In Focus: Clyde Bulldogs
Looking at the Clyde Bulldogs is almost like looking into the mirror if you are a Bearcat. Sporting identical 1-1 records the teams got them in much the same way. A slow start in Clyde’s first game of the season was almost disastrous for the Bulldogs as they trailed at half 32-14 against the Brownfield Cubs. Clyde would turn it around after the half and end up cruising to the victory 49-32.
Week 2 for the Bulldogs could not have been more different from their first than the Bearcats two games were. Clyde ran up against the Eastland Mavericks which is a very tough task for any 3A team. Against the Mavericks they were only able to muster 6 points in a 35-6 defeat.
Like the Bearcats the Bulldogs are quite young. With 9 Sophomores on their team they are even younger than the Bearcats are. The one position that might make the difference is the quarterback position. Against Brownfield the Bulldogs played two quarterbacks that combined for 218 passing yards and 176 rushing yards. Against the Mavericks only the younger of the two played.
In this game I ultimately believe it will come down to experience. With #17 Payton Burton(JR) pulling the trigger the Bulldogs looked much more dangerous than with #5 Jax Roam(SO). At the most important position on the field it looks like Ballinger will be playing a Senior in Xavier Nunez against a Sophomore. If this holds then I would expect the Bearcats to win in what should ultimately be a very close game.
Comanche (2-0):
Comanche has been on a roll this season scoring 93 points and giving up 0 in their first two games. We will find out just how good Comanche really is over the next three weeks as they face Cisco, September 19th and Eastland September 29th before starting district play. In district Coach Hermesmeyer will be looking for the Indians second straight undefeated district season.
Grape Creek (0-2):
For polar opposites in terms of teams we now present the Grape Creek Eagles. Long distant is last season when the Eagles were lighting teams up on the scoreboard. Suffering a 65-0 defeat at the hands of Alpine in Week 1 and again being handled easily in Week 2 44-6 The Eagles defense has given up 109 points through two games while being unable to score once offensively, as the score against Ballinger was a kick return. Grape Creek is struggling mightily at the moment and could give up upwards of 80 points when they face Wall on October 13th.
Merkel (1-1):
Merkel’s season has been somewhat of a mixed bag so far. An opening week opponent of Eastland was a difficult task. Jonah White returned the opening kick of the game for the Badgers, but they would only be able to score twice more the rest of the game as Eastland was victorious 42-20. In Merkel’s second game of the year they traveled to 2A Hamlin and were victorious against the Pied Pipers. Merkel’s weak link looks to be their passing game. So far they have completed just 15 passes on 34 attempts.
Junction (1-1):
As one of just two 2A teams on the Bearcats schedule the Junction Eagles should not pose much of a threat the defeat Ballinger. Saying that, however, the Eagles played Ballinger very tough a season ago so it is not a game that can be marked as a win before the game is played. Junction was defeated in the opening game of the season by 3A Ingram Moore 13-8. Surprisingly the Eagles dominated the Christoval Cougars in Week 2 47-12. Even if the Cougars do not look quite like the same team that went 8-2 a season ago, beating any team by five touchdowns is impressive.
Mason (2-0):
This is one of the the easiest breakdowns to write. Mason, long considered to be one of the better small school teams in west Texas has joined the truly elite since Kade Burns took over the team. Now in his 6th season as Head Football Coach for the Punchers there is little to nitpick about. These small town boys aren’t overly athletic or outstandingly fast. What they do for 48 minutes every Friday is they line up and 11 guys do exactly what they are supposed to do on every single play. Mason has defeated Goldwaithe 45-7 and Johnson City 35-0 in the first two weeks.
We will begin to look at District opponents next week.
