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Friday
November 20, 2009 Since 1922 |
Gander football team opens season tonight
By Michael Pineda
Baytown Sun Published August 31, 2007 For Robert E. Lee football fans, the eternity that is the off-season ends tonight.
The Ganders open one of the most highly anticipated football seasons in recent memory in Beaumont to take on Class 4A Beaumont Central.
The Jaguars are coming off an 8-4 season and a second-place finish in District 22-4A. Central defeated Barbers Hill 31-28 in the first round of the playoffs before falling in the second round.
Lee dropped last year’s season opener 21-9 to the Jaguars at Stallworth Stadium. The Ganders went on to claim the District 21-5A co-championship and fell to North Shore in a 34-33 bi-district contest. The Ganders return 13 starters from a 7-4 team and welcome several impact players including quarterback Josh Jones.
The offense expects to be tested by the Central defense.
“They are going to blitz us for sure,” Lee offensive coordinator Clint Reilly said. “They had a lot of success last year. In practice we have seen something comparable because our defense blitzes us every down. We have seen a lot of it in practice."
Reilly said his concern will be how the linemen handle sideline adjustments.
“They don’t really have that at the freshman and junior varsity level,” he said.
Defensive end Brian Davis will lead the Central defense after posting 55 tackles and seven sacks last season. The Jaguars will be inexperienced at linebacker, but return all but one starter in the secondary.
Brandon Williams was the focal point of the offense last season but has moved on to Texas A&M. Replacing him at quarterback is senior Patrick Fobbs who will lean on returning dual-threat running back Derrick Hall. Hall has committed to Texas A&M after entertaining offers from Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Arkansas and Missouri. Last season he had more than 1,000 yards in combined yardage.
“Their skill kids are good,” REL defensive coach Scott Joseph said. “We won’t see many like them. They run the zone read and the option, they are really fast.
“We are going to read and react. We don’t want to try to do something that we are not supposed to do. We have to trust each other; there are 10 other guys out there. We are going to try to stop the things that they do best.”
Directions: I-10 East to Beaumont, exit I-10 on Gulf Street. Turn left and go north under the freeway. Babe Zahariais Stadium is on the left.
Baytown Sun Published August 31, 2007 For Robert E. Lee football fans, the eternity that is the off-season ends tonight.
The Ganders open one of the most highly anticipated football seasons in recent memory in Beaumont to take on Class 4A Beaumont Central.
The Jaguars are coming off an 8-4 season and a second-place finish in District 22-4A. Central defeated Barbers Hill 31-28 in the first round of the playoffs before falling in the second round.
Lee dropped last year’s season opener 21-9 to the Jaguars at Stallworth Stadium. The Ganders went on to claim the District 21-5A co-championship and fell to North Shore in a 34-33 bi-district contest. The Ganders return 13 starters from a 7-4 team and welcome several impact players including quarterback Josh Jones.
The offense expects to be tested by the Central defense.
“They are going to blitz us for sure,” Lee offensive coordinator Clint Reilly said. “They had a lot of success last year. In practice we have seen something comparable because our defense blitzes us every down. We have seen a lot of it in practice."
Reilly said his concern will be how the linemen handle sideline adjustments.
“They don’t really have that at the freshman and junior varsity level,” he said.
Defensive end Brian Davis will lead the Central defense after posting 55 tackles and seven sacks last season. The Jaguars will be inexperienced at linebacker, but return all but one starter in the secondary.
Brandon Williams was the focal point of the offense last season but has moved on to Texas A&M. Replacing him at quarterback is senior Patrick Fobbs who will lean on returning dual-threat running back Derrick Hall. Hall has committed to Texas A&M after entertaining offers from Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Arkansas and Missouri. Last season he had more than 1,000 yards in combined yardage.
“Their skill kids are good,” REL defensive coach Scott Joseph said. “We won’t see many like them. They run the zone read and the option, they are really fast.
“We are going to read and react. We don’t want to try to do something that we are not supposed to do. We have to trust each other; there are 10 other guys out there. We are going to try to stop the things that they do best.”
Directions: I-10 East to Beaumont, exit I-10 on Gulf Street. Turn left and go north under the freeway. Babe Zahariais Stadium is on the left.