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November 1, 2009

High School Notebook: Hornets getting ready for Rebels; New Waverly to clash with Woodville

By Tom Waddill

Let’s have a little fun today.

One week remains in the 2009 regular season, but just for grins, let’s look ahead to the postseason and see what may be on the horizon for the Huntsville Hornets and New Waverly Bulldogs, teams that are making return trips to the state football playoffs.

It looks like Huntsville is on a collision course with the Rebels of Buda Hays. At 5-1 in District 18-4A play, the Hornets have wrapped up the top spot in the Division I, or big school, playoffs.

Brenham, at 6-0 in 18-4A play, has already clinched a share of the district title and is headed to the Division II, or small school, bracket.

On Friday night, Hays (3-1 in District 17-4A, 3-6 overall) lost to Del Valle in overtime, 27-21. Del Valle (4-0 in 17-4A, 8-1 overall) clinched the No. 1 seed in the Division I playoffs, while Hays earned the second spot in the big school bracket.

That means Huntsville and Hays will meet in the bi-district round of the playoffs.

“Buda Hays, I’m pretty sure that’s who it’s going to be,” Huntsville defensive coordinator Shane Martin said Saturday. “I’m about 99 percent sure we’re going to play those guys.”

Hays Consolidated, which started the season with five consecutive losses, got hot when the games became more important. After losing to Bastrop (34-14), Austin Anderson (35-14), Austin Bowie (26-3), Austin McCallum (40-35) and Rosenberg’s Lamar Consolidated (28-14), the Rebels opened district play with a convincing 52-14 victory over Elgin.

Coach Bob Shelton’s Hays team pounded Lockhart 34-14, then the Rebels mauled Manor 49-21.

On Friday, the top two teams in District 17-4A met at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Del Valle to decide the district championship. After playing to a 21-tie through four quarters, the Rebels and Cardinals headed to overtime.

Hays fumbled away its first and only possession at the Del Valle 5-yard line. The Cardinals won the game when Jovanni Valdez scored on a 1-yard run.

Friday’s win gave Del Valle its first district title in 32 years. The Cardinals are going to the playoffs for the first time in seven years.

Hays, which finishes the regular season against cross-town rival Kyle Lehman, is trying to avoid its first sub-.500 season since 1985. According to the HaysFreePress.com, that is the longest streak of its kind in Central Texas, in any classification. The Rebels will need to beat Lehman, Huntsville and one other team to get to the .500 mark.

With a home game against Willis still to play, the Hornets will not turn much of their attention to their bi-district opponent until next week. Martin knows Huntsville will have its hands full against a playoff-savvy Hays team that is led by a legend in the Texas high school coaching circles.

Shelton is in his 42nd year as the Rebels coach. He’s got another solid squad, which is led by quarterback Sam Breyfogle (82-of-154 for 1,303 yards and nine touchdowns), and running backs Trace Gandy (713 yards and four touchdowns), Anthony Garza (558 yards and four TDs) and Torrance Smith (279 yards and 12 touchdowns). Smith, Gandy and Kaimen Carpenter each have caught 19 passes this season.

Down in New Waverly, the Bulldogs have wrapped up the No. 1 seed in the Division II bracket of the Class 2A playoffs. New Waverly (4-0 in 21-2A, 7-2 overall) will play Woodville (2-2 in 22-2A, 4-5 overall) in the first round of the playoffs.

Woodville has had an up-and-down season. The Eagles kicked off the 2009 campaign with a 59-0 win over Kountze, then after losing to Hardin-Jefferson 26-7, coach Steve Fentress’ Woodville squad rebounded and walloped Warren 33-15. Hard times hit the Eagles, who lost three in a row to Shepherd (36-6), Corrigan-Camden (19-7) and Newton (34-13) before they got back on track with a 43-16 win over Shelbyville.

Kirbyville blasted Woodville two weeks ago 49-7, and last Friday, the Eagles outscored Hemphill 54-34.

The Bulldogs may get some good news later this week concerning future playoff opponents. Daingerfield, the team that knocked out New Waverly last season on its way to the Class 2A Division II state championship, may be headed to the big-school bracket this fall.

The Tigers will head to the Division I playoffs if Hughes Springs defeats Jefferson this week. Hughes Springs and Jefferson are fighting it out for the final playoff spot in District 17-2A. If Jefferson wins, Daingerfield is headed to the small-school playoffs where a rematch with New Waverly may occur in the Region III semifinals again.







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