High School Football Week 17

[Sirhornsalot]

Austin Westlake QB Sam Ehlinger is the only Texas committal (2016) remaining in the playoffs. Westlake scored a huge upset of #1 Allen and their 50+ game winning streak last week.

Ehlinger was 18 of 37 for 259 yards and 3 TDs, 2 INTs. He had a completion rate of .486, ave completion of 14.6 yards and a long of 70 yards. His QB rating was 76.3

On the ground, Ehlinger had 127 yards on 30 carries for an average of 4.2 ypc. He had a long of 45 yards.

Ehlinger and Westlake are a win away from a state title, but will have to get past Houston power Galena Park North Shore first.

Other notes . . . 

– Frisco ISD began in 1905. If Frisco Lone Star upsets Cedar Park in Houston, it will be Frisco ISD's first state title ever.

– Keep an eye on Cedar Park sophomore QB Mak Sexton. He looks like a sophomore to the eye, but plays like a seasoned senior. Texas should start talking to this young man.

Mak Sexton

Here's some commentary from the Austin American Statesman after Cedar Park's win over Kerrville Tivy.

Sexton, who hasn’t given up the starting job since he took over when senior Baxter Robertson was injured in the season opener, finished with 335 yards and four touchdowns on 19-of-27 passing. The four-touchdown performance was Sexton’s fourth of the season, and it came a week after he threw for four touchdowns in a bi-district victory over Bastrop.

By comparison, former Timberwolves quarterback Amir Alzer threw eight touchdown passes over Cedar Park’s six playoff games in 2014.

“He’s got a great arm and he sees the defense really well,†said Cedar Park’s first-year head coach Carl Abseck, who was the team’s offensive coordinator in 2014.

– Austin Westlake is coached by former Longhorn QB Todd Dodge.

– When Waskom and Idalou faced off in the Class AA semifinal last week, it featured teams from towns that are 500 miles apart. Waskom is in NE Texas on the Louisiana border. Idalou is just outside of Lubbock.

– This is Mansfield Lake Ridge's first appearance in the state final in any classification.

On Sunday, Allen quarterback Seth Green and Argyle Liberty Christian quarterback Nick Starkel joined many recruits across the country in flipping their verbal college commitment.
Green switched from the University of Oregon to Minnesota because Oregon offensive coordinator/quarterback coach Scott Frost became the head coach at Central Florida.

Starkel retracted his commitment to Oklahoma State and reopened his recruitment:

Some fans were understandably unhappy. What is not understandable is some of the things they tweeted at these two high school kids:   http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/high-school/high-schools/2015/12/13/terrible-things-people-tweeted-local-recruits-changing-college-committments

– Keep an eye on TB Darius Anderson of Richmond George Ranch. He is committed to Mizzou. In last week's game against Cedar Park Vista Ridge, he had 277 yards on 18 carries and 2 TDs.

Katy's Kyle Porter is a Texas target. He and his Katy Tigers will face Lake Travis in Houston.

– My picks are in RED, below. Last week I was 13-7

CLASS 6A DIVISION I
State Semifinals
Austin Westlake 23, Allen 17
Galena Park North Shore 23, Converse Judson 17

State Championship
Austin Westlake (14-1) vs. Galena Park North Shore (12-3), 4 p.m. Dec. 19, Houston's NRG Stadium

CLASS 6A DIVISION II
State Semifinals
Lake Travis 49, Mansfield 21
Katy 38, Cibolo Steel 0

State Championship
Katy (15-0) vs. Lake Travis (15-0), 8 p.m. Dec. 19, Houston's NRG Stadium

CLASS 5A DIVISION I
State Semifinals
Mansfield Lake Ridge 42, Aledo 21
Richmond George Ranch 42, Cedar Park Vista Ridge 23

State Championship
Mansfield Lake Ridge (15-0) vs. Richmond George Ranch (15-0), 8 p.m. Friday, Houston's NRG Stadium
 

CLASS 5A DIVISION II
State Semifinals
Frisco Lone Star 55, Lake Dallas 49, 3OT
Cedar Park 38, Fort Bend Ridge Point 17, 2 p.m. Saturday, Houston's NRG Stadium

State Championship
Frisco Lone Star (14-1) vs. Cedar Park (15-0), noon Dec. 19, Houston's NRG Stadium

CLASS 4A DIVISION I
State Semifinals
Argyle 24, Abilene Wylie 17
Waco La Vega 39, Carthage 3

State Championship
Argyle (14-1) vs. Waco La Vega (15-0), noon Friday, Houston's NRG Stadium

CLASS 4A DIVISION II
State Semifinals
Celina 49, Gilmer 44
West Orange-Stark 41, Cuero 28
 

State Championship
Celina (15-0) vs. West Orange-Stark (14-1), 4 p.m. Friday, Houston's NRG Stadium

CLASS 3A DIVISION I
State Semifinals
Brock 38, Mineola 22
Cameron Yoe 40, Mathis 14
 

State Championship
Brock (15-0) vs. Cameron Yoe (14-1), 5 p.m. Thursday, Houston's NRG Stadium

CLASS 3A DIVISION II
State Semifinals
Waskom 28, Idalou 24
Franklin 10, East Bernard 7
 

State Championship
Waskom (15-0) vs. Franklin (15-0), 8 p.m. Thursday, Houston's NRG Stadium

CLASS 2A DIVISION I
State Semifinals
Canadian 61, Crawford 14
Refugio 46, Lovelady 28

State Championship
Canadian (15-0) vs. Refugio (13-2), 10 a.m. Thursday, Houston's NRG Stadium

CLASS 2A DIVISION II

State Semifinals
Albany 12, Seagraves 7
Bremond 40, Muenster 7

State Championship
Albany (14-1) vs. Bremond (15-0), 1 p.m. Thursday, Houston's NRG Stadium

 

[Utjb27]

Game of the night to me is Lake Travis vs. Katy. Katy bring their notorious ground and pound, whereas Lake Travis runs a skilled and sharp spread offense. Both have very strong defenses. Interesting similarities and contrasts will make for an exciting game

 

[mctmatt]

If the Celina Bobcats can pull the upset over West Orange=Stark, they will have won 9 State Titles. Not sure if they stay on the field with WOS but I am pulling for them and hope they bring home title number 9,  I imagine that Hwy 290 and Hwy 71 to Houston will be stacked up with Austin faithful travelling to support their teams this weekend.  Some great match ups and the Katy vs Lake Travis to me is the highlight game. 

 

[DBut82]

Question: Haven't, for the past few years at least, the state championship games been played at Jerry World? Why are they now played in Houston?  BTW, great post SHA! Thanks!

 

[mctmatt]

The Cowboys are playing there Saturday night against the Jets.

 

[UTK66]

Question: Haven't, for the past few years at least, the state championship games been played at Jerry World? Why are they now played in Houston?  BTW, great post SHA! Thanks!

Cowboys have a home game Saturday night so the playoffs were moved to Houston. I think the plan is to go back to Dallas next year.

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

IMHO, the UIL championships should be moved between Houston, Arlington, and San Antonio anyway.

 

[DBut82]

Thanks guys! As big a Cowboy fan as I claim to be, that thought never entered my mind.  Probably because of the season we're having...smh.  I do agree with you tho J.B., the championship games should rotate

 

[Sirhornsalot]

I think the plan was to alternate between sites but Jerra gets the lion share of the years events.

Lots of great games. Frisco-Cedar Park should be a doozie. Refugio-Canadian should also be a nail biter.

 

[Sirhornsalot]

If the Celina Bobcats can pull the upset over West Orange=Stark, they will have won 9 State Titles. Not sure if they stay on the field with WOS but I am pulling for them and hope they bring home title number 9,  I imagine that Hwy 290 and Hwy 71 to Houston will be stacked up with Austin faithful travelling to support their teams this weekend.  Some great match ups and the Katy vs Lake Travis to me is the highlight game. 

Celina is something else. I once went to a game there between Celina and Daingerfield. I was impressed with their little football stadium/complex. And their fans . . . tons of old farmers all decked out in bright orange coats/shirts and everyone wears the same Celina Bobcat Football cap. Huge support for such a small place.

Daingerfield beat Celina that night. Celina fans were very respectful and complimentary after the game. Reminded me of Nebraska fans.

 

[mctmatt]

Celina is something else. I once went to a game there between Celina and Daingerfield. I was impressed with their little football stadium/complex. And their fans . . . tons of old farmers all decked out in bright orange coats/shirts and everyone wears the same Celina Bobcat Football cap. Huge support for such a small place.

Daingerfield beat Celina that night. Celina fans were very respectful and complimentary after the game. Reminded me of Nebraska fans.

I love small town Friday nights as that is what those little communities live for and if you have a good season it just lifts the community in so many ways. I would love to spend a season traveling to different small town ball games exploring the town cafe's and coffee stops and just blog about it from a nice little Silver Airstream.  I have the car,  laptop, but no Airstream and I still have to work for several more years but hey I can dream. 

 

[Coal Harbour]

Celina would be a great place for that kind of trip.  They have a beautiful high school, but still play at the old football stadium a couple miles south of the school.  The town square is cool with a few good places to eat.  They certainly love their football and have a legitimate chance of taking down WOS after defeating Argyle and Gilmer this season.

 

[Sirhornsalot]

I love small town Friday nights as that is what those little communities live for and if you have a good season it just lifts the community in so many ways. I would love to spend a season traveling to different small town ball games exploring the town cafe's and coffee stops and just blog about it from a nice little Silver Airstream.  I have the car,  laptop, but no Airstream and I still have to work for several more years but hey I can dream. 

Funny you should mention that. I have always thought a movie/book should be made about the 1983 Daingerfield Tigers. That's the team that many feel was the best Texas HS football team of all time. 14 shutouts. Will never be done again.

But before the first snap of the season was made, Lone Star Steel, a very large steel plant that employed 6,000 local folks – had what has since been called "Black Friday" where some 3,600 workers were laid off in one afternoon. It was a dark, dark time for that community. My Dad worked at that steel mill and had just retired a week before "Black Friday." He gave them 34 years.

The dominance of new, higher grade, Japanese steel is what sunk the US steel industry. Incredible that they could make oil field pipe cheaper, better, and then ship it over here for less than what we could make a lower grade here.

So much uncertainty and doubt and depression over what had happened and the vast unemployment left behind. Daingerfield was a real mess.

Enter a football team that made an entire town forget its misery. They weren't just good, they were "come watch history be made" good. It gave the people of that area something to feel good about, something to look forward to, something to make them forget all the bad was in their lives.

That team put the town on its back and carried it. When all was done, a state title was in hand won in the snow and ice at Floyd Casey Stadium.

Today, Lone Star Steel was sold to US Steel of Pennsylvania. It is operating at about 1/8 capacity with a skeleton employment structure. It is a shadow of its former self. Daingerfield has dropped from Class 4A (now 5A) in 1982 to an expected drop to class 3A Div II in the next UIL alignment. Obama's war on coal has shut down the other major employer in the community - Welsh Power Plant which was only built in the late 1970s. Less than half the households in Daingerfield today have school aged children in them.

Would be a far more interesting story than Friday Night Lights was.

 

[Sirhornsalot]

Celina would be a great place for that kind of trip.  They have a beautiful high school, but still play at the old football stadium a couple miles south of the school.  The town square is cool with a few good places to eat.  They certainly love their football and have a legitimate chance of taking down WOS after defeating Argyle and Gilmer this season.

While I think Celina has a decent shot at knocking off WOS, Gilmer and Argyle are both not up to par with the usual product both schools produce.

Gilmer which usually puts 40-50 points between itself and its victims, barely scrapped by many teams this year. Argyle has had an equally tough time.

Meanwhile, Waco LaVega REALLY opened my eyes this past weekend with the ease at which they dispensed of mighty Carthage, which had just beat Navasota.

Give me La Vega and about 25 points over Argyle.

 

[mctmatt]

While I think Celina has a decent shot at knocking off WOS, Gilmer and Argyle are both not up to par with the usual product both schools produce.

Gilmer which usually puts 40-50 points between itself and its victims, barely scrapped by many teams this year. Argyle has had an equally tough time.

Meanwhile, Waco LaVega REALLY opened my eyes this past weekend with the ease at which they dispensed of mighty Carthage, which had just beat Navasota.

Give me La Vega and about 25 points over Argyle.

I cannot disagree with this at all as La Vega seemed to have that special type team this year and even though I will be cheering for Celina , I think WOS will claim victory and the score could be as much as 3 TD's as they just have so many weapons.   Regarding your comment on that Daingerfield team I remember that story and watching them take down one team after another with zero points allowed.  They only had 8 points scored on them all year.  What many people don't realize is as good as that defense was  many are not even aware of 1973 Big Sandy who had the following players  Lovie Smith, David Overstreet, and Bobby Mitchell.  They scored I think over 800 points and only allowed 15 points the entire season. They played Rule Bobcats in the State Championship who was QB by Art Briles and his dad was the Head Coach I think.   Another team to consider is the 1980 Pittsburg Team who had almost has many shutouts as the 1983 Daingerfield Team.  They shut out 12 opponents and only allowed 23 points scored on them the entire season. The first game they beat Mt. Pleasant 15 to 14 then they beat Jacksonville the following week just allowing them to score 7 points then they went the rest of the season shutting out all other opponents until they met Van Vleck in the Finals and beat them 13 to 2.  

 

[Sirhornsalot]

I cannot disagree with this at all as La Vega seemed to have that special type team this year and even though I will be cheering for Celina , I think WOS will claim victory and the score could be as much as 3 TD's as they just have so many weapons.   Regarding your comment on that Daingerfield team I remember that story and watching them take down one team after another with zero points allowed.  They only had 8 points scored on them all year.  What many people don't realize is as good as that defense was  many are not even aware of 1973 Big Sandy who had the following players  Lovie Smith, David Overstreet, and Bobby Mitchell.  They scored I think over 800 points and only allowed 15 points the entire season. They played Rule Bobcats in the State Championship who was QB by Art Briles and his dad was the Head Coach I think.   Another team to consider is the 1980 Pittsburg Team who had almost has many shutouts as the 1983 Daingerfield Team.  They shut out 12 opponents and only allowed 23 points scored on them the entire season. The first game they beat Mt. Pleasant 15 to 14 then they beat Jacksonville the following week just allowing them to score 7 points then they went the rest of the season shutting out all other opponents until they met Van Vleck in the Finals and beat them 13 to 2.  

Overstreet and Mitchell were not there at the same time. Overstreet was a little younger. Lovie was a beast on defense.

I played against that Pittsburg team. They beat us 21-0. Worst I've ever felt after a football game. They were very physical. Our towns were closely situated so all through growing up our teams (little league baseball) would always get consolidated with Pittsburg's. So we knew each other VERY well.

Today, I am still close friends with several members of that team. Danny Miner, the center, and I talk often. Terry Waldrep, a OG, was coaching Pittsburg until just a few years ago. He's in PISD admin now.

Having played against that team and with members of the '83 Tigers (I graduated in '82), I can say it wouldn't be as close as you might think. Daingerfield had a RB corps that was friggin 6-deep – any of them could have started anywhere in the state. I've never seen a collection of talent like that in one place.

 

[mctmatt]

Overstreet and Mitchell were not there at the same time. Overstreet was a little younger. Lovie was a beast on defense.

I played against that Pittsburg team. They beat us 21-0. Worst I've ever felt after a football game. They were very physical. Our towns were closely situated so all through growing up our teams (little league baseball) would always get consolidated with Pittsburg's. So we knew each other VERY well.

Today, I am still close friends with several members of that team. Danny Miner, the center, and I talk often. Terry Waldrep, a OG, was coaching Pittsburg until just a few years ago. He's in PISD admin now.

Having played against that team and with members of the '83 Tigers (I graduated in '82), I can say it wouldn't be as close as you might think. Daingerfield had a RB corps that was friggin 6-deep – any of them could have started anywhere in the state. I've never seen a collection of talent like that in one place.

You know back then your offseason was pretty much in the Hay fields during the summer and most schools that size just had a universal weight machine and supplements well pretty much just a few extra eggs, or penut butter sandwiches with honey to help you try and gain weight. 

 

[Sirhornsalot]

You know back then your offseason was pretty much in the Hay fields during the summer and most schools that size just had a universal weight machine and supplements well pretty much just a few extra eggs, or penut butter sandwiches with honey to help you try and gain weight. 

Exaclty, and those salt tablets they made us take that were big enough for a horse. Ugggh.

Coach Dennis Alexander would not let us have water during two-a-days when I was a sophomore. The next year, he allowed us to have two 15 min ice breaks (no water) at each practice. By my senior year, he let us have both water and ice during those two breaks. We would fill our helmets up with ice, then pour water in them with our finger in the bottom hole. Then hoist it above our heads and drink ice cold water through the hole. LOL. . . the things you're willing to do when it's 105 outside. LOL

I was QB and remember hating being tackled at practice because of all the sticker burs in our practice field. We hated it.

 

[Sirhornsalot]

WOW, what an unprecedented move.

FIVE FAILING ISD’S IN TEXAS GET THE AXE

December 01, 2015
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) Commissioner Michael Williams has ordered five school district closures — the most in Texas history.  These closures impact students in five school districts, which are failing academic or financial tests.

These districts are:

La Marque Independent School District, in Galveston County,
Premont ISD, near Corpus Christi,
Jonesboro ISD, an hour west of Waco,
Pearsall ISD, in the Rio Grande Valley, and
Marlin ISD, southeast of Waco.

Watchdog.org reported this week that more than 10,000 Texas students have been relegated to these districts which have been failing for years. We counted the students as just over 6,500 – but that is still a large number of students which are not getting the education they deserve and that taxpayers are paying for.

The TEA revokes accreditation of districts that fail to meet scholastic or fiscal benchmarks for four consecutive years.  Like many small districts around the state, the five failing systems have experienced declining enrollment at a time when enrollment across the state is growing.

While it is a painful process for the community, education is the ticket out of poverty for these students.  Assigning them to failing schools is a unacceptable.

Who is to blame?

While the state and federal government provide some funding, mandates and guidelines, public schools are the run by elected local school boards, which hire a superintendent who is responsible for the district’s administration.

While the school board members serve without compensation, the superintendents of the five school districts identified for closure earn hefty salaries.

And what were the Superintendents making in these schools which had been failing for years? It may surprise some citizens to know.

According to the TEA’s website:

La Marque ISD’s superintendent is making $138,054 and has 2,300 students;

Premont ISD’s superintendent makes $120,000 and has 507 students;

Jonesboro ISD’s superintendent makes $85,000 with 190 students;

Pearsall ISD’s superintendent makes $130,000 and has 2,560 students; and

Marlin ISD’s Superintendent makes $140,000 and the district has only 945 students.

Superintendents in these five failing school districts made a total of more than $613,000 in salary alone, not counting other perks usually provided in superintendent contracts. These superintendents had in their combined districts only 6,500 students in a total of 18 schools.

Salaries are set by the local school boards, often with input by the Texas Association of School Boards and the Texas Association of School Administrators as they often provide the proposed contracts.

The state average economically disadvantaged students is 60% and two of the failing ISD’s had lower than average percentages of disadvantaged students – La Marque ISD had 53% and Jonesboro had 54%.

Some ISD’s appear to have more money than sense. Premont ISD spends over $7 million a year, but only $2.8 million is spent on instruction. That ISD had a fund balance of over $1 million.

Marshall ISD has a fund balance of over $13 million and a budget of less than $22 million.

Pearsall ISD had a dropout rate of almost 10% – which is astounding as most observers consider the official dropout rate as lower than the real number.

In Marlin ISD, the District had one staff member for every 5.8 students.

In fact the five school districts had a combined staff of 874 but only 435 of those staff members were teachers.

http://watchdog.org/249117/flunking-schools-texas/