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Saturday
November 21, 2009 Since 1922 |
Slim margins affect both BH, RSS
By Dave Rogers
The Baytown Sun Published October 30, 2009 What a difference a year makes.
The football players and coaching staffs at Barbers Hill and Baytown Sterling know.
A year ago, Barbers Hill went into its final regular season game with basically no chance of making the playoffs. Sterling was 2-1 in its district, 5-2 overall and headed to the playoffs for the first time in 23 years.
Tonight, Barbers Hill plays its District 19-4A finale at North Forest and needs a win to return to the playoffs for the first time in three years and ninth in the last 11.
Sterling, meanwhile, carries an 0-3 District 21-5A mark into tonight’s home game against league-leading West Brook.
The Rangers, 2-6 overall, are playing out the string, having been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention a week ago in a 68-13 loss to North Shore.
“There’s a fine line,” Sterling coach Herb Minyard said Thursday when asked about the difference.
“I wish I knew what the difference is. If I knew, then I’d bottle it and sell it.”
A year ago, Sterling opened district play with a 21-20 win over Lee. This year, Lee won 35-27.
“You’ve got to get that first win,” Minyard said. “All of the five district ballgames are big. I’ve told the kids over and over, the biggest game they’ll play in district will be the next one.
“We play Port Arthur, North Shore and West Brook right at the end of the district schedule. That’s just the way the schedule fell. But you’ve got to win one to start talking about playoffs.”
With four of the district’s six teams having already won two league games, Sterling needs to win both tonight against West Brook and Nov. 6 at Channelview to get as much as a tie for fourth place.
But each of the tie scenarios – mathematically possible against North Shore, Port Arthur and Lee – would be against teams that have already defeated Sterling, mean none of the head-to-head tiebreakers favor the Rangers.
“It’s always about us more than the opponent,” the Sterling coach said. “How well we’re playing offensively, defensively and in the kicking game.
“It seems when we do what we’re supposed to do in those areas, we have success. But when we don’t, we don’t.”
Minyard’s team has been stung by injuries more than a year ago. Linebackers Trev Mathis and Lance Angelle, two of the defensive leaders, are out for the season.
Meanwhile, West Brook has proven it can move the ball either with quarterback Bruce Reyes (who had 330 total yards two weeks ago against Lee) or running back Jeremy Cooper (who had 170 yards rushing in last week’s 13-7 win over Port Arthur).
“Offensively, they’ve got quite a few playmakers,” Minyard said, “and their defense has only given up one touchdown in three district games.
“They’re still shooting for a district championship and they want it to be uncontested, so they’ll be motivated coming to Baytown.”
Barbers Hill went 3-6 a year ago. The Eagles, who have lost four games by a total of 15 points, are 4-5 overall and 3-3 in district going into tonight’s game against 0-9 North Forest.
The only way Barbers Hill misses the playoff is a combination of an improbable Eagle loss and a win by C.E. King (5-4, 3-3) over Dayton (6-2, 5-1).
“A year’s difference does make a difference,” BH coach Don Price said. “We control our destiny. We just need to win it.”
And don’t look for the Eagles to look past the winless Bulldogs tonight.
“You always have to respect your opponent,” the coach said. “It’s really kind of a surprise they haven’t won a game, because they’ve got some good players, athletes who are very dangerous.
“But it’s got to be a matter of fact, business-like attitude for us. We’ve got to win.”
The Baytown Sun Published October 30, 2009 What a difference a year makes.
The football players and coaching staffs at Barbers Hill and Baytown Sterling know.
A year ago, Barbers Hill went into its final regular season game with basically no chance of making the playoffs. Sterling was 2-1 in its district, 5-2 overall and headed to the playoffs for the first time in 23 years.
Tonight, Barbers Hill plays its District 19-4A finale at North Forest and needs a win to return to the playoffs for the first time in three years and ninth in the last 11.
Sterling, meanwhile, carries an 0-3 District 21-5A mark into tonight’s home game against league-leading West Brook.
The Rangers, 2-6 overall, are playing out the string, having been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention a week ago in a 68-13 loss to North Shore.
“There’s a fine line,” Sterling coach Herb Minyard said Thursday when asked about the difference.
“I wish I knew what the difference is. If I knew, then I’d bottle it and sell it.”
A year ago, Sterling opened district play with a 21-20 win over Lee. This year, Lee won 35-27.
“You’ve got to get that first win,” Minyard said. “All of the five district ballgames are big. I’ve told the kids over and over, the biggest game they’ll play in district will be the next one.
“We play Port Arthur, North Shore and West Brook right at the end of the district schedule. That’s just the way the schedule fell. But you’ve got to win one to start talking about playoffs.”
With four of the district’s six teams having already won two league games, Sterling needs to win both tonight against West Brook and Nov. 6 at Channelview to get as much as a tie for fourth place.
But each of the tie scenarios – mathematically possible against North Shore, Port Arthur and Lee – would be against teams that have already defeated Sterling, mean none of the head-to-head tiebreakers favor the Rangers.
“It’s always about us more than the opponent,” the Sterling coach said. “How well we’re playing offensively, defensively and in the kicking game.
“It seems when we do what we’re supposed to do in those areas, we have success. But when we don’t, we don’t.”
Minyard’s team has been stung by injuries more than a year ago. Linebackers Trev Mathis and Lance Angelle, two of the defensive leaders, are out for the season.
Meanwhile, West Brook has proven it can move the ball either with quarterback Bruce Reyes (who had 330 total yards two weeks ago against Lee) or running back Jeremy Cooper (who had 170 yards rushing in last week’s 13-7 win over Port Arthur).
“Offensively, they’ve got quite a few playmakers,” Minyard said, “and their defense has only given up one touchdown in three district games.
“They’re still shooting for a district championship and they want it to be uncontested, so they’ll be motivated coming to Baytown.”
Barbers Hill went 3-6 a year ago. The Eagles, who have lost four games by a total of 15 points, are 4-5 overall and 3-3 in district going into tonight’s game against 0-9 North Forest.
The only way Barbers Hill misses the playoff is a combination of an improbable Eagle loss and a win by C.E. King (5-4, 3-3) over Dayton (6-2, 5-1).
“A year’s difference does make a difference,” BH coach Don Price said. “We control our destiny. We just need to win it.”
And don’t look for the Eagles to look past the winless Bulldogs tonight.
“You always have to respect your opponent,” the coach said. “It’s really kind of a surprise they haven’t won a game, because they’ve got some good players, athletes who are very dangerous.
“But it’s got to be a matter of fact, business-like attitude for us. We’ve got to win.”