2016 Play-offs round 2 - Lake Travis vs Smithson Valley

Here is the video for this adventure:

The play-offs started with a bang last week.  Now it’s time for round two.  I went to Bobcat Stadium on the campus of Texas State University in San Marcos to see the Lake Travis Cavaliers in action against the Smithson Valley Rangers.  I saw Hank Carter’s Lake Travis team the second week of the season.  They were coming off a home loss to Converse Judson to start the season and needed double overtime to beat Cibolo Steele.  Since that night, the Cavs have ripped off nine straight wins.  They knocked off San Antonio Madison last week 56-7.  At 10-1, they are ranked #5 in Texas 6A football.  Larry Hill is in his 20^th year as head coach of Smithson Valley.  This summer he was inducted into the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor.  He leads a team with an 8-2 record that is on a seven game winning streak.  They defeated San Antonio Warren 53-7 in first round play last week.  The Rangers are ranked #18. 

A cold front had moved through Texas earlier in the day.  It was dry, but there was a strong wind out of the north and the temperatures were falling.

One play-off game is in the books.  Four more wins and your team gets to play for the state championship at Jerry’s World.  This should be a good one. . .

I got some barbecue before I got to the stadium.  While the teams finished putting on their game faces, let me show you how I got my game face on. . .

The Barbecue

Austin traffic was horrible on a Friday night, so it was well after dark when I got to San Marcos BBQ located at 2601 Hunter Road in San Marcos.  They do not have a big sign out front, so I missed them the first time I drove past.  If I had the windows of the minivan opened, maybe I could have found them from the smell of barbecue cooking.

Unfortunately for me, they were out of pork ribs when I got there.  I was able to order some moist brisket and sausage.  The brisket had a nice, dark bark and a good smoke ring cooked into the meat.  It was juicy and full of smoky flavor, but my slices were a bit stringy, the result of being cut with the grain instead of against it.  The sausage had a nice snap to it and was not greasy.  It was full of spicy flavor and not too many fillers.  They offered a sweet and a spicy sauce.  Both were flavorful and good compliments to the meat.

San Marcos BBQ is a typical Texas barbecue joint – nothing fancy, no pretense, just good food.  The guys and girls working there on a Friday evening were friendly and nice to talk with.  A nice place to gather with friends and family.  I will need to stop by when the sun is shining so I can sample their pork ribs.  I rate San Marcos BBQ as a single Hook ‘Em.

The Game

With a cold front having moved through Texas earlier in the day, it was 57 degrees at kick-off.  Smithson Valley received the opening kick-off and headed into the wind.  They went three and out and were forced to punt.  A short kick into the wind gave the ball to Lake Travis on the Rangers 35 yard line.

On the Cavs first play, quarterback Charlie Brewer found Cade Green open on a deep slant good to the Rangers 5 yard line.  Maleek Barkley carried the ball wide right for a touchdown.  The extra point was no good leaving the score 6-0.

Maleek Barkley scores first touchdown of the game

The Rangers could not sustain a drive and were forced to punt.  Passes by Brewer and runs by Barkley moved the ball into the Rangers red zone.  Smithson Valley had a chance to end the drive, but dropped a sure interception.  Brewer scrambled up the middle and was tackled on the 5, then threw to Green for the touchdown.  The extra point made it 13-0.

The Rangers returned the kick-off to their 19.  Quarterback Josh Adkins threw to Josh Dillon over the middle for big yardage past midfield, but Dillon was stripped of the ball and Lake Travis recovered.  In the second quarter, the Cavs drove downfield again.  They settled for a 22 yard field goal to extend their lead to 16-0.

Late in the second quarter, Brewer was sacked on third down and the Cavs had to punt into the wind.  Adkins passed to Trevon Moehrig-Woodard on the left sideline.  He broke a tackle, got a good downfield block from Davis Grochett and scored from 60 yards out.  The extra point made the score 16-7 with 1:20 before half time.

Trevon Mowhrig-Woodard turns a sideline pass into a 60 yard touchdown

Lake Travis took possession on their 28.  Brewer’s pass in the flat to Garrett Bressette was almost intercepted, but Bressette picked up first down yardage.  Brewer threw deep to Cade Green who drug a defender into the end zone for a 46 yard touchdown.  The Cavs went to halftime leading 23-7.

Cade Green drags a defender into the end zone

The third quarter opened with Lake Travis going three and out and punting into the wind.  From the Cavs 41 yard line, Adkins threw a wide receiver screen to Levi Williams to get the drive started.  On fourth and 2, Adkins ran up the middle and picked up 3 yards for a first down on the 19.  Two plays later, Adkins handed the ball to Woodard on sweep to the right.  He pulled up and threw a halfback pass to Williams in the end zone.  The Rangers went for 2, but Woodard was dropped for a loss.  With 7:09 to play in the third quarter, the Cavs led 23-13.

Woodard throws a halfback pass for six

The Cavs mounted a long drive, using runs by Barkley to pick up yardage and burn up clock.  Barkley scored, but Lake Travis was called for holding and the touchdown negated.  They settled for a 28 yard field goal to extend their lead to 26-13.

The Cavs were content to trade punts with Smithson Valley as the game moved into the fourth quarter.  They kept the ball on the ground to move the chains and wind the clock.  Maleek Barkley scored again to push the score to 33-13 with just 6:15 to play.

The Rangers mounted one last drive.  Adkins threw to Josh Dillon for a 46 yard gain to the Cavs 39, then threw to Edwin Martinez for first and goal on the 1.  Adkins scored from the 1, then threw a pop pass for the two point conversion to make it 33-21.

With only 2:37 left to play, the Rangers only hope was an onsides kick.  Lake Travis fell on the ball on their 48 yard line.  After being tackled for a two yard loss, Barkley burst through a hole in the middle of the line and romped 54 yards for a touchdown.  The Rangers could not pick up the bouncing kick-off and the Cavs recovered on the 6 yard line.  They ran out the clock to win 40-21.

Congratulations to Smithson Valley for their fine season.  They played hard, but fell behind early and could never make up the lost ground.  They had no answer for Maleek Barkley who gained 189 yards on 20 carries and scored three times.  Lake Travis moves into the Sweet Sixteen where they will face the Los Fresnos Falcons next week.

2016 Play-offs round 1 - Connally vs Magnolia West

Here is the video from this adventure:

Friday was Veteran’s Day.  I want to take a moment to say thanks to my Dad Art and my late father-in-law Allen Dame and the millions of men and women all across America who served our country so proudly.  We are honored by your service and cannot say Thank You enough.

My late father-in-law Allen Dame, circa 1992

My Dad Art, age 90

The second season began Friday.  The Texas high school football play-offs are a six week, single elimination tournament.  Win and advance, lose and go home.  Every team that has made their way into the play-offs thinks (hopes) they have what it takes to play at Jerry’s World in December.

Connally Stadium

I went to Connally Stadium to see the Cougars in first round action against the Magnolia West Mustangs.  I had seen Jason Cecil’s Connally team twice already this season.  They may not have liked the fact that I am here since their two losses were in games I attended.  JD Berna is in his first season as head coach of Magnolia West.  He is a disciple of the former coach at Baylor, Art Briles.  He leads a team with a 7-3 season record.  Not bad for a first year coach.

The second season is a special time of year for Texas football.  All kinds of crazy things have been known to happen: miracle comebacks, unsung players becoming instant heroes.  All the hard work and sacrifice made by the players and coaches during the season are on the line.  For the team that comes up short on the scoreboard, there is no tomorrow.  It should be a good one.

While the teams got ready for kick-off,  their tummies were no doubt filled with butterflies.  My tummy was full of BBQ.  Let me take a minute to show you what I got. . .

The Barbecue

I went to Johnny T’s BBQ week 9 of last season.  There had been torrential rains in central Texas the preceding week which caused problems with their smoker.  They were unable to serve brisket the day I was there, but their ribs were good.  I figured I would try them again, this time with a particular eye for their brisket.

They moved to a new location in December 2015.  They are once again in the corner of a little strip shopping center now at 1615 Grand Avenue Parkway in Pflugerville.  Their moist brisket had a thin bark and was tender with a light smoky flavor.  I tend to like more smokiness.  The ribs were good, just not as good as I remembered.  They were meaty, but could have been more tender.  The extra flap of meat at the end of the bone was not leathery, but definitely chewy.  As they did last year, they offered three types of sauce:

• ·         Original – a thin red sauce, sorta sweet to the taste.
• ·         Spicy – a thicker red sauce with additional spice.
• ·         Carolina – a mustard based sauce with an extra little kick of spice. Like last year, this one tickled my taste buds the most.

The staff was friendly and the restaurant was clean.  The barbecue was good, but I prefer brisket with a deeper smokiness and ribs a bit more tender. I think the barbeque was better at their previous location, but better than the barbecue served at other joints in strip shopping centers.  I rate Johnny T’s BBQ as a single Hook ‘Em.

The Game

Connally received the opening kick-off .  They were unable to pick up a first down and were forced to punt.  Magnolia West blocked the kick, scooped up the bouncing ball, and fell into the end zone to take a 7-0 lead.

On their second possession, Connally again had to punt.  After runs by Trey McGrew picked up a first down, quarterback Wesley Bagley scrambled to avoid pressure, broke down the left sideline, and was pushed out of bounds on the Connally 19.  A steady diet of runs by McGrew moved the ball to the Cougar 1 yard line.  He carried again on a dive play to score his first touchdown.  The extra point was blocked, so the score stood at 13-0 with 3:23 to play in the first quarter.  Not looking too good for the home team.

QB Wesley Bagley scrambles to the Cougar 19

Early in the second quarter, Connally had to punt once again.  But this time, the Mustangs return man dropped the punt and it was recovered by the Cougars.  Just the spark they needed.  Ryan Walton burst up the middle for a big gain to the Magnolia West 30.  Runs by Patterson pushed the ball into the end zone for a touchdown.  With 10:16 before half time, Connally cut the lead to 13-7.

With 3:45 left in the second quarter, Connally took possession on their 34.  Patterson ran the ball for 6 yards.  Kordell Mathis ran through a hole on the left side and sprinted down the sideline 60 yards for a touchdown.  The extra point gave the Cougars their first lead at 14-13 at the 3:07 mark in the second quarter.  Now we have a game.

Kordell Mathis runs for 60 yard touchdown

Magnolia West returned the kick-off to their 38.  Time for the Trey McGrew show.  He picked up 32 yards on four carries.  On third and 2, his offensive line opened a big hole and he scored from 30 yards out.  The extra point made it 20-13, Mustangs with 1:08 left in the second quarter.

Trey McGrew scores on 30 yard burst up the middle

Connally started with great field position on their 45.  Patterson connected with Micajah Moffett on a middle screen to the Mustangs 45.  The defender covering Mathis fell down leaving him wide open.  Patterson hit Mathis in stride and he scored to make it 21-20 to close the first half.

The defender fell down leaving Mathis wide open for a touchdown

Connally kicked-off to start the third quarter.  Time for the Trey McGrew show again.  After being called for holding, the Mustangs lined up on second down needing 16 yards.  Their offensive line opened a big hole and McGrew ran for 46 yards to the Cougars 19.  A face mask penalty on the Cougars gave Magnolia West first and goal from the 9.  McGrew did the rest and the Mustangs reclaimed the lead at 27-21.

McGrew carries for 46 yards

Late in the third quarter, the Mustangs took possession on their 11 after stopping Connally short on fourth down.  They used the McGrew battering ram to eat up clock and move the chains downfield.  As the fourth quarter began, Magnolia West had a first down on the Connally 41. Quarterback Wesley Bagley connected with Deavin Smith on a pass to the Cougars 5.  The Cougar defense stiffened and forced the Mustangs to settle for a 28 yard field goal to extend their lead to nine points at 30-21 with 9:00 left to play.

After an interception, Magnolia West had the ball at midfield.  Three runs by McGrew ate up clock and moved the ball to the Cougars 37.  After a holding penalty, Bagley threw deep, but the ball was picked off by Dereon Kizzee and returned 65 yards to the Mustang 28. 

Dereon Kizzee returns an interception 65 yards

After a false start penalty, Patterson dropped back to pass.  He scrambled to avoid pressure from the Mustang defense, then threw a touchdown pass to Ryan Walton.  The extra point trimmed the lead to 30-28 with 3:57 remaining in the game.

Magnolia West started on their 24 yard line.  Everyone knew what was coming.  McGrew carried for 8 yards on first down, then picked up another yard on second down.  With 2:53 left to play, McGrew carried again on third down, but he was stopped inches short of the first down.  The Mustangs punted the ball over to Connally.  The Cougars return man signaled for a fair catch, but muffed the punt.  The Mustangs recovered on the Cougar 16.  McGrew was handed the ball on third down, but again the Cougar defense stopped him short.  The Mustangs kicked a 26 yard field goal to push their lead to five at 33-28.

Connally got the ball on their 37 with only 1:23 left to play in the game.  The Cougars turned to the back pages of their play book for a double reverse flea flicker with the ball tossed back to Patterson.  His deep pass was broken up and fell incomplete.  Fourth and 10, only 54 seconds left on the clock.  Make the first down or the season ends right here.  Patterson threw to Reggie Martin who carried the ball to the Mustang 40 for a first down.  Patterson was sacked on first down.  Third and 15 from the 46 with 10 seconds left to play.  Patterson chunked the ball deep.  K Stewart split two defenders, caught the pass, and scored a touchdown with just 3 seconds to play.  Final score: Connally 34, Magnolia West 33.

Robert Patterson  throws deep 

K Stewart makes winning touchdown catch

I said in my opening for this game that all kinds of crazy things happen in the play-offs.  This game will be added to the list.  Trey McGrew had a huge night for Magnolia West, but the Connally defense stopped him short late in the fourth quarter when it mattered most.  Robert Patterson was not playing his best game (he wore some kind of glove on his non-throwing left hand), but came up huge at the end of the second and fourth quarters.  K Stewart only had one pass thrown his way all night, but he made the most of it by catching the winning touchdown.

Congratulations to Magnolia West.  They had a good season to make the play-offs and fought hard the entire game.  The Cougars live to play one more week with the 34-33 win. You just gotta love a game like this.  

2016 Week 10 - Georgetown vs Connally

My video for this adventure:

I went back to Georgetown to see the Eagles do battle against their district 19-5A rival, the Connally Cougars.  Jason Dean is in his eighth year at Georgetown.  The Eagles are 7-2 on the season. They are currently in third place in the district at 5-2.  Connally is coached by Jason Cecil.  The Cougars are in second place in the district and have an overall record of 8-1.  I have seen both teams earlier in the season as they were ground up by the machine known as the Cedar Park Timberwolves.  Their performances against Cedar Park are not an accurate reflection of how good these teams truly are.

This is the last game of the regular season.  Both of these teams will make the “second season”, so tonight’s game is a final tune-up before the play-offs begin.  It should be a good one.

Before I got to the stadium, I sampled some barbecue.  Let me show you what I got to eat. . .

The Barbecue

I stopped off at Branch BBQ for dinner as I made my way to the stadium.  They are located in a little strip shopping center at 1779 Wells Branch Parkway in Austin.  Their web site says they serve the best BBQ in central Texas.  It also says their Friday special is homemade chicken and dumplings.  I had an inkling of what I would find there, but had to check it out to be sure.

The moist brisket I was served had no bark on it, possibly cut off by the young man behind the counter.  The meat was not stringy, but sort of just fell apart.  On top of that, it really did not have a smoky flavor.  Pretty much just “cooked meat”.  The pork ribs were good.  They were meaty and tender, the meat easily biting off the bone.  Unlike the brisket, the ribs did have a smoky flavor.  The sauce was not much more than thin ketchup with no sweetness or spice. 

The young man who served me was friendly and the restaurant was very clean.  It might be a nice neighborhood place for fast food BBQ, but there are any number of joints in central Texas serving better barbecue.  Nana would have liked this place (see week 7), but I was disappointed.  I rate Branch BBQ as a shaky Hook ‘Em.

The Game

It was an overcast evening as the Eagles entered the stadium in front of their home crowd.  The Cougars started the game with the ball on their 25 yard line.  They moved into Georgetown territory with short passes and runs by quarterback Robert Patterson.  Connally lined up in a “double swinging gate” formation (linemen and receivers split wide both right and left) that spread the Eagles defense.  Patterson took the snap and ran up the middle to the Georgetown 7.  On fourth and goal from the 1, Patterson pushed his way into the end zone for the first touchdown of the night.

Connally in "double swingig gate" formation

The Eagles answered with a drive of their own.  Quarterback Chandler Herman connected with Beau Corrales and Caden Leggett to move the chains.  Eric Anderson had a big run to the Cougars 12 yard line.  The drive stalled and the Eagles kicked a 22 yard field goal to make it 7-3.

After the ensuing kick-off, Connally once again started from their 25.  Patterson tossed to Reggie Martin for a big gain, then ran the ball into Georgetown territory.  Patterson found Ernest Musue behind the Eagles defense for a 34 yard touchdown.  The extra point made the score 14-3.

Patterson finds Ernest Musue behind the defense for a touchdown

After a poor sky kick and an offside penalty against Connally, Georgetown took possession at mid field.  Runs by Anderson and passes to Colton Knudsen moved the ball into Connally’s end of the field.  Herman threw to Corrales who worked his way to the Cougars 8 yard line.  As the game moved into the second quarter, Herman connected with Corrales on a fade route in the back corner of the end zone.  The extra point made the score 14-10.

Chandler Herman throws to Beau Corrales on a fade route for six

Here come the Cougars.  Patterson picked up big yardage with his legs.  After a holding penalty, Connally was looking at fourth and 12.  Rather than punt, the Cougars reached into their playbook for a “hook and lateral” play.  Patterson threw downfield to Martin who lateraled the ball to a trailing George Pettus for the first down.  Patterson threw to Martin on the goal line, but he dropped the sure touchdown.  Connally attempted a 35 yard field goal, but the kick was no good.

Reggie Martin laterals to George Pettus for a first down

The Eagles got the ball on their 20 after the touchback.  On third and 1, they lined up in a wildcat formation.  Leggett took the direct snap from center, swept to his left, and ran down the sideline for big yardage.  Herman threw to Corrales on a wide receiver screen.  He turned it into a 36 yard touchdown.  The extra point gave the Eagles their first lead of the game at 17-14.

Corrales turns a wide receiver screen into a touchdown

With 3:31 left to play before halftime, Connally took possession on their 19.  The Eagles had no answer as Patterson picked up huge yardage running the football.  He then threw a dart to Martin who spun to his right and out raced the defenders to the end zone.  The Cougars went to the locker room up 17-14 at the half.

Martin out runs the defenders for a touchdown

Georgetown returned the third quarter kick-off to their 35.  Erik Anderson moved the chains with a strong run.  Chandler Herman connected with Beau Corrales on a slant to the Cougars 27, then found him again with a pass to the Connally 2.  Anderson plowed into the end zone to make it 21-17.

The teams traded possessions.  After stopping the Eagles on fourth down, Connally took possession on the Georgetown 45.  They picked up good yardage on the ground.  Patterson scrambled, then broke up the middle for a 32 yard touchdown run.  The Cougars retook the lead at 28-24 with 3:28 remaining in the third quarter.

Patterson takes off on 32 yard scramble for a score

The teams traded punts.  With just over a minute left in the third quarter, the Eagles got the ball on the Cougar 41 after a fair catch.  Herman dumped the ball Cade Sill who rambled down to the 25.  Herman threw to Corrales for a first down on the 13, then found Leggett all alone in the end zone for a touchdown.  The Eagles went back in front 31-28.

Leggett alone in the end zone for touchdown catch

As the game moved into the fourth quarter, the Eagles started a drive from their 46.  They picked up a first down when Herman hit Corrales on a slant route to the Connally 41.  A pass interference call against the Cougars put the ball on the Connally 26.  Herman dropped the snap, but had enough time to find Nic Crombie for a touchdown in the back corner of the end zone.  The Eagles missed the extra point, so the score stood at 37-28.

Connally was unable to sustain any kind of drive in the fourth quarter.  Georgetown bottled up Patterson and prevented him from making any big runs.  His passes missed their mark as he was pressured by the Eagles defense.  With over 4:30 left to play, Georgetown took possession on their own 32.  They ran out the clock and Connally never got the ball back.

The 37-28 win gave Georgetown the same record as Connally at 8-2 and moved them into second place in the district. Chandler Herman threw to five different receivers, completing 21 of his 30 passes for 274 yards and four touchdowns.  The Eagles picked up 157 yards on the ground.  Robert Patterson is a baller and very reminiscent of a quarterback who played for the Texas Longhorns a few years ago – Vince Young.  Patterson connected with five different receivers.  He went 11 for 24 for 165 yards and two touchdowns.  He ran for 170 yards on 26 carries and scored twice.