The Play-offs Round 2 - Cedar Park vs Kerrville Tivy

For the second round, I decided to head north to Georgetown to see the Cedar Park Timberwolves play the Kerrville Tivy Antlers.  Both teams had perfect 11-0 records going into the game.  Cedar Park is ranked #1 in Texas in Class 5A and Kerrville is ranked #6.  They also brought a lot of history with them.  For the past three years, they have met in the play-offs, with the T’wolves eliminating the Antlers every time.  Can they do it a fourth time and advance?  Or will the Antlers finally prevail?  I’ll find out after I get some barbeque. . .

The Barbeque

When I was in Georgetown earlier in the season, the pickings were a little slim.  Rather than risk having to eat at a BBQ franchise place, I took my wife with me to GreenMesquite BBQ and More.  It is located at 1400 Barton Springs Road in the heart of Austin and has been serving food since 1988.  I was a bit apprehensive when I saw “and More” on the sign out front.

I ordered the usual combination of moist brisket and ribs.  The brisket was indeed moist and tender.  While it did have some bark on the outside, there was no noticeable smoke ring and not much of a smoky flavor.  The ribs were chewy.  I mean like jerky chewy.  My jaw literally got tired from chewing on a piece of end meat.  Their sauce was just another typical ketchup based sauce – nothing to write home about.  My wife got brisket and turkey, with a side of fried okra.  The turkey was good and the okra was very tasty.  I ate a small scoop of peach cobbler for desert and it was good. 

Green Mesquite seemed like a really nice place to eat, drink a few beers, and listen to a live band.  Nice, friendly staff.  Lots of interesting pictures covering the walls.  Their burgers and chicken fried steak may very well be good.  But as far as the barbeque is concerned. . .  just another place serving “cooked meat”.

The Game

How they got here. . .  Cedar Park was the Class 5A District 25 champion.  They beat Bastrop 49-14 in the first round.  Kerrville was the Class 5A District 27 champion.  They eliminated San Antonio McCollum 63-21 to advance to the second round.

Another beautiful night for football in Georgetown.  Clear skies, no real wind, temperature 66 degrees at kick-off.  A good size crowd for both schools.  This should be a good one. . .

Tivy started the game from their own 25 after the opening kick-off.  On third and ten, running back Wyatt Trahan took an option pitch around end for a gain of 23 yards.  The Antlers moved the ball to the Cedar Park 24, but their drive stalled and they turned the ball over on downs.  The T’wolves made a couple of first downs, moving out to the Tivy 48.  Their drive stalled and they were forced to punt.

 

The Antlers started their second possession from their own 7.  On third and 1 from the 16, quarterback Cade Dyal connected with Ian Ronan for a big gain to midfield.  On second and 7, Dyal’s next pass was intercepted by Gunar Chriswisser and returned to the Tivy 38.  A personal foul on the Antlers during the return set Cedar Park up deep in Tivy territory.  It took the T’wolves only one play to score as quarterback Mak Sexton found Tommy Lavine open for a 27 yard touchdown.  The extra point made it 7-0 with 3:09 left in the first quarter.

Tivy took the kick-off on their 12 and returned it to the 21.  Passes from Dyal and runs by Trahan moved the ball to the T’wolves 21 as the first quarter ended.  After switching ends of the filed, the Antlers continued their attack.  After a false start penalty moved Tivy back to the 19, Hayden Schreckenbach took an option pitch into the end zone.  The extra point tied the game at 7 with 11:45 to go in the second.

Cedar Park started their next drive on their own 39 after a 18 kick-off return.  Facing third and 9, Sexton lofted the ball deep to Jack Grimm who was tackled on the Tivy 28.  On second and 2, Sexton hooked up with Grimm again, this time on a post pattern over the middle for a 26 yard touchdown.  The extra point was no good, but the T’wolves were up 13-7 with 10:27 left in the second quarter.

The Antlers returned the kick-off 17 yards to their 26.  Dyal was sacked on first down for a 9 yard loss.  After a 1 yard run by Dyal, the Antlers were facing third and 18.  A defensive holding penalty against the T’wolves gave Tivy the ball on their 34.  The Antlers marched down the field behind the passing of Dyal and runs by Trahan.  A wide receiver screen set them up with first and goal from the Cedar Park 10.  On third and goal from the 10, Dyal was pressured by the T’wolves defense.  His pass was picked off in the end zone by Christwasser, killing the Antler drive and setting up Cedar Park on their 20 yard line.

On second and 13, Sexton threw deep to Grimm for a first down on the Tivy 42.  On the next play, Sexton found Tommy Lavine open for a 42 yard touchdown strike.  Sexton hooked up with Lavine again for the two point conversion, extending the T’wolves lead to 21-7 with 4:16 left in the second quarter.

Timberwolves on the move

The two teams traded possessions.  A bad punt of only 15 yards set the Antlers up on the T’wolves 46 with 1:41 left to play.  Dyal threw a pass slightly behind Hutch White, but he made a great catch to set up a first down on the Cedar Park 20.  The combination worked again as Dyal hit White on a 20 yard touchdown pass.  With 49 seconds left in the second quarter, Tivy cut Cedar Park’s lead to 21-14.

The T’wolves took possession on their 25 after the kick-off sailed through the end zone.  They needed only 41 seconds to move the ball 75 yards in eight plays for another score.  On third and 10 from the Antlers 12 yard line, Lavine threw a halfback pass to Rocky Ferony.  The extra point made the half time score 28-14.

Cedar Park received the third quarter kick-off.  The picked up a couple of first downs and moved to their 45 where the drive stalled.  A 55 yard punt was downed on the Tivy 5 where the Antlers took over.  They picked up a couple of first downs as well, but their drive stalled on their 45 yard line and they were forced to punt. 

Starting from their 24, Sexton tossed a wide receiver screen that picked up a T’wolves first down on their 39.  Facing third and 9, Sexton connected with Tommy Lavine over the middle.  He bounced outside and was tackled on the Antlers 24.  Three plays by the T’wolves netted 9 yards.  Rather than kick a field goal, the decided to go for it on fourth and 1.  Tyler Lavine picked up the first down and more as he cashed in for a 15 yard touchdown run.  That made the score 35-14 with 6:17 to go in the third quarter.

The Cedar Park machine was running smoothly now.  Tivy went three and out after receiving the kick-off.  Starting from the T’wolves 39, Sexton led a 61 yard drive for another score behind passes to Jack Grimm and runs by Tyler Lavine.  On second and goal from the Antlers four, Sexton rolled out and found Tyler Lavine in the end zone for another touchdown.  That made the score 42-14 with 3:02 left in the third quarter.

Cedar Park about to score again

The Cedar Park defense stuffed Tivy on their next two possessions, going three and out and later turning the ball over on downs.  With 8:38 remaining in the game, the T’wolves started from their own 46.  Sexton once again led them on a long drive for a score.  Tyler Lavine plunged over from the 1 to ring up another touchdown.  With 3:42 to play, Cedar Park was up 49-14. 

Tivy got the ball one last time, but was again shut down by the T’wolves defense.  Cedar Park took possession, lined up in the victory formation, and killed the clock to win 49-14.

Early in the game, Tivy controlled the clock.  Their offensive line opened holes for big gains by Wyatt Trahan and gave Cade Dyal the time he needed to complete passes down field.  Their defense shut down the usually potent T’wolves ground game, but gave up yards and points as Mak Sexton connected with Jack Grimm and Tommy Lavine.  When the Antlers had a chance to take a lead in the second quarter, Gunnar Christwasser’s second interception of the night proved to be the game changer for Cedar Park.  Letting the T’wolves score a touchdown in less than a minute to push the lead back to 14 points at half time was a killer for Tivy.

Cedar Park is not a football team, but more of a machine that grinds down their opponents.  That was certainly true in the second half.  Their pass rush started to bring consistent pressure on Dyal and they shut down the Antlers ground attack.  Having burned the Antlers with deep passes in the first half, the T’wolves used their running game to wind down the clock and pad their lead. 

With the win, Cedar Park’s record remains unblemished.  They will face Edcouch Elsa in San Antonio in the third round.  Tivy’s season ends with a record of 11-1.  For the fourth consecutive year, they were eliminated by Cedar Park.

The Play-offs Round 1 - Westlake vs Round Rock

For the first round of play-off games, I decided to go back to Chaparral Stadium to see the Westlake Chaparrals take on the Round Rock Dragons.  I had seen each of these teams play earlier in the season. Since they had similar records (Westlake 9-1, Round Rock 8-2), I figured they were more evenly matched than many of the other first round games in the area.  I also wanted to start the play-offs right with some really good barbeque, so I headed to a place I knew well.

The Barbeque

John Mueller Meat Company

I took my wife and son with me to John Mueller Meat Company for lunch on Friday.  Located at 2500 East 6^th Street in deep east Austin, this is John’s third incarnation of a BBQ joint in Austin.  You probably know his history – the grandson of the great Louie Mueller out of Taylor, mentor to many of the great pit masters in and around Austin.  He can be cantankerous at times and his troubles have been well documented, but he consistently cranks out some of the best smoky goodness around.  His current place is a trailer parked behind Keele’s Place and you eat outdoors on picnic tables.  Another BBQ joint that would pass the Nana test.

Pork shoulder and turkey

I ordered my usual: a half pound of moist brisket and two pork ribs.  My wife ordered a chunk of pork shoulder and some lean brisket, while my son got moist brisket and a beef rib.  Oh it was good.  The moist brisket had a great bark and deep smoke ring.  Tender, juicy, and mouth watering.  The pork ribs were juicy and the meat fell off the bone.  My wife gave me a sample of her pork shoulder.  Great bark, really smoky.  And my son’s beef rib. . .  like eating a brisket popsicle. 

I have enjoyed John’s BBQ many times at each of his different locations.  He recognized me as we sat down to eat and waved hello, then went back to tending his smoker.  While other BBQ places in Austin may be a bit more well known, one of the best parts about eating at Mueller’s is that you don’t have to wait in line for hours and hours before you are served.  Easily one of the top three or four places for BBQ in Austin.  Any tour of great Austin BBQ must include a stop at Mueller’s.

The Football Game

A beautiful evening for football. It was 63 degrees at kick-off, with no real wind.  As for the Lake Travis game, the Westlake crowd was late to arrive.  There was a good size crowd for the Dragons, ringing their cowbells like crazy.  And so much maroon. . .

The Chaps took the opening kick-off on their 15 yard line and returned it to their 33.  Quarterback Sam Ehlinger led them downfield with strong runs and accurate passes.  Facing a second and 15 from the Dragon 19, Ehlinger connected with Kylen Granson on a post pattern for the first score of the night.  The extra point made it 7-0 with 7:48 to play in the first quarter.

Sam Ehlinger barking out the signals

The two teams traded punts on their next possessions.  On their second possession, the Dragons set up shop on their own 43 yard line.  On third and 11, quarterback Liam Beard’s pass was intercepted by Mack Kelley and returned to the dragon 24.  On third and 10, the Chaps ran a flea flicker play where Ehlinger again found Granson for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 1:31 left in the first.

The Dragons took the ensuing kick-off on their 10 and returned it to the 24.  They picked up a first down as the first quarter ended. After switching ends of the field, Round Rock could not move the ball.  A punt of just 20 yards gave Westlake the ball on the Dragon 40.

On third and 11, Ehlinger was pressured by the Dragon defense.  He threw a bad pass that was picked off by Donovan Armstrong of the Dragons and returned to the Chaps 47.  Round Rock converted two fourth downs on the drive and moved to first and goal on the Chaps 9 yard line.  The Westlake defense stiffened and forced another fourth down on their 4.  Beard found Andrew Stefani in the end zone for a touchdown.  The extra point cut the Chaps lead to 14-7 with 5:04 left in the second quarter.

Liam Beard back to pass

The Chaps caught the kick-off on their 19 and ran it out to the 32.  Ehlinger wasted no time moving the Chaps, picking up 12 yards on two strong runs.  He then hit Chase Cokely on a deep pass for 44 yards down to the Dragon 12.  Ehlinger ran for 3, then hooked up with Granson for a 9 yard touchdown.  With 3:16 in the second quarter, the Chaps extended their lead to 21-7.

The two teams traded punts to end the second quarter and went to the locker room with the Chaps up 21-7.  The temperature had fallen slightly to 60 degrees when the third quarter started.  Neither team could sustain a drive and traded punts. 

The Dragons took over on their own 9 after a Westlake punt.  They moved downfield behind Beard’s sharp passing and a steady diet of runs by Day’shus White.  He carried over from the 1 yard line with 3:18 left in the third to make it 21-14.

Day'shus White takes off around end

Westlake was unable to move the ball.  The Dragons took over on their 31 yard line after an 8 yard punt return.  They drove to the Chaps 29 as the third quarter ended.  Needing a touchdown to tie the score, Beard threw a wide receiver screen to Zech Nash-Kelly on the first play of the fourth quarter.  He fumbled when he was hit and Westlake took over on their 23.

Ehlinger moved the Chaps downfield with his passing and running.  On second and 7 from the Dragon 24, Ehlinger’s pass is intercepted in the end zone.  But the Dragons were offsides on the play, giving new life to the Chaps.  Ehlinger ran to the 14 for a first down, then ran the ball up the middle for a touchdown.  With 7:49 left, the Chaps were up by 14 at 28-14.

The Dragons returned the kick-off to their 21.  They went three and out and punted to the Westlake 21.  On third and 4, the Chaps hit a home run – a 73 yard touchdown pass to Granson.  The extra point made the score 35-14 with 4:33 to play.

Round Rock had another chance to score.  From their own 11, Beard tossed a swing pass to White who rumbled down to the Westlake 12 yard line.  The Chaps defense rose to the occasion.  Beard was pressured as he tried to throw on first and second downs.  He was sacked on third down and his pass on fourth down was batted away by a Westlake lineman.  The Dragons got the ball back one final time, but the game ended without them scoring. 

Westlake won 35-14.  Despite throwing his first interception of the season junior quarterback Sam Ehlinger ran for one score and hooked up with Kaylen Granson for four touchdown passes.  The Chaps will go on to play the Woodlands in the second round of the play-offs.  Playing from behind most of the night, the Dragons could not rely on their power running game as they did when I saw them beat Stony Point earlier in the season (Day'shus White ran for 204 yards against the Tigers).  Round Rock finished their season at 8-3. 

The Second Season - The Play-offs

The Texas high school play-offs are a six week, single elimination tournament.  Win and advance, lose and go home.  For the past several years, the final championship games for each class (6A, 5A, etc.) would be held at Jerry’s World (where the Dallas Cowboys play), but the final destination for every team this year is NRG Stadium in Houston.  Note: Class 1A is Six Man football and their championship games will be held at Shotwell Stadium in Abeline.

You may have noticed the word “games” above.  That is because each class is divided into two divisions.  For example, class 6A has Division 1 (schools with the largest enrollment in 6A) and Division 2 (somewhat less enrollment than Division 1, but larger enrollment than class 5A).  So two class 6A champions will be crowned in Houston.  They will each get a trophy to put in the case in the school hallway since they will not play each other for a unified championship.  The same applies to all the other classes.  The UIL (University Interscholastic League – the governing body over all high school competitions in Texas) set this up years ago.  The semiofficial reasons are:

• Texas is a large state with so many schools that would make the play-offs.
• Trying to have extra games would be more difficult on the kids and more expensive for the schools (travel, meals, etc.).
• Only so much time is set aside on the calendar for the football season.  Extra games might take the season into the new year.
• This ensures each team plays the same number of games per season.

Personally, I think it all has to do with $$$.  More games across the state means more revenue for the schools and the UIL.  The coaches like it – more chances to make the play-offs and more chances to win it all.  More schools get to sell more "championship" T-shirts, coozies, seat cushions, etc.  And it sparks interest for next season – two teams might be in the same district for regular season play, but end up in different divisions for the play-offs.  For example, Austin Westlake and Lake Travis are both in district 14-6A.  Westlake has an enrollment of around 2604 students and is in the 6A Division 1 play-offs.  Lake Travis has an enrollment of 2410 and is in the 6A Division 2 play-offs.  If both teams could bring home the big trophy, just think of the number of extra tickets that would get sold for their regular season game next year.

I ended up seeing sixteen different teams in action this season, ten of which made the play-offs, but then the second season is a special time of year for Texas football.  All kinds of crazy things have been known to happen.  I might have to do some extra travelling to see some games, but then there’s more chances to eat good BBQ around the state. It is going to be fun.  

Week Ten - Vista Ridge vs Cedar Park

This was the final week of the regular season.  I decided to see the game between the Vista Ridge Rangers and the Cedar Park Timberwolves.  Cedar Park was ranked #1 in class 5A in Texas and entered the game with a perfect 9-0 record.  Vista Ridge had a record of 8-1 and was ranked #10 in class 5A.  If they could knock off the T’wolves, Vista Ridge would claim the district 25-5A title.  With both teams being from Cedar Park, it should be a good rivalry game as well.  So now the question is: can I find any barbeque in the Cedar Park area?

The Barbeque

Looking for BBQ places in Cedar Park on the Google, I found two possibilities: Bigcat BBQ and J&J BBQ and Burgers.  If the place serves burgers in addition to BBQ, just how good is the barbeque going to be?  When I saw that Bigcat closes at 4 PM and J&J is open until 9 PM, my decision was made for me.

J&J is located at 300 W Whitestone (FM 1431) in Cedar Park, just west of US 183.  It is a family restaurant that sells breakfast tacos in the morning, burgers, fried chicken, and BBQ.  There was a small line to wait through before I could place my standard order: a half pound of moist brisket, two pork ribs, and a glass of tea.  I paid the bill and was given a number.  With the restaurant a wee bit crowded for dinner, I feared I might have to wait a while on my order, but a waiter presented me with my food as I was getting my tea and some pickles and onions.

The brisket looked more like the lean variety instead of the moist – sliced thin and a little dry.  In their defense, the restaurant was busy. My request for moist brisket might have gotten lost or mistranslated.  The brisket was sliced in the kitchen, out of my sight, so I didn’t have a chance to suggest any corrections.  But it did have a nice bark on the outside and a deep smoke ring.  Very tender and tasty.  The ribs were juicy and tender, with a peppery rub.  They served their sauce on the side (as it should be).  It was not too thick and had a nice tang to it.  Overall, it was some of the better barbeque I’ve had this season, but the brisket could have been a touch more moist.

Happy plate

The Game

The game was played at Gupton Stadium.  Opened in 2010, the stadium is used by both Vista Ridge and Cedar Park as their home field.  For this game, the Rangers were the home team and I started the game on their side of the stadium.  There was a light rain falling before the game started, with the wind blowing out of the north and the temperature at 58 degrees.

It was “senior night” for Vista Ridge.  Each of the senior players were escorted by their parents, girl friends, cousins, etc. and were introduced to the crowd.  The Cedar Park band started warming up across the way.  The stadium announcer asked that the band stop playing until after all the seniors had been introduced, but the T’wolves band kept on playing.  I took that as their way of thumbing their nose at their rival.  Then it was time for each band to play their school song.  Cedar Park went first as the visiting team.  When the Vista Ridge band began playing their school song, the T’wolves team ran onto the field.  With their band playing and fans yelling, the Ranger alma mater was drowned out.  Cedar Park 2, Vista Ridge 0 in nose thumbing. . .

The Rangers fumbled the opening kick-off, but were able to recover it.  They picked up a couple of first downs, but fumbled on the T’wolves 45.  Cedar Park marched down the field, with Jack Grimm going the last 14 yards for the first score of the game.  With 6:39 left in the first quarter, Cedar Park was up 7-0.

Vista Ridge took possession on their own 25 after the T’wolves kick-off.  Quarterback Matt Snow got the Rangers moving with his passes and his running.  Isaiah Vilaire Scored on a 55 yard dash and the extra point tied the game at 7-7.

Cedar Park drove deep into Ranger territory the next time their offense got the ball.  But the drive stalled and they settled for a 37 yard field goal to push the score to 10-7 with 1:39 left in the first quarter.

Timberwolves on the move

The Rangers went 3 and out on their next possession and had to punt.  The T’wolves set up shop on their own 33 and moved into Ranger territory as the first quarter ended.  Quarterback Mak Sexton connected with Grimm for a 43 yard touchdown pass.  With 10:39 left in the second quarter, the T’wolves were up 17-7.

The two teams traded punts in the second quarter as the rain stopped falling.  With 4:31 left to play, Cedar Park took over on their own 14 yard line.  Facing fourth and 1 from their own 23, the T’wolves lined up to punt.  Before the snap, they changed their formation.  A wing back went in motion and ran the ball on a jet sweep to the 29 to pick up the first down.  Sexton completed a 40 yard pass to Tommy Lavine to give the T’wolves first and goal from the Ranger 10.  On third down, Grimm crashed in from the two for his third touchdown of the half.  The first half ended with Cedar Park ahead 24-7.

Cedar Park awaits third quarter kick-off

The T’wolves received the opening kick of the third quarter.  On second and 13, Jav Guidry ran 68 yards for another Cedar Park touchdown.  That made the score 31-7 with 11:08 left in the third quarter.  They scored so quickly, fans getting popcorn during half time might have missed that play.  Too bad Gupton Stadium does not have a jumbotron where they can show replays.

Vista Ridge started their next possession from the 25.  Matt Snow completed some good passes and had a 38 yard run down to the T’wolves 13.  Facing fourth and 4 from the 7 yard line, Snow pitched to Vilaire.  He was stopped short of the end zone and fumbled into it.  A Ranger player recovered for what appeared to be a touchdown.  But by rule, a ball carrier cannot fumble the ball forward on a fourth down play.  The Rangers were given the ball on the 1 yard line.  Jeremiah Chambers crashed in for the score to cut the lead to 31-14 with 5:01 left in the third quarter.

Cedar Park wasted no time in responding to the Rangers score.  With the ball on the 31 yard line, Lavine started up the middle, bounced outside for a 25 yard run.  Later in the drive, Lavine ran a jet sweep for a 31 yard touchdown run to put the T’wolves up 38-14.

After a Cedar Park field goal of 28 yards made the score 41-14, Vilaire took an option pitch for 67 yards and a Ranger score.  The extra point made it 41-21 with 7:01 left in the fourth quarter.  The T’wolves scored yet another touchdown on an 11 yard run by William Richter to extend the lead to 48-21.  Vista Ridge was able to pick up a couple of first downs, but never threatened again.  Cedar Park took possession with under a minute to play in the game.  They lined up in the victory formation to kill the clock.  Final score 48-21 Cedar Park.

With the win, the Timberwolves ended the regular season with a perfect 10-0 record.  They clinched the district 25-5A title and were awarded the Mayor’s Cup for beating Vista Ridge.  Both teams will now get ready for the “second season” as the play-offs begin next week.

Week Nine - Hendrickson vs Cedar Ridge

This week I chose to attend the game between the Hendrickson Hawks and the Cedar Ridge Raiders.  Both teams had a record of 7-1 and are headed into the play-offs.  This game would help decide who would claim the title in district 13-6A.  Because of forecasts of potentially heavy thunderstorms in central Texas, many games were moved up to Thursday night and they were smart to do so.  The skies did indeed open up Friday, with the Austin airport receiving over 14.5 inches of rain in twenty-four hours.  (The previous record had been over 8 inches.)  There was wide spread flooding across the area and four poor souls tragically lost their lives.  The Hendrickson game was moved to 2:00 PM Saturday afternoon.  Luckily for me, I had time to get some BBQ before heading over to the stadium.

The Barbeque

Johnny T’s BBQ is located at 1202 FM 685 in Pflugerville, just a stone’s throw from Hawk Stadium.  As I left the house, I called them to make sure they were open after all the storms.  They were, but the rains had caused them problems with their smoker and they had no brisket or pulled pork to serve that Saturday.  I was not in the mood to search for another BBQ joint on short notice (not another Smokey Mo experience for me), so I headed on over.

Johnny T’s is tucked into the corner of a little shopping center, down the road from a great big shopping center.  Their menu is full of various kinds of BBQ sandwiches (sammiches), but I decided to get the pork ribs and some turkey and sausage in place of my usual half pound of brisket.  The ribs were very good – meaty, tender, and juicy with the meat falling off the bone.  The turkey was moist and smoky.  The sausage was store bought, probably some common brand you can buy at any super market, and could have been cooked longer.  They offered three types of sauces: regular (ketchup based, not bad), spicy (regular with additional pepper), and Carolina.  The Carolina sauce was mustard based.  I liked it the best of the three probably because it was different. 

Turkey, ribs, sausage, and 3 kinds of sauce at Johnny T's

The people were friendly and the place was clean.  Overall it was a good experience, but I need to go back some time to test out their brisket.  They said their brisket is really good, but then again, don’t all Texas pit masters brag about their brisket?

The Game

Overcast skies, a pretty good breeze out of the north, and the temperature at 72 degrees at kick-off.  There were no bands or drill teams for either school at the game.  I overheard a lady saying they were all at some kind of competition that conflicted with the game being rescheduled for Saturday afternoon.  The gentleman who announced the game from the press box sang the National Anthem acapella before the game and did a tremendous job.  When he finished, the crowds on both sides of the stadium gave him a huge ovation.

Hawk Stadium

The Cedar Ridge Raiders took the opening kick-off and moved down the field.  Aided by a pass interference penalty against the Hawks, they set up shop on the Hendrickson 22.  A pass from quarterback Garrett Sharp moved the ball to the 14.  Facing third and 2, Sharp’s pass was incomplete.  The Raiders attempted a 31 yard field goal that was no good, but the Hawks were offsides giving the Raiders a first and goal from the 9.  Sharp connected with Kadarius Daniels on the next play to draw first blood.  The Raiders lined up in a “swinging gate” formation for the point-after-touchdown conversion.  The Hawk defense was spread all over the field trying to cover it.  Sharp took a quick snap from center and walked into the end zone to make it 8-0 with 8:55 left in the first quarter.

After the two teams traded punts, the Hawks took possession on their 49 yard line.  Quarterback Carrington Kearney had to scramble when he dropped back to pass, but was able to pick up a couple of first downs with his legs.  Facing second and 9 from the Raiders 21, Kearney scampered down the left sideline for a touchdown.  The extra point made the score 8-7.

The two teams again traded possessions into the second quarter as the sun tried to break through the clouds.  The Raiders were once again forced to punt.  They tried to draw the Hawks offsides again, but were called for illegal procedure.  The Raider punt rolled to the Hawk 15 where Jordan Williams grabbed the ball and returned it 27 yards. 

The Hawks were set up on their 42 yard line.  Kearney was forced to scramble and his pass attempt was picked off at the Raider 35.  After a holding penalty, Sharp found Daniels on a long pass down to the Hawk 28.  On first down from the Hawk 15, Sharp threw a strike to Daniels again for their second touchdown of the day.  The extra point extended the Raiders lead to 15-7 with 8:37 to go in the first half. 

Cedar Ridge on the move during the first half

The ensuing kick-of sailed through the end zone, so Hendriskson started their next drive from their 25 yard line.  The Hawks managed to pick up a first down, but Kearney was sacked on third and 7 to force a Hawk punt.  The Raiders rushed the kicker and blocked the punt, taking possession on the Hawk 14.

Sharp connected with Grant McCartney on a seam route for a 15 yard touchdown, but the score was negated by a person foul.  On second and 25, Sharp scrambled down the right sideline to set up first and goal from the 4.  Two quarterback keepers by Sharp resulted in a gain of only 1 yard.  On third and 3, Sharp again looked for McCartney in the end zone, but the Hawk defensive back made a big hit on the receiver causing him to drop the pass.  The Raiders lined up to kick a 20 yard field goal.  The Hawks blocked the kick, but were again drawn offsides to give the Raiders another chance.  Sharp threw into the end zone for McCartney, but the pass fell incomplete.  McCartney was called for offensive pass interference when he pushed off the Hawk defensive back.  Hendrickson declined the penalty at took over with 3:30 left in the second quarter. 

From his own 2 yard line, Kearney ran the ball up the middle for 5 yards, but fumbled when he was hit.  The Raiders recovered on the Hawks 8 yard line.  It took the Raiders just one play to score as Sharp ran up the middle for a touchdown.  That pushed the score to 22-7 with 3:23 left before half time. 

The Hawks started from their 25 yard line after the touchback.  They were able to pick up a couple of first downs, mainly on runs by Kearney.  He was sacked on third and 12 as the final seconds of the first half ticked down. 

It is no secret that I don’t much like the half time shows at high school football games.  All the girls in the drill teams looking like a bunch of clones, especially with those silly hats they wear.  All of the drill team officers called out by name, along with the spirit girl or angel of the week.  The bands playing the Love Theme from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre or doing a tribute to pick-up trucks.  But I have to admit this game had an unusual vibe to it with the bands and drill teams not there.  Sort of like the missing feeling you get when the tooth ache you’ve had for a week is gone.

The sun makes an appearance during the third quarter

The two teams traded punts to begin the third quarter.  The sun had come out when the Hawks began their second possession.  Kearney was able to complete a couple of passes and made good yardage on quarterback keepers.  In Raider territory and facing third and 15 after a holding call, Kearney scrambled for 9.  The Hawks set up to punt with Kearney as the kicker.  The center snapped the ball to the blocking back who started to run around the left end.  As the defense closed in on him, he pitched the ball back to Kearney who was trailing the play.  The Raider defense stopped him short of the first down.

Cedar Ridge took possession and moved the ball to the Hawks 12 yard line.  The Hendrickson defense stiffened and forced the Raiders to settle for a 34 yard field goal.  That made the score 25-7 with 3:40 left in the third quarter. 

The Hawks returned a deep kick-off to their own 38.  Kearney hit a long pass to Jaylon Taylor to set the Hawks up on the Raider 28.  As the third quarter ended, Kearney had moved the ball to the Raider 4 for first and goal.  On second and five, Dana Jackson ran a sweep and scored making the score 25-14 with 11:12 left to play.

The two teams traded possessions and punts for the remainder of the game.  The Raider offense trying to eat up as much clock as possible when they had the ball and their defense keeping the Hawks from scoring.  The Raiders did move the ball to the Hawk 11.  Sharp’s pass on fourth and 5 was too high and the Hawks took over.  Kearney completed a couple of passes and made some runs to move the ball.  But with 1:46 left in the game, his pass was intercepted at midfield.  The Raiders lined up in the victory formation as Sharp took a knee to end the game. 

The final score was 25-14 as Cedar Ridge moved their record to 8-1 and set up a three way tie for first place in district 13-6A (with Hendrickson and Round Rock).  Garrett Sharp threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns.  He ran for another touchdown and a two point conversion.  The Raider defense limited the Hawks to 253 total yards for the game, most of those generated by Carrington Kearney.  The Hawks had their chances, but three turnovers, a blocked punt, and defensive penalties that gave the Raiders new life were fatal.