraction for the run. The defense's swarming technique is very effective in stopping certain styles of offense. Blackburn and Halata both did a good job running the ball and Ford had some nice heads up plays.
The box score for this game was
1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q TOTAL
Friendswood Mustangs 10 3 21 7 41
Clear Brook Wolverines 0 7 0 0 7
Plenty of Mustangs worked hard this week and deserve a pat on the back. This week's atta-boys go to: Blackburn, Swaney, Williamson, Page, Whitaker, Roenne, Yurachek, Stanford, Bell, Nickerson, Owens, Roher, Hermes, Dobard, Ford, Follis, Halata, Peterson, Boddie, Lynch, Hall, Romine, Klump, Slaughter, Van Wieren, Virts and Karam.
A piece of advice to all the Mustangs - take a look at the name on the back of your jersey. That is the player you should be. Don't try to be someone else. Yes, practice things that someone else does better than you, but don't abandon your strengths to try play more like so and so. Know your strengths, improve on your weaknesses and be you.
Next week, Friendswood (4-1, 2-1) will travel back to the same stadium for a Saturday afternoon game against Clear Creek (3-3, 0-3). All of the players and fans are hoping that this game has better weather than the Saturday afternoon games we played there last year. While we didn't have to suffer through any hard rain or lightning delays, in was melting hot. Kick off will be at 1pm in the CCISD Veteran's Stadium. Be there or be square.
To start the game, Friendswood won the toss and elected to receive the opening kick. Clear Brooks' improvement over last year was immediately evident. On their first set of downs, Friendwood found themselves in a 4th & 6 situation at the Clear Brook 35 yard line. Friendswood went for it and was rewarded with a completed pass and a 1st down. After driving to the 7 yard line, Friendswood had to settle for a field goal. The kick was tipped, but still made it through the uprights. For anyone who didn't realize that the kick was tipped and was questioning Williamson's leg, the kick off after the field goal was caught near the 3 yard line, In fact, almost every kick off of the night by Williamson was caught inside the 5. Now it's the defenses turn to go to work.
During Clear Brook's first set of downs, Roenne had his first big play and he continued to be a factor on both sides of the ball. Yurachek, Whitaker, and Stanford also had big plays before Clear Brook was forced to punt from their own 16 yard line.
With this possession, Friendswood tried a couple of new things that should have worked well, but not everyone was on the same page. I would like to have seen at least one of those plays again. This time Page found the end zone with his feet and with 6:01 left in the first quarter, the score was Friendswood 10 - Clear Brook 0. But that goose egg wouldn't last.
Clear Brook proved that they have some kids who can run. Thankfully for Friendswood, Nickerson is fast, too. Clear Brook had multiple opportunities to put points on the board here, and even made it into the end zone, but their own mistakes hurt them. Holding and a false start put Clear Brook in a 2nd & 22 situation at the Friendswood 25 yard line when a pass was intercepted by Owens just inside the goal line. He made it out to the 2 before being brought down. That is the 2nd week in a row for Owens to intercept a pass (Hopefully he can keep the streak alive next week).
The rest of the first half didn't look as good for Friendswood and by the time the 2nd quarter was over Friendswood had another field goal while giving up a touch down. But the second half was a different ball game.
It took just under two minutes for Page to connect with Roenne on a beautiful pass up the middle. Roenne was wide open and made it to the end zone for his first TD of the season. Four minutes later, Page found himself in the end zone again. The game continued on this pace until the 2nd string players got their turn. Just for the record, some of the 2nd string players would be starters in another school. But in a school where the talent pool for their position is so rich, they find themselves playing backup.
While still not perfect, yet, Friendswood did plenty of things right in this game. The fakes are getting much more believable. Page's arm is continuing to improve, meaning that an opposing defense has to cover more people and has to realize that the receivers are not only there to provide a distraction for the run. The defense's swarming technique is very effective in stopping certain styles of offense. Blackburn and Halata both did a good job running the ball and Ford had some nice heads up plays.
The box score for this game was
1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q TOTAL
Friendswood Mustangs 10 3 21 7 41
Clear Brook Wolverines 0 7 0 0 7
Plenty of Mustangs worked hard this week and deserve a pat on the back. This week's atta-boys go to: Blackburn, Swaney, Williamson, Page, Whitaker, Roenne, Yurachek, Stanford, Bell, Nickerson, Owens, Roher, Hermes, Dobard, Ford, Follis, Halata, Peterson, Boddie, Lynch, Hall, Romine, Klump, Slaughter, Van Wieren, Virts and Karam.
A piece of advice to all the Mustangs - take a look at the name on the back of your jersey. That is the player you should be. Don't try to be someone else. Yes, practice things that someone else does better than you, but don't abandon your strengths to try play more like so and so. Know your strengths, improve on your weaknesses and be you.
Next week, Friendswood (4-1, 2-1) will travel back to the same stadium for a Saturday afternoon game against Clear Creek (3-3, 0-3). All of the players and fans are hoping that this game has better weather than the Saturday afternoon games we played there last year. While we didn't have to suffer through any hard rain or lightning delays, in was melting hot. Kick off will be at 1pm in the CCISD Veteran's Stadium. Be there or be square.
Monday, October 3, 2016
Clear Falls Knights vs. Friendswood Mustangs - September 30, 2016
On Friday, September 30, 2016, the Friendswood Mustangs hosted the Clear Falls Knights in the second week of district play for district 24-6A. This was also the annual Patriotic Halftime performance. Both teams came into the game 0-1 in district play.
If you read my blog last week, you know how unhappy I was with the officials not calling fouls. I definitely can't say the same about this week. By my unofficial count, there were 20 flags during the game. Not all the penalties were accepted, but I counted 13 against Clear Falls and 7 against Friendswood. While at times it seemed like there was a flag on every play, I would much rather see this than see obvious fouls ignored.
I think it's fair to say that Friendswood dominated Clear Falls on both sides of the ball Friday night. It took a little bit for Friendswood to get settled, but once they did, there was no question about who was the stronger team. Friendswood received the kick off and used 9 plays to get to the end zone, employing a couple of good fakes to get there. Blackburn and Halata shared running back duties during the game and Halata showed that the transition from defense to offense may have been the right move. Swaney also got his hands on the ball during the opening drive. Once Friendswood got on the board, it was off to the races and a new school record for most points scored during a single game. Before that record was set, Page set a new record for most rushing yards by a Mustang. Since there are still 5 regular season games left this season, there's no telling how high that number will be. Offensive touchdowns were scored by Page, Roher, Bell, Klump, Nemecek & Halata.
Friendswood's defense did give up one touchdown and a 2 point conversion, but also scored twice - once on a pick 6 by Owens and once on a picked up loose ball by Hermes. Ford also had an interception during the game. Despite playing a great game, the defense did demonstrate a few areas that aren't perfect, yet. Both while the starters were playing and more so when the 2nd and 3rd string players were in, there were too many holes in the middle of the field. Clear Falls was able to take advantage of those holes and gain yardage several times. That can't happen when Friendwood faces teams with a stronger offense. And defense - sometimes an interception or a batted down pass is better than a sack. Don't solely focus on the sack and miss other opportunities. Another concerning thing I saw was arm tackling. Again, this was during the second half when the starters became observers, but all players should demonstrate proper technique. If that doesn't happen, then what happens when the backups become the starters?
Despite this technique error, the coaches are being listed in the atta-boys for this week. This year, the coaches have shown more variety in their play calling. This makes things much more difficult for the opposing defense and is, in my opinion, part of the reason Friendswood has scored 219 points in 4 games.
When you see the box score below, or if you've already seen the final score from the game, you may be thinking that Friendswood is rude and shows poor sportsmanship in running up the score. Depending upon the circumstances, I might agree with you - but not in this situation. For the most part, the starting offense only played the first half. During the entire second half, the offense was made up of 2nd and 3rd string players - players who work their tails off day in and day out and rarely get to see any real playing time under the Friday night lights. The only offensive player I can think of who played during both halves of the game is Halata, who was making his first varsity start on offense. Before Friday night, the sophomore had been playing defensive back. It's not fair to the backups, and their backups to be told they have to hold back because the starters played so well. Those kids deserve the chance to show what they can do. Some of the defensive starters did play during the 3rd quarter, but I don't think any of them played during the 4th quarter. The backups shouldn't have to lay down and play dead because of how well the starters played.
Clear Falls should be commended also. No matter how bad things looked for them, they didn't give up. They played all 4 quarters and though it was not their night, they still showed that they have heart.
The box score for Friday night's game is
1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q Total
Clear Falls Knights 0 8 0 0 8
Friendswood Mustangs 21 35 21 7 84
This week's atta-boys list is longer than usual, but all of these players deserve a pat on the back. This week's list is: Swaney, Page, Blackburn, Owens, Roher, Bell, Halata, Nickerson, Hermes, Ford, Roenne, Coyle, Karam, Klump, Nemecek, Slaughter, the O-line, the d-backs and the coaches/play callers.
Next week Friendswood (3-1, 1-1) travels to CCISD's Veteran's Memorial Stadium to take on a Clear Brook team that is surprising people with their improvements over last year. Clear Brook (4-1, 2-0) has a new head coach this year and his changes have shown a positive improvement for that team. The Wolverines will take on the Mustangs on Friday, October 7, 2016 at 7pm.
GO MUSTANGS!!
If you read my blog last week, you know how unhappy I was with the officials not calling fouls. I definitely can't say the same about this week. By my unofficial count, there were 20 flags during the game. Not all the penalties were accepted, but I counted 13 against Clear Falls and 7 against Friendswood. While at times it seemed like there was a flag on every play, I would much rather see this than see obvious fouls ignored.
I think it's fair to say that Friendswood dominated Clear Falls on both sides of the ball Friday night. It took a little bit for Friendswood to get settled, but once they did, there was no question about who was the stronger team. Friendswood received the kick off and used 9 plays to get to the end zone, employing a couple of good fakes to get there. Blackburn and Halata shared running back duties during the game and Halata showed that the transition from defense to offense may have been the right move. Swaney also got his hands on the ball during the opening drive. Once Friendswood got on the board, it was off to the races and a new school record for most points scored during a single game. Before that record was set, Page set a new record for most rushing yards by a Mustang. Since there are still 5 regular season games left this season, there's no telling how high that number will be. Offensive touchdowns were scored by Page, Roher, Bell, Klump, Nemecek & Halata.
Friendswood's defense did give up one touchdown and a 2 point conversion, but also scored twice - once on a pick 6 by Owens and once on a picked up loose ball by Hermes. Ford also had an interception during the game. Despite playing a great game, the defense did demonstrate a few areas that aren't perfect, yet. Both while the starters were playing and more so when the 2nd and 3rd string players were in, there were too many holes in the middle of the field. Clear Falls was able to take advantage of those holes and gain yardage several times. That can't happen when Friendwood faces teams with a stronger offense. And defense - sometimes an interception or a batted down pass is better than a sack. Don't solely focus on the sack and miss other opportunities. Another concerning thing I saw was arm tackling. Again, this was during the second half when the starters became observers, but all players should demonstrate proper technique. If that doesn't happen, then what happens when the backups become the starters?
Despite this technique error, the coaches are being listed in the atta-boys for this week. This year, the coaches have shown more variety in their play calling. This makes things much more difficult for the opposing defense and is, in my opinion, part of the reason Friendswood has scored 219 points in 4 games.
When you see the box score below, or if you've already seen the final score from the game, you may be thinking that Friendswood is rude and shows poor sportsmanship in running up the score. Depending upon the circumstances, I might agree with you - but not in this situation. For the most part, the starting offense only played the first half. During the entire second half, the offense was made up of 2nd and 3rd string players - players who work their tails off day in and day out and rarely get to see any real playing time under the Friday night lights. The only offensive player I can think of who played during both halves of the game is Halata, who was making his first varsity start on offense. Before Friday night, the sophomore had been playing defensive back. It's not fair to the backups, and their backups to be told they have to hold back because the starters played so well. Those kids deserve the chance to show what they can do. Some of the defensive starters did play during the 3rd quarter, but I don't think any of them played during the 4th quarter. The backups shouldn't have to lay down and play dead because of how well the starters played.
Clear Falls should be commended also. No matter how bad things looked for them, they didn't give up. They played all 4 quarters and though it was not their night, they still showed that they have heart.
The box score for Friday night's game is
1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q Total
Clear Falls Knights 0 8 0 0 8
Friendswood Mustangs 21 35 21 7 84
This week's atta-boys list is longer than usual, but all of these players deserve a pat on the back. This week's list is: Swaney, Page, Blackburn, Owens, Roher, Bell, Halata, Nickerson, Hermes, Ford, Roenne, Coyle, Karam, Klump, Nemecek, Slaughter, the O-line, the d-backs and the coaches/play callers.
Next week Friendswood (3-1, 1-1) travels to CCISD's Veteran's Memorial Stadium to take on a Clear Brook team that is surprising people with their improvements over last year. Clear Brook (4-1, 2-0) has a new head coach this year and his changes have shown a positive improvement for that team. The Wolverines will take on the Mustangs on Friday, October 7, 2016 at 7pm.
GO MUSTANGS!!
Monday, September 26, 2016
Dickinson Gators vs. Friendswood Mustangs - September 23, 2016
On Friday, September 23, 2016, the Friendswood Mustangs traveled to the New Sam Vitanza Stadium to open district play against the Dickinson Gators. Quick question - that stadium has been open for 8 years; why do they still call it the New Sam Vitanza Stadium? Especially since the original Sam Vitanza Stadium no longer exists?
Unfortunately, after Friday, I have to get on my soap box for a few minutes. For those of you who are new to my blog, my soap box issue is poor officiating. Whether it's due to a conscious bias, unconscious bias or incompetence, I really have a problem with this. It has bothered me for years, but after having to take my child to urgent care after a game last year because the officials either didn't know the rules of the game or didn't know how to enforce the rules, it has really become an issue for me. Whether it's young kids or adults playing, YMCA or professionals, basketball, football, soccer, doesn't matter. Officials are there to keep everyone safe and enforce the rules of the game. Sports have two mains purposes: to test people both physically and mentally and to teach people to succeed in life by succeeding in a game. In a game where opponents should be treated as equals, one team being treated differently upsets the tests. While being told that there is no wrong response is great when collaborating or brainstorming, it is detrimental and wrong on the sports field. There is a clear set of rules to every game played. Granted, some of those rule books are long and complicated, but they do exist. Ignoring them gives one side an unfair advantage and puts the players at risk of injury. It is human nature to push boundaries. In football for example, if a defender stops a touchdown by grabbing the horse collar or face mask of the ball carrier, his team and fans cheer for the stop. If no flag is thrown, what is to stop him from using that technique again? Nothing. He received positive reinforcement from his team and fans and achieved the desired result without any negative consequences. On the flip side, if a defense works together a prevents a ball carrier from reaching the first down marker and the officials move the chains anyway, what incentive do they have to work that hard again? None. Mentally, their minds will begin to question whether the effort was worth it? These attitudes are part of human nature. Sports teaches self discipline through positive and negative consequences, victories and defeats. Through victory, you learn that the hard work - the literal blood, sweat, and tears - pays off. In defeat, you learn that more work is needed. When officials decide the outcome of a game, rather than the hard work and skill of the opponents and coaches, you take those lessons and replace them with an inflated sense of accomplishment for the victors and a distrust of authority of for the losing team. Neither lesson is what sports are meant to teach, nor are they beneficial to the players. Sure, referees can help a team win a game, win a tournament or win a championship. But does that really help the players in any way? When that player goes on to play at the next level and is called for all the fouls that the referee overlooked, he has to learn to play the game all over again. By not reacting to bad habits or illegal actions during a game, the referee is teaching the player how to play the game wrong. Ignoring the rules helps no one in the long run. It is actually harmful. Those rules were put in place, in part, to keep the players safe. Believe me, I know that injuries come with sports. It's just part of it. My entire family has firsthand knowledge of that fact. That being said, how many rules that result in penalties were initially enacted because someone got hurt? Why can't a defense cross the line of scrimmage before the ball is snapped? Because no one is protecting the quarterback. Why is tackling by the face mask illegal? Because it can cause serous injury to someone's neck or spine. Why is charging a foul in basketball? Because the person taking the charge could get seriously hurt. These rules exist for a reason. If an official chooses not to enforce them fairly, he should not be allowed to officiate any more games and should be disciplined. If he does not know the rules well enough or doesn't know how to enforce them, he should spend more time in training. These officials are being paid. They are not volunteers. They should be held to a high standard and coaches, players and parents should demand that those standards be upheld.
Having read all that, you can probably guess how I feel about the officiating at the game in Dickinson on Friday night. You'd only be partially right. During the first half, the officiating was terrible. Pass interference not being called, officials inaccurately signalling first downs, and I sure would love to see the replay on a couple of "incomplete" passes. Friendswood's players handled it like they were expecting it. They continued to work hard and press on, even when all the fans were screaming at the officials. I'm guessing that someone talked to the officials during half time because they called things much better in the second half. And the problem during the fourth quarter didn't stem from the officials as much, but from the press box. Throughout the game, regardless of the situation, the officials often waited too long to blow the whistle to end a play or stop the clock. One example, during a kick off where Friendswood was kicking to Dickinson, the kick bounced out of the end zone. For some reason, the officials waited a few seconds after the ball was out of the end zone to blow the whistle. Meanwhile, out on the field, Dickinson is attempting to block for a run back that will not happen and Friendswood is trying to get around those blockers to get to the ball, not knowing that the ball isn't even in the field of play. This happened with "moving dog piles", too. Then, after the late whistle, the clock operator waited to stop the clock. I'm guessing that either the clock operator was new and didn't know how to operate the clock or was so involved in the game that he forgot he had a job. Either way, the result was the officials were constantly having to tell the clock operators to fix the clock. This seemed to only happen when Friendswood had the ball, disrupting the rhythm of the game. I realize that some of the people in the press box are volunteers, but if they don't know how or can't do the job for which they have volunteered, someone else should do it. Something else of note, all of Dickinson's points came during the first half (after the rain stopped). Friendswood scored during both the first and second half of the game. I think that speaks volumes.
So, what about the game itself - well, it started off great for Friendwood, then terrible, then great again. The entire night was a see saw. To start the game, Dickinson kicked off to Friendswood, Bell caught the kick off, handed the ball to Swaney who ran back to around the 50 before we see the ball going flying straight up into the air, only to be caught by Dickinson. That wasn't as bad as it seemed because Reid Nickerson intercepted the pass thrown by Dickinson on their first play.
Friendswood proceeded to hurt themselves during their first set of downs. One stripped ball recovered for a loss and two penalties later, Friendswood found itself in a 4th and 20 situation. Williamson's punt made it to the 50, but a roughing the kicker penalty gave Friendswood's offense new life. During this drive, the heaven's opened and the rain that the weather prophets said wasn't supposed to fall began. I wasn't able to take notes for a while because my hands were busy holding my stadium seat over my head. I had actually looked at my umbrella and rain slicker in the back of my car and decided to leave them there because I believed the weather prophets. Thanks to my mistake, I was quickly soaked, but at least the stadium seat kept my face dry.
The rain continued until about 5 minutes before halftime. During the rain, Friendswood settled for a field goal and their defense was effective against Dickinson's offense. Friendswood had multiple interceptions, but something happened when the rain stopped. All of Dickinson's points came during those 5 minutes. For the most part, those points were the result of Dickinson's ability to break away and the fact that they are just faster than Friendswood. Although, Friendswood's short pass protection plan wasn't helping. I'm not sure if the plan for a short pass was for the receiver to catch the ball and stop him immediately, or if that's just how it worked out. Either way, it moves the chains and gets the offense closer to or in the end zone. And if anyone who is reading this will be playing Dickinson later this season, be prepared not just for the reverse, but for several pitches behind the line of scrimmage causing the defense to work it's agility or try to figure out who is actually going to keep the ball and do something with it. This also allow multiple receivers to get downfield because the defense is focused on the ball and not who is headed toward the end zone.
By half time, the score was 3-21 Dickinson.
During the second half, a different version of the Friendwood Mustangs emerged from the locker room. This was the version of the offense and defense that we are more accustomed to seeing. Fewer interceptions, but otherwise a better job by the defense. Blackburn continued to gain yards, even though he took a pounding from the Gator defense and Friendswood looked more like themselves playing against another good team.
Don't get me wrong, there is still work to be done, - defense against short pass, quarterback and receivers need to get in better sync - but much better in the second half. Unfortunately, the comeback wasn't enough. Friendswood was driving and looked to have a real shot at the win when, with under a minute left on the clock, Page's on target pass in intercepted near the 10 yard line.
Box Score 1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q Final
Friendswood Mustangs 3 0 6 7 16
Dickinson Gators 0 21 0 0 21
On a more personal note, I don't know if I've ever been more embarrassed to have grown up in Dickinson. The student's behavior, coaches behavior, band's behavior was all rude. Throwing things onto the field during the visitor's portion of halftime? Having organized student activities during the visitor's part of halftime? Coaches blowing whistles for warm ups while the marching band is still performing? Students chanting "You can't do that" when their own team takes a time out? The band being so loud that no one can hear anything (which is not only rude but a UIL rule violation)? All of these should be condemned by parents and school officials. Unfortunately, they all happened and they continue to happen year after year.
Don't think that Dickinson doesn't know about the rules concerning band noise during a game. They used that rule to their advantage in a play off game against Pearland 2 years ago. The rule states:
Unfortunately, after Friday, I have to get on my soap box for a few minutes. For those of you who are new to my blog, my soap box issue is poor officiating. Whether it's due to a conscious bias, unconscious bias or incompetence, I really have a problem with this. It has bothered me for years, but after having to take my child to urgent care after a game last year because the officials either didn't know the rules of the game or didn't know how to enforce the rules, it has really become an issue for me. Whether it's young kids or adults playing, YMCA or professionals, basketball, football, soccer, doesn't matter. Officials are there to keep everyone safe and enforce the rules of the game. Sports have two mains purposes: to test people both physically and mentally and to teach people to succeed in life by succeeding in a game. In a game where opponents should be treated as equals, one team being treated differently upsets the tests. While being told that there is no wrong response is great when collaborating or brainstorming, it is detrimental and wrong on the sports field. There is a clear set of rules to every game played. Granted, some of those rule books are long and complicated, but they do exist. Ignoring them gives one side an unfair advantage and puts the players at risk of injury. It is human nature to push boundaries. In football for example, if a defender stops a touchdown by grabbing the horse collar or face mask of the ball carrier, his team and fans cheer for the stop. If no flag is thrown, what is to stop him from using that technique again? Nothing. He received positive reinforcement from his team and fans and achieved the desired result without any negative consequences. On the flip side, if a defense works together a prevents a ball carrier from reaching the first down marker and the officials move the chains anyway, what incentive do they have to work that hard again? None. Mentally, their minds will begin to question whether the effort was worth it? These attitudes are part of human nature. Sports teaches self discipline through positive and negative consequences, victories and defeats. Through victory, you learn that the hard work - the literal blood, sweat, and tears - pays off. In defeat, you learn that more work is needed. When officials decide the outcome of a game, rather than the hard work and skill of the opponents and coaches, you take those lessons and replace them with an inflated sense of accomplishment for the victors and a distrust of authority of for the losing team. Neither lesson is what sports are meant to teach, nor are they beneficial to the players. Sure, referees can help a team win a game, win a tournament or win a championship. But does that really help the players in any way? When that player goes on to play at the next level and is called for all the fouls that the referee overlooked, he has to learn to play the game all over again. By not reacting to bad habits or illegal actions during a game, the referee is teaching the player how to play the game wrong. Ignoring the rules helps no one in the long run. It is actually harmful. Those rules were put in place, in part, to keep the players safe. Believe me, I know that injuries come with sports. It's just part of it. My entire family has firsthand knowledge of that fact. That being said, how many rules that result in penalties were initially enacted because someone got hurt? Why can't a defense cross the line of scrimmage before the ball is snapped? Because no one is protecting the quarterback. Why is tackling by the face mask illegal? Because it can cause serous injury to someone's neck or spine. Why is charging a foul in basketball? Because the person taking the charge could get seriously hurt. These rules exist for a reason. If an official chooses not to enforce them fairly, he should not be allowed to officiate any more games and should be disciplined. If he does not know the rules well enough or doesn't know how to enforce them, he should spend more time in training. These officials are being paid. They are not volunteers. They should be held to a high standard and coaches, players and parents should demand that those standards be upheld.
Having read all that, you can probably guess how I feel about the officiating at the game in Dickinson on Friday night. You'd only be partially right. During the first half, the officiating was terrible. Pass interference not being called, officials inaccurately signalling first downs, and I sure would love to see the replay on a couple of "incomplete" passes. Friendswood's players handled it like they were expecting it. They continued to work hard and press on, even when all the fans were screaming at the officials. I'm guessing that someone talked to the officials during half time because they called things much better in the second half. And the problem during the fourth quarter didn't stem from the officials as much, but from the press box. Throughout the game, regardless of the situation, the officials often waited too long to blow the whistle to end a play or stop the clock. One example, during a kick off where Friendswood was kicking to Dickinson, the kick bounced out of the end zone. For some reason, the officials waited a few seconds after the ball was out of the end zone to blow the whistle. Meanwhile, out on the field, Dickinson is attempting to block for a run back that will not happen and Friendswood is trying to get around those blockers to get to the ball, not knowing that the ball isn't even in the field of play. This happened with "moving dog piles", too. Then, after the late whistle, the clock operator waited to stop the clock. I'm guessing that either the clock operator was new and didn't know how to operate the clock or was so involved in the game that he forgot he had a job. Either way, the result was the officials were constantly having to tell the clock operators to fix the clock. This seemed to only happen when Friendswood had the ball, disrupting the rhythm of the game. I realize that some of the people in the press box are volunteers, but if they don't know how or can't do the job for which they have volunteered, someone else should do it. Something else of note, all of Dickinson's points came during the first half (after the rain stopped). Friendswood scored during both the first and second half of the game. I think that speaks volumes.
So, what about the game itself - well, it started off great for Friendwood, then terrible, then great again. The entire night was a see saw. To start the game, Dickinson kicked off to Friendswood, Bell caught the kick off, handed the ball to Swaney who ran back to around the 50 before we see the ball going flying straight up into the air, only to be caught by Dickinson. That wasn't as bad as it seemed because Reid Nickerson intercepted the pass thrown by Dickinson on their first play.
Friendswood proceeded to hurt themselves during their first set of downs. One stripped ball recovered for a loss and two penalties later, Friendswood found itself in a 4th and 20 situation. Williamson's punt made it to the 50, but a roughing the kicker penalty gave Friendswood's offense new life. During this drive, the heaven's opened and the rain that the weather prophets said wasn't supposed to fall began. I wasn't able to take notes for a while because my hands were busy holding my stadium seat over my head. I had actually looked at my umbrella and rain slicker in the back of my car and decided to leave them there because I believed the weather prophets. Thanks to my mistake, I was quickly soaked, but at least the stadium seat kept my face dry.
The rain continued until about 5 minutes before halftime. During the rain, Friendswood settled for a field goal and their defense was effective against Dickinson's offense. Friendswood had multiple interceptions, but something happened when the rain stopped. All of Dickinson's points came during those 5 minutes. For the most part, those points were the result of Dickinson's ability to break away and the fact that they are just faster than Friendswood. Although, Friendswood's short pass protection plan wasn't helping. I'm not sure if the plan for a short pass was for the receiver to catch the ball and stop him immediately, or if that's just how it worked out. Either way, it moves the chains and gets the offense closer to or in the end zone. And if anyone who is reading this will be playing Dickinson later this season, be prepared not just for the reverse, but for several pitches behind the line of scrimmage causing the defense to work it's agility or try to figure out who is actually going to keep the ball and do something with it. This also allow multiple receivers to get downfield because the defense is focused on the ball and not who is headed toward the end zone.
By half time, the score was 3-21 Dickinson.
During the second half, a different version of the Friendwood Mustangs emerged from the locker room. This was the version of the offense and defense that we are more accustomed to seeing. Fewer interceptions, but otherwise a better job by the defense. Blackburn continued to gain yards, even though he took a pounding from the Gator defense and Friendswood looked more like themselves playing against another good team.
Don't get me wrong, there is still work to be done, - defense against short pass, quarterback and receivers need to get in better sync - but much better in the second half. Unfortunately, the comeback wasn't enough. Friendswood was driving and looked to have a real shot at the win when, with under a minute left on the clock, Page's on target pass in intercepted near the 10 yard line.
Box Score 1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q Final
Friendswood Mustangs 3 0 6 7 16
Dickinson Gators 0 21 0 0 21
On a more personal note, I don't know if I've ever been more embarrassed to have grown up in Dickinson. The student's behavior, coaches behavior, band's behavior was all rude. Throwing things onto the field during the visitor's portion of halftime? Having organized student activities during the visitor's part of halftime? Coaches blowing whistles for warm ups while the marching band is still performing? Students chanting "You can't do that" when their own team takes a time out? The band being so loud that no one can hear anything (which is not only rude but a UIL rule violation)? All of these should be condemned by parents and school officials. Unfortunately, they all happened and they continue to happen year after year.
Don't think that Dickinson doesn't know about the rules concerning band noise during a game. They used that rule to their advantage in a play off game against Pearland 2 years ago. The rule states:
"Guidelines for Bands Playing during Football Games. UIL Football games are
conducted under NCAA Rules. As it relates to when a band may play during the game,
the NCAA Football Rule Book states:
Persons subject to the rules, including bands, shall not create any noise that prohibits a team from hearing its signals (NCAA Rule 1-1-6 and UIL Rule 9-2-1-b-5).
PENALTY—Dead-ball foul. 15 yards from the succeeding spot [S7 and S27]. Automatic first down for fouls by Team B if not in conflict with other rules. Flagrant offenders, if players or substitutes, shall be disqualified [S47].
To assist with compliance, consider the following procedures:
• Have the band stop playing from the time the Offense (of either team) breaks the huddle until the ball is snapped.
• Or, in the case of Offenses that do not huddle, have the band stop playing from the time the Center on Offense is over the ball until the ball is snapped.
This may necessitate creating shorter versions of some music, as is common practice with college bands. A drum line playing throughout the game generally does not prohibit a team from hearing its signals – use your discretion.
Although most officials do warn a band prior to calling a penalty, they are not required to do so.
Consider discussing this matter with your head football coach, athletic director, and/or school administration to determine a plan that is appropriate for your school."
That is copy and pasted from the UIL website. If you would like to see it, the link is http://www.uiltexas.org/files/music/Guidelines_for_Bands_Playing_during_Football_Games.pdf
This actually written for band directors, but football coaches should be aware of this rule. It is my understanding after having seen this rule enforced that it will not be enforced unless the head coach of the opposing football team requests it at the time of the rule infraction. Meaning, had Coach Koopman requested the rule be enforced during the last drive of the game, and Dickinson not heeded the warning if the officials chose to give one, Dickinon's football team would have been penalized 15 yards each time the band got that loud (if you were there or have played Dickinson in a close game before, you know what noise I'm talking about).
So many things happened Friday night that were out of the Mustangs control that could have changed the outcome of the game. That being said, there were plenty of mistakes made by the Mustangs that, had they not happened, could also have changed the outcome of the game. Despite the final score, Friendswood worked hard Friday night and deserves to hold their heads high. The next game is at home and looks to be our first game without rain. Both things to look froward to.
Attaboys for the Friendswood vs. Dickinson game were earned by: Nickerson, Bell, Swaney, Williamson, Blackburn, Follis, Page & others whose names I didn't get to make note of because of the rain.
The next game for Friendwood will feature the Mustangs taking on the Knights of Clear Falls and will feature the "World Famous" Patriotic Halftime. The Patriotic Halftime performance features the Mighty Mustang Band, Wranglerettes and FHS Choir assisted by the FJH Band as they pay tribute to our great nation and the men and women who have served in our armed forces. Kick off is 7pm at Henry Winston Stadium
The band will be hosting this week's pre-game dinner. The dinner will offer a chopped beef sandwich or a sausage on a stick with your choice of 2 sides, (baked beans, potato salad or chips) and lemonade or tea (Lighthouse Charity). $10/plate and tickets can be purchased at the door. BPA will also be selling canned drinks if you would rather have that than lemonade or tea. There will also be a silent auction during the dinner to help the band raise money for their contest season.
Persons subject to the rules, including bands, shall not create any noise that prohibits a team from hearing its signals (NCAA Rule 1-1-6 and UIL Rule 9-2-1-b-5).
PENALTY—Dead-ball foul. 15 yards from the succeeding spot [S7 and S27]. Automatic first down for fouls by Team B if not in conflict with other rules. Flagrant offenders, if players or substitutes, shall be disqualified [S47].
To assist with compliance, consider the following procedures:
• Have the band stop playing from the time the Offense (of either team) breaks the huddle until the ball is snapped.
• Or, in the case of Offenses that do not huddle, have the band stop playing from the time the Center on Offense is over the ball until the ball is snapped.
This may necessitate creating shorter versions of some music, as is common practice with college bands. A drum line playing throughout the game generally does not prohibit a team from hearing its signals – use your discretion.
Although most officials do warn a band prior to calling a penalty, they are not required to do so.
Consider discussing this matter with your head football coach, athletic director, and/or school administration to determine a plan that is appropriate for your school."
That is copy and pasted from the UIL website. If you would like to see it, the link is http://www.uiltexas.org/files/music/Guidelines_for_Bands_Playing_during_Football_Games.pdf
This actually written for band directors, but football coaches should be aware of this rule. It is my understanding after having seen this rule enforced that it will not be enforced unless the head coach of the opposing football team requests it at the time of the rule infraction. Meaning, had Coach Koopman requested the rule be enforced during the last drive of the game, and Dickinson not heeded the warning if the officials chose to give one, Dickinon's football team would have been penalized 15 yards each time the band got that loud (if you were there or have played Dickinson in a close game before, you know what noise I'm talking about).
So many things happened Friday night that were out of the Mustangs control that could have changed the outcome of the game. That being said, there were plenty of mistakes made by the Mustangs that, had they not happened, could also have changed the outcome of the game. Despite the final score, Friendswood worked hard Friday night and deserves to hold their heads high. The next game is at home and looks to be our first game without rain. Both things to look froward to.
Attaboys for the Friendswood vs. Dickinson game were earned by: Nickerson, Bell, Swaney, Williamson, Blackburn, Follis, Page & others whose names I didn't get to make note of because of the rain.
The next game for Friendwood will feature the Mustangs taking on the Knights of Clear Falls and will feature the "World Famous" Patriotic Halftime. The Patriotic Halftime performance features the Mighty Mustang Band, Wranglerettes and FHS Choir assisted by the FJH Band as they pay tribute to our great nation and the men and women who have served in our armed forces. Kick off is 7pm at Henry Winston Stadium
The band will be hosting this week's pre-game dinner. The dinner will offer a chopped beef sandwich or a sausage on a stick with your choice of 2 sides, (baked beans, potato salad or chips) and lemonade or tea (Lighthouse Charity). $10/plate and tickets can be purchased at the door. BPA will also be selling canned drinks if you would rather have that than lemonade or tea. There will also be a silent auction during the dinner to help the band raise money for their contest season.
Monday, September 12, 2016
Friendswood Mustangs vs. Kingwood Mustangs - September 10, 2016
On Saturday, September 10, 2016, the Friendswood Mustangs traveled to Turner Stadium to take on the Kingwood Mustangs in a 6pm matchup. Kingwood came into the game 1-1 after a loss to Fort Bend Ridge Point and a win over Fort Bend Austin. Friendswood came in with a record of 1-0 after a win over Texas City and lightning delay in the first quarter of the game against Summer Creek caused the game to be cancelled.
To start this game of Mustangs vs. Mustangs, Friendswood won the toss and elected to receive the opening kick off. It took Friendswood a total of 19 seconds to make their first trip into the end zone with a beautiful pass from Page to Roher. Friendswood's defense held well after the kick off and thanks to a strip from Whitaker and blocking for Page, Page made his first trip into the end zone 1:39 seconds later. It took Friendswood a little longer to make their next trip to the end zone, thanks to a penalty and an incomplete pass (under good coverage).This time, it was a pass to Bell with 4:54 left in the first quarter. After that touch down, the Friendswood O-Line began to display it's first signs to concern and Friendswood was forced to punt from near the goal line.
As the evening progressed, Kingwood continued to struggle and Friendswood continued it's dominance, although the O-Line became less and less consistent the farther the game went. By the end of the night, Page had been sacked multiple times. Page continues to demonstrate his improved throwing abilities making him a true dual threat quarterback. In addition to sharing the love among the receivers, Page also handed the ball off to Follis and Blackburn; Barnes being sidelined due to injury. Follis and Blackburn both showed that though their styles are different, they are still effective in the running back position. One other area where I definitely noticed improvement is the fake. While Kingwood was able to read it well more than once, it was much improved over last year (and the year before, and the year before, and the year before, . . .).
Friendswood's defense is also demonstrating that hard work over the summer pays off in the fall. They owned the line of scrimmage for most of the night and players who did break through didn't get far. Not only did the backs take care of anyone who made it through the D-Line, they also were constant shadows of Kingwood's receivers; even proving that they know how to catch a pass - good job Owens & Peterson! Oh and that "trick play" that worked for Kingwood, Friendswood used to run that all the time. Friendswood's defense should have read that better. Other than that, the defense that I saw Friendwood display against Kingwood was probably the best defense I've seen Friendswood put on the field in years. I hope they can maintain that level while they continue to improve before their district opener.
During the 4th quarter, Friendswood showed that their backups are also capable of getting the job done. Karam either learned some running skills from Page or someone taught him how to scramble and Garza got into the end zone twice (first was called back due to a penalty).
The second half of the game was played under constant threat of lightning delay and rain. Thankfully, the weather held off and the game finished before the rain started falling. It was a nice change of pace. Friendswood's first game featured rain during the entire first half. Both bands, cheerleaders and drill teams stayed in the stands under ponchos and were able to perform at halftime since the rain ended shortly before. Friendwood's second game ended at the end of the first quarter due to lightning and strong thunderstorms. We were all hoping for a "normal" third game. Due to the threat of weather, both bands were wearing shirts and shorts for half time and Friendswood's drill team wore their pep rally uniforms. Both bands and the Wranglerettes left after half time. While play went on as usual, it still wasn't a normal varsity game with no bands playing fight songs or other stand music. Here's hoping the next game will be normal!
Saturday night's box score
1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q FINAL
Friendswood Mustangs 21 20 7 10 58
Kingwood Mustangs 0 13 0 7 20
There are plenty of "attaboys" this week. This week, the players who deserve a pat on the back include; Nickerson, Page, Roher, Whitaker, Peterson, Hermes, Follis, Swaney, Bell, Owens, Ford, Yurachek, Stanford, Willis, Halata, Blackburn, Dobard, Karam and Garza.
Friendswood will enjoy a bye week before opening district play in the new Sam Vitanza Stadium against the Dickinson Gators on Friday, September 23. Both teams are undefeated this season and will surely be confident going into that game. I may have grown up cheering for the Gators, but now I know the right thing to say is, GO MUSTANGS!!
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am watching the game and "taking notes" on my phone during the games. I am at each game with friends and family. Sometimes, my husband is able to attend with us. My football education is from attending high school football games for 35+ 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.
To start this game of Mustangs vs. Mustangs, Friendswood won the toss and elected to receive the opening kick off. It took Friendswood a total of 19 seconds to make their first trip into the end zone with a beautiful pass from Page to Roher. Friendswood's defense held well after the kick off and thanks to a strip from Whitaker and blocking for Page, Page made his first trip into the end zone 1:39 seconds later. It took Friendswood a little longer to make their next trip to the end zone, thanks to a penalty and an incomplete pass (under good coverage).This time, it was a pass to Bell with 4:54 left in the first quarter. After that touch down, the Friendswood O-Line began to display it's first signs to concern and Friendswood was forced to punt from near the goal line.
As the evening progressed, Kingwood continued to struggle and Friendswood continued it's dominance, although the O-Line became less and less consistent the farther the game went. By the end of the night, Page had been sacked multiple times. Page continues to demonstrate his improved throwing abilities making him a true dual threat quarterback. In addition to sharing the love among the receivers, Page also handed the ball off to Follis and Blackburn; Barnes being sidelined due to injury. Follis and Blackburn both showed that though their styles are different, they are still effective in the running back position. One other area where I definitely noticed improvement is the fake. While Kingwood was able to read it well more than once, it was much improved over last year (and the year before, and the year before, and the year before, . . .).
Friendswood's defense is also demonstrating that hard work over the summer pays off in the fall. They owned the line of scrimmage for most of the night and players who did break through didn't get far. Not only did the backs take care of anyone who made it through the D-Line, they also were constant shadows of Kingwood's receivers; even proving that they know how to catch a pass - good job Owens & Peterson! Oh and that "trick play" that worked for Kingwood, Friendswood used to run that all the time. Friendswood's defense should have read that better. Other than that, the defense that I saw Friendwood display against Kingwood was probably the best defense I've seen Friendswood put on the field in years. I hope they can maintain that level while they continue to improve before their district opener.
During the 4th quarter, Friendswood showed that their backups are also capable of getting the job done. Karam either learned some running skills from Page or someone taught him how to scramble and Garza got into the end zone twice (first was called back due to a penalty).
The second half of the game was played under constant threat of lightning delay and rain. Thankfully, the weather held off and the game finished before the rain started falling. It was a nice change of pace. Friendswood's first game featured rain during the entire first half. Both bands, cheerleaders and drill teams stayed in the stands under ponchos and were able to perform at halftime since the rain ended shortly before. Friendwood's second game ended at the end of the first quarter due to lightning and strong thunderstorms. We were all hoping for a "normal" third game. Due to the threat of weather, both bands were wearing shirts and shorts for half time and Friendswood's drill team wore their pep rally uniforms. Both bands and the Wranglerettes left after half time. While play went on as usual, it still wasn't a normal varsity game with no bands playing fight songs or other stand music. Here's hoping the next game will be normal!
Saturday night's box score
1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q FINAL
Friendswood Mustangs 21 20 7 10 58
Kingwood Mustangs 0 13 0 7 20
There are plenty of "attaboys" this week. This week, the players who deserve a pat on the back include; Nickerson, Page, Roher, Whitaker, Peterson, Hermes, Follis, Swaney, Bell, Owens, Ford, Yurachek, Stanford, Willis, Halata, Blackburn, Dobard, Karam and Garza.
Friendswood will enjoy a bye week before opening district play in the new Sam Vitanza Stadium against the Dickinson Gators on Friday, September 23. Both teams are undefeated this season and will surely be confident going into that game. I may have grown up cheering for the Gators, but now I know the right thing to say is, GO MUSTANGS!!
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am watching the game and "taking notes" on my phone during the games. I am at each game with friends and family. Sometimes, my husband is able to attend with us. My football education is from attending high school football games for 35+ 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.
Saturday, August 27, 2016
Friendswood Mustangs vs. Texas City Stingarees August 26, 2016
Welcome to Friday Night Lights - Friendswood, TX edition!!
One Friday, August 26, 2016, the Friendswood High School Mustangs hosted the Texas City Stingarees to open the 2016 season. The night started off with rain, thunder and lightening, but that wasn't enough to stop the huge traditions that are Texas High School Football.
To start off the game, Friendswood's football team ran out during the school song. Not fight song, school song. Is this a new tradition that someone forgot to tell the band and Wranglerettes about?
The game itself started with Texas City receiving the kick off. It looked like the ball was a greased pig (well, it was raining) and was finally picked up by Whitaker and run into the end zone. Turns out, the kicking team can't score on the opening kick off, so the Mustangs had to go back to around the 10 yard line. It took 1 snap for Page to find the end zone and Friendswood was on the board with only seconds having ticked off on the clock.
Friendswood kicked off to Texas City and a night full of penalties began. By my count, Texas City ended up with twelve penalties during the game, most of them being offsides. While it seemed like all the penalties were against Texas City, Friendswood racked up at least five, some of those being offsetting penalties when Texas City also had an infraction.
This drive in particular ended when the ball slipped out of the Stingaree's hands and was picked up in the end zone by Stanford. Texas City did get close enough to the end zone to make a 4th and goal attempt on the next drive, but a penalty led them to try for a field goal instead. The kick was tipped (wish I had seen by whom) and Friendswood took over on downs.
For the most part, this is how the night went, except that once it stopped raining, there weren't as many loose balls. For the most part, our offense looked good (not counting the slips due to wet turf). Page showed everyone what he has been talking about when he said he worked on his passing game during the off season. His passing game is much improved and his receivers are more reliable. Despite those improvements and the final score, the offense either needs some work or needs some new plays. Texas City often knew what to expect and how to stop it. That could be due to the fact that this was the 17th annual game between the two teams. Both teams know each other well, both on and off the field.
During the 4th quarter, we got to see some of the younger talent for the Mustangs. Karam came in at quarterback, and Alvarez, Pena, & Garza got to join the party.
On the opposite side of the ball, there were some returning faces as well as some new ones. The defense worked hard all night, but wasn't as effective as the scoreboard would indicate. In pregame interviews, the coaches indicated that they might be shuffling people around looking for the best arrangement. Looks like they are still looking for that. Texas City's O-line was much more effective at creating holes than Friendswood's D-Line was at plugging those holes. Thankfully, the Mustang secondary was good at stopping the run. But once Texas City's offense figured out how to get through the line, they secondary had to work a lot.
Box Score
Texas City Stingarees 0 7 6 7 20
Friendswood Mustangs 14 20 13 7 54
This week's "attaboys" go to Page, Hermes, Swaney, Owens, Roher, Nickerson, Karam, Roenne, Klump, Bell, Willis, Whitaker, Gardiner, and Dobard. And if the person who tipped the attempted field goal in the first quarter isn't listed here, that player gets an "attaboy", too.
One Friday, August 26, 2016, the Friendswood High School Mustangs hosted the Texas City Stingarees to open the 2016 season. The night started off with rain, thunder and lightening, but that wasn't enough to stop the huge traditions that are Texas High School Football.
To start off the game, Friendswood's football team ran out during the school song. Not fight song, school song. Is this a new tradition that someone forgot to tell the band and Wranglerettes about?
The game itself started with Texas City receiving the kick off. It looked like the ball was a greased pig (well, it was raining) and was finally picked up by Whitaker and run into the end zone. Turns out, the kicking team can't score on the opening kick off, so the Mustangs had to go back to around the 10 yard line. It took 1 snap for Page to find the end zone and Friendswood was on the board with only seconds having ticked off on the clock.
Friendswood kicked off to Texas City and a night full of penalties began. By my count, Texas City ended up with twelve penalties during the game, most of them being offsides. While it seemed like all the penalties were against Texas City, Friendswood racked up at least five, some of those being offsetting penalties when Texas City also had an infraction.
This drive in particular ended when the ball slipped out of the Stingaree's hands and was picked up in the end zone by Stanford. Texas City did get close enough to the end zone to make a 4th and goal attempt on the next drive, but a penalty led them to try for a field goal instead. The kick was tipped (wish I had seen by whom) and Friendswood took over on downs.
For the most part, this is how the night went, except that once it stopped raining, there weren't as many loose balls. For the most part, our offense looked good (not counting the slips due to wet turf). Page showed everyone what he has been talking about when he said he worked on his passing game during the off season. His passing game is much improved and his receivers are more reliable. Despite those improvements and the final score, the offense either needs some work or needs some new plays. Texas City often knew what to expect and how to stop it. That could be due to the fact that this was the 17th annual game between the two teams. Both teams know each other well, both on and off the field.
During the 4th quarter, we got to see some of the younger talent for the Mustangs. Karam came in at quarterback, and Alvarez, Pena, & Garza got to join the party.
On the opposite side of the ball, there were some returning faces as well as some new ones. The defense worked hard all night, but wasn't as effective as the scoreboard would indicate. In pregame interviews, the coaches indicated that they might be shuffling people around looking for the best arrangement. Looks like they are still looking for that. Texas City's O-line was much more effective at creating holes than Friendswood's D-Line was at plugging those holes. Thankfully, the Mustang secondary was good at stopping the run. But once Texas City's offense figured out how to get through the line, they secondary had to work a lot.
Box Score
Texas City Stingarees 0 7 6 7 20
Friendswood Mustangs 14 20 13 7 54
This week's "attaboys" go to Page, Hermes, Swaney, Owens, Roher, Nickerson, Karam, Roenne, Klump, Bell, Willis, Whitaker, Gardiner, and Dobard. And if the person who tipped the attempted field goal in the first quarter isn't listed here, that player gets an "attaboy", too.
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