2017 - Liberty Hill vs La Vega

A look at the barbecue served at Butler's BBQ in Killeen and a recap of the fourth round play-off game between Liberty Hill and La Vega.  Here's my video of this adventure:

I went to Buckley Stadium in Killeen, Texas to see a fourth round play-off game between the Liberty Hill Panthers and the La VegaPirates.  Winter is officially two weeks away, but a cold front moved through Texas earlier in the week, bringing rain and dropping temperatures.  It was 47 degrees at kick-off, but with no clouds in the sky, it was going to get colder as the game went on. 

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Liberty Hill is coached by Jeff Walker and enters this game with a 10-2 record.  Walker is in his first season as the Panthers coach.  He replaced the legendary Jerry Vance who coached the Panthers to state titles in 2006 and 2007.  Walker was the offensive coordinator for those teams and was the head coach at Rogers before returning to Liberty Hill.

It seems Willie Williams has been associated with the La Vega program since the Millard Filmore administration.  He is a graduate of La Vega and has been their coach since 1990.  His 2015 team claimed the state championship.  The 2017 team is perfect on the season at 13-0.

These teams know each other well, being from the same district.  They met in week 5 with La Vega winning 33-18.  Can the Pirates do it again and keep their drive for state on track?  Will the Panthers atone for that midseason loss and keep their dreams of a state championship alive?  Panthers and Pirates. . .  it should be a good one.

But before we get into football, let me show you the barbecue I enjoyed earlier in the day. . .

The Barbecue

Football in Killeen, huh. . .  I’ve never been to or through Killeen before, so I turned to my friend the Google and found recommendations for Butler’sBBQ.  Sounds good to me, I’ll give them a try.  After a nice drive in the country, I made it to Killeen and wound my way around town to 3006 Lake Road.  The burglar bars on the store front were a little intimidating, but I wasn’t going to let that slow me down.  I needed some barbecue.

Butler’s has a really neat mural on the walls, a nice size indoor dining area with several picnic tables, and a couch and love seat to relax on.  I was greeted at the counter by Angie, a wonderful young lady with a big smile.  She probably called me “darling” more times while I was there than I’ve heard in ten years.  They don’t sell meat by the pound, so I go their brisket plate and some pork ribs.  Rather than serve me sides, they just threw on more brisket.  It came with pickles and onions, a big piece of cornbread, and sauce on the side.  I got myself a glass of “brown lemonade” – tea mixed with enough lemonade to make anybody pucker. 

While my order was being prepared, I got a chance to talk with a gentleman named Clarence Jones.  He’s a local who assured me I had picked a good barbecue joint.  As we talked about different barbecue we’d eaten across Texas, a nice lady put two big plates in front of me.  One with brisket stacked high, the other with ribs.  Time for me to go to work.

The brisket was excellent.  Smoked over mesquite, it did not have much of an outer bark.  But it was very tender with a deep smoky flavor.  The ribs were also delicious.  Cooked over oak, they were meaty, juicy with a bit of sweetness, and so tender the meat easily bit from the bone.  The barbecue was served with a typical tomato based sauce, not too spicy and not too sweet.  The cornbread was wonderful.  I did my best to eat as much as I could, but had to take the rest home.  My wife and I both liked munching on it the next day.  To top it all off, my whole meal came to under $15.  Such a deal. . .

Butler’s BBQ is what Texas barbecue is all about: great food prepared by super people who take pride in what they serve and love doing it.  Guess I now have an excuse to go back to Killeen sometime.

I rate this barbecue two Hook ‘Ems!

The Game

 Despite the falling temperatures, it was a great night for football at Buckley Stadium. . .

On their second drive of the night, La Vega picked up a big first down on a pass from quarterback Jamal Williams to Johnathan Brown.  A run by Kemoche Hobbs to the 2 gave the Pirates first and goal.  Hobbs scored from there and the extra point put the Pirates ahead early 7-0.

In the second quarter, La Vega was on the move again.  Williams threw to Taequan Tyler for a big gain.  Hobbs made some great cuts to score on a 21 yard run.  The extra point extended the lead to 14-0.

                    Komache Hobbs runs 21 yards to extend the Pirates lead to 14-0

Late in the second quarter, the Liberty Hill offense started to get untracked.  Running back Kyle Harrison picked up big yardage on the ground.  But the drive stalled and the Panthers settled for a 35 yard field goal.  The teams went to half time with the Pirates leading 14-3.

The teams traded possessions to begin the second half.  La Vega running back Cameron Henry fumbled and the Panthers recovered.  Harrison burst through a hole in the Pirate defense and scored on a 38 yard run.  Elijah Davis scored on a sweep for a two point conversion to make it 14-11 midway through the third quarter.  Now we’ve got a game. . .

                      Kyle Harrison runs up the middle for 38 yard touchdown 

While Liberty Hill needed a stop, La Vega turned to their punishing ground game to move the chains and eat up clock.  John Richards ground out the last 21 yards for a touchdown.  The extra point widened the Pirate lead to 21-11  with 1:32 left in the third quarter.

               John Richards steps off for 21 yards and a touchdown for La Vega

As the game moved into the fourth quarter, the temperatures had dropped into the upper 30s and the curtain was about to drop on the Panthers.  Neither team could sustain a drive and both turned the ball over on downs.  La Vega took possession on their 41.  John Richards swept to the right, found a hole, raced past the defenders, and high stepped it into the end zone for a 59 yard touchdown.  The extra point pushed the Pirates’ lead to 28-11 with less than six minutes to play.

        John Richards ices the game for La Vega with this 59 yard scoring romp

The Panther offense is not designed to score a whole lot of points in just a little time.  They lose precious time in the huddle and have difficulty throwing the ball downfield.  They used over four and a half minutes to score on a 1 yard plunge by Trenton Seward.  Liberty Hill tried an onside kick, but the ball was recovered by La Vega.  The Pirates killed the clock and claimed the victory, 28-18.

Congratulations to Liberty Hill for their fine season under first year coach Jeff Walker.  Best of luck to Willie Williams and the Pirates as they get ready to face defending state champion Carthage for a spot at Jerry’s World.

2017 - Flour Bluff vs Angleton

Sweet Sixteen play-off action between the Flour BluffHornets and the Angleton Wildcats.  Plus a look at the barbecue served at Hays County Bar-B-Que.  Here's my video of this adventure:

I went to Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos on the campus of Texas State University to see third round play-off action between the Flour Bluff Hornets and the AngletonWildcats.  Chris Steinbruk has been the head coach of Flour Bluff since 2014.  The Hornets took second place in 5A District 30 with a 10-1 record on the season.  Their only loss was in week 5 when they came up short against Veterans Memorial.  They atoned for the loss when they eliminated Veterans Memorial last week 57-33.

Angleton claimed the 5A District 27 title and comes into this game with a perfect 11-0 record.  Ryan Roark is in his seventh season as the Wildcats head coach.  Their defense has registered four shut-outs on the season and limited teams to seven points in six other games.  San Antonio Highlands scored 14 points on the Wildcats in the opening round of the play-offs, but lost 79-14.

The winning team stays on the path to Jerry’s World and a chance to play for state.  The losing team has a long bus ride home.  Hornets and Wildcats. . .  It should be a good one.

Before I talk about the game, let me show you the barbecue I enjoyed earlier that day. . .

The Barbecue

Heading down to San Marcos for a play-off game, I needed to find me a barbecue joint.  Looks like Hays County Barbeque made the Texas Monthly Top 50 list.  That list has been very good to me so far this year, I suspect it will be again.

Hays County Barbeque is located at 1612 S. I-35, on the highway frontage road just south of the San Marcos river.  They looked deserted when I first drove up, but the open sign was still lit up and I went on in.  I ordered my usual half pound of moist brisket and a couple of pork ribs.  I splurged and also got myself a jalapeno cheese sausage ring.  I got some iced tea from a side filling station and took a seat at one of the picnic tables.  The room was filled with the sounds of John Lee Hooker singing the blues as I started to eat.

The brisket was delicious: great outer bark, moist, and full of smoky flavor.  The meat was creamy, almost buttery, as it filled my mouth with happiness.  The ribs were big and juicy, with a nice outer char.  The meat easily bit from the bone and went down real easy.  While I am not much of a sausage eater, the jalapeno cheese sausage tasted very good.  Made of 60% beef and 40% pork, it was not too hot and had a good chew.  They served two kinds of sauce.  The shorter squeeze bottles were regular and the taller bottles spicy.  Kinda sweet with a touch of mustard, I didn’t really notice much difference between them.

After I ate, I got a chance to talk with the friendly staff and walk around out back.  They have a large eating area behind the building near their smoking sheds.  There was a small stage and I can easily imagine lots of people enjoying a few cold ones and listening to some music while they chow down on good barbecue.  There was also a lot of construction in progress.  They are building a 10,000 square foot restaurant that should be something to see when it opens.   

Hays County Barbeque – serving great barbecue with lots of friendly smiles.  I rate this barbecue two Hook ‘Ems!

The Game

Angelton kicked-off to Flour Bluff to start the game.  Starting from their 37, the Hornets had a great drive going until their running back was stripped of the ball and Angleton returned it almost 85 yards to the Hornets 2.  The Wildcats cashed in the turnover to take a 7-0 lead.

The Hornets took possession on their 29 yard line.  Passes from quarter back Braden Sherron to Brendan Suckley and Taggert Peel moved the ball deep into Wildcat territory.  A run by Sherron set up a one yard plunge to tie the game at 7.

      Quarterback Braden Sherron runs to the 1 to set up tying touchdown

After a big kick-off return, BJ Foster ran a sweep to the right for big yardage.  That set up a flea flicker as Seth Cosme threw to C. Dilworth for a 31 yard touchdown.  The extra point gave Angleton the lead at 14-7.

    The flea flicker works: Seth Cosme throws to C. Dilworth for a touchdown

The Hornets used a trick play to pick up a big first down.  They used the same play in the second quarter for a 19 yard touchdown to tie the game at 14.

The Wildcats answered with their powerful running attack.  T. Williams running inside and BJ Foster running outside.  This 27 yard run by Foster pushed the score to 21-14.

              BJ Foster scores from 27 yards out to make it 21-14

The Hornets took possession.  Passes and run by Sherron moved the ball downfield.  But a pass by Sherron was picked off by My’Kell Ross in the end zone to end the threat.

As the clock wound down late in the second quarter, BJ Foster ran through the Hornet defense for 35 yards.  Cosme found Joshual Ellis wide open over the middle for a 21 yard touchdown.  The Wildcats took a 28-14 lead into halftime.

    Seth Cosme throws to Joshual Ellis for a touchdown just before haltime

Angleton got the ball to start the third quarter.  Behind by two touchdowns, Flour Bluff needed to get a stop.  They didn’t get it.  The Wildcats used their powerful running game to drive 63 yards, with T. Williams running the last 7 for the touchdown.  The extra point made it 35-14.

Now down three scores, the Hornets needed a touchdown to narrow the gap on the scoreboard.  They didn’t get this either.  Simeon Wells picked up big yardage on the ground and Sherron connected with Jacob Soliz for a gain into the Wildcat red zone.  But the drive stalled and Flour Bluff lined up for an apparent 31 yard field goal.  But instead of kicking, the holder pitched the ball to Wells who was tackled for a loss. 

               The fake field goal fails: Simeon Wells is tackled for a loss

Angleton wasted no time.  BJ Foster picked up a huge gain.  Evrin Hawkins did the rest, scoring from 25 yards out to push the score to 42-14.

The game was effectively over before the end of the third quarter.  T. Williams would go on to score two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter for Angleton: a two yard plunge and a 45 yard scamper.  The Wildcats claimed the victory: 56-14.

               T. Williams scampers 45 yards for another Angleton touchdown

The Angleton defense had an off night as compared to other games.  They gave up 14 points for the second time this season, way above their season average of 5.6 points allowed per game.  The Flour Bluff defense was shredded for 403 yards on the ground.  T. Williams carried the ball 14 times for 182 yards and three touchdowns.  BJ Foster ran for 156 yards and two  touchdowns on his eight carries.  Seth Cosme threw for only 61 yards on 5 for 10 passing, but two of those throws were touchdowns.

Congratulations to Flour Bluff for the good season they had.  Best of luck to Angleton as they move into the Elite Eight round to face Foster next week. 

2017 - Lake Travis vs Converse Judson

A recap of the second round play-off game between Lake Travis and Converse Judson and I shine the barbecue spotlight on Micklethwait Craft Meats.  Here's my video from this adventure:

For this game, I went to Darrel K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium, the home of the Longhorns.  This grand old stadium has witnessed many great football games.  This day it was the site of a second round play-off game between the Lake TravisCavaliers and the Converse Judson Rockets.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous: temperature in the high 70s, blue skies, not much wind.  A great day for football.This is the kind of game that makes the play-offs so much fun. . .

This is the kind of game that makes the play-offs so much fun. . .

These two teams are both perennial powers of Texas high school football.  Lake Travis is the only Texas school to win 5 state championships in a row, doing that from 2007 to 2011.  Hank Carter was the head coach for the last of those two in 2010 and 2011.  He coached his third championship team and Lake Travis' sixth state championship when the Cavaliers won last year.  

Converse Judson can also boast of their six state championships, the last coming in 2002.  Sean McAuliffe is a graduate of Judson and has been the head coach of the Rockets since 2014.  He is looking for his first state title.  

The Cavs and Rockets know each other well.  Judson was the only team to beat Lake Travis in 2016 as the Cavs claimed their sixth championship.  The Rockets won again this year in a rout in the season opener.  It’s awful hard to beat the same team three times in a row, especially twice in the same season.  Let’s add in the pressure of the play-offs just for fun.  One team moves on, the other goes home.  Cavaliers and Rockets. . .  It should be a good one.

I also had some real good barbecue I want to show you. . .

The Barbecue

OK, let’s see now. . .  Play-off game in Austin at DKR.  Lots of super barbecue places in town, but I should find a joint close to the stadium.  I haven’t been to Micklethwait’s in a long time.  They made the Texas Monthly Top 50 list last June and are near the UT campus.  Sounds good, let’s give ‘em a try.

Micklethwait’s Craft Meats is located at 1309 Rosewood Avenue, east of I-35 and just off 11^th Street.  They have been serving barbecue out of a trailer at this location for several years now.  They have upgraded their spot with shade canopies since my last visit.

I ordered my standard half pound of moist brisket and a couple of pork ribs.  I found a place to sit at one of the picnic tables.  The brisket was outstanding: great outer bark, deep smoky flavor.  The thick slices were so tender they easily cut with a plastic fork.  The ribs were some of the best I’ve eaten.  Served warm, the meat was juicy and tender.  It bit easily from the bone and had a great smoky taste.  The barbecue was served with crunchy, homemade pickles, sliced red onions, and a side of sauce.  The sauce had a touch of mustard and a nice sweet flavor that went well with the meat.

The staff at Micklethwait’s was very friendly and good to chat with, but part of my fun is getting a chance to talk with some of the other patrons while standing in line.  This time around I met a wonderful family from Texas that now lives in South Carolina.  They were here to enjoy some classic Texas barbecue.  We enjoyed swapping tales of great barbecue eaten and football games seen.  Great way to spend time on a beautiful afternoon in Austin.

Micklethwait’s Craft Meats smokes some great barbecue and their spot on the Texas Monthly list is very well deserved.

I rate this barbecue two Hook ‘Ems!

The Game

Judson had two long drives into Lake Travis territory to start the game and came away with no points.  On their second drive, quarterback Matthew Baldwin threw to Hudson Card who outraced the defense for a 55 yard touchdown to give the Cavs an early 7-0 lead.  The Rockets answered with a 31 yard field goal to make it 7-3.

           Matthew Baldwin throws to Hudson Card for a 55 yard touchdown

The Cavs stormed back, capping off a drive with a 15 yard touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson to extend the lead to 14-3.

Then it was time for the Julon Williams show.  He ran a quarterback draw 72 yards for a touchdown.  A fumble by the Cavs was recovered in the end zone by Baldwin to give Judson a safety.  After the free kick, Williams ran 9 yards for a touchdown and Judson took the lead at 19-14.  A pass by Baldwin was intercepted on the Cavs 35.  Williams threw to a receiver diving into the end zone to push the lead to 26-14. Cameron Dicker connected on a 48 yard field goal late in the second quarter and the teams went to half time with the score 26-17.

     Julon Williams goes 72 yards on a quarterback draw for a Judson touchdown

The teams traded scoring passes early in the third quarter.  Baldwin connected with Garrett Wilson for a 73 yard touchdown.  The two point conversion made the score 26-25.  Julon Williams threw a 42 yard touchdown pass to Kishaun Fisher to push the lead to 33-25.

The Cavs returned the kick-off to midfield.  On third down, running back Kyle Wakefield hurdled over a tackler to get a critical first down.  Baldwin threw to Garrett Wilson for a 6 yard touchdown.  The try for two failed leaving the score 33-31.

      Garrett Wislon scores one of his four touchdowns on the day

After Lake Travis missed a 46 yard field goal, Julon Williams’ threw deep, but his pass was intercepted by Nathan Parodi.  The Cavs scored on an option pitch to Hudson Card.  Baldwin threw to Card for the two point conversion to make the score 39-33 midway through the fourth quarter.

The Rockets were forced to punt on their next possession.  The snap sailed over the punter’s head, giving the Cavs first and goal.  Garrett Wilson scored from five yards out.  Another two point try moved the Cavs to a 47-33 lead with 5:18 left to play.

The Rockets only needed two minutes to go 75 yards, with Julon Williams running the last 9 yards for a touchdown.  The extra point was blocked, leaving the Cavs ahead by eight at 47-39 with 3:15 in the fourth quarter.

The Rockets must get the ball back if they have any hopes.  Their onside kick was successful and Judson took possession at midfield.  Facing third and 19, Julon Williams pass was incomplete.  For Judson, their season came down to one play.  Williams scrambled, but was sacked by Kade Langston.  The Cavaliers ran out the clock and claimed the victory.

        Kade Langston sacks Julon Williams to seal the win for Lake Travis

Congratulations to Converse Judson for the fine season they had.  Good luck to Lake Travis as they go on the road to face Los Fresnos in third round play-off action next week.

2017 - Dripping Springs vs LBJ

Dripping Springs and LBJ in first round play-off action.  Plus a look at the barbecue served at Payne's Bar-B-Q Shak in Burnet, Texas.  Here's my video of this adventure:

I went to Kelley Reeves Athletic Complex in Round Rock to see a first round play-off game between the Dripping Springs Tigers and the LBJ Jaguars.  Galen Zimmerman has been the head coach of the Dripping Springs Tigers since 2015.  He leads a team that was undefeated on the season at 10-0 and won the 5A District 26 title.  

LBJ has a unique coaching situation.  Andrew Jackson has been the head coach of LBJ for the past five seasons, but he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer.  Demosesneeds Odems is an LBJ alum and serves as the on-field coach when Coach Jackson is unable to attend.  Between the two of them, the Jaguars finished third in 5A District 25 with an overall record of 7-3.

The weather for this game was absolutely gorgeous.  The temperature was in the low 80s at kick-off.  There had been a good breeze coming out of the south all day, but weather wasn't going to have much of an impact on the game.

The play-off format is very simple.  Win six games and your team puts the big hardware in the trophy case at school.  Lose any one game and your team is out.  Their season came to a screeching halt.  Dripping Springs made it to the fourth round last year, LBJ was eliminated in the first round in 2016.  Both teams hope to go further this year.  Tigers and Jaguars. . . it should be a good one.

Before we talk football, let me show you the barbecue I enjoyed previously. . .

The Barbecue

Since this was the opening weekend of the football play-offs, I thought I’d go on a quick road trip.  I talked my wife into joining me for a short drive to Burnet, Texas.  I had heard good things about Payne’s Bar-B-QShak and they made the Texas Monthly Top 50 list published this year.  This should be good.

Payne’s is located at 616 Buchanan Drive (Texas Highway 29) in Burnet in a long, low building just off the road.  When you first walk in, the dining area is to your left.  A set of picnic tables lined end to end down the middle and a long counter against the window.  To your right is the serving area.  I ordered a half a pound of moist brisket and a couple of pork ribs.  My wife ordered a slice of smoked turkey and some lean brisket.  They have a variety of self service side dishes and offer a scoop of beans for free.

We found a spot at one of the picnic tables in the dining room and dug in.  The brisket was a bit dry and flaky, but was very tender with a deep smoky flavor.  The ribs were very tasty, with the tender meat easily biting from the bone.  I also enjoyed the bite of turkey I stole off my wife’s plate.  Payne’s serves a typical tomato based red sauce that was thick and savory.  It went well with the brisket and the complimentary beans went down real good.

As my wife and I ate, Robert Payne walked through the dining room, greeting and talking with people.  Super friendly and outgoing, he had a good word for everybody.  When I finished eating, he gave me a tour of his smoking shed and his pits.  He and his wife Penny opened the Bar-B-Q Shak in 2011 when he retired.  When they first opened, everybody who worked there was family: kids, grandkids, etc.  They have been in business long enough now, they’ve had to hire family friends.  Robert started off using mesquite wood, but the locals didn’t like the after taste, so he switched to using nothing but oak.  Business had been doing well and has gotten even better after the write-ups in Texas Monthly.  Had his wife not called him back to work, I might still be talking with Robert.

Robert Payne

Truly good barbecue prepared and served by super people is always a winning combination in Texas.  Payne’s Bar-B-Q Shak excels at both and has made Burnet a barbecue hot spot.

I rate this barbecue two Hook ‘Ems!

The Game

Unfortunately for LBJ, this game was affectively over by half time.  Dripping Springs got the ball for seven possessions in the first half.  They scored touchdowns on the first six.  They scored through the air: quarterback Trevor Greenman threw to Keith Mitchhart for a thirty yard touchdown to open the scoring.  After Ryland Kinnard intercepted a pass from LBJ quarterback Brian Batts, the Tigers scored on the ground as Greenman ran forty yards to make it 14-0. 

                    Trevor Greenman throws to Keith Mitchhart for the first score of the game

LBJ tried to get back in the game late in the first quarter.  Batts completed a couple of big passes to Donte Bourgeois.  The Jags scored on a three yard run by Deon Collins to make it 14-7.  After a 75 yard scoring drive by the Tigers (capped off by a 28 yard touchdown pass to Johnny Hoyle), LBJ racked up six points on a short run by Batts.  The extra point try failed, leaving the score 21-13.

Dripping Springs scored on their next three possessions: a 63 yard touchdown pass from Greenman to Hoyle, a four yard run by Jake Cox, and a 65 yard strike to Parker Alford.

               Greenman throws deep to Parker Alford for a 65 yard touchdown

Leading 42-13 late in the second quarter, the Tigers recovered a fumble for their seventh possession of the half.  Greeman was sacked by the Jaguar defense and fumbled.  But the Tiger defense made up for it.  Reed Beverly Intercepted another pass off Batts and returned it 84 yards for a touchdown.  The pick six made the half time score 49-13.

                 Reed Beverly takes a pick six 84 yards to score for Dripping Springs

The Tigers got the ball to start the third quarter.  Greenman picked up big yards on the ground, then found Mitchhart alone in the end zone for another touchdown to extend the lead to 56-13.  I started packing up my stuff. Dripping Springs got the ball back and started a drive that ended with a 32 yard field goal.  At 59-13, I headed for the exit.

LBJ would score twice in the second half to make the final score 59-29.  Their defense had no answers for the Tiger offense.  Trevor Greenman completed only 11 of 16 passes, but for five touchdowns and 249 yards.  He and Jake Cox each ran for 132 yards as the Tigers rolled up 304 on the ground (553 total yards).  Dripping Springs will play Foster in the second round.

2017 - Taylor vs Canyon Lake

A review of the district game between Taylor and Canyon Lake.  Also a look at the barbecue cooked up at Louie Mueller's Barbecue.  Here's my video of this adventure:

I went to Taylor, Texas to see the Ducks in action against their district rival Canyon Lake Hawks.  Rusty Purser has been the head coach of the Ducks since 2012.  He leads a team with a 6-3 overall record on the season, but they are undefeated in district.  Charley Drum was an assistant coach at Canyon Lake when the school first opened in 2007.  He took the head coaching job in 2012 and brings in a team with a 7-2 season record.  The Hawks are also unbeaten in district play.

It was overcast on game night, with the temperature around 62 degrees.  Not much wind, no rain in the forecast.  A great night for football.

Taylor entered this game on a three game winning streak.  Canyon Lake had won their last five in a row.  This game will decide the 4A District 14 champion.  Ducks and Hawks. . .  It should be a good one.

Before the game, I stopped off to get some barbecue. . .

The Barbecue

If I am going to be in Taylor to see football, there is only one place to eat barbecue: Louie Mueller’s, the Godfather of Texas barbecue.  According to the Google, they are open until 6 PM every night.  I called ahead Friday afternoon to see if they would still have a full compliment of brisket and ribs.  I was told they could not guarantee anything for late in the day, but I could place an order early and it would be ready when I arrived before game time.  Sounded good, so I went ahead and ordered a half pound of moist brisket and a couple of pork ribs. 

Before leaving Austin to make the drive to Taylor, I got a call from Louie Mueller’s.  Someone had forgotten to cut my two pork ribs and now they were out.  They apologized for the mistake and said they would comp anything I might want as a replacement, so I just doubled up on the brisket.

When I arrived after 5 PM, three ladies were working the counter.  I introduced myself and was given a sack with my order.  I also got some tea and a bag of Fritos.  As I paid, they again apologized for the mistake and reminded me once more that my extra brisket was being comped.

The brisket was picture perfect: big thick slices, great outer bark, super tender, deep smoky flavor.  The sauce I was given was thin and watery, but it was totally unnecessary.  I could not finish all the brisket, so I took the rest home where it tasted great a day later.

After I ate, I walked back to the counter to talk with the ladies.  We said a few words, but they acted like they couldn’t care less about me.  It was near closing time, they were starting to clean things up, and they were probably tired.  I was taken aback by their attitude.  I have met so many wonderful people at different barbecue joints across Texas who are friendly and outgoing.  People who take pride in what they are cooking and want to share their love and excitement about barbecue with their patrons.  And then there were these ladies. . .

Without eating any of their ribs, I can only rate Louie Mueller’s a single Hook ‘Em.  Maybe that’s a reason to go back some time, also to see if the crew that works the lunch time rush is any friendlier.

The Game

Early in the game, neither team could sustain a drive, so they exchanged punts.  Late in the first quarter, Canyon Lake began a drive from their own 13 yard line.  Quarterback Benjamin Fulton’s pass to Tristan Chicon was short of the yardage needed, forcing another punt.  A Taylor penalty gave the Hawks a first down and new life.  Chicon picked up a huge gain on a Frog Draw. Connor Rose fumbled at the end of his run, but recovered the ball himself.  JT Greene scored from two yards out to give the Hawks an early 7-0 lead with 9:51 in the second quarter.

                      Tristan Chicon (#20) takes off on a Frog Draw for the Hawks

Deep into the second quarter, Canyon Lake started from their own 16 yard line.  Greene made a good catch to make a first down.  After a chop block penalty, the Hawks faced first and 25.  Greene ripped off 31 yards on another Frog Draw to get the first down.  But Jacob Ruff fumbled and Taylor recovered to end the threat.  The Hawks led at halftime 7-0.

Canyon Lake started the third quarter on their 13 yard line.  Tristan Chicon had another long run.  A face mask penalty gave the Hawks first and goal from the five.  Micah St. John scored from two yards out to extend the Hawks lead to 14-0.

                      Another long run by Chicon sets up a touchdown

Late in the third quarter, Taylor quarterback Ryan Gardner scrambled, then found Travis Gardner over the middle for a big gain.  On the next play, Ryan Gardner scrambled again, but this time scored on a 21 yard run.  The extra point trimmed the lead to 14-7.

                Ryan Gardner scrambles for 21 yards and a touchdown for the Ducks

The teams exchanged punts as the game moved into the fourth quarter.  Taylor took possession on the 21 yard line.  On third and four, Ryan Gardner scrambled and found Travis Gardner on the sideline.  He cut back to the middle of the field and was tackled on the 27.  Delane Hornsby ran for a 27 yard touchdown for the Ducks.  The extra point tied the game at 14.

              Travis Gardner makes the catch and sets up the tying touchdown

Benjamin Fulton connected with JT Greene for another big pass play for the Hawks.  Fulton carried the ball himself for the go ahead touchdown.  The extra point made it 21-14 with less than six minutes to play.

Taylor needed to respond, but the Canyon Lake defense forced the Ducks to go three and out.  A good punt return gave the Hawks the ball on the Ducks 47.  Canyon Lake turned to their power running game to move the ball and wind the clock.  Another one yard plunge by Micah St. John put the Hawks ahead 28-14 with only 1:47 in the game.

            Tristan Chicon gashed the Ducks defense for 170 yards on the night

Needing points fast, Fulton flung the ball deep where it was caught by Hornsby for a huge gain.  But on fourth down, Fulton’s short pass to Hornsby failed to pick up a first down.  Canyon Lake killed the clock and claimed the district title with the 28-14 win.

Ryan Gardner only completed three of the six passes he threw for the Hawks.  Their dominating run game gained 394 yards on the night and led to Canyon Lake having over 35 minutes in time of possession.  The Hawks will face Gatesville in the first round of the play-offs.

Despite the loss, Taylor also made the play-offs.  The will play China Spring in the first round.  This was the last game to be played at Taylor Memorial Field.  The stadium is 100 years old and a new stadium is being built for the Ducks.  After the game, Taylor seniors walked across the field one last time, followed by a special “Turn Out the Lights” ceremony.