2018 - Lake Travis vs Converse Judson

Saturday in San Antonio. . .  Start with with some great barbecue from The Granary 'Cue and Brew.  Then finish the day with a fourth round playoff game between the Lake Travis Cavaliers and the Converse Judson Rockets.  Here's my video of this adventure:

I went to San Antonio to see a fourth round playoff game between Lake Travis and Converse Judson.  They have developed quite a rivalry, this being their fourth meeting in three years.  Converse won both regular season meetings, but was eliminated by Lake Travis in the second round of the 2017 playoffs.

Hank Carter is the head coach of Lake Travis.  The Cavs entered the game with a 12-1 record on the season, their only loss coming at the hands of Westlake back in October.  Sean McAuliffe is the head coach of Converse Judson.  The Rockets claimed their district title hand have a perfect 12-0 record.

While it was cold, wet, and windy outside, the game was played indoors at the Alamadome.  Weather would not be a factor.

These two teams are both power houses of Texas high school football.  Each has claimed six state championships.  Hank Carter has won three at Lake Travis, the last being in 2016.  The Cavs only loss that season was in week 1, to Converse Judson.  Sean McAuliffe is still looking for his first title.

Before I recap the game, let me show you the barbecue I had.

The Barbecue

Since I would be in San Antonio for football, I needed to find myself a place to get some good barbecue.  I pulled out my copy of the June 2017 edition of Texas Monthly and scanned their Top 50 list.  I had been to 2M Smokehouse before, but not The Granary ‘Cue and Brew, so I figured I would give them a try.  Being close to the Alamodome was a bonus.

Located at 602 Avenue A, The Granary resides in a remodeled nineteenth-century house, just across the street from the brewery building in the historic Pearl development.  The walls are lined with dark wood paneling.  At night, The Granary is a regular full service restaurant.  At lunch, they serve market style barbecue.  They also brew their own beer.  The nice young lady at the bar took my order: moist brisket and a couple of pork ribs.  I got myself some iced tea and found a cozy place to eat.

 

The barbecue was excellent.  Smoked over oak, I got thick slices of brisket that were very moist and tender, easily cut with a fork.  It had a nice outer bark and a deep smoky flavor.  The ribs were big and meaty with a smoky sweet taste.  Really good.  There was a big bottle of sauce on every table.  It too was a little sweet and paired well with the meats.  The homemade pickles were also a treat.

I had a chance to talk with the cutters before I ate.  They recommended I stop by on a Friday when they serve Rueben sandwiches: smoked pastrami, homemade rye bread and sauerkraut.  I was staring at my brisket and ribs, but thinking just how good some of those sandwiches might be.

The Pearl development is full of shops, repurposed buildings, and restaurants.  Definitely a place I will want to explore with my wife on a future trip to San Antonio.  The delicious barbecue and friendly people at The Granary is yet another reason to go back.  Their spot on the Texas Monthly Top 50 list is well deserved.  Besides, I need to sample some of their sandwiches and try some of that beer they brew.

I rate this barbecue two Hook ‘Ems!

The Game

Midway through the first quarter, Converse was forced to punt.  But Rashad Wisdom took the snap and ran for a first down.  A face mask penalty put the ball on the Lake Travis 19.  Sincere McCormick ran to the 1, then scored on a toss to make it 7-0.  

Later in the first, Lake Travis tied the game on a 15 yard burst up the middle by Bryan Wilkins.  In the second quarter, Hudson Card connected with Garrett Wilson to give the Cavs a 14-7 lead.  

Mike Chandler threw over the middle to Anthony Shelton.  Shelton’s great cut back freed him for a 48 yard touchdown that knotted the score at 14 all.

Converse took possession of the ball with under two minutes to play in the second quarter.  On fourth and 3, McCormick carried to the Lake Travis 1 yard line.  Only two seconds before half time, the Rockets chose not to kick a field goal that could have given them the lead.  Chandler and De’anthony Lewis fumbled the handoff and the Cavs recovered.  The teams went to half time tied at 14.

Lake Travis got the third quarter kickoff and drove 73 yards, scoring on a pass from Card to Wilson that put the Cavaliers up 21-14. 

Mike Chandler’s pass was intercepted by Copeland Gothard at midfield.  Hudson Card was hit by Demarvin Leal as he tried to pass.  Corey Parks scooped up the ball and was off to the races, but the play was ruled an incomplete pass.  The Cavs connected on a 37 yard field goal to extend their lead to 24-14.

The teams exchanged possessions as the game moved into the fourth quarter.  After a pass interference penalty on the Cavs, Chandler lofted the ball deep to Shelton for a touchdown.  The extra point cut the lead to 24-21 with 8:53 left to play.

Facing third and 9 from their own 36 yard line, Card threw to Kyle Eaves.  The defensive back went for an interception and missed.  With no one behind him, Eaves outraced the defense for a 64 yard touchdown.

On the ensuing kickoff, Aniyah Spencer fumbled and the Cavs recovered.  Card threw deep to Wilson for another touchdown.  The extra point made it 38-21 with 6:49 left in the game.

The Rockets could not move against the Cavaliers defense.  Strong runs by Card moved the chains for Lake Travis and ate up what time remained.  With the 38-21 win, Lake Travis had eliminated Converse from the playoffs for the second year in a row. 

2018 - Midlothian Heritage vs Carthage

Friday fun in Frisco. . .  A great third round playoff game between the Midlothian Heritage Jaguars and the Carthage Bulldogs.  Plus a look at the barbecue served at Hard Eight Pit BBQ in The Colony.  Here's my video from this adventure:

Once again I was at the Ford Center in Frisco, part of the Cowboy Star facility, the new world headquarters for the Dallas Cowboys.  I was there to see a third round playoff game between Midlothian Heritage and Carthage.

Lee Wiginton has been the coach of Heritage since 2010.  They entered this game with an 11-1 record.  The jaguars were on a seven game win streak, their last loss coming to LaVega in October.

Scott Surratt leads a Bulldog team with a perfect 12-0 record in 2018.  their last loss was also in October. . .  October, 2016.  Carthage has won thirty-eight games in a row, including the last two state championships.

More about the game in a moment.  First let me show you the barbecue I ate on the way to the game.

The Barbecue

My brother and I were tooling down the Sam Rayburn toll road on our way to Frisco for the ball game.  We couldn’t decide where to eat barbecue when we passed by Hard Eight Pit BBQ in The Colony.  We took the next exit, circled back through the neighborhood and landed at 5300 State Highway 121, at the corner of Plano Parkway.  A nice man greeted all the patrons as they walked in.  He said this particular establishment would seat 900 people and that Hard Eight would soon be opening their fifth restaurant in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex.  Hhmmmm. . .

Hard Eight was permeated by the sweet aroma of barbecue cooking.  While we were in line, we saw their pit masters loading up hot coals into one of the pits where they cooked rib eye steaks.  I got my standard order of moist brisket and some pork ribs.  I spotted some bacon wrapped shrimp that looked good, so I got a couple of them as well.  Pickles and onions, samples of both their sauces, and some iced tea and I was all set to eat. 

The brisket had a nice smoky flavor, but. . .  While it looked really juicy when it was being cut, it was kinda dry and crumbly and required more chewing than it should.  Not sure what happened between the cutting board and the table.  The ribs were tasty: tender and moist, but didn’t have a whole lot of meat on them.  They made up for that by giving me more ribs than what I normally order.  The grilled bacon wrapped shrimp was very tasty.

I hate to say it, but my brother and I were disappointed in the barbecue at Hard Eight.  It’s obvious they do a lot of business, so somebody likes what they serve, but there is much better barbecue in the Metroplex.  I think they have concentrated more on quantity than on quality.  I suspect it’s going to be a while before I stop at one of their other four restaurants.

I rate this barbecue a shaky Hook ‘Em!

The Game

If you only saw the final score of this game, you might think neither team played defense.  But they did. . .

A fumble by Carthage quarterback Gunner Capps gave Heritage the ball at midfield.  Langston Anderson picked up big yardage on a pass from Landon Ledbetter.  Ledbetter threw back to Dre Washington who then threw a jump pass to Haydon Wiginton for the first score of the game.  The extra point made it 7-0.  The Jaguars extended their lead to 14-0 on a 25 yard run up the middle by Washington.

The Bulldogs answered with a 46 yard touchdown pass from Capps to Kel Williams.  The extra point was no good leaving the score 14-6.  The Jaguars roared right back.  Anderson took a direct snap and scored from 3 yards out to make it 21-6. 

Kelvontay Dixon made an outstanding one handed catch to put the Bulldogs in the Jaguar red zone.  But Carthage turned the ball over on downs when Capps dropped a sure touchdown pass on a double reverse.

The Jaguars were on the move when Washington fumbled near midfield.  Capps threw deep to Dixon on the sideline for a big gain.  Capps connected with Roshabrus Garrett for a six yard touchdown.  The Bulldogs went for two and converted on a carry by Dixon to make it 21-14.  Later in the second quarter, the Bulldogs scored on a 50 yard pick six by De’Aundry Bowman.  The extra point knotted the score at 21-21.  

Late in the second quarter, Ledbetter connected with Jay Wilkerson for a 10 yard touchdown.  The Jaguars went to half time leading 28-21.

In the third quarter, Washington caught a shuffle pass from Ledbetter, then fumbled when he was hit.  Capps found Kaden Holcomb over the middle for a big gain.  But the Bulldogs turned the ball over on downs again when Capps backwards pass fell incomplete.

Langston Anderson made a great catch for a big gain.  Dre Washington did the rest as he scored from 37 yards out.  The Jaguars were ahead by 14 at 35-21. 

Gunner Capps threw over the middle to Baylor Colle who side stepped a defender for a 35 yard touchdown.  The extra point made it 35-28.

Here come the Jaguars.  Landon Ledbetter connected with Anderson for first and goal from the three.  Brody Greeson was stripped and the Bulldogs took possession.  Capps threw deep to a wide open Elijah Collier for a 34 yard touchdown.  The extra point tied the game again at 35-35.

Deep in the fourth quarter, Heritage started from their own 36 yard line.  Ledbetter scrambled, then threw to Jay Wilkerson for a critical first down.  Ledbetter found Carter Wilkerson alone in the end zone for a touchdown.  With the extra point, the Jaguars led 42-35 with only 4:10 left to play.

Carthage started from their own 25 yard line and moved to the Heritage 33.  Facing fourth and 3 with only one time out left, Capps threw to Kelvontay Dixon.  He slipped one tackle, avoided another, and carried the ball to the Jaguars 1.  Capps scrambled to avoid the rush and his desperation pass was intercepted.  But Heritage was penalized for a horse collar tackle and the Bulldogs retained possession with just eight seconds left.  

After two incomplete passes and only 1 second remaining, Capps threw to Kaden Holcomb.  The catch was ruled a touchdown.  The extra point sent the game to overtime.

The Jaguars took the first shot in OT.  Ledbetter found Haydon Wiginton in the end zone for six.  The extra point put Heritage ahead 49-42.

Now it’s the Bulldogs turn.  Capps scrambled to avoid the rush, this time his desperation pass was caught by Mason Courtney for a huge first down.  Courtney ran it in for a three yard touchdown to make it 49-48.  

Carthage decided to go for two and the win.  Kelvontay Dixon carried on a rocket pitch and dove into the end zone.  Carthage had their first lead of the night and won the game 50-49.

2018 - Tomball Memorial vs Vandegrift

Barbecue at LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue and first round playoff action between the Tomball Memorial Wildcats and the Vandegrift Vipers.  Here's the video I made of this adventure:

The first round of the playoffs is underway. . .  I went to Ed W. Monroe Stadium to see the Tomball Memorial Wildcats in action against the Vandegrift Vipers.  Sam Parker is the second year head coach of the Wildcats.  They finished second in their district with an 8-2 overall record.  Drew Sanders has been the head coach at Vandegrift since 2009.  the ended the regular season with a perfect 10-0 record and claimed the title for their district.

The weather was perfect for this game.  The temperature was in the mid 60s at kickoff and there was no threat of rain.

The format for the playoffs is very simple: win or go home.  If your team wins five games, they have a berth waiting for them at the state championships at Jerry's World.  The hunt for that championship berth started for these two teams with this game.

Before I go any further about football, let me show you the barbecue I had earlier in the day. . .

The Barbecue

For barbecue this week, I thought I would try something just a little bit different. . .  LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue.

Evan LeRoy worked for several years as the pit master at one of my favorite barbecue joints in Austin, Freedmen’s Bar (and barbecue).  He left there and partnered up with Sawyer Lewis to open their own barbecue food truck at 121 Pickle Road, just off south Congress.  Their slogan is “New school barbecue, old school service”.  They have won several awards for their barbecue and I figured it was time to give them a try.

Their food truck is parked in a really neat trailer park with other food trucks, lots of tables, shady trees, and music playing.  Their menu changes frequently.  I didn’t see my regular barbecue favorites (brisket and pork ribs) listed, so I needed some help making up my mind.  A nice young man named Travis was taking and preparing orders and was kind enough to help me figure out what to get.

I ordered a quarter pound of the smoked beef cheeks and a half pound of the barbacoa.  Travis also loaded me up with their homemade pickles.  Those were good too.  They do not serve drinks; you have to go to the Cosmic house to get those.  No worries. . .  The beef cheeks were very tender and had a deep smoky flavor.  Different from moist brisket, but still excellent.  The barbacoa was served with chopped onions, cilantro, queso fresco,  and a jalapeno salsa.  Very tasty.  The sauce they serve is also a bit out of the ordinary: ketchup, mustard, and five kinds of peppers.  An excellent compliment to the barbecue.

Smoked beef cheeks

Barbacoa

If you are looking for smoked brisket at LeRoy and Lewis, you need to wait for the weekend.  I have been told it’s worth the wait.  If you are looking for ribs and sausage, it’s best you look somewhere else.  But if you are willing to go outside your barbecue comfort zone, LeRoy and Lewis serves up some delicious smoked goodies.

I rate this barbecue two Hook ‘Ems!

The Game

Vandegrift made it look easy as the game started.  They forced Memorial to go three and out, then made a huge gain on first down on a pass from Dru Dawson to Ryan Merrifield.  Dawson finished the 41 yard drive himself to give the Vipers an early 7-0 lead.

The Wildcats had two good drives in the first quarter, but came up scoreless.  Chandler Galban threw to Jorden Gidrey for a big first down, but the Wildcats turned the ball over on downs.  On their next possession, Galban connected with Gidrey for another big gain.  The first quarter ended as Galban’s pass was intercepted by DJ Streat.

In the middle of the second quarter, Isaiah Smallwood popped through a hole and burst 50 yards to give the Vipers a 14-0 lead. 

Down two scores, the Wildcats answered back.  An option pitch from Galban to Gidrey moved the ball into the Vipers’ red zone.  Galban scored on a 19 yard quarterback keeper to make it 14-7.

After an exchange of punts, Vandegrift took possession on their 19 yard line.  Smallwood carried up the middle for big yardage, then Dawson threw deep to Merrifield.  That set up a ten yard touchdown pass to Trey Mongauzy.  The Vipers took a 21-7 lead into halftime.

Vandegrift received the third quarter kickoff and wasted no time.  Dawson connected with Mongauzy for a 44 yard touchdown as the Vipers extended the lead to 28-7.

Memorial stormed back with a 75 yard touchdown drive, capped off by a 19 yard pass from Galban to Jordan Grice to cut the score to 28-14.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Wildcats were forced to punt.  Drew Nelson muffed the punt, but the Vipers recovered on their 17 yard line.  Had Memorial recovered and scored, they would have been right back in the game.  But instead, Dawson threw deep to Brendan Bennett who was wide open behind the defense.  The 70 yard touchdown sealed the deal for the Vipers at 35-14.

2018 - Bowie vs Westlake

I got to eat some really good barbecue from Whitfiled's and later saw the game between the Bowie Bulldogs and the Westlake Chaparrals.  Here's my video from this adventure.

Last night of the 2018 regular season. . .  I went to Chaparral Stadium on the campus of Westlake High School to see the Chaps play the Bowie Bulldogs.  Jeff Abels has been the head coach of Bowie for seventeen seasons.  They entered this game with a 7-2 record.  Their only losses were to Lake Travis and Hays.  Win or lose in this game, they were guaranteed a spot in the playoffs.

Westlake is coached by Todd Dodge.  They entered this game with an 8-1 record and were ranked #10 in the state.  Their only loss came in week 2 at the hands of Cypress Ranch, currently ranked #9 in the state.  Win or lose this game, the Chaps would still claim the district title and a spot in the playoffs.

It was about 52 degrees at kickoff.  A strong wind out of the north kind of cut through you.  But before I say more about the football game, let me tell you about the barbecue I had earlier. . .

The Barbecue

Kasey Studdard is a big bear of a man.  There was a time when you really didn’t want to line up in front of him.  Like when he played in the offensive line for the Longhorns (he blocked for that quarterback guy, Vince somebody or other) or later when he played in the NFL for the Houston Texans.  But now Kasey is serving up barbecue and lots of smiles, so lining up in front of him is way more fun than it used to be.

Kasey, chef Josh Watkins, and Scott Fogel are the team behind Whitfield’s, a new barbecue joint located at the corner of Brodie and Davis Lanes in south Austin.  When I ate at Snow’s BBQ back in July (TP episode 307), their pit master Clay gave me a glowing recommendation for Whitfield’s.  Now I was going to get to try it for myself.

I ordered my usual moist brisket and pork ribs.  My wife ordered some brisket, pulled pork, and their beef fat fried potatoes.  Everything came with homemade pickles and pickled onions.  Even with the sun shining, the temperature was in the low fifties and the breeze cut right through you.  If the shade cover could be turned ninety degrees, it could block the wind instead of being a tunnel.  So my wife and I headed back home to eat.  Everything smelled so good it made the drive up Mo-Pac seem even longer.

The barbecue was excellent.  The brisket had a delicious, peppery bark.  The meat was tender and moist, with a deep smoky flavor.  The ribs were juicy and tasty, but I had to work just a bit to get the meat off the bone.  I am not much for pulled pork, but I stole a bite from my wife and it too was very good.  The sauce we took home had a nice spicy kick to it that paired well with the meats.  The taters were also very tasty.

Since we ate at home, I didn’t get a chance to circle back and tell the guys at Whitfield’s how much I enjoyed their cooking.  Of course, they will probably figure that out when they see me back in line in the near future, ordering a bunch of their outstanding barbecue.

I rate this barbecue two Hook ‘Ems!

The Game

The Westlake defense started the scoring when Bowie quarterback Evan Mallett fumbled and linebacker William Robertson scooped up the ball for a touchdown.  The extra point made it 7-0.  

After a Bowie punt, Chap quarterback Taylor Anderson threw deep to a wide open Penny Baker.  The point after pushed the Westlake lead to 14-0.

Bowie started a drive from their 26 yard line.  Elijah Higgins picked up good yardage on a run up the middle.  Higgins threw to Kyle Carter for a big gain to midfield.  Terance Durst took a handoff and ran down the left sideline for another big chunk of yardage.  But the Bulldogs drive stalled and their 42 yard field goal attempt was no good.

Westlake answered quickly.  Anderson threw deep to Mason Mangum for a 47 yard gain.  Anderson capped off the drive with a 12 yard touchdown run.  The Chaps went to half time ahead 21-0.

In the fourth quarter, the Anderson to Mangum connection worked again for a 32 yard touchdown.  Westlake inserted their second and third teamers into the game.  They scored a late touchdown to make the final score 35-0.

2018 - Pflugerville vs Cedar Park

I enjoyed some really good barbecue at Alzer's Barbeque, then saw the district game between the Pflugerville Panthers and the Cedar Park Timberwolves.  Here's my video from this adventure:

I drove up to Cedar Park to see the Timberwolves in action against their district rival, the Pflugerville Panthers.  Pflugerville is coached by Charles Taylor, formerly the head man at McCallum.  The Panthers entered this game with a 4-5 record.  Carl Abseck has been the head coach at Cedar Park since 2015.  His team has a 5-3 record on the season.

It was a beautiful night for football.  The temperature was around 71 degrees at game time, no clouds in the sky, no mention of rain in the forecast.  I was hoping for a chance to go home dry two weeks in a row.  I was feeling giddy at the thought.

If the playoffs started now, Pflugerville would be out.  This was their last game of the regular season.  They needed a win over the T'wolves and help from somebody else to get in.  Cedar Park would be in the playoffs, but they wanted a victory to keep the momentum going.

But before I get into the game, let me talk about the barbecue I had. . .

The Barbecue

When I decided I was going to Cedar Park for football, I knew I would be heading to Alzer’s Barbeque.  I had the pleasure of eating there last year after they had been in business for just a few months (Texas Passions episode 216).  With this being a beautiful Friday evening, eating outdoors would be a joy and not a problem.

Alzer’s red food truck is still parked behind a Shell gas station at 1405 Whitestone Boulevard (FM 1431).  I parked, smelled the sweet aroma of meat smoking, and started taking a couple of pictures.  Naser spotted me, walked over, and shook my hand.  Big smile, friendly as ever.  He told his counter crew to take good care of me and they did.

Naser Alzer

I ordered a half pound of moist brisket and a couple of ribs (beef, not pork).  They loaded me up with some pickles and onions and some tea.  A nice young man brought my order over to one of the picnic tables in the shade.  I had to remind him I needed to pay for my meal, so we headed back to the register.

As it was in 2017, the barbecue at Alzer’s was fantastic.  The brisket had a nice outer bark and was full of smoky flavor.  Each bite was buttery, just melting in my mouth.  So good. . .  When people think of beef ribs, it’s often “plate short ribs”.  There’s nothing short about them, they’re the big giant brontosaurus ribs that Fred Flintstone liked.  Naser instead serves “beef back ribs” which are smaller (more like pork ribs), but also don’t sell for over $20 a pound.  These too were tender, smoky, and full of flavor.  I tried some of their sauce – a thick, red tomato based sauce that was a great compliment to the meat.   I could not finish eating my order, so I asked for some aluminum foil and a bag.  Instead Naser’s lovely wife Veronica bundled everything up for me.  Killing me with kindness.

Alzer’s Barbeque has been in business for about a year and a half now.  Super friendly people taking great pride in serving delicious barbecue.  That’s a recipe for success every time.

I rate this barbecue two Hook ‘Ems!

The Game

It was a beautiful Friday night at Gupton Stadium, especially for Timberwolves fans.  On Pflugerville’s second possession, Noah Guerrero’s pass was intercepted by Tammer Alzer.  Alzer?  That name is familiar. . .  

Quarterback Ryder Hernandez avoided the rush and threw downfield to a waiting Brandon Breed.  Breed got a step on the Panther defender and Hernandez found him for a 26 yard touchdown.  The extra point made it 7-0.

After a strong run by Elijah Oakman, the Panthers turned the ball over on downs.  Hernandez found Breed open in the end zone for a 28 yard touchdown to extend the T’wolves lead to 14-0 with 16 seconds left in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, another pass from Guerrero was intercepted, this time by Cole Hollen.  Hernandez threw to Carson Neel for a 34 yard touchdown.  The point after was no good, leaving the score 20-0.

The teams exchanged possessions in the second quarter.  After a Pflugerville punt, Cedar Park began a long drive from their 29.  They finished the drive with a three yard pass to tight end Brock Johnson.  Hernandez’s fourth touchdown pass of the first half made it 27-0.

There was more of the same in the second half.  Cedar Park scored twice in the third quarter on runs by Johnathan Stockwell and Majeston Haverda.  The Panthers scored late in the fourth quarter to make the final score 41-7.