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Friday, October 1, 1999

Area Football Capsules

DISTRICT 28-5A
   Carroll at Miller
   WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Buccaneer Stadium
   RECORDS: Carroll 0-0, 3-1; Miller 0-1, 1-3
   LAST YEAR: Carroll 49, Miller 0
   LAST WEEK: Carroll 28, San Antonio Churchill 20; King 42, Miller 24
   THE GAME: Miller will try to rebound after the Mustangs overcame a 10-point third-quarter deficit. Miller coach Jim Gupton said the Bucs won't dwell on the past. "The kids know why we lost the game," Gupton said. "They know what happened in it. Their focus is back and now they have to get ready for Carroll, their second district game." Gupton said the Bucs have two injured offensive linemen and an injured defensive back but wouldn't elaborate on the players' names. ... Carroll coach Terry Morris is worried about the carry-over effects from last Saturday's victory against Churchill. "You have a tendency to have a mental lapse or breakdown. We've got to get our kids geared back up. Hopefully the fact that it's our first district ballgame - our kids will come ready to play." Morris said the Tigers are trying to get TB Johnny Smith more involved. He said Smith will be used as receiver, punt returner, kickoff returner and tailback this week because, "he's the type of athlete we need to get the ball to." Morris said Carroll WR Leo Salone missed last week's game with an ankle sprain and is questionable for tonight, while LB Tony Aguilar is doubtful because of his sprained ankle. Morris said the Tigers have rediscovered something that helped their offense last season. "One of the things we had been missing were big plays," Morris said. "Frankie (Morales) had a fantastic night as an individual but on three of those runs (against the Chargers) he went untouched on what we call 11-man plays where all kids are doing their jobs on the same play."

   King at Victoria Stroman
   WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Memorial Stadium
   RECORDS: King 1-0, 1-3; Stroman 0-1, 2-2
   LAST YEAR: King 20, Stroman 10
   LAST WEEK: King 42, Miller 24; Victoria 53, Stroman 21
   THE GAME: Fresh off their first victory, the Mustangs offense enters tonight's game on an emotional high. King scored more points against Miller (42) than they had in their first three games combined (34). Mustangs QB Dustin Janak came off the bench against Miller to throw 4 TD passes - 3 to David Leo. Janak (300 yds.) is fourth in the district in passing and has completed nearly 65 pct. (20-31) of his passes. "Both of them have done a really good job," King football coach Scott Powers said of Janak and QB Chris Adkins. "Dustin has come out the last two games, performed really well and he's made some progress throwing the ball. The big thing from both of them is they're not doing anything to hurt us. They're not throwing interceptions." The Mustangs also established a running game against the Bucs last week, which helped their passing attack. RB Dontrell Kelley (149 yds., 24 car., 2 TDs) had his best outing of the season. Powers said the running game has taken some time to develop. "We've been a little inexperienced in our offensive line," Powers said. "I thought our offensive line in the second half performed so much better than in the first half. That was the key." Powers said DT Enrique Quevedo (knee injury) is questionable for the game and CB Travis McGee (dislocated finger) is probable. Stroman (382.8-yd. avg.) is second in district total offense and last (397-yd. avg.) in total defense.

   Victoria at Ray
   WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Cabaniss Field
   RECORDS: Victoria 1-0 district, 4-1 overall; Ray 1-4, 0-1.
   LAST YEAR: Victoria 42, Ray 0
   LAST WEEK: Victoria 53, Victoria Stroman 21; Moody 36, Ray 35
   THE GAME: Ray coach Gary Turberville said the Texans are over last week's loss to Moody, where the Trojans overcame a 35-14 fourth-quarter deficit. "Oh yeah," Turberville said. "They (the Texans players) went in there and hollered real loud. You've got to get it all out and go on. But you also have to give credit to Moody for having poise under pressure." Turberville said the Texans hope to play keep-away from the Stingarees offense. "We're hoping to keep the football out of their hands, have a 16- to 18-play drive and eat up the clock." The Texans face a Victoria offense averaging a 28-5A-leading 30.6 pts. and 416.4 yds. per game. The Stings defense had yielded its share of yards after allowing 299.4 per game. The Stings are second in district scoring defense with 23.5 pts. per game. Turberville said the Stings strength defensively is in their linebacking core.
   Stings RB Bo Mallette (14 TDs, 84 pts.) leads the area. Although he's played one more game than many of his counterparts, he also leads the area in rushing (932 yds.) and total offense (1002 yds.). Victoria QB Tommy Cook is third in the district with 305 yds. passing. Cook has completed 51 pct. of his passes and has no INTs. Ray counters with RB Ruben Bonilla. Bonilla (483 yds., 97 car., 5.0 yds. per att.) is the fifth-leading rusher in the district. Those numbers also put him eighth in total offense.

   DISTRICT 31-4A
   Calallen at Robstown
   WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
   RECORDS: Calallen 1-0, 3-1; Robstown 0-1, 0-4
   LAST YEAR: Calallen 62, Robstown 0
   LAST WEEK: Calallen 23, Alice 20; Rockport-Fulton 70, Robstown 0
   THE GAME: Potential blowout wins always are a nightmare for coaches. They don't want to say anything to incite the opposition, but they also don't want to miss the opportunity to improve their club. "You can't take anything for granted," Calallen coach Phil Danaher said. "Robstown's down and we know that but they'll come out and play us hard. They've played everybody tough in the first quarter. It's just the numbers that catch up to them." The Cotton Pickers, scoreless in the last 11 quarters, did score early against R-F on one of two opportunities, but the play was nullified by a penalty. "You don't want to do anything to get their momentum going," Danaher said. The Wildcats, "real fortunate" to win last week against Alice, Danaher said, will work on their option game and pass protection this week. TB Victor Price (577 yds.) continues to lead 31-4A rushers and his five TDs are tied for fourth. FB Matt Bode added two TDs and 114 yards last week.
   The Cotton Pickers beat Calallen three times from 1980-82. They've lost 16 straight since, scoring an average of 6-plus points. QB Patrick Davis (110 yds. passing, 65 yds. rushing) did post his best numbers of the year. However, it didn't prevent the scoring onslaught to continue. The Pickers have been outscored, 231-12, including 134-0 the past two games. "They've had a rough two weeks," Danaher said. "I'd be satisfied probably with about half of what's been scored on them per game. As long as we can come out and play well, I'll be happy. But one of our objectives this week is to make sure some backups are playing better. If we get a lead, that's an opportunity to do that."

   Kingsville at Alice
   WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
   RECORDS: Kingsville 0-1, 1-3; Alice 0-1, 2-2
   LAST YEAR: Alice 37, Kingsville 30 (OT)
   LAST WEEK: Gregory-Portland 28, Kingsville 21; Calallen 23, Alice 20
   THE GAME: History repeated itself for the fourth straight week for Alice, which failed to take advantage of several opportunities to beat Calallen. Again, coach Van Tom Whatley cited the Coyotes' mental game - or lack thereof - as a major contributor in the loss, and it continues to be as surprising and exasperating for the eighth-year coach. "It really is," Whatley said. "We normally don't play with as many penalties and we're able to do some things offensively and defensively where we have to read keys and we're able to do some different things. Hopefully, we learn to do these things sooner than later." QB J.P. Pruneda (260 rushing yds., 423 passing yds.) tops the district in total offense. He could have had better numbers had penalties not negated big-yardage plays and thwarted late scoring drives. RB Ryan Moulder (281 yds., 5 TDs) is fourth in 31-4A rushing and RB-WR Mark Garza (16 rec., 328 yds.) leads area the 4A receiving stats.
   The Brahmas, however, are a bruised lot, losing four defensive starters last week. Among the casualties: LB Robbie Vega (3 INTs) tore an anterior cruciate ligament returning an INT for a score. He undergoes surgery in three weeks and is lost for the year. DB Yale Vannoy, back after a game's absence, reinjured a hip flexor. His return is unlikely. DE Joe Campos injured an Achilles tendon. That will give Alice ample offensive chances if the Brahmas can't control the ball. The good news for Kingsville is that there are no offensive injuries. QB David Esquivel (236 rush yds., 387 pass yds., 5 TDs) directs the offense. FB Balde Escamilla returned from an injury last week and gained 34 yds. TB Chris Campbell, in his first varsity action, scored a 2-point coversion and RB Robert Alegria ran for 57 yds. "Offensively, we feel like we're healthy enough to do some things if we can take care of the ball," Kingsville coach Richard Whitaker said. The Brahmas have lost 15 of the last 16 games to Alice, winning in 1986, 29-28.

   Rockport-Fulton at Flour Bluff
   WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
   RECORDS: R-F 1-0, 3-1; FB 0-1, 1-3
   LAST YEAR: R-F 37, FB 9
   LAST WEEK: R-F 70, Robstown 0; Tuloso-Midway 21, FB 19
   THE GAME: As the weeks have progressed, Rockport-Fulton has honed its offense, posting increasing point totals topping off in last week's rout. "I don't see any reason we can't move the ball on anyone," R-F coach Gary Autry said. "It comes back to execution. I think we have the personnel to move the ball on anyone. Fortunately, our execution has improved every week." The Pirates' coaching staff doesn't keep individual stats, but there is little denying the scoring prowess of late. Nine Pirates have scored on the year. Four - HB David Moss (32), RB Brett Baer and QB Randy Key (24 each) and PK Kyle Pfister (20) - have scored 20 or more points in four games. Key has completed only six passes this season, but three have gone for scores.
   This week, however, the Pirates face a two-dimensional threat in Bluff RB John Paul Barta (507 rush yds., 42 points) and QB Colby Bynum (416 yds., 4 TDs). "When you play Flour Bluff, you've got to look first at John Paul Barta," Autry said. "He's a fine football player. He ran through us as a sophomore. They've got a realy good quarterback in Colby Bynum and two wide receivers with a lot of experience (Daniel Baker and Byron Casey). But Barta's the deal." The Hornets rallied late last week but misfired on a 2-point conversion pass that would have tied the game. A 10-minute drive by T-M to open the second half didn't aid matters. "I think the big thing we have to do is what T-M did to us," FB coach Mike Crowe said. "Take control of the ball and move the chains, and for two reasons. We've got to move the ball and keep their offense off the field." Baker (16 rec., 282 yds.) is second among area 4A receivers. This month also marks the 20th anniversary of the end of a 43-game Bluff winless streak, which was halted by a 26-0 win over the Pirates.

   Tuloso-Midway at Gregory-Portland
   WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
   RECORDS: T-M 1-0, 3-1; G-P 1-0, 2-2
   LAST YEAR: G-P 19, T-M 7
   LAST WEEK: T-M 21, Flour Bluff 19; G-P 28, Kingsville 21
   THE GAME: G-P has long dominated this series (26-5-1) dating to 1962. The majority of the routs came during Ray Akins' heydeys with the Wildcats. And while the scores haven't been as lopsided of late, close games aren't making T-M coach Greg Crawford sleep better. "We're 3-1, but two of those wins were by two points," he said. "From an old man's standpoint, as a coach, I'd like to have a little more margin. It's making me old." Like many, Crawford wants a more consistent offense. That improved with the 10-minute drive to open the second half last week against Flour Bluff, and should be bolstered by the return this week of QB Emmanuel Garcia. The junior strained an abdominal muscle Sept. 16 in the game against Pleasanton at the Alamodome and was held out last week. Arnold Navarijo (473 yds.) was the latest T-M back to step forward, scoring all 3 TDs last week. Mike Favela (257 yds., 3 TDs) is another threat out of T-M's backfield.
   The Wildcats, coach Tim Holt says, aren't the top dogs on the block yet. But they're battling as if they want to be. "We're real mean Chihuahuas. Little Chihuahuas that fight like pit bulls," Holt said. "We had a chance to beat Bay City and we had a chance to beat Carroll, and that's not supposed to happen." The Wildcats' non-district schedule served them well last week, limiting Kingsville to one score through three quarters. G-P failed on three other scoring shots inside Kingsville's 20 - "I made some poor calls that kept us from getting into the end zone," Holt said - but QB Brett Keener (523 ttl. yds.) scored twice to key G-P's attack. G-P's quick defenders and offensive execution worries Crawford most, he said.

   NON-DISTRICT
   George West at Beeville
   WHEN: 7:30 p.m.
   RECORDS: GW 2-2, Beeville 3-1
   LAST YEAR: GW 41, Beeville 13
   LAST WEEK: Refugio 13, GW 6; Beeville 36, Ingleside 22
   THE GAME: This is the final tuneup before the schools - George West in 29-3A, Beeville in 30-4A - open district next week. The Longhorns start has been strong defensively - they surrender less than 10 points per game - but up and down offensively (a 13.5-point scoring avg.). "On defense, I thought we'd be real strong," GW coach Jay Newberry said. "Offensively, even though we've struggled a little bit, there's some cases where we've exceeded our expectations and that's quarterback." Only a sophomore, Charlie Forbes (25-62-1, 3 TDs, 313 yds.) ranks sixth among area passers. Two-year starting RB Gabe Villarreal (224 yds. 4 TDs) continues to be the 'Horns' go-to guy, and junior WR Hector Cortez (7 rec., 121 yds.) has been Forbes' favorite target. The 'Horns also got a huge assist in last year's game with the Trojans, who turned over the ball four times in the first quarter. "If they want to go ahead and do that this year, we'll let 'em," Newberry said. Said Beeville coach Wayne Coleman: "I bet they can't beat us like that again. 'Course, I hope we don't turn the ball over that many times."
   Last year's loss was the beginning of an 0-6 end for Beeville. And Coleman still is looking for a sounder defense. "At this point, I'm disappointed in the defense, the fact we haven't shut people down in a way I think we ought to ...," Coleman said. "In three of the four games, we've had at least three-touchdown leads and I think it's taken the focus of the defense. 'Course, if it's 7-7 for three quarters, how are they going to react, and it's going to be that way this week." Offensively, QB Dusty Stewart (480 pass yds., 4 TDs) is fourth on Beeville's all-time passing list with 1,806 yds., 329 from breaking Tommy Turnipseed's record. RB Garrett Tindol (473 yds., 7 TDs) and RB Spencer Chaisson (231 yds.) have complemented Beeville's offense.

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