Week Eight - Westlake vs Lake Travis

Like last week’s game, this week features two unbeaten and highly ranked (Lake Travis is #6 in class 6A, Westlake is #8) teams.  Lake Travis has owned Westlake the past few years, having beaten them the last seven times they have met.  That stretches back to the days when the Cavaliers won the state championship five years in a row in class 4A and the Chaparrals made the play-offs every year in class 5A.  Now that both schools are in class 6A and in the same district, the rivalry has taken on extra meaning.  But before going to the game, I need some BBQ.

The Barbeque

This week, I decided to eat at Bee Cave BBQ (8414 W. Bee Cave Road, two miles west of Loop 360).  I checked their hours on Thursday (I’m getting better about that) and saw that they are open from 11 AM to 7 PM Mondays through Thursdays, but only from 11 to 3 PM on Fridays and closed on weekends.  I think they have shortened their hours so they can go fishing on the weekends.  Anyway, I drug my wife along with me to lunch on Friday.

Bee Cave BBQ

Classic Texas BBQ joint 

Bee Cave BBQ should not be confused with a restaurant.  It is a classic Texas BBQ joint: a trailer set back from the road behind a chain link fence, with outdoor picnic tables for seating.    In our family, we have what we call the “Nana Test” for BBQ places. My dearly departed mother-in-law, Nana, was a wonderful lady, but shall we say a bit snooty about where she would eat.  The more discomfort she might have about a place, the better it will probably be.  For Bee Cave BBQ, Nana would not have even let us stop the car.

My wife was a wee bit nervous as we got out of the minivan and walked up to the trailer.  Any doubts she had were quickly dispelled by the friendliness of the gentleman taking our order.  My wife ordered lean brisket and turkey with a side of beans.  I stuck with my standard order of a half pound of moist brisket and two pork ribs.  Our server was proud of his “Mama’s sauce” so we got that on the side.  While my wife found us a seat, he asked if I could eat all my order and offered to finish anything I had left.  I assured him it was not going to be a problem.

Brisket and ribs

The meat was tender, but like before it was just “cooked meat” instead of being smoky goodness.  There was not much difference between the lean and juicy brisket we ate.  It did not have any kind of bark on it, so I think it was not given a dry rub before cooking.  It also did not have a smoke ring to it.  The ribs were good, but again no rub and not much smoky flavor.  I stole a bite or two of the turkey and it was good.  Mama’s sauce was very good, so we dipped into it a lot.  There was nothing special about the beans.  As we finished eating, our server came outside to talk with some of the other patrons about good fishing holes.  He was rightly impressed that I ate all I had ordered.  My wife and I enjoyed Bee Cave BBQ because of the ambiance (or lack thereof) and the friendliness of the people, but there are a lot of places in and around Austin serving better barbeque.

The Game

Fall has fallen in central Texas.  It had been raining much of Friday during the day, but had stopped in the evening.  With Hurricane Patricia slamming into Mexico, the skies could open up at any minute.  The temperature was 75 degrees and a strong breeze blew out of the south.  The game was played at Chaparral stadium on the Westlake campus.

Chaparral Stadium

Lake Travis took the opening kick-off on their 23 yard line and returned it to their 42.  On the fourth play of their starting drive, quarterback Charlie Brewer hit Cade Brewer on a little swing pass to the left side.  A Westlake defender missed a chance to make a tackle for loss.  Brewer scampered down the sideline to score a touchdown from 32 yards out to gives the Cavaliers a 7-0 lead with 10:42 left in the first quarter.

Austin skyline as seen from Chaparral Stadium

The two teams traded possessions.  After a Cav punt, the Chaparrals started a drive from their own 29.  Chap quarterback Sam Ehlinger ran for a couple of first downs and hit a few short passes to move the ball.  Scrambling away from pressure, Ehlinger connected with a receiver down to the Cavs 15.  A run up the middle moved the ball to the Cavs 7.  On the next play, the Chaps fumbled and the Cavs recovered on their 11 yard line.  Long drive, nothing to show for it.

The Cavs moved the ball to midfield where their next drive stalled.  After the punt, the Chaps took over from their 9 yard line.  An Ehlinger pass pushed the ball to the 21, but the Chaps fumbled again to set up the Cavs deep in Westlake territory.  As the second quarter began, the Cavs were facing a fourth and 1 from the Chaps 14.  Like many teams today, the Cavs will walk up to the line of scrimmage, then the quarterback, running backs, and receivers will look to the sideline to get the play call from the coaches.  They turned that into a trick play to get the first down.  While the QB and others were looking to the sideline, the defense relaxed.  The Cavs center made a quick direct snap to a running back who plunged forward for the needed yardage.  After that, the Chaps defense stiffened.  They sacked Brewer for a loss and broke up a pass in the end zone on third down.  The Cavs settled for a 31 yard field goal to make it 10-0 with 10:12 left before half time.

After the kick-off, the Chaps started from their own 25.  The moved the ball into Cavs territory, aided by a pass interference call and completions by Ehlinger.  The only effective runs by the Chaps were from quarterback keepers by Ehlinger.  On second and 9, Ehlinger completed a pass for eight yards down to the Cav 20.  On third and fourth down, Ehlinger tried to pick up the yard needed with his feet, but was stopped short both times.

With 6:02 left in the second quarter, the Cavs took over on downs.  They moved the ball to a first and goal on the Chaps 9 yard line.  On second down, Brewer was hit as he threw, but completed the pass to the Chaps 2.  Two penalties backed the Cavs up to the 12.  Brewer’s third down pass was broken up, so the Cavs again settled for a field goal, this time from 29 yards out to make the score 13-0 with 1:04 left on the clock.  When the half ended, Westlake had been shut out in the first half for the first time all season.

Westlake took possession on their own 25 to start the third quarter.  Ehlinger completed a pass to the Chaps 38.  Facing third and 8, Ehlinger was forced to scramble.  Lake Travis was called for a personal foul when Ehlinger was hit late out of bounds.  Facing fourth and 10 from the Cavs 38, Ehlinger connected with his receiver for a first down on the 26.  Needing six yards on another fourth down, Ehlinger completed a pass down to the Cavs 2 yards for first and goal.  Ehlinger ran the ball for the score to cut the lead to 13-7 with 8:58 to play in the third quarter.

Lake Travis started their next drive on their own 37, but promptly moved backwards.  Brewer was sacked for a 9 yard loss on third down.  When the Cavs punted, the Chap return man let the ball hit the ground and roll to the Westlake 21 yard line.  Ehlinger completed a pass for 8 yards on first down for the Chaps, but was stopped short on a third down quarterback keeper and could not pick up the first down.  The Chaps punter shanked the kick out of bounds on the Westlake 35.  The Cavs gained 45 yards in field position in the trade of punts.

Brewer guided the Cavs to a first and goal from the Westlake 9.  On second down from the 6, Brewer connected with his receiver for a touchdown.  The Cavs were successful on a two point conversion to push the score to 21-7 with 4:16 left in the third quarter.

Many of the Westlake fans who had been late to arrive at the game started to leave early.  The Chaps started their next drive from their 25 after the Cavs kick-off sailed through the end zone.  They moved the ball to the Lake Travis 38 where the drive stalled.  The third quarter ended after the Chaps punt was downed on the Cavs 1 yard line.

The Cavs took over under the shadows of their goal posts.  On third and 1 from the 10 yard line, Santiago Villegas (replacing an injured Abe Willows), ran a sweep for 49 yards to the Chaps 41.  Two plays later, Brewer connected with Cade Green for a 37 yard touchdown to make the score 28-7 with 10:07 left to play in the game.

As the Lake Travis fans chanted “Overrated! Overrated!”, more and more Westlake fans streamed out of the stadium.  The Cavs scored again to make it 35-7 on a 15 yard run by Brewer.  With less than two minutes left in the game, it started to mist.  As Westlake moved the ball down field, the occasional rain drop started to fall.  The Chaps scored a pride touchdown as Ehlinger connected with Reed Klubnik from the Cavs 8 yard line with 2 seconds left to play. 

The final score was 35-14, but it really wasn’t that close.  Westlake had virtually no running game outside of the quarterback keepers run by Sam Ehlinger.  When he tried to pass, he spent much of the time running for his life under the intense pressure applied by the Cavs defense.  He was limited to 114 yards passing and 75 yards on the ground.  Coach Todd Dodge was not very imaginative in his play calling for Westlake.  Lake Travis lost their fine running back Abe Willows to a possible season ending leg injury in the first quarter.  Santiago Villegas filled in well.  His 49 yard burst to start the fourth quarter, when the game was only 21-7, was the final dagger to the Chaps heart.  Charlie Brewer passed for 175 yards (three touchdowns, one 2 point conversion) and ran for 76 yards (one touchdown).

A word about the Westlake fans.  The visitor side of the stadium was packed well before the game started.  Many of the Westlake fans showed up much after the game started, even into the second quarter.  Yes, there was the threat of rain, but this was a big rivalry game between two highly ranked and unbeaten teams.  All of the seats on the home side were reserved, but these people kept changing seats and moving around the whole time, often making it difficult to watch the game.  In the middle of the third quarter, with the Chaps down 21-7, lots of Westlake fans left early.  Maybe they were only at the game to see their kid in the band or their daughter in the drill team.  As the game moved into the fourth quarter and Lake Travis extended their lead, I feared I might be the last person sitting on the Westlake side.  It started to mist late in the fourth quarter and small raindrops fell as the Chaps scored their last touchdown.  Instead of being football fans, I think most of the Westlake people where just there to attend a social event.  

Week Seven - Cedar Park vs Vandegrift

This was supposed to be the week to see Cedar Park (ranked number 1 in Texas in class 5A) host Vandegrift (ranked #4), but. . .  

My Dad is 89 years old and lives with my sister and her husband.  They were going out of town this weekend to visit the grand kids.  My Dad fell in the bathroom earlier in the week and bumped his head.  My sister feared something bad might happen to him if he was left alone for the weekend, so I volunteered to baby sit him.  We had a good time together (watched lots of football on TV, especially enjoyed seeing Bama knock off the Aggies), but I didn’t get to eat barbeque or see the high school game I had hoped to see.  Sometimes life gets in the way of the plans we’ve made. Oh well. . .

Reading about the game in the newspaper, it sounded like a good one.  Cedar Park won 58-45 to remain unbeaten.  With luck, I’ll catch them in the play-offs. . .

Week Six - Arlington Martin vs Weatherford

Texas-OU weekend road trip to the Dallas-Ft. Worth area.  My brother Kevin and I decided to take in the high school game between the Arlington Martin Warriors and the Weatherford Kangaroos played at UT-Arlington stadium.  Since we were in Arlington, we had to try some of the local barbeque.

The Barbeque

We chose to eat at Bodacious BBQ, located at 1206 E. Division, near Jerry’s World (AT&T Stadium where the Cowboys play).

I ordered my usual pork ribs and brisket.  The ribs were a little dry, but tasty.  The brisket was disappointing.  Tender and juicy – yes, but without a whole lot of flavor.  For some reason, the meat was red in color.  Not much bark on the outside and no real smoke ring.  Their sauce was OK, but I don’t judge BBQ joints by their sauce.  "Cooked meat" as different than real BBQ.  This place might not be too bad if you are in a hurry, but if you want to really enjoy good barbeque, drive on past.

The Game

Another beautiful night for football.  It was 82 degrees to start the game with a strong breeze out of the north that gave the night a little chill.  Both teams entered the game with identical 3-2 records.  The Martin Warriors outscored the Weatherford Kangaroos 22-20 in the second half, but we didn’t see it because the Warriors had a half time lead of 31-0.

The Kangaroos received the opening kick-off.  The return man couldn’t make up his mind – take a knee for a touchback or run it out of the end zone – and was quickly tackled on his 4 yard line.  The Roos went three and out and had to punt into the wind.  The short punt was returned to the 29.  The Warriors could not move the ball and settled for a 35 yard field goal to make it 3-0.

The Roos took a knee on the ensuing kick-off and started from the own 25 where they again went three and out.  After a bad snap, the Weatherford punter shanked his kick and the ball went out of bounds on the 29.  Three plays later, Warrior quarterback Eric Walker connected with Mason Perkins from 9 yards out for a touchdown to make it 10-0.

Warriors on the move again

The two teams traded possessions into the start of the second quarter.  The Warriors got the ball on their own 11 yard line and promptly drove 89 yards.  Jason Huntley capped the drive with a 22 yard burst up the middle to push the score to 17-0 with 10:22 left in the second quarter.  The Warriors would score twice more in the second quarter: a beautiful 46 yard run from Juma Otoviano and a 7 yard blast by Myles Kelly.

The Kangaroos were pretty inept in the first half as evidenced by their inability to stop the Warriors offense or move the ball when they had possession.  With the chill in the air and the game out of reach, we decided to not sit through the Martin homecoming ceremonies.  Instead we went to a local drinking establishment to get ready for the Texas-OU game the next day.  Now that was a fun football game. . .

Coach Charlie Strong receiving the Golden Hat trophy

Week Five - Bye week

This was a bye week for me.  

Zilker Park before the music started

I had tickets to the first weekend of the Austin City Limits music festival.  On Friday night, I was eating a Mighty Cone and listening to Gary Clarke, Jr. (he is one bad ass gunslinger) instead of eating barbeque and watching high school football.  I could have gone to a game on Thursday night, but there was only one game in the Austin area and it did not look all that appealing.

Friday night at ACL

This next weekend is Texas-OU weekend in Dallas.  Road trip!  I am sure I can find some high school game and some barbeque somewhere in the DFW area on Friday night.  

Week Four - Georgetown vs Cedar Park

This week I decided to head north to Georgetown to see the Eagles play against the Cedar Park Timberwolves.  The T’wolves had one of the highest ranked teams in the state and an unblemished 4-0 record.  Georgetown was 3-1 and playing at home.  Looks good to me.  Now where should I eat barbeque?

The Barbeque

I once again used the google to look for places serving BBQ near the game.  Like it did for Week Two, up popped Full House BBQ.  But with the difficulties I had in Week Two trying to find their food truck, I thought I’d give some place else a try.

Many of the old school  places in central Texas started out as little stores or meat markets.  When they didn’t sell all the meat they had, they would slow cook it and sell it on the side.  More people would come to buy the BBQ, so the place evolved over time into a restaurant.

Hello Sweetie!

Hello Sweetie! in Georgetown took a different route.  Located at 220 S. Austin Avenue, they are a small ice cream parlor whose owner decided to try his hand at adding BBQ and sides to the menu.  Small as in two little round tables inside and two tables on their outdoor patio.  Small as in the whole place might fit inside my minivan.  But it certainly smelled like a BBQ joint when I walked in and that is always a good sign.

The outdoor patio

The front counter had six or eight flavors of Blue Bell ice cream on display.  The young lady working the place greeted me with a big “Hello Sweetie”.  Their BBQ special that night was two pork ribs and choice of two sides.  I threw the young lady a curve when I told her I didn’t want any sides, just a half pound of moist brisket.  She had to ask the owner what to do and what to charge me.  The BBQ had been cooked earlier in the day and was kept wrapped in aluminum foil in an ice box.  The young lady put it into a microwave to heat up.  Well, that’s different.

Tasted good going down

The BBQ was actually pretty tasty. The ribs were meaty and chewy, but good nonetheless.  Not sure if I was given the lean or moist brisket, but it had a good bark on it and nice smoke ring.  The onions I got had been finely chopped.  Great for putting on a burger, but a little weird for a BBQ place.  They offered two kinds of sauce.  The regular was good and the spicy had a little extra tang to it.

Hello Sweetie! is a little mom and pop kind place of place.  They are not cooking for a hundred or a thousand people every day and you don’t have to wait hours in line.  I took it for what it is and enjoyed the experience.  If you are driving down I-35 towards Austin and want BBQ, stay on the interstate and wait thirty minutes for better BBQ.  But if you live in or are visiting Georgetown (nice downtown area around the courthouse, Southwestern University has a beautiful campus), this is a good place to try.

The Game

Another great night for football.  It had been raining in Austin when I left.  One of those thunderstorms that rise up in central Texas and quickly pass by.  The rains never made their way to Georgetown.  A little overcast, temperature 82 degrees, a gentle breeze.  The Georgetown ISD Athletic Stadium opened in 2008.  I sat on the visiting Cedar Park side and enjoyed a beautiful sunset.  

Georgetown quarterback Chandler Herman threw a 28 yard touchdown pass to Jeff McVean with 8:42 left.  In the fourth quarter.  Unfortunately for the Eagles, Cedar Park had already put forty-seven points on the board.

On the third play of the game, T’wolves quarterback Mak Sexton tossed a swing pass to Baxter Robertson who took the ball 64 yards for the opening score.  The game was only 43 seconds old and Cedar Park was ahead 7-0.  On the first play of their next possession, Jav Guidry swept to his right for a 71 yard touchdown run.  The extra point was missed, but the T’wolves had run a total of four plays to go up 13-0.  Sexton connected on another TD pass, from 49 yards out, later in the first quarter.  Cedar Park tacked on two more touchdowns in the second quarter (an electrifying 80 run by William Richter and a 48 yard pass to Hayden Craig) to make the score 34-0 at the half. 

Cedar Park on the move in the first quarter

Things did not get any better for Georgetown in the second half.  Quarterback Chandler Herman was constantly harassed by the T’wolves defense.  It was very difficult for him to complete passes when he was on his butt.  Cedar Park scored a TD in the third quarter on a two yard plunge by Jack Grimm and their last score in the fourth on a screen pass to Garrett Yero from 49 yards out.  The only sustained drive of the night for the Eagles came against the T’wolves reserves after the game had long been decided.

The Timberwolves have a very strong team and could end up playing for state like they did last year, but they are not perfect.  Their kicker missed two PAT kicks and a 45 yard field goal.  As good as their offense was this night, the defense also up to the challenge.  The Eagles might get a receiver open, but Chandler Herman rarely had time to make a completion.  Georgetown punted so many times I feared their punter might get a cramp.  This game was pretty much over when the Cedar Park bus came to a stop in the parking lot outside the stadium.  

Week Three - Stony Point vs Round Rock

Where to go, which game to see?  I decided to see the game between Stony Point and Round Rock as they opened district play.  Stony Point’s season record was perfect, having given up a total of only 27 points in their first three games.  Round Rock’s record was 2-1, but they had won their last nine district games.  Looked like a good game.  But first, the barbeque. . .

The Barbeque

I cheated this week.  My wife and I had been invited to a social event on Thursday night.  It was held at Franklin’s Barbecue.  Yes, that Franklin’s.  If I was going to eat there on Thursday, there was no point in going anywhere on Friday for BBQ before the game.

A lot has been said and written about Franklin’s. Things like “delicious”, “great”, “fantastic”, etc.  Don’t believe all the hype because it is not true.  Franklin’s is way better than that.  The English language does not have enough superlatives to describe how unbelievably good this barbecue truly is.  A trip to Franklin's is roughly equivalent to a pilgrimage to Mecca

Waiting in line

The restaurant had been "rented" for the evening, so we did not have to wait three hours in line like most people.  As usual, I passed on any side dishes.  I’m just there for the BBQ.  My dearly departed mother made real good potato salad.  I can cook a pot of beans.  But not everybody can consistently crank out the smoky goodness like a great pit master.  Any joint that says what sets them apart is their sides is a place with questionable BBQ.  Besides, side dishes would just take up room in my tummy.

Everyone was served a sample of all the different kinds of meats Franklin’s serves: pulled pork, turkey, sausage, pork ribs, and brisket – both lean and moist.  I’m not much of a fan of pulled pork (that would get me in trouble in the South), so I can’t comment on that, but was told it was excellent.  This was the first time I had any of their turkey and found it tender and tasty.  The sausage was spicy without being over powering.  The meat on the ribs just melted in my mouth.  Lean brisket can be dry and kinda boring at some places, but Franklin’s was juicy and full of goodness.  And the moist brisket.  Deep smoke ring, juicy, and tender.  I was fortunate to get an end piece, so I also got to enjoy the spicy bark.  Great oogly-moogly was it good.  When I die, heaven for me would be to stand first line every day at Franklin’s.

Heaven on a plate

The Football Game

Oh yeah, I went to a football game on Friday.  The game was played at Kelley Reeves Athletic Complex in Round Rock.  The stadium was opened in 2003 and is often referred to as the Palace on Parmer.  It was 92 degrees at kick-off, so I sat on the Stony Point side (in the shade) to start the game.  It turns out this was the Stony Point Tigers homecoming.  I need to watch for that in the future.  I walked over to the visitors’ side for the second half.  Being the Texas Longhorn fan I am, I feared all the maroon and white worn by the Round Rock fans might give me a brain rash, but I toughed it out.

Tigers and Dragons getting ready for the first half

The Round Rock Dragons dominated the first half.  Day’Shus White ripped off a 47 yard run for his first touchdown of the night.  Dragon quarterback Liam Beard tossed a screen to wide receiver Andrew Stefani good for a touchdown to put Round Rock up 14-0 in the first quarter. 

Stony Point had trouble moving the ball on the Dragon defense.  The Tigers committed multiple penalties and often moved backwards faster than they moved forward.  They moved the ball to the Dragon 11 yard line on their only sustained drive of the first half.  But that drive bogged down and the Tigers settled for a 23 yard field goal to make it 14-3.

The Dragons answered late in the second quarter with another long drive.  Good runs by White, in particular a draw play for 21 yards on second and 18, and passes by Beard set the Dragons up deep in Tiger territory.  The Dragon line opened another huge hole for White as he scored his second touchdown from 7 yards out.  Round Rock had several other opportunities to score in the first half.  Twice Beard completed passes into the Tiger red zone only to see the receiver stripped of the ball and Stony Point recovering to end the threat.  The half time score was 21-3 Dragons.

After their homecoming festivities, Stony Point returned the opening kick-off of the third quarter to their 22 yard line.  They started moving backwards from there due to a false start penalty and when quarterback Tanner Aenchbacher was tackled for a loss.  His next pass was intercepted on the Tiger 45 and returned to the 5 yard line.  On first and goal, White walked into the end zone for a touchdown to make the score 28-3.

Stony Point returned the kick-off to their 30, but were again called for a penalty.  The Tiger offense finally started showing some teeth.  On second and 13 from the 19, Shapiro King made a good run out to the Round Rock 40 yard line for a gain of 41.  After making another first down, Aenchbacher scampered to the Dragon 10.  Runs by King moved the ball to the Dragon 4 for first and goal.  Aenchbacher scored from two yards out to make it 28-10 with 7:13 left in the third.

Round Rock ran the kick-off back to the 25, but Stony Point was called for being offsides.  The Tigers were forced to kick-off again and this time the Dragons returned it to their 46.  The five yard penalty ended up costing the Tigers 21 yards.  Beard ran for 12, then scrambled for 21 to move the ball to the Tigers 20.  With the ball on the Tigers 16, the Dragon line opened a huge hole and White walked into the end zone from 16 yards out to make the score 35-10.

The Dragons kick-off sailed out of bounds, giving the Tigers possession on their own 30.  Another false start penalty pushed them back five.  Aenchbacher hit a big pass good for 52 yards, down to the Dragon 23.  A run by King for 12 yards moved the ball to the Dragon 11.  After yet another false start penalty, Aenchbacher connected with Dashon Horne for a touchdown.  With 3:55 left in the third quarter, the Tigers trailed 35-17.

Round Rock took possession on their own 26.  It took them all of one play to score as White scampered untouched 74 yards for a touchdown.  That extended their lead to 42-17. 

Second half action 

Stony Point got the ball back on their own 25 and started moving backwards again.  A bad punt by the Tigers gave Round Rock the ball on the Stony Point 40.  On the Dragon’s first play, Beard threw a backwards pass to White who dropped the ball.  He didn’t realize the pass was in effect a lateral and gave up on the play.  Not so the Tigers defense.  A Tiger defensive back scooped up the ball and zipped down the sideline for a 55 yard touchdown.  Stony Point made the two point conversion to cut the lead to 42-25 with 1:56 left in the third quarter.

Round Rock took possession on their 35.  They made a couple of first downs, then the Tiger defense stiffened forcing the Dragons to punt.

The Tigers took over from their own 39.  After a gain of one on first down, Aenchbacher lofted a pass to a wide open receiver.  The blown coverage by Round Rock led to a 60 yard touchdown for the Tigers.  It was now 42-32 with 9:27 left in the game.  This could get interesting.

Stony Point tried an onside kick which went out of bounds.  Round Rock got the ball on their 26, but were unable to make a first down.  Their punt gave the Tigers the ball on their 44 yard line.  Two runs by King moved the ball to the Dragon 40.  Facing fourth and 9, Aenchbacher completed a pass down to the Dragon 28 for a first down.  On third and 2, Aenchbacher ran to the Dragon 12, but fumbled when he was hit.  Round Rock recovered to end the Stony Point threat.

The Dragon offense got conservative, running the ball to eat up the clock.  On third and 11, White was stopped short of the first down.  The Tigers used their first time out to stop the clock with 3:13 left to play.  A good punt by Round Rock put the ball on the Stony Point 28.

Needing to score twice and the clock running, the Tigers were able to pick up a couple of first downs.  Brian Bolger intercepted a pass from Aenchbacher with 1:04 left to seal the win for the Dragons.  They ran out the clock for the 42-32 victory.

Day’shus White ran for 204 yards and scored five touchdowns for the winning Dragons.  He scored more points in one game than Stony Point had given up in their first three combined.  The Dragons could have won by more points if they had not committed three turnovers deep in Tiger territory. Shapiro King ran for 129 yards for Stony Point.  Tanner Aenchbacher ran for a touchdown and threw for two more.  The Tigers repeatedly dug themselves into a hole with penalties, but had a chance to climb their way back out.  Their two fourth quarter turnovers proved fatal.  This was the second week in a row where I saw the team celebrating their homecoming lose.  Maybe I can get schools to pay me to avoid their homecomings.

Week Two - McNeil vs Ellison

I had a decision to make about which game to see this week.  On paper, the matchup between Anderson and Westlake looked pretty good.  Both teams had started the season at 2-0.  But the game would be played at House Park and I had seen Anderson play there the week before.  So I decided to head north to Round Rock to see McNeil play Killeen Ellison.  A different stadium to see, a new experience to enjoy.  McNeil entered the game with a 1-1 record, Ellison at 2-0.  When I heard that Westlake was leading Anderson 38-3, I knew I had chosen well.  My choice of where to eat barbeque did not turn out nearly as well.

The Barbeque

I googled barbeque joints located near Round Rock Dragon stadium where the game would be played.  Up popped a list showing The Salt Lick, Rudy’s, and Pok-e-Jo’s.  I’ve been to the Salt Lick in Round Rock and think the original restaurant in Dripping Springs is better.  Rudy’s and Pok-e-Jo’s are part of restaurant chains and my intention is to only eat at “one of a kind” BBQ joints.  Also listed was a place called Full House BBQ.  It too looked to be part of a chain, but perhaps a “smaller” chain.  At least I’d never had any of their BBQ, so I thought I’d give it a try.  I survived rush hour traffic on I-35 and cruised up and down North Mays Street in Round Rock.  Three times I drove past the address listed on the web site and all that was there each time was an empty field.  No building, no nothing.  There might have been food trucks parked there in the past, but zilch on this Friday night.  Next time I’ll do a better job of researching where to eat.  I hear there is a new invention called a telephone.  I’ll try using that in the future.

So now where to go?  Using the google on my phone, up popped the same list of places I’d seen before.  Also listed was Smokey Mo’s.  I’ve seen their ads on TV and it was the closest to where I was, so I thought I’d give it a try.  That was my second mistake.  Smokey Mo’s can best be described as fast food barbeque.  I knew I was in trouble when I saw someone get served a hamburger and fries.  The brisket was tender, but pretty much lifeless.  The ribs were fatty.  What passed for sauce was some fluorescent orange colored concoction the consistency of water, kind of reminiscent of the sludge that drips out of a rusty window air conditioner on a hot August day.  I overheard some people sitting near me comment about how good the BBQ was.  It was pretty obvious those people don’t get out much.  If you have a choice between Smokey Mo’s and eating a McRibb sandwich, head to McDonald’s.

The Football Game

Despite the BBQ, it was a great night for football.  A little overcast, temperature 85 degrees, a gentle breeze.  Dragon stadium is a nice facility opened in 1974.  I sat on the visiting Ellison Eagles side and enjoyed a beautiful sunset.  Turned out it was the McNeil Mavericks homecoming, so I picked the correct side of the stadium.  It also turned out that I picked a game with a crazy ending.

Pre-game warm ups at Dragon Stadium

Ellison got the kick-off to open the game.  They could not move the ball and went three and out.  McNeil took possession on their own 38.  A face mask penalty against the Eagles helped move the ball to the Ellison 36.  Facing a fourth and 7, Mav quarterback Hayden Cooper hit a big pass for a first down.  The Mavs drove to a first and goal from the Eagle six yard line.  The McNeil line opened a huge hole for Justin Ward as he ran up the middle for the first touchdown of the night giving McNeil a 7-0 lead.

Ellison got the ensuing kick-off on their own 28.  Eagle quarterback Carl Robinson was repeatedly pressured by the Mav defense, but was able to make plays with his feet and his arm.  The Eagles pushed the ball to the Mav 11 where their drive stalled.  Morgan Button drilled a line drive field goal to put the Eagles on the board.  The score was 7-3 with 3:02 left in the first quarter.

The Ellison kick-off sailed through the end zone for a touchback.  McNeil started from their own 25.  Facing a third and 7, Cooper was sacked as he tried to pass and stripped of the ball.  The Eagles recovered the fumble on the Mav 25.

Ellison ran the ball for a short 2 yards.  On second down, Robinson was pressured while trying to pass.  He tried to throw the ball away, but was called for intentional grounding.  Needing 18 yards on second down, Robinson hit Darrell Peterkine for a gain of 15.  Peterkine picked up 2 on third down.  Rather than kick another field goal, the Eagles went for it on fourth and 1.  Peterkine ran up the middle to the 7 for a first and goal as the first quarter ended.  The Eagles kept pounding the Mav defense with runs by Peterkine.  On third and 1, Peterkine scored.  The extra point gave Ellison a 10-7 lead.

The Mavs got a good return on the kick-off.  The returner fumbled, but McNeil recovered on their own 36 to start their next drive.  The Mavs had great success with quarterback draw plays as Cooper had runs of 15 and 20 yards.  The Mavs drove to the Ellison 9 where they had first and goal.  On second down, Cooper again ran a draw play and scored, but the touchdown was wiped out by a holding penalty.  With the ball on the Eagle 12, Cooper passed to Jonathan Boozer in the end zone for the go ahead score.  With 5:36 left in the second quarter, the Mavs led 14-10.

Both teams traded possessions and punts.  With under two minutes to play, the Eagles got the ball on the McNeil 41.  A screen pass to Peterkine gained 12 to the Mav 29 for a first down.  On third and 7, Robinson was sacked.  Button came in to attempt his second field goal of the game.  Kicking into a slight breeze, Button’s kick was good from 45 yards to cut the McNeil lead to one. 

The Mavs got the ball back with 38 seconds left and two time outs.  Copper ran for 16 to the Mav 40, then hit a pass to the Ellison 48 with 20 seconds left.  After another quarterback draw, Cooper’s pass was incomplete as time expired in the second quarter.  Half time score McNeil 14, Ellison 13.

McNeil got the kick-off to start the second half.  Cooper continued to make good plays with his feet, running for a big first down on third and 10 and later scrambling before flipping a pass to Boozer for a big gain.  The Mavs mixed in wide receiver screens and jet sweeps to move the ball to the Ellison 26.  Facing third and 12 from the Ellison 28, Cooper hit Boozer on a post pattern for his second touchdown of the night.  The Mavs had driven the ball 87 yards on their first possession of the third quarter to push their lead to 21-13.

Starting from the own 21 yard line, the Eagles began their first drive of the third quarter.  Robinson hit Peterkine on a middle screen good for 20 yards.  On third and 13, a wide receiver screen was good for 11.  Peterkine picked up the first down on fourth and 2.  A personal foul after the play put the ball on the Mav 49.  On third and 5, the Mavs were guilty of pass interference which gave the Eagles a first down on the Mav 29.  A false start penalty on the Eagles made it first and 15.  Peterkine was able to pick up 12 yards on runs up the middle.  On fourth and 3, the Eagles brought in Button for another field goal.  This time he missed from 39 yards, so the score remained 21-13.

Neither team did much for the remainder of the third quarter and into the fourth.  They traded possessions, penalties, and punts.  With 6:11 left in the game, McNeil got the ball on their own 16.  After a holding penalty made it first and 18, Cooper ran for 13.  His pass was good for a first down as McNeil tried to milk the clock.  On third and 2, Cooper’s pass was incomplete.  Cooper shanked the punt for only 16 yards.

Down by 8, the Eagles took possession on their 45 with 3:04 left on the clock.  On third and 10, Robinson scrambled for a big gain and a first down on the McNeil 39.  On second and 14, Robinson’s potential TD pass was dropped by a wide open receiver.  Peterkine ran for 13, then picked up the first down on fourth and 1.  With only 1:43 left and the clock moving, Robinson’s pass into the end zone was broken up by a good play by the Mav secondary.  Robinson scrambled on second and 10, flipped a pass to X’Zavier Green who is knocked out of bounds on the Mav 6 yard line.  A false start by the Eagles moves the ball back to the 11.  Peterkine blasted his way up the middle for a touchdown that made the score 21-19 with only 1:06 left to play.  Needing to make a two point conversion to tie the game, Robinson rolled to his right and passed to Nygree Poole.  He caught the pass and dove across the goal line to tie the score at 21.  The Ellison fans were going nuts.

Now the game got really interesting. . .  Ellison attempted an onside kick, but it was recovered by McNeil on the 50.  Cooper ran a quarterback draw good for 5 yards.  On the next play, Cooper passed to Isaiah White streaking down the sideline for the go ahead TD.  But the Eagle defense stripped him of the ball and recovered the fumble on their own 9 yard line. 

Instead of taking a knee to run out the clock and go to overtime, the Eagles throw a pass with 20 seconds left.  The pass is picked off by Isaiah Lavert giving the Mavs the ball on the Ellison 20.  After a false start penalty, McNeil moves the ball to the 13.  On second and 2, the Mav ball carrier is tackled for a loss.  McNeil calls time out with 9 seconds left and sends in their kicker to try a 39 yard field goal to win the game.  When the Mavs line up for the kick, the Eagles call a time out to ice the kicker.  Then they do it again.  It worked as the field goal sailed wide right.  We’re going to overtime!

The rules for overtime for Texas high schools are basically the same as they are for college.  Each team gets a possession from the opposing team’s 25 yard line and one time out.  The team that goes first tries to move the ball and score, a touchdown or a field goal.  When the second team gets their turn, they need to match or beat the first team’s score.  If the score is tied after each team gets a turn, then they do it all over again, except they change the order of their possessions (first team goes second, second team goes first).  The two teams go back and forth like this until one of them has more points than the other after the same number of possessions.  To start the first overtime, there is a coin flip to determine which team goes first.  Conventional wisdom is that a team wants to play defense first.  That way they know what the other team did on their first possession.  Pretty simple, right?

The Mavs get to go on offense first from the Eagle 25.  A false start penalty makes it first and 15 from the 30.  Cooper gets a bad snap and falls on the ball on the 36.  Facing second and 21, Cooper’s pass is good to the 24.  On third and 9, Cooper’s pass is broken up.  The Mavs are forced to try a 41 yard field goal, but they are called for delay of game and are pushed back another 5 yards.  The kid that had missed from 39 yards out in regulation misses again from 46. 

Now it is the Eagles turn.  Having held McNeil scoreless, any points they make will win the game.  After a pass interference penalty against the Mavs, the Eagles have the ball on the 16.  After two runs, the Eagles have the ball on the Mav 10.  The Eagles line up for a 27 yard field goal, but the Mavs use their time out to ice the kicker.  The tactic worked against them in regulation and it worked for them in overtime as the Eagles miss.  Score still tied 21-21 after the first overtime, so let’s do it again.

This time the Eagles go first from the Mav 25.  On first down, Robinson is pressured and has to scramble.  He throws a desperation pass to the 5.  Jayden Smith hauls it in, spins away from the defender and scores.  The extra point is good to give Ellison their first lead of the night at 28-21.

Now the Mavs get their second turn.  They must get a touchdown and make an extra point to tie the game at 28 to send it to a third overtime or a two point conversion to win.  All night long, their most successful play had been to run Cooper.  He got the snap and swept to his left.  Cooper was hit hard and fumbled.  The Eagles land on the bouncing ball to win the game.

With the win, Ellison improved their record to 3-0 and McNeil fell to 1-2.  Both teams committed a lot of penalties.  The Mavs losing five yards to start their first overtime being the worst.  Darrell Peterkine and Carl Robinson had big games for Ellison.  Hayden Cooper threw for nearly 200 yards and two touchdowns, but his fumble in the second overtime was the clincher for Ellison.  At least he can take solace from the fact he was named Homecoming King.