August 15, 2024 • 20 mins
Greg Tepper, Managing Editor of Dave Campbells Texas Football Magazine, joins the program for his weekly chat to preview 2A and 1A Texas High School Football along with other college football storylines.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
And we're back to the Greg Way Show. Have a
message for Craig share it by you see the talkback
feature on the iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
As glad to have you with us on this Thursday afternoon.
And as always, uh it's it's always a good time
to talk football, whether it be in the high school
or collegiate variety.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
This should make you happy.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
If you haven't already located a copy of Dave Campbell's
Texas Football magazine. I saw it this h during this
weekend at AGB. Uh so, Uh, you know AGB is
all around obviously Central Texas, Greater Roston Ary, San Antonio, Houston,
and that's all. It's all them set up in an
(00:57):
AGIB there and they're growing in the metroplex as well,
and fort Worth and Frisco and Plaino, and I think
they're building one in Allen. Joining us from the Dallas
Fort Worth metroplex is managing editor of Dave Campbell's Texas
Football magazine, Greg Teppers. You don't live near an HTB,
do you. I don't.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
But actually a couple of weeks ago we took a
family vacation down to the Houston area. Well, we went
down to NASA League City, Galveston, kind of southeast of
Houston area, and we stopped buying AGB and and that's
where I saw Dave Campbell's in the Wild, the magazine
in the while for the first time. And it was
very exciting because we we had really prime placement right
(01:41):
next to Barry's magazine, which was apparently all about recipes
you can make with Barri's.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
So so it's a it's a real glow up for
little old.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
Dave Campbell's Texas Football getting to be next to you know,
how to make.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Devil's Food cake and stuff like that. Things are looking
up for us.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
You go, there's real projected growth and involved there. Okay,
all right, hey, tell everybody a little bit about, first
of all, what your staff is doing in and I'm
not just talking about the high school staff. Those who
are covering college football and Mike Craven's been bouncing all
over the place cover and see what did they do
(02:21):
at this time of year before we start to see
actual games being played in a couple of weeks.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
Yeah, you know, this is kind of the build up.
Summer is really officially over for us, you know, because
it's two weeks from today, two weeks from probably like
right about now that the first technic play school football
game is going to kick off, and so we are
in full preparation mode to make sure that we can
hit the ground running, you know, when the season worlds round.
Because the thing about what I have figured out over
(02:50):
my thirteen fourteen years here at Day Campbell's is that
you have to have kind of protocols and plans in
place so that everybody understands what's going on when you know,
the football starts lying, so to speak. Because that's that's
the biggest thing for us, is we've got to make
sure we get all of our dusts in a row
because it's it's so easy to get overwhelmed by everything.
(03:12):
There is so much football that goes on starting in
two weeks.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
I mean, you're you're.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Talking about, you know, fifteen hundred high school football teams
and so you know, conservatively there's between five hundred and
six hundred Texas high school football games every Friday night.
And that's not to mention all the college staff. You know,
not just the thirteen FBF teams, but the thirty five
non FBF teams. So we have to right now, what
we're really doing is getting all those systems in place
(03:38):
to make sure that we can hit the ground running
or don't we don't get overwhelmed and keep our eye
on the ball whatever it rolls around. Not to mention
all the all the stuff that our streaming platform, second
Live is doing, getting duck and row. There's we're streaming
things right now, volleyball down there in the Houston area,
you know, because it never sleeps. It's already in season
for our streaming platform, and and so there's just there's
(03:59):
a lot to do. But of course in two weeks
then it really peddled the medal and it is a
seventeen week sprint to Christmas.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
How how pumped are you.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Over the reality that within what two hours, there will
actually be scrimmages going on all across the state of
Texas for high school football teams. That next mile marker
there will be actual scrimmages between different schools against one another.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Yeah, there'll be there'll be pads popping.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
And I know there have been pads popping, you know,
in practice, but this is different, you know, and you
talk with coaches, this is this is a fun time,
you know, because you finally go out there and hit
someone else you know, you can just lay it on
out there and certainly nobody's trying to get hurt or anything.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
But you know, again, that's those first couple of.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
Hits out of the way really lets you know that that, yeah,
football season is around. What I'm also really excited about
is inevitably, whenever I'm going to get a text message tonight,
who is going to say, like, hey, by the way, hey,
fall At looks really good in their scrimmage tonight, like
money to rethink the district?
Speaker 1 (05:07):
And it's like, okay, well, you know, it's a scrimmage.
It's it's fine. I'm interested, but I'm I'm not. I'm
not interested who win? You know, what what I.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
Want to do is here, if there's any news that
comes out of it, you know, hopefully everybody comes out
of it healthy. But that's that's the biggest thing is
inevitably there will be some people who want to jump
to some conclusions starting tonight, which.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Which really means footballs back in Texas.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Yeah, yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Greg Tapper, managing editor Dave Campill's Texas Football Magazine with
us before we jump to the two A preseason uh
uh uh preview if you will, Uh, I want to
ask about something else, and I know you've got your
thoughts on this as well. There's so much that is
has been written and said, and you guys were right
(05:51):
at the forefront of it as well about the renewal
of the rivalry between Texas and Texas A and M.
After all, it is the cover story of your publication
with Quinn Ewers and Connor Wigman on the front with
rivalry Reborn next Thursday, there's a big lunchin over in
Houston that Andrew Monico, the voice of the Aggies, and
then I will kind of be com seeing there where
(06:13):
with the athletic director is going to be there and
it's the whole lone star showdown thing. Reborn in Houston
next Thursday, says there's an awful lot about Texas and
Texas A and M. Also also both teams are going
in less powerful at the running back spot going into
this season.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
Obviously, the long Runs have lost two running backs.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Is has been well documented in these parts, losing C. J.
Baxter and then the freshman Christian Clark, and then Ruben Owens,
who we you and I followed very very very closely
throughout his collegiate career del Campo. Now he's out at
Texas A and M. What are your college writers saying
to you about how these teams are affected by these things?
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Yeah, most certainly.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
You know, you'll start, you know, we'll start with, you know,
in Texas and obviously losing a guy, losing us like
Baxter and Clark, I think are so critical to what
they were able to do because they need to provide
that balance there for Texas and if there it's strange
to say, but if there is an area that that
(07:15):
they you certainly need depth entering the sec. Uh, this
is the place that they needed it.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Now there's there's.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Still plenty of talent, Like the top end here is
still really exciting.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Right. You have every reason to be excited about Jayden Blue, right.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
I mean, he was such a rock star there at
at at clin Kane coming out of the Houston area.
There's there's plenty of reason to believe that Trey Weisner,
who dazzled at De Soto, can can pick up the slack.
They're not hurting for, uh, you know, the Texas is
not hurting for these kind of talent.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
At the running back spot. I think what they're they're
hurting for is kind of known commodity. I think that's
what CJ.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
Baxter really provided was like, Okay, this is a rock
stell guy, this is this is the guy that we
know we can count on. By by losing him, I
think that that hurts, you know. For A and M,
I think it's it's it's a little bit different in
the sense that I do think now they are a
little thin at the running back spot.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
You know, Levion Moss is now going to be the.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
The bell cow back, the guy that's going to get
the majority of the carries. But past that, it is real,
it gets it gets.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
Thin in a hurry, you know.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
E J.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Smith.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
I think it's going to see a fair number of
carries here, you know, because I think they're going to
need that kind of thing. We know in the rough
and tumble sec you need that kind.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Of quality depth.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
Uh what does this do to the game plan? I
think offensively for both these programs, we knew that they
were going to throw the ball. Both these programs we're
going to throw the ball. But I think for Texas
again just because they're they're a bit more of a
fully formed product. And for Texas, A and M still
needing a variety of pieces to still step up, especially
outside where there there's a lot of mysteries out there
(08:54):
at the receiver spots.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
This is going to be really interesting. Does more fall
in the passing game?
Speaker 4 (08:59):
Uh, it feels like maybe the margins are a little
bit thinner there at A and M, which is going
to make this make the loss of a guy like
rubn Owens hurt a little bit more than maybe at
Texas where it's not good. I'm not saying I recommend CJ.
Baxer get hurt or you're starting running backet hurt. But
what I'm saying is that I think that the way
that that offense is built is maybe a little bit
better equipped to handle a.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
Tough injury like that.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Visiting with Greg Tepper, managing editor of Dave Campbell's Texas
Football magazine. All right, as we jump into our two
A preview, I want to refer to a story that's
on your website at Texas Football dot com, and it's
a fascinating read that you wrote, and it's entitled perfect
(09:44):
These eighty four Texas high school football teams could go
undefeated in twenty twenty four. You picked out eighty four
schools that you said could go un to feet now
qualifier you're saying could go un beating in the regular season, correct? Than?
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Okay? All right?
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Of those eighty four, there are six in two A
Division one, there are five.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
Into A Division two.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Would it be safe to say that the surest thing
out of those to go ten and zero would be
Albany or defending state champion two A D two.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
I might sit, I might agree with you, but I
will tell you because you know now you know this
is if you're wondering what kind of year it is
for me, the time of year for me is I
start now is when I start looking at schedules, and
I started taking a look at who's playing whom and when.
And I will tell you that there's going to be
a couple of really early tests here for Albany, specifically,
right out of a shoot they're at Stanford and they're
(10:41):
at Holly. To top ten teams in the two A
Division one ranks.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
And especially early, we just don't know what Albany is
going to look like. Yes, they are the.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
Two time defending two A Division two stay champs. They
have a legendary head coach in Denny Faith. He deserves
not just the benefit of the doubt. He deserves any
I had of any benefit of the doubt that you
could possibly offer him.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
But that said, there are some real questions about this all.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
But the teams specifically, they lose, they graduate relatively heavy,
and they lose the guy who was there real rocks
on and their real go to guy in Adam Hill.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
I mean, he was so important to what they do.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
I think a lot more of this offense is going
to fall in their lessie quarterback, Chip Chambers, who really
did impress last year and I think grew into that
role as a junior. He's now a senior and I
think that they're excited about what he can do. But
there are questions to be answered there. If you were
asking me who is maybe the most likely to go
Tenano out of that buk, it might be a team
like Mark. You know, Mark is a team that I
(11:40):
think is flying under the raidar a little bit by
Mark standards.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Now when they get in the district play.
Speaker 4 (11:45):
You know, Uil asked Kevin Hoffsman if he thinks that
favor or not. But the district got a lot tougher
for them in that Bremond and Chilton joined their district
and suddenly there are a couple of dance partners in
there that are in their weight classes. Because Mar's really
just mowed through their district opponents. Ava loff a district
game to twenty fifteen. Kevin Hoffman has one district loss
all time as the head coach of Mark, so that
(12:08):
I think is interesting. But I would say there are
some landlines, and the good thing is that now I'm
really starting to dig into the non district slates, everyone's
going to be a little bit tested. So especially when
you get down here at two A, especially when you're
going to be relying more on freshmen and sophomores to
take key roles. I think one of the questions is
going to be exactly who is able to maintain their
(12:31):
poise and emerge early in the two A ranks coming
out of what are some difficult non district games.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Adam the Greater Austin in Central Texas area, the one
that's closest to these parts, and it might get folks
excited because you have them listed as possibly going unbeaten
in the regular season. And two A D two is Granger,
who comes off a ten win Sea.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
I like it was Granger team a lot. Granger has
been on the come up for a couple of years now.
I think that that a couple of years ago, you
know that they made a fantastic that they made some
great hires. This year, they bring cast in McDorman to
take over this program's coming off of the ten one season.
I think their defense has an opportunity to be really,
really salty in the middle of that defense. And this
(13:15):
is a Granger team that I think it's important to remember,
has taken a couple of step forwards in the past
couple of years. You know, they now have thirty two
wins in the last three seasons, and that Granger has
been good, but maybe not that good over the course
of their history. This is a real golden era of
Granger Lions football. Now they get a real fun test
in district play. Right, First of all, they get the
(13:36):
kind of rare eighteen to two a district that's just
generally pretty rare. But they bring back you know, they're
gonna have to deal with Burton, They're gonna have to
deal with what I think is a resurgent Somerville squad.
You know that I believe it's going to be better
than they were last year. But I think that especially
that Granger and Burton game is going to be real.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Must seeds simply because.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
I think the winner of that game is going to
be on that short list of challengers to a team
like Shiner or Falls City out of tow A Division two,
Region four.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
So I think that for Granger, I.
Speaker 4 (14:08):
Think their positions very well. A lot of it depends
on how well they adapt to the new voice in
the room.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
And coach mcdlamo all right to a d one.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
Last year when we did our preview show, you asked
me point blank about who did I think would win
the state championship.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
And I said Timpson.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
And I said, if not, now win because of what
having Terry Bussey all four years and got closed and
they finally got over the hump he's gone. But I
know you still think it awful lot about them, although
you do not have them as your preseason number one.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
You like Gnado at number one.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
Yeah, you know, And to take the first part first,
you know, for Timpson this is I think their number
four ranking in our presion, and ranking is not necessarily
a reflection of them, but of reflection though I think
how strong to a Division one is going to be
at the very top. You know, Timpson is the covered
as far from there. Let's be very clear, Terry Bussey
is a generational talent. He's a guy who there at
(15:02):
one point they're going to build a statue to Terry
Bussey in Timpson, Texas, maybe to carry thurrow Winger two.
But both those guys are gone because the head coach,
carry Thurrowinger retired at the end of the year.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Patrick Gamee, either defensive coordinator, got promoted. But they're the
covers up there. JJ Garner who.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Was injured late in last season and they played the
state championship game without him.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
He is back and he was remember the guy who
kind of took.
Speaker 4 (15:26):
The reins of the offense during the early part of
that season when Terry Bussy was still kind of dealing
with a nagging knee injury. You know, obviously things worked
out for him. But I do think we take a
look at two a Division one. You know, the power
nexus is still in reason four, but I think it's
shifted a little bit. And the Canado Indians are a
number one team in the state. This team last year
(15:47):
when they beat Refurio in that regional final. That was
the game that really turned everyone's head. Everyone was like, Okay,
this team is serious and they were super duper young.
I think they bring back seventeen starters for last year's
ball club coach Josh Urvan's done an.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
Unbelievable job there. They're deserving number ones.
Speaker 4 (16:04):
Refeio is number two and and and and you know, oh,
you know feel bad for Refeio. They do have their over.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
Coaching change too.
Speaker 4 (16:12):
Remember Jason Herring retired at the end of last season.
Drew Cox, their defensive coordinator, gets promoted. Uh, They're still
going to be exceptionally talented. But again there's just a
lot of kind of moving parts there, and then you know,
kind of rounding.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Out that top four.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
I think a team that maybe people have not necessarily
figured out as really good as honey Grove. Honey Grove
has been another golden era of honey Grove football here.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
You know, coming off of a.
Speaker 4 (16:38):
Ten onan season last year. Remember at one point they
had some outrageous defensive numbers where they were they were
I think they'd given them like six points all year
or something like that. Uh, you know, they are loaded
for their seventeen starters. Back, including nine starters back from
what was a lights out defense a year ago.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
Uh. That is a name that again kind of a
non maybe not a non state wide brand name.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
You know, people maybe know Refurio, people maybe they know
Canado from.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
Their runs about twenty years ago.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
But the Honey Grove is the team to know as
far as like that top end squad, that elite upper
crust team that could be playing for it all come December.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
You know what, I remember when we had Chane Fletcher
on the head coach Honey Grave. I remember when we
had that live shot him him having the pancake mix
and the pancakes syrup on the shelf behind him to
make pancakes for his offensive line who game up with blocks.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
He said, Oh yeah, that's something we do.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Genius marketing.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Yeah, okay, all right, so before we're done, tell everybody
describe if you can, the unique setting at Puncher Dome
with their press box this year.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
Yeah. So for those who don't know, the Puncher Dome.
Speaker 4 (17:51):
They're at Mason is a horse racing grand stand. Originally,
they are undergoing.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
Some some unexpected renovations there at the.
Speaker 4 (18:03):
Puncher Dome and so as a result, they will not
be having their normal press bot.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
It's going to be undergoing construction.
Speaker 4 (18:10):
Instead they have set.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Up and this is honest to God, Go look at
the photos. I'm not making this up.
Speaker 4 (18:15):
Two deer blinds for the leering press to sit in
and enjoy some some Mason Puncher's football. So if that
doesn't screen small school Texas high school football, I am
not quite certain what does. I will say though, and
this is again proof of the growth of tech. Says well,
I remember going to a game at Prosper. I'm dating
(18:39):
myself now, probably about fifteen years ago, when.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
I was working for the Dallas Morning News.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
And they had what was the equivalent of like a
deer blind be sitting up there, you know, type it away.
And now Prosper's got three you know, six day, five
day high school and you know, the prettial power of
sixty million dollars football stadium. But I remember Prosper is
the place where I sat in a deer blind to
watch some Eagles football.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
Yeah, I will tell you the old man and he
remembers when Prosper was one a school.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
There's been a little bit of growth up there.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
On seventy five, they were in the same district with Collinsville.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
So jud tell you something. Hey, I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Listen next week, Well, as we started to talk about
those final scrimmages, we'll do a six man preview.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
Oh buddy, I can't wait.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
Let's do it. Yeah, that'll be fun. All right.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
He's Greg Tapper, managing editor of Dave Campbell's Texas Football Magazine. Thanks, Tap,
appreciate it. All right here, guys, all right, we'll have
more coming up on Sports Radio AM thirteen hundred. By
the way, he's he is correct. If you go to it,
you can find it and find it on Twitter. That's
where I first saw it, and they got the photo
on Texas Football on the website. You'll see the two
(19:50):
deer blinds at the top of the at the top
of the grand stand there at Puncher Dome. That's the
old track, as he mentioned, a racetrack, and they did
some rodeo in there for the Mason Punchers who played
football in there.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
But you'll see it. It's two deer blinds. Basically. We'll
have more coming up on Sports Radio AM thirteen under
the Zone.
And we're back to the Greg Way Show. Have a
message for Craig share it by you see the talkback
feature on the iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
As glad to have you with us on this Thursday afternoon.
And as always, uh it's it's always a good time
to talk football, whether it be in the high school
or collegiate variety.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
This should make you happy.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
If you haven't already located a copy of Dave Campbell's
Texas Football magazine. I saw it this h during this
weekend at AGB. Uh so, Uh, you know AGB is
all around obviously Central Texas, Greater Roston Ary, San Antonio, Houston,
and that's all. It's all them set up in an
(00:57):
AGIB there and they're growing in the metroplex as well,
and fort Worth and Frisco and Plaino, and I think
they're building one in Allen. Joining us from the Dallas
Fort Worth metroplex is managing editor of Dave Campbell's Texas
Football magazine, Greg Teppers. You don't live near an HTB,
do you. I don't.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
But actually a couple of weeks ago we took a
family vacation down to the Houston area. Well, we went
down to NASA League City, Galveston, kind of southeast of
Houston area, and we stopped buying AGB and and that's
where I saw Dave Campbell's in the Wild, the magazine
in the while for the first time. And it was
very exciting because we we had really prime placement right
(01:41):
next to Barry's magazine, which was apparently all about recipes
you can make with Barri's.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
So so it's a it's a real glow up for
little old.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
Dave Campbell's Texas Football getting to be next to you know,
how to make.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Devil's Food cake and stuff like that. Things are looking
up for us.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
You go, there's real projected growth and involved there. Okay,
all right, hey, tell everybody a little bit about, first
of all, what your staff is doing in and I'm
not just talking about the high school staff. Those who
are covering college football and Mike Craven's been bouncing all
over the place cover and see what did they do
(02:21):
at this time of year before we start to see
actual games being played in a couple of weeks.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
Yeah, you know, this is kind of the build up.
Summer is really officially over for us, you know, because
it's two weeks from today, two weeks from probably like
right about now that the first technic play school football
game is going to kick off, and so we are
in full preparation mode to make sure that we can
hit the ground running, you know, when the season worlds round.
Because the thing about what I have figured out over
(02:50):
my thirteen fourteen years here at Day Campbell's is that
you have to have kind of protocols and plans in
place so that everybody understands what's going on when you know,
the football starts lying, so to speak. Because that's that's
the biggest thing for us, is we've got to make
sure we get all of our dusts in a row
because it's it's so easy to get overwhelmed by everything.
(03:12):
There is so much football that goes on starting in
two weeks.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
I mean, you're you're.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Talking about, you know, fifteen hundred high school football teams
and so you know, conservatively there's between five hundred and
six hundred Texas high school football games every Friday night.
And that's not to mention all the college staff. You know,
not just the thirteen FBF teams, but the thirty five
non FBF teams. So we have to right now, what
we're really doing is getting all those systems in place
(03:38):
to make sure that we can hit the ground running
or don't we don't get overwhelmed and keep our eye
on the ball whatever it rolls around. Not to mention
all the all the stuff that our streaming platform, second
Live is doing, getting duck and row. There's we're streaming
things right now, volleyball down there in the Houston area,
you know, because it never sleeps. It's already in season
for our streaming platform, and and so there's just there's
(03:59):
a lot to do. But of course in two weeks
then it really peddled the medal and it is a
seventeen week sprint to Christmas.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
How how pumped are you.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Over the reality that within what two hours, there will
actually be scrimmages going on all across the state of
Texas for high school football teams. That next mile marker
there will be actual scrimmages between different schools against one another.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Yeah, there'll be there'll be pads popping.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
And I know there have been pads popping, you know,
in practice, but this is different, you know, and you
talk with coaches, this is this is a fun time,
you know, because you finally go out there and hit
someone else you know, you can just lay it on
out there and certainly nobody's trying to get hurt or anything.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
But you know, again, that's those first couple of.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
Hits out of the way really lets you know that that, yeah,
football season is around. What I'm also really excited about
is inevitably, whenever I'm going to get a text message tonight,
who is going to say, like, hey, by the way, hey,
fall At looks really good in their scrimmage tonight, like
money to rethink the district?
Speaker 1 (05:07):
And it's like, okay, well, you know, it's a scrimmage.
It's it's fine. I'm interested, but I'm I'm not. I'm
not interested who win? You know, what what I.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
Want to do is here, if there's any news that
comes out of it, you know, hopefully everybody comes out
of it healthy. But that's that's the biggest thing is
inevitably there will be some people who want to jump
to some conclusions starting tonight, which.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Which really means footballs back in Texas.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Yeah, yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Greg Tapper, managing editor Dave Campill's Texas Football Magazine with
us before we jump to the two A preseason uh
uh uh preview if you will, Uh, I want to
ask about something else, and I know you've got your
thoughts on this as well. There's so much that is
has been written and said, and you guys were right
(05:51):
at the forefront of it as well about the renewal
of the rivalry between Texas and Texas A and M.
After all, it is the cover story of your publication
with Quinn Ewers and Connor Wigman on the front with
rivalry Reborn next Thursday, there's a big lunchin over in
Houston that Andrew Monico, the voice of the Aggies, and
then I will kind of be com seeing there where
(06:13):
with the athletic director is going to be there and
it's the whole lone star showdown thing. Reborn in Houston
next Thursday, says there's an awful lot about Texas and
Texas A and M. Also also both teams are going
in less powerful at the running back spot going into
this season.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
Obviously, the long Runs have lost two running backs.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Is has been well documented in these parts, losing C. J.
Baxter and then the freshman Christian Clark, and then Ruben Owens,
who we you and I followed very very very closely
throughout his collegiate career del Campo. Now he's out at
Texas A and M. What are your college writers saying
to you about how these teams are affected by these things?
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Yeah, most certainly.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
You know, you'll start, you know, we'll start with, you know,
in Texas and obviously losing a guy, losing us like
Baxter and Clark, I think are so critical to what
they were able to do because they need to provide
that balance there for Texas and if there it's strange
to say, but if there is an area that that
(07:15):
they you certainly need depth entering the sec. Uh, this
is the place that they needed it.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Now there's there's.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Still plenty of talent, Like the top end here is
still really exciting.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Right. You have every reason to be excited about Jayden Blue, right.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
I mean, he was such a rock star there at
at at clin Kane coming out of the Houston area.
There's there's plenty of reason to believe that Trey Weisner,
who dazzled at De Soto, can can pick up the slack.
They're not hurting for, uh, you know, the Texas is
not hurting for these kind of talent.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
At the running back spot. I think what they're they're
hurting for is kind of known commodity. I think that's
what CJ.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
Baxter really provided was like, Okay, this is a rock
stell guy, this is this is the guy that we
know we can count on. By by losing him, I
think that that hurts, you know. For A and M,
I think it's it's it's a little bit different in
the sense that I do think now they are a
little thin at the running back spot.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
You know, Levion Moss is now going to be the.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
The bell cow back, the guy that's going to get
the majority of the carries. But past that, it is real,
it gets it gets.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
Thin in a hurry, you know.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
E J.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Smith.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
I think it's going to see a fair number of
carries here, you know, because I think they're going to
need that kind of thing. We know in the rough
and tumble sec you need that kind.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Of quality depth.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
Uh what does this do to the game plan? I
think offensively for both these programs, we knew that they
were going to throw the ball. Both these programs we're
going to throw the ball. But I think for Texas
again just because they're they're a bit more of a
fully formed product. And for Texas, A and M still
needing a variety of pieces to still step up, especially
outside where there there's a lot of mysteries out there
(08:54):
at the receiver spots.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
This is going to be really interesting. Does more fall
in the passing game?
Speaker 4 (08:59):
Uh, it feels like maybe the margins are a little
bit thinner there at A and M, which is going
to make this make the loss of a guy like
rubn Owens hurt a little bit more than maybe at
Texas where it's not good. I'm not saying I recommend CJ.
Baxer get hurt or you're starting running backet hurt. But
what I'm saying is that I think that the way
that that offense is built is maybe a little bit
better equipped to handle a.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
Tough injury like that.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Visiting with Greg Tepper, managing editor of Dave Campbell's Texas
Football magazine. All right, as we jump into our two
A preview, I want to refer to a story that's
on your website at Texas Football dot com, and it's
a fascinating read that you wrote, and it's entitled perfect
(09:44):
These eighty four Texas high school football teams could go
undefeated in twenty twenty four. You picked out eighty four
schools that you said could go un to feet now
qualifier you're saying could go un beating in the regular season, correct? Than?
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Okay? All right?
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Of those eighty four, there are six in two A
Division one, there are five.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
Into A Division two.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Would it be safe to say that the surest thing
out of those to go ten and zero would be
Albany or defending state champion two A D two.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
I might sit, I might agree with you, but I
will tell you because you know now you know this
is if you're wondering what kind of year it is
for me, the time of year for me is I
start now is when I start looking at schedules, and
I started taking a look at who's playing whom and when.
And I will tell you that there's going to be
a couple of really early tests here for Albany, specifically,
right out of a shoot they're at Stanford and they're
(10:41):
at Holly. To top ten teams in the two A
Division one ranks.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
And especially early, we just don't know what Albany is
going to look like. Yes, they are the.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
Two time defending two A Division two stay champs. They
have a legendary head coach in Denny Faith. He deserves
not just the benefit of the doubt. He deserves any
I had of any benefit of the doubt that you
could possibly offer him.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
But that said, there are some real questions about this all.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
But the teams specifically, they lose, they graduate relatively heavy,
and they lose the guy who was there real rocks
on and their real go to guy in Adam Hill.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
I mean, he was so important to what they do.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
I think a lot more of this offense is going
to fall in their lessie quarterback, Chip Chambers, who really
did impress last year and I think grew into that
role as a junior. He's now a senior and I
think that they're excited about what he can do. But
there are questions to be answered there. If you were
asking me who is maybe the most likely to go
Tenano out of that buk, it might be a team
like Mark. You know, Mark is a team that I
(11:40):
think is flying under the raidar a little bit by
Mark standards.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Now when they get in the district play.
Speaker 4 (11:45):
You know, Uil asked Kevin Hoffsman if he thinks that
favor or not. But the district got a lot tougher
for them in that Bremond and Chilton joined their district
and suddenly there are a couple of dance partners in
there that are in their weight classes. Because Mar's really
just mowed through their district opponents. Ava loff a district
game to twenty fifteen. Kevin Hoffman has one district loss
all time as the head coach of Mark, so that
(12:08):
I think is interesting. But I would say there are
some landlines, and the good thing is that now I'm
really starting to dig into the non district slates, everyone's
going to be a little bit tested. So especially when
you get down here at two A, especially when you're
going to be relying more on freshmen and sophomores to
take key roles. I think one of the questions is
going to be exactly who is able to maintain their
(12:31):
poise and emerge early in the two A ranks coming
out of what are some difficult non district games.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Adam the Greater Austin in Central Texas area, the one
that's closest to these parts, and it might get folks
excited because you have them listed as possibly going unbeaten
in the regular season. And two A D two is Granger,
who comes off a ten win Sea.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
I like it was Granger team a lot. Granger has
been on the come up for a couple of years now.
I think that that a couple of years ago, you
know that they made a fantastic that they made some
great hires. This year, they bring cast in McDorman to
take over this program's coming off of the ten one season.
I think their defense has an opportunity to be really,
really salty in the middle of that defense. And this
(13:15):
is a Granger team that I think it's important to remember,
has taken a couple of step forwards in the past
couple of years. You know, they now have thirty two
wins in the last three seasons, and that Granger has
been good, but maybe not that good over the course
of their history. This is a real golden era of
Granger Lions football. Now they get a real fun test
in district play. Right, First of all, they get the
(13:36):
kind of rare eighteen to two a district that's just
generally pretty rare. But they bring back you know, they're
gonna have to deal with Burton, They're gonna have to
deal with what I think is a resurgent Somerville squad.
You know that I believe it's going to be better
than they were last year. But I think that especially
that Granger and Burton game is going to be real.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Must seeds simply because.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
I think the winner of that game is going to
be on that short list of challengers to a team
like Shiner or Falls City out of tow A Division two,
Region four.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
So I think that for Granger, I.
Speaker 4 (14:08):
Think their positions very well. A lot of it depends
on how well they adapt to the new voice in
the room.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
And coach mcdlamo all right to a d one.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
Last year when we did our preview show, you asked
me point blank about who did I think would win
the state championship.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
And I said Timpson.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
And I said, if not, now win because of what
having Terry Bussey all four years and got closed and
they finally got over the hump he's gone. But I
know you still think it awful lot about them, although
you do not have them as your preseason number one.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
You like Gnado at number one.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
Yeah, you know, And to take the first part first,
you know, for Timpson this is I think their number
four ranking in our presion, and ranking is not necessarily
a reflection of them, but of reflection though I think
how strong to a Division one is going to be
at the very top. You know, Timpson is the covered
as far from there. Let's be very clear, Terry Bussey
is a generational talent. He's a guy who there at
(15:02):
one point they're going to build a statue to Terry
Bussey in Timpson, Texas, maybe to carry thurrow Winger two.
But both those guys are gone because the head coach,
carry Thurrowinger retired at the end of the year.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Patrick Gamee, either defensive coordinator, got promoted. But they're the
covers up there. JJ Garner who.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
Was injured late in last season and they played the
state championship game without him.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
He is back and he was remember the guy who
kind of took.
Speaker 4 (15:26):
The reins of the offense during the early part of
that season when Terry Bussy was still kind of dealing
with a nagging knee injury. You know, obviously things worked
out for him. But I do think we take a
look at two a Division one. You know, the power
nexus is still in reason four, but I think it's
shifted a little bit. And the Canado Indians are a
number one team in the state. This team last year
(15:47):
when they beat Refurio in that regional final. That was
the game that really turned everyone's head. Everyone was like, Okay,
this team is serious and they were super duper young.
I think they bring back seventeen starters for last year's
ball club coach Josh Urvan's done an.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
Unbelievable job there. They're deserving number ones.
Speaker 4 (16:04):
Refeio is number two and and and and you know, oh,
you know feel bad for Refeio. They do have their over.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
Coaching change too.
Speaker 4 (16:12):
Remember Jason Herring retired at the end of last season.
Drew Cox, their defensive coordinator, gets promoted. Uh, They're still
going to be exceptionally talented. But again there's just a
lot of kind of moving parts there, and then you know,
kind of rounding.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Out that top four.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
I think a team that maybe people have not necessarily
figured out as really good as honey Grove. Honey Grove
has been another golden era of honey Grove football here.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
You know, coming off of a.
Speaker 4 (16:38):
Ten onan season last year. Remember at one point they
had some outrageous defensive numbers where they were they were
I think they'd given them like six points all year
or something like that. Uh, you know, they are loaded
for their seventeen starters. Back, including nine starters back from
what was a lights out defense a year ago.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
Uh. That is a name that again kind of a
non maybe not a non state wide brand name.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
You know, people maybe know Refurio, people maybe they know
Canado from.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
Their runs about twenty years ago.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
But the Honey Grove is the team to know as
far as like that top end squad, that elite upper
crust team that could be playing for it all come December.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
You know what, I remember when we had Chane Fletcher
on the head coach Honey Grave. I remember when we
had that live shot him him having the pancake mix
and the pancakes syrup on the shelf behind him to
make pancakes for his offensive line who game up with blocks.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
He said, Oh yeah, that's something we do.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Genius marketing.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Yeah, okay, all right, so before we're done, tell everybody
describe if you can, the unique setting at Puncher Dome
with their press box this year.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
Yeah. So for those who don't know, the Puncher Dome.
Speaker 4 (17:51):
They're at Mason is a horse racing grand stand. Originally,
they are undergoing.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
Some some unexpected renovations there at the.
Speaker 4 (18:03):
Puncher Dome and so as a result, they will not
be having their normal press bot.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
It's going to be undergoing construction.
Speaker 4 (18:10):
Instead they have set.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Up and this is honest to God, Go look at
the photos. I'm not making this up.
Speaker 4 (18:15):
Two deer blinds for the leering press to sit in
and enjoy some some Mason Puncher's football. So if that
doesn't screen small school Texas high school football, I am
not quite certain what does. I will say though, and
this is again proof of the growth of tech. Says well,
I remember going to a game at Prosper. I'm dating
(18:39):
myself now, probably about fifteen years ago, when.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
I was working for the Dallas Morning News.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
And they had what was the equivalent of like a
deer blind be sitting up there, you know, type it away.
And now Prosper's got three you know, six day, five
day high school and you know, the prettial power of
sixty million dollars football stadium. But I remember Prosper is
the place where I sat in a deer blind to
watch some Eagles football.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
Yeah, I will tell you the old man and he
remembers when Prosper was one a school.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
There's been a little bit of growth up there.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
On seventy five, they were in the same district with Collinsville.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
So jud tell you something. Hey, I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Listen next week, Well, as we started to talk about
those final scrimmages, we'll do a six man preview.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
Oh buddy, I can't wait.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
Let's do it. Yeah, that'll be fun. All right.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
He's Greg Tapper, managing editor of Dave Campbell's Texas Football Magazine. Thanks, Tap,
appreciate it. All right here, guys, all right, we'll have
more coming up on Sports Radio AM thirteen hundred. By
the way, he's he is correct. If you go to it,
you can find it and find it on Twitter. That's
where I first saw it, and they got the photo
on Texas Football on the website. You'll see the two
(19:50):
deer blinds at the top of the at the top
of the grand stand there at Puncher Dome. That's the
old track, as he mentioned, a racetrack, and they did
some rodeo in there for the Mason Punchers who played
football in there.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
But you'll see it. It's two deer blinds. Basically. We'll
have more coming up on Sports Radio AM thirteen under
the Zone.
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