The Hornets know that tonight’s regular-season finale has no bearing on their postseason plans. Huntsville, which clinched a playoff spot with a victory over Magnolia two weeks ago, is headed to the Division I, or big-school, bracket to meet Buda Hays in a bi-district game next week.
The Hornets’ playoff road stays the same whether they win or lose tonight’s home game against Willis. Huntsville (5-1 in District 18-4A, 6-3 overall) plays the Rebels of Hays Consolidated at 2 p.m. on Nov. 14 at Georgetown High School.
Huntsville coach Mitchell Coey and his assistants have not said a word to the Hornets about Buda Hays, the Rebels’ winning tradition or anything else pertaining to the playoffs.
Coey wants his players focused on tonight’s game, and tonight’s game only.
“We want to try and play a perfect game. No penalties and no turnovers, that’s what we’re after,” Coey said after practice Thursday. “We need to continue to improve and get ready for the playoffs.”
Huntsville has reeled off four wins in a row. Since losing to Brenham in the second week of the district season, the Hornets have beaten Waller, Montgomery, Magnolia and Magnolia West by an average of more than 15 points.
That margin would have been greater but Huntsville’s defense gave up two fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 41-28 win over Magnolia, then after building a 39-6 lead last week, Magnolia West scored a pair of touchdowns on a long kickoff return and a 59-yard run late in the third period.
Shane Martin, Huntsville’s fiery defensive coordinator, wants the Hornets to tighten up and start tackling better before they head to the postseason. He wants to see improvements starting at 7:30 tonight.
“To be honest, I feel like we’ve jelled as a defensive unit, but in the last couple of weeks, while we haven’t taken a step back, we haven’t gotten better either,” Martin said. “We’ve got to make tackles and we’ve got to make some big plays. We’ve held our own, but I feel like we can get a lot better.
“I want our guys to step up and have a big ballgame against Willis,” Martin added. “We’re at home, and this is the last time our seniors are going to play at Bowers. We need to put on a good show. Our fans deserve that.”
The Hornets say they’re ready to put on another good show. They did that at home three weeks ago in a thrilling 18-15 win over Montgomery.
Junior Mark Wheeler believes it’s important to continue building momentum for what the Hornets are hoping will be a lengthy playoff run. They don’t want another one-and-done playoff appearance like last year.
“We need to keep playing like a team,” said Wheeler, one of the Hornets’ many versatile players who contributes on both offense and defense. “When we started playing as a team, we started producing better.
“We’ll be playing tomorrow’s game for the seniors. It’s their last game at Bowers, so we want them to go out with a bang.”
The Hornets started making some noise offensively a few weeks ago. With quarterback Justin Gilbert leading the way, they have averaged 43 points a game in the last two wins.
Offensive coordinator Kane Harris said there is plenty of room for improvement.
“Pass protection is one area where we can get better,” Harris said. “We’ve got to make sure we always protect our passer. We can also get better overall in everything we’re doing.”
Coey, Harris and Martin don’t want the Hornets to get satisfied. They’re glad to see their players having fun in practice and during games, but they’re going to keep pushing because
“A team never stays the same,” Coey stressed. “You either get better or worse, and we want to keep getter better every week.”
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Discussion
Focus on the present
With playoff future decided, Hornets not looking past Willis
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Back to work
Tick tick tick. Tick tick tick tick.
It won’t be long until the alarm goes off early Monday morning, signaling the start of high school football practice in Huntsville.
Freshmen hit the field at 8 a.m. Monday and Hornets head coach Shane Martin can’t wait. Huntsville’s defensive coordinator the past two years, Martin has been waiting seven long months for the first day of serious summer workouts. -
Huntsville ISD hires new volleyball coach
On paper and in her head, Stephanie Branch quietly took notes while sitting in the stands at Bryan High School on Thursday night. She paid particular attention to the team from Huntsville, because in a little more than a month that bunch will be her’s.
The daughter of a teaching and coaching couple, Branch, 31, was hired this week as the Lady Hornets’ new head volleyball coach. She replaces Brittany Brumbelow, who stepped down from her position at the end of the school year to spend more time with her family. -
High school notebook: Brenham boys edge Hornets at state track meet
Round one went to the Brenham boys. The Cubs won the District 18-4A boys track and field title last month in Willis.
The Huntsville boys took round two. Led by state qualifiers Justin Gilbert, Brodrick Hadnot, Henry Ford, Dimitri Collier and Cameron Simmons, the Hornets evened the score by outscoring the Cubs at the Region III track meet in Huntsville early this month.
In Austin last weekend, the Cubs edged the Hornets in the unofficial battle for track and field supremacy in District 18-4A. -
Going for gold
It wasn’t that long ago. RaKira Turner stood in the shot put ring and with all of her might, flat-footed she heaved the heavy ball forward.
Her first throws from the discus ring were even more memorable. With no idea about how to hold the strangely shaped disc, Turner did her best but the results were far from pretty. -
Hornets finish strong
They easily could have gone through the motions.
Sitting eighth in the team standings after a miserable first day at the UIL Boys Golf State Championships, the Hornets could have trudged around the Jimmy Clay Golf Course without a care.
They could have turned in another big score, gotten back on the bus and hit the highway headed home to Huntsville.
These Hornets had too much pride to mail in the second round of the tournament. On Tuesday, the Huntsville boys made a huge turnaround, shooting a team score of 307, which moved them up to sixth in the team standings. -
Difficult district
The Lady Hornets played their best round of golf Monday at Raven Nest Golf Club. Unfortunately for the Huntsville girls, they are stuck in District 18-4A with two, and probably three, of the top teams in the state.
Led by junior Madison Ward, who shot a solid 79, Huntsville’s varsity team posted a 349 team score during the first round of the District 18-4A tournament. That total puts the Lady Hornets in fourth place behind Montgomery Gold (310), Montgomery Purple (313) and Magnolia A (319) heading into today’s final round. -
Hornets finish first at Dayton track meet
The track teams from Huntsville High School did exactly what their head coach wanted them to do last week in the final tune-up before the all-important District 18-4A meet.
The Hornets finished first and the Lady Hornets placed third in the team standings at the Bronco Relays in Dayton. -
Gilbert advances to 100-meter finals at Texas Relays
Huntsville senior Justin Gilbert booked a spot in the main event. With a sizzling showing in the prelims for the 100-meter dash, Gilbert earned a place in the finals of the Texas Relays this afternoon in Austin.
Hopefully, he will have some company as some of his teammates try this morning to advance to the finals at Mike Myers Stadium at the University of Texas. -
‘I’m going to be nervous’
Austin’s Mike Myers Stadium is the place to be this weekend. The top track and field athletes not only in Texas, but from across the United States, will be competing inside a stadium full with the sport’s most passionate fans.
As a reward for weeks of hard work, and also to act as a possible tune-up for next month’s season-ending state meet, Huntsville High School is sending its best athletes to Austin, too. -
Top-ranked Cubs bring big bats to Huntsville
On a night when Brenham’s Chase Wellbrock nearly threw a no-hitter, Huntsville head coach Jeff Brumbelow shook his head more about the Cubs’ impressive hit parade.
Brenham came to Kate Barr Ross Park on Wednesday and quickly took control on the District 18-4A baseball game against the Hornets. The top-ranked Cubs banged out 16 hits in the first three innings and scored 13 runs on their way to a commanding 18-1 win over Huntsville. - More Hornet Sports Headlines
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