HornSports Staff
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The point on a brisket is typically the fattiest cut. Pitmasters often trim the point (and select edges) off a brisket and return those pieces to the smoker.
Are burnt ends tough, chewy worthless cuts of meat, or are they heavenly bites of smoky goodness? It depends on who you ask...
Rather than discard the trimmings and fat, we choose to savor all the information that flows through the site. So, sit down and help yourself to some burnt ends.
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Several Texas commits are still engaged in action as we enter the regional final round (state quarterfinal) of the Texas high school football playoffs. Let’s take a look at what happened this weekend and where you can find these players in the next round.
Shane Buechele – The Texas quarterback commit saw his season come to an end in a thrilling loss to Mansfield. Buechele had his team to the 25 yard line with 30 seconds left, but the Vikings just couldn’t get the ball in. He played a gutsy game as he was constantly under pressure but he completed 29 passes for 328 yards and 4 touchdowns with 2 interceptions. He finished the season with 2500 yards passing and a 29/6 TD to INT ratio with 65% completion. He also ran for 817 yards and 11 touchdowns. Buechele is set to enroll early in Austin.
Davion Curtis – Temple took down Richmond Foster to advance to the Region 3 5A final. They will face George Ranch Friday at the Berry Center in Cypress (7:30 PM). On the season Curtis has 37 catches for 877 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Reggie Hemphill – Manvel steamrolled Strake Jesuit 75-14 to advance to the 6A division 2 Region 3 finals. Hemphill had one catch for 49 yards and a touchdown. Manvel continues their quest for State against Katy on Friday night at NRG Stadium in Houston (7PM). Hemphill has 23 catches for 478 yards and 6 touchdowns on the season.
Demarco Boyd – Gilmer outlasted Center 36-21 to advance to the 4A Division 2 Region 2 final. They move on to face Atlanta on Friday in Longview (7:30) PM. Boyd had 24 yards and a touchdown on offense against Center which gives him 493 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season along with 30 catches for 367 yards and 4 touchdowns. On defense he has 60 tackles and 3 sacks.
Sam Ehlinger – Ehlinger led Westlake to a blowout over North Mesquite 56-7. He was 11-18 for 196 yards and three touchdowns while adding 56 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Westlake will face Humble Atascocita on Saturday at the Berry Center in Cypress (3PM). Ehlinger’s masterful season is up to 3095 yards passing and 42 touchdowns with 2 interceptions. On the ground he’s run for 977 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Lagaryonn Carson – Liberty-Eylau defeated Kaufman 38-22 in a cold and rainy game on Friday. The superstar 2017 commit was all over the place causing havoc. Liberty-Eylau will move on to face Argyle at 9PM in the 4A division 2 region 2 final at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Friday.
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The recruiting hits keep on coming for Texas as the Longhorns try to finish up a disastrous season and salvage what they can. This weekend they saw two of their big targets go off the board when Devwah Whaley committed to Georgia and Jordan Elliott pledged himself to Michigan. We’ve reported in the past about both recruits but we'll break it down a little further here.
Jordan Elliott – We've said from the jump that this one will have twists and turns all the way to signing day. Elliott is the type of kid who can be a victim of the moment, which is what led him to give commitments both publicly and privately to Baylor, Houston, Texas, and now Michigan over the course of his recruitment. We do believe he has put more time into this decision than the others, but his past dictates that nothing is set in stone until his LOI is faxed. If Texas can’t make the flip then they will have lost out on a guy who just a couple of weeks ago was a sure thing. Not a great sign of things to come.
Devwah Whaley – We reported over the last couple of weeks in Burnt Ends that Whaley is close with Davion Curtis and had given private assurances he was headed to Texas. We also reported it was a three team race with Arkansas and Texas way out in front of Georgia (Whaley even named Arkansas his leader publicly). So of course Devwah Whaley jumps the gun on his decision announcement and commits to Georgia. When we spoke to our source afterwards they were dumbfounded. Of course, Georgia fired head coach Mark Richt a few days later, and Whaley is still set to make his visit to Austin in two weeks. We point these things out to reiterate the fact that recruiting is a fickle game and things can change in the blink of an eye. What once seemed impossible becomes possible very quickly. Texas needs to move fast on their offensive coordinator hire and have some stability in place before recruits start making official visits over the next two months. With what we’ve been told and the situation at Georgia, I still believe this recruitment isn’t over and Texas can get Whaley. If he makes it to campus December 12 then that is a very good sign.
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This weekend we had the chance to speak to a couple of people from Mansfield about Trinity Valley Community College passer Jerod Evans. The Mansfield native is one of the top JUCO QB targets in the country, and could be an answer for Texas in the short term next season. Evans played in high school with Hassan Ridgeway and from what we were told would love a chance to play in Austin. The long and short of this situation is that it will be up to the new offensive coordinator. Charlie Strong is going to have to yield control to that side of the ball over to the new hire, and let them make the evaluations and decisions for what they need. If Texas brings in a true spread guy to call the plays then they will need a quarterback who can be reliable throwing it 45+ times per game.
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The Texas coaching staff hit the road this week to try and get face time with recruits. The biggest visit was with the HornSports 2016 Top 50 number 1 player, Brandon Jones. The Nacogdoches safety hosted the three best recruiters on the Texas staff (Jeff Traylor, Brian Jean-Mary, Chris Vaughn) and said he had a great visit. You can tell by the crew they sent to Nacogdoches that they value Jones a lot. Texas still feels good about this one and it will still likely come down to a battle between them and Texas A&M. On a related note, we spoke with a coach in Nacogdoches' district who said that Jones was one of the best high school players he’d ever seen. This could be another Malik Jefferson-like impact for Charlie Strong if he can close the deal. Right now I’d still lean towards the Aggies.
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Joe Wickline made his way to Arlington for a face-to-face with Texas commit Tope Imade on Sunday. We caught up with Imade shortly afterward to get details on the visit. Imade told us the hour and a half visit went great as the two caught up and discussed plans for his freshman year. Imade also set up his official visit for January, but said it could change. Arlington Bowie was eliminated from the playoffs in the first round, so with high school football over, Imade is focusing on the next level. He did tell us he may throw the discus during the track season.
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While Shane Buechele worked his heart out to deliver his team a win, he was opposed by a runner who simply wouldn’t be denied. Get to know the name Kennedy Brooks, because the 2017 Mansfield running back could be a top 10 player in the state this time next year. Brooks methodically marched down the field drive after drive totaling 267 yards and four touchdowns in a thriller on Saturday night. The hype around Brooks is starting to swell, and Mansfield is in the midst of the deepest playoff run in school history. We caught up with Brooks after his game to talk about the action and his recruitment. Fans at AT&T Stadium saw Mansfield with a 12 point lead and 1:06 remaining before Lamar recovered a fumble, scored, recovered an onside kick and drove inside the 30 before running out of time. As a neutral observer it was incredibly stressful, but Brooks knew his team would come through. “I was a little bit nervous, but I knew our team could stop them when we did,†said Brooks. “I’m just very proud of the team overall.†Brooks has early offers from Kansas, Michigan, SMU, Texas Tech, and Washington, but his profile is on the verge of exploding. Brooks tells us he’s not worrying about that though, “I’m not really focused on that right now. I’m just focused on the season, focused on going to state, and trying to help my team win a title.†Brooks did tell us he will turn his attention to recruiting once the season is over, but did not mention any schools that were sticking out for him. So where does Texas stack up in his recruitment? “I went to their camp in the summer, but that’s it,†Brooks said when asked if he is hearing from the Longhorns. Brooks is a powerful one-cut runner with great patience and vision who would fit perfectly in the Texas offense as it currently looks. If they want to get in on the next big thing in this state, they need to get in contact soon.
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The City of Mansfield is flying high after Mansfield Lake Ridge joined Mansfield High with a victory on Saturday night. The Eagles put up a staggering 700 yards of offense to overcome Mesquite Poteet. After trailing by two scores at the half, Poteet cut the lead down to 1 point in the third before Lake Ridge ran off 28 unanswered to cruise to a 69-40 victory. In a game full of offense, we sometimes forget to ask the defensive players what their perception is. Lake Ridge linebacker Loren Mondy spoke with us afterwards to tell us about his team and his recruitment. “Sensational,†Mondy told us after the game when asked how it felt after the big win. There was a momentum shift when Poteet got to within one, but Mondy said he never got nervous. “I had faith in my team,†said Mondy with a relaxed demeanor. Poteet’s main weapon was the undersized athlete Walter Dawn Jr who put on a show this season. Mondy was well aware of him and had a lot of respect for him telling us that Dawn is a great athlete. Mondy is currently committed to Arizona State, and classifies himself as a firm commitment due to the relationship with head coach Todd Graham. “Coach Graham just keeps it real with you.†Texas has been in contact with Mondy since the summer, and if there is one program that could turn Mondy from his commitment, it sounds like the Longhorns are in prime position. “Texas, I’m definitely liking it there. It’s close to home, something should be happening soon.†Mondy told us he is hearing from the Texas staff on a regular basis and they are asking him to send his film and transcripts. He also mentioned that he is planning on taking another visit to Austin in a few weeks. When asked to clarify his commitment status Mondy had this to say, “It’s strong, not a lot of people could change it, but Texas definitely could.†Mondy has total faith in the coaching staff and the future of the Texas team even after a lackluster effort this year. “They have a lot of great players, they will be a great team next year.†Mondy said other than Texas there aren’t any other schools that could shake him from his commitment to the Sun Devils. It stands to reason that if the coaching staff offers Mondy a scholarship they will be squarely in the mix for him.
