2019 - Georgetown vs Stephenville

First some good barbeque from Jimmy Vega's Smokehouse, then a good football game between Georgetown and Stephenville. Here's my video of this adventure:

I went to Georgetown to see the Eagles in action against the Stephenville Yellow Jackets.  Sterling Doty is in his first year as the head coach of Stephenville.  They entered the game with a 2-2 record on the season.  They made the playoffs in 2018 and lost in the first round.  Chuck Griffin is also in his first year as head coach of Georgetown.  The Eagles have a 3-0 record on the season.  They got as far as the third round in last year's playoffs.  

It was a beautiful night in central Texas.  Temperatures were in the low 80s and there was a gentle breeze out of the south.

Both these teams wanted to build momentum for the playoffs as we move into the second month of the season.  Eagles and Yellow Jackets. . .  it should be a good one.  But before we look at the game, let me tell you about the barbecue I had.

The Barbecue

I needed to find a new barbecue joint in Georgetown.  I used the Google and JimmyVega’s Smokehouse popped up.  The pictures looked good and the reviews read well, so I figured I’d give them a try.  Real glad I did, too.

Jimmy Vega’s is located in a low brick building at 40120 Industrial Park Circle.  I got there a little after 5:00 PM and found a parking spot up front.  As I walked in, I was greeted with a big smile and a “Hi there” from Angela.  She made sure I saw their menu, but I already knew what I wanted.  Her husband James prepared my order while I got myself some pickles and onions.  They had four different sauces to choose from.  I skipped over the spicy sauce, but got samples of the other three.  James handed me a big plate of barbecue, I took a seat and dug in.

The barbecue was really good.  The brisket had a nice outer bark, moist and tender.  Good smoky flavor.  The baby back ribs packed a lot of meat.  I had to bite the meat off the bone, but it had a sweet sweet taste.  Yummy.  Now about those sauces. . .  The first was their standard tomato based sauce, thick and savory.  Good.  The second was their rum sauce.  It was extra sweet with an after taste of rum.  Mmmmm.  The third sauce I tried was their white sauce.  It was mayo based and had a little touch of spice to it.  Very nice. 

I think the building itself might be fourth dimensional.  It looks way bigger on the inside than it does from outside.  They have a small, shaded dining area to the side of the building with a small stage for bands.  But the main thing Jimmy Vega’s has going is super people.  Angela and James Ramsey made me feel right at home.  Eating up really good barbecue in a warm, friendly place – oh yeah.  Jimmy Vega’s Smokehouse. . .  I’ll be back.

I rate this barbecue two Hook ‘Ems!

The Game

Note: on my video, I refer to #16 for Georgetown as Clint Knudsen.  I received a note saying that due to a jersey change, #16 is actually Darson Herman.  This has been corrected in the text below.

It was another gorgeous night for football in central Texas. . .  Georgetown was all set to receive the opening kickoff, but Stephenville had other ideas.  Their successful onsides kick gave them the ball on the Eagles 39.  The Yellow Jackets needed only one play to score on a pass from Gavin Roundtree to Trace Morrison.  Only 13 seconds into the game, Stephenville led 7-0.

Georgetown took the ensuing kickoff and began a methodical march downfield.  Jordan Oldoerp connected with Jacob Trussel for a big first down.  Ryan Eady burst up the middle and scored from 37 yards out.  The extra point tied the game at 7 all.

With the game still tied late in the second quarter, Stephenville moved into Georgetown territory on a run by Kason Phillips.  Facing third and two, Austin Renfro’s pass was intercepted by Devin Ross and returned 59 yards for the pick six.  The point after was missed, leaving the Eagles ahead 13-7.

After a good kickoff return, the Yellow Jackets drove downfield.  Renfro used his legs for a couple of big first downs.  With just 20 seconds left in the half, Renfro scrambled, then threw to Phillips for a 14 yard touchdown.  Stephenville went to the locker rooms with a 14-13 lead.

An illegal block on the third quarter kickoff gave the Yellow Jackets the ball on their 8 yard line.  Renfro threw to Roundtree for a big gain.  Morrison took a pass from Renfro and moved the ball into the Eagles red zone.  Renfro scored on a 17 yard run to cap off the 92 yard drive making the score 21-13.

Late in the third quarter, Stephenville was forced to punt.  Taylor Behl and Ayden Valencia blocked the punt and the Eagles got the ball on the Yellow Jackets one.  

On second and goal, quarterback Darson Herman and running back Logan Boultinghouse bobbled the exchange and  Stephenville recovered the fumble.  

Just a few plays later, Renfro found an open receiver for a 33 yard touchdown.  That completed a 95 yard drive and Stephenville lead to 28-13.

Down two scores in the fourth quarter, Herman threw over the middle to Kory Coleman.  Coleman outran the defense for a 68 yard touchdown.  Going for two, Herman threw to Kade Locklin in the back of the end zone to trim the Yellow Jacket lead to 28-21.

With just 7:40 left to play in the game, the Eagles defense needed to make a stop.  On third and 14, Renfro found Phillips for a critical first down.  The Yellow Jackets drove deep into Eagles territory to eat the clock.  Their 37 yard field goal attempt was no good.

Georgetown took possession with just 1:29 to play.  On fourth and 7, Herman scrambled for a first down to keep the Eagles hopes alive.  But on third and 10, Coleman caught a pass, was tackled in bounds, and the clock ran out. 

Two long drives of 92 and 95 yards in the second half proved the difference for Stephenville as the Yellow Jackets claimed the win 28-21.

2019 - Giddings vs Taylor

Had a great time in Giddings.  Started with some good barbecue at City Meat Market, then I went to Buffalo Stadium to see the game between the Giddings Buffaloes and the Taylor Ducks.  Here's my video of this adventure:

I spent Friday the 13th in Giddings, about an hour's drive east of Austin.  I was there to see the non district game between the Giddings Buffaloes and the Taylor Ducks.  Robert Little is in his first year as head coach of Taylor.  The Ducks made the playoffs in 2018 and were eliminated in the first round.  They are looking for their first win of 2019.  Adrian Lara is the head man at Giddings.  The made it as far as the third round of the playoffs in 2018 and ended the season with an impressive 11-2 record.  Like Taylor, Giddings is looking for their first win.

The weatherman really dialed up a beautiful evening.  The temperature at game time was around 90 degrees and there was a slight breeze out of the south.  A couple of clouds overhead looked a little dark, but nothing to tell home about.

Both these teams were looking to get off the schnide for their first win of the 2019 season.  Buffaloes and Ducks. . .  it should be a good one.

Before I recap the game, let me tell you about the barbecue I ate earlier in the day. . .

The Barbecue

When my wife and I were eating barbecue at Killen’s Barbecue in Pearland this past summer (Texas Passions episode 402), another patron mentioned that he liked the barbecue served at City Meat Market in Giddings.  That’s all I needed to hear to want to give them a taste.  We stopped by on our drive back to Austin, but they were already sold out of barbecue for the day.  No worries, I’ll just try again some day. . .

That some day is now. . .  City Meat Market is located at 101 W. Austin Street in downtown Giddings.  Opened in 1941, it stands in a large yellow brick building at the intersection of Austin and North Main.  I got there around 12:30 PM and found a parking space next to the building.  The front half of the place is a meat market, the back half is where they serve barbecue.  A big friendly guy named Kendrick led me to the back room where he went to work carving me some moist brisket and a couple of pork ribs.  He set me up with a side of beans and some pickles and onions.  I got some iced tea and then I went to work.

The barbecue was real good.  The brisket had a tasty outer bark and a deep smoky flavor, but was bit chewy.  The ribs had a sweet smokiness to them, but were a little overcooked and were also chewy.  My order came with a sample of a tomato based sauce.  Dip a bite of meat in it and it went down so good.  I think Kendrick might have tripped while holding the black pepper over his beans.  Very spicy, but also good stuff.

City Meat Market is a no frills kinda place with maybe a half dozen tables in their small dining area.  The barbecue is good and Kendrick and Leroy took good care of me while I was there.  The next time I drive through Giddings, I’ll be sure to stop in and get more of their que.  Assuming they haven’t already sold out for the day. . .

I rate this barbecue one Hook ‘Em!

The Game

Buffalo Stadium in Giddings.  What a beautiful evening with an absolutely gorgeous sunset.  On their first possession, the Buffaloes faced third and nine.  Quarterback Alex Delatorre was sacked, but the Ducks were called for a face mask penalty on the tackle.  Given new life, Giddings drove into Taylor territory.  Delatorre carried the ball to the Taylor one.  After Taylor was called offsides, Cody Gill scored on a dive play to give Giddings an early 7-0 lead.

The Buffalo defense forced a three and out.  The Ducks punt was blocked by Jaron Denmon and the ball rolled out of bounds on the Taylor 34.  Delatorre threw to Drake Moore on the sideline for a first down at the Taylor 12.  Gill scored again from one yard out. The point after was no good, leaving the score 13-0.

The Ducks started from their own 45. Christopher Fabian ran for good yardage on a quarterback option.  His pass to Elijah Sanchez picked up a first down.  Halcyon Morris ran to the Buffalo’s 27 for another first down.  But on third and 11, Fabian’s pass was intercepted by Kolbie Clemons on the two and returned to the 9. 

As the game moved into the second quarter, Giddings methodically marched downfield.  Here’s Cody Gill on a sweep.  His burst up the middle for a 19 yard touchdown capped off a 91 yard drive making the score 20-0. 

After a short punt, Giddings stormed right back.  Gill carried to the Ducks seven.  Alex Delatorre scored on a quarterback sneak to push the score to 27-0.

The teams traded punts.  Delatorre’s coffin corner kick rolled out of bounds on the 1.  Jesse Coward’s punt was caught on the 39 by Chad Adams.  He started to his left, then cut back for a touchdown.  The Buffaloes went to halftime leading 34-0.

Jason Martinez took the third quarter kickoff for the Ducks.  He faked a reverse and returned the ball to midfield.  Christopher Fabian threw to Martinez for a first down.  But the drive ended when Fabian’s pass was intercepted by Chad Adams.  Delatorre threw over the middle to Adams who was wide open.  He raced through the defense for a 52 yard scoring strike.  

The Buffaloes added a 20 yard field goal in the fourth quarter as they stampeded the Ducks 44-0.

2019 - Dripping Springs vs Hays

Friday fun in Dripping Spings.  It started with barbecue from The Switch, then a football game between the Dripping Springs Tigers and the Hays Rebels.  Here's the video I made of this adventure:

I went to Dripping Springs to see the Tigers in action against the Hays Rebels.  Les Goad is in his second year as the head coach of Hays.  Galen Zimmerman is the head coach of Dripping Springs.  Both teams made the playoffs in 2018.  Both teams lost in the first round.

The temperature was around 96 degrees at kickoff.  Weather was not a factor in the game.

Both teams won their opening game of the season and were looking to extend that winning streak to two.  Tigers and Rebels. . .  it should be a good one.

We'll get to the game in a moment.  Let me first show you the barbecue I had earlier in the day. . .

The Barbecue

This past summer, Texas Monthly published a list of the top 25 “new” barbecue joints in the state.  Places that were too new or didn’t even exist when they published their Top 50 list in 2017.  One of the new restaurants is The Switch in Dripping Springs.  It is an offshoot of Stiles Switch in Austin.  I have enjoyed the que served at Stiles Switch many times (Texas Passions episode 310), so I knew I need to head to Dripping Springs.

The Switch is located in a large white building at 166 Hargraves Drive in the Belterra Village shopping area.  I arrived just after 5 PM and was shown to a table.  They have “counter service” at lunch, “table service” at dinner.  A wee bit fancy for a Texas barbecue joint, but I kept an open mind.  I was waited on by two nice young guys, Dagger and Jon.  Jon took my order: a two meat plate with brisket and pork ribs, sith a side of sweet corn casserole and fries.  While I waited for my food, Dagger gave me some complimentary hush puppies.  These were really good, especially when dipd into the spicy aioli.

Dagger and Jon

Just like at Stiles Switch, the food was excellent.  The brisket had a great outer bark.  It was moist and tender, with a rich smoky flavor.  The baby back ribs might have been a little short, but they were long on taste.  I chose a sweet glaze for them instead of the spicy.  The meat had to be bitten from the bone, but it was well worth the effort.  The corn casserole also went down really good.  My order came with a typical red sauce, sorta sweet and not too spicy.  There were two sauces on the table.  Lance’s Mustard tasted of mustard and pepper.  Popeye’s Molasses had a bunch of coffee in it.  I sampled each, then went back to the red sauce when I wanted to dip a bite of meat.

After I ate, I wandered around to the cooking shed where I met Troy, one of their pit masters. A real friendly guy, he was kind enough to open one of the pits and let me take a look.  He took a brisket off the rack, wrapped it in butcher paper, then returned it to the pit to finish its cook.  Back outside, I met their wood gut, Joseph from Chief Firewood.  He was unloading a huge batch of post oak wood that will end up being used to smoke somebody’s barbecue.  Oh yeah. . .

Troy the pit master

Joseph the wood guy

It’s easy to see why the food at The Switch is so good: the people there put a lotta lotta love into all they do.  When Texas Monthly publishes their next Top 50 list, I suspect The Switch will be taking a spot right next to big brother Stiles Switch.

I rate this barbecue two Hook ‘Ems!

The Game

The teams traded punts to start the game. Late in the first quarter, Hays faked a punt to pick up the first first down of the game.  Bobby Green took a handoff from quarterback Durand Hill and swept to his left.  Austin Hulon made a touchdown saving tackle for Dripping Springs.  As the game moved to the second quarter, Hill was sacked on third and goal.  Tom Skrovan’s 27 yard field goal was good giving the Rebels a 3-0 lead. 

Late in the second quarter, Grayson Winter was pressured as he passed.  His throw was picked off by Liam Dahl and taken to the house.  The pick six gave the Tigers a 7-3 halftime lead.

Dripping Springs got the kickoff to start the third period.  Quarterback Preston Alford ran up the middle for huge yardage to midfield.  Forced out of the pocket, Alford scrambled for a 42 yard touchdown as the Tigers pushed their lead to 14-3.

Bryant Lewis took a handoff on a reverse.  He turned the corner with blockers in front of him, then raced down the sideline for a 58 yard touchdown.  That made the score 14-10.

Here come the Tigers.  Curtis Cox took a handoff from Alford and burst through a huge hole in the Rebels line for a 46 yard gain.  Alford ran up the middle for a 14 yard touchdown to extend the Dripping Springs lead to 21-10.

As the game moved in the fourth quarter, Joeangel Carrasco ran for a big first down.  Hill threw deep to an open receiver in the end zone for a touchdown.  Hays try for two was stuffed, leaving the score 21-16 with 8:44 remaining in the game.

Nursing a five point lead, Dripping Springs could not move the ball and was forced to punt.  A 60 yard kick by Cameron O’Banan pinned the Rebels deep in their own territory. The Tiger defense did its job and forced Hays to punt.  But a 76 yard boomer by Will Agnew flipped the field and pinned the Tigers deep in their own territory.  Dripping Springs tried to eat the clock, but Alford was sacked on third down.  A short punt gave Hays the ball on the Tigers 45. 

Quincy Jackson took the handoff, swept to his right, and was forced out of bounds on the Dripping Springs 13.  Xavier Green bulled his way up the middle for the score as Hays reclaimed the lead at 22-21.  Their two point try failed.

With just over a minute to play, Alford was hit as he passed and Hays recovered the fumble.  They ate all but one second off the clock.  Alford’s desperation pass fell incomplete to end the game.  Twice down by eleven, Hays took the one point victory 22-21.

2019 - Westlake vs Belton

To start the 2019 season, I ate some really good barbecue at Brown's Bar-B-Que and saw the Westlake Chaparrals host the Belton Tigers.  Here is my video from this adventure:

We still have some summer left, but we've made it to the Labor Day weekend and that means it's the start of football season.  I went to Chaparral Stadium on the campus of Westlake High School to see the Chaps play host to the Belton Tigers.  Sam Skidmore is the head coach of Belton.  They made it into the play-offs last year and were eliminated in the first round.  Todd Dodge is the long time head coach of Westlake.  They made a deep run in the play-offs last year and are hoping for more this year.

The temperature at the start of the game was 95 degrees with a breeze out of the southeast.  The temperature fell a bit after the sun went down, but it didn't cool off a whole lot.

This is the start of the 2019 season.  Everybody is undefeated.  Everybody still has dreams of making it to Jerry's World to play for a state championship.  Tigers and Chaps. . .  it should be a good one.

Before I summarize the game, let me tell you about the barbecue. . .

The Barbecue

For the opening game of the new football season, I thought I’d go back to my roots and revisit a local favorite barbecue joint.  Brown’s Bar-B-Que serves up smoky goodness and sides from a bright red food truck parked in front of the Corner Bar at 1901 South Lamar.  I last visited them in December 2016 (Texas Passions episode 15), really enjoyed their que, and was hoping to do so again.

I got there just after they first opened.  A nice lady named Amaris took my order and cut my ribs and brisket.  She added some pickles and onions to my tray, gave me a bottle of sweet tea, and I was set.  I found a picnic table in the shade and went to work.

I think the barbecue was even better than I remembered and I thought it was real good to start with.  The brisket had a sweet smokiness to it, juicy, and oh so good.  Almost buttery, it just melted in my mouth.  The huge pork ribs were also great.  The meat was full of flavor and just fell off the bone.  Not much chewing effort required on these either.  My order came with samples of two kinds of sauce.  One was a typical red sauce – savory with not too much spice.  The other was a sweet mustard based sauce.  Both were good, but I wouldn’t have missed them if they weren’t there.

A lot of things have changed in the three years since I was last at Brown’s Bar-B-Que.  New buildings downtown, the building going up across the street is almost finished, I’m a lot taller than I used to be.  But a couple of things I am happy to report have not changed: Brown’s serves up some super tasty barbecue and unlike some of the more famous barbecue joints in Austin, you don’t have to wait in line for hours to get it.

I rate this barbecue two Hook ‘Ems!

The Game

The score was tied for the first five minutes of the game.  That’s only because it took Westlake that long to drive 75 yards for the opening score of the season.  Kirkland Michaux passed and ran for big yardage.  He finished the drive with a 25 yard touchdown pass to Ryan Lindley on a swing pass in the flat.  That put the Chaps up 7-0.

Belton picked up a couple of first downs when they got the ball, mainly on quarterback scrambles by Ruben Jimenez.  The Tigers decided on a quick kick on fourth and 8 from midfield. The punt bounced into the end zone for a touchback.  This time Westlake drove 80 yards for a touchdown.  Passes from Michaux and runs by Gray Nakfoor moved the ball into the Tiger’s red zone.  Michaux found Mason Mangum in the end zone for a 6 yard touchdown as the Chaps extended their lead to 14-0.

Early in the second quarter, Westlake hit a 27 yard field goal to make the score 17-0.  Facing third and seven, Jimenez rolled and threw, but his pass was intercepted by Leo Lowin.  Drew Willoughby picked up right where Michaux left off, hitting Lindley for a 6 yard touchdown.  The extra point made it 24-0. 

On Belton’s next possession, Jimenez and D’emante Smith had trouble with a handoff and Westlake recovered the fumble.  One play later, the score is 31-0 when Willoughby threw deep to Luke Nicklos.  The Chaps connected on a 21 yard field goal to take a 34-0 lead into halftime. 

It was more of the same in the second half.  Westlake scored in the third quarteron a 24 yard pass from Michaux to Jaden Greathouse.  Nakfoor got in the act, scoring on a 4 yard run in the fourth quarter.  That made the final margin 48-0.

Belton had trouble moving the ball all night.  They might pick up a couple of first downs, but could never sustain a drive.  I think their entire playbook could fit on the front and back of a 3x5 index card.  Running back up the middle or have Jimenez try to pass.  Add in a couple of turnovers and costly penalties, you’ve got a recipe for failure. . .

It was a good win for Westlake.  Three different quarterbacks played and all led the Chaps to points.  Their defense totally dominated the Tigers.  And there were no major injuries.  Final score: Westlake 48, Belton 0.  

2019 - Brenham

With my wife out of town, I made a quick trip to Brenham for some really great barbecue at LJ's BBQ.  Here's the video I made of this adventure:

On our way back home from our Houston barbecue road trip, my wife and I stopped off at LJ's BBQ in Brenham.  But they had sold out for the day and were closed when we got there.  That just gave me an excuse to go back. . .

The Barbecue

For years, Brenham has had one major claim to fame: it’s the hometown of Blue Bell Ice Cream.  Look in the freezer of any Texan and you’ll find a half gallon or so of some flavor of Blue Bell.  But I drove to Brenham for barbeque.

LJ’s BBQ is located in a small white building at 1407 West Main Street.  Their parking lot was crowded when I arrived, the air filled with the sweet smell of barbecue cooking.  I found a parking spot and walked inside.  The dining room was pretty full and there was a small line of people ahead of me, but it moved very quickly.  I was greeted warmly by Matt, a big guy with a huge smile.  He cut off a small sample of brisket as he prepared my order and gave me a taste.  Oh my goodness. . .  I paid my bill, got some tea, pickles, and onions from a side table, then settled in to eat.

As always, I ordered a half pound of moist brisket and a couple of pork ribs.  The brisket was outstanding: great outer bark, rich smoky flavor, super tender.  Each bite was buttery and just melted in my mouth.  Chewing was optional.  Oh my goodness. . .  The pork ribs were also great.  Big and juicy, the meat falling off the bone, each bite a treat.  There was a squeeze bottle of sauce on the table, savory with just a little spicy kick.  It paired well with the meats.  This was some really good barbecue.

After I ate and finished putting my tray and trash away, I got back in line.  When Matt asked me what I needed, I told him I wanted to speak to the manager.  His eyes grew wide, then I told him the barbecue was too easy to eat. I’d put a bite in my mouth and it would simply disappear.  He and the other good folks behind the counter got a good laugh.

LJ’s BBQ – tremendous barbecue served by really nice people.  The next time Texas Monthly publishes their Top 50 list, I suspect there will be a spot on it for LJ’s.  Either way, people have another great reason to visit Brenham. 

I rate this barbecue two Hook ‘Ems!