November 25, 2025 • 28 mins
With several Austin-area teams still in playoff contention, Jake Herman welcomes Texan Live's EJ Sanchez to the show to break down the week's matchups.
They discuss EJ's spot-on prediction about Dripping Springs, share optimism for Lake Travis' potential path, and analyze the upcoming games for Vandegrift, Weiss, and Bastrop among other teams.
They discuss EJ's spot-on prediction about Dripping Springs, share optimism for Lake Travis' potential path, and analyze the upcoming games for Vandegrift, Weiss, and Bastrop among other teams.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
On the road again, going places.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
The Great Willie Nelson on a Texan Tuesday as the
road to Arlington. The road to a state championship continues
for several Austin area high school football teams. Here to
break it all down, our good friend EJ. Sanchez for
textan Live EJ. Happy Early Thanksgiving not just as a
holiday for family, but a holiday in high school football,
(00:28):
big milestone for a lot of teams around the state.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
The Thanksgiving to you.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
No, it's funny getting off of these coaches calls that
I've been, you know, going through all morning.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
That's always the first goal.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
And whenever a team feels like they have deep aspirations,
the first thing they say is, hey, let's make sure
we're together on Thanksgiving.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
We'll go from there.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
So any Texas high school fan, coach player, they're all say, hey,
we'll start with Thanksgiving and you know all the all
the ATX teams that are there right now, the step
one is done.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Which which games will you be covering this weekend?
Speaker 3 (00:58):
So this weekend on Austin Area teams, but an Austin
Area game, I'm doing six A Division two and I
am doing probably my favorite game of the year I'm
doing College Park and De Soto, so this is kind
of the meeting ground between Houston and Dallas. I got
off both of those coaches calls, and this is a
it's gonna be a good one, I promise you.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Well. We've got lots of great matchups to preview that
are that are all over the state, but we're gonna
focus mainly on the Austin area teams. Looking back though, quickly,
just some of the Austin Area teams who seasons came
to an end in the area around He had Huddle
losing fifty six to thirty seven against San Antonio Johnson.
Georgetown fell forty two to twenty one against Frisco Lone Star,
(01:38):
and Cedar Park came up a touchdown shy against Frisco
Wakeland forty three to thirty six. Just starting with that
batch of three, any of those results surprise you a.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Little bit, you know, with the home field advantage that
Georgetown received in their Frisco game, they they win their flip,
you know how it always goes with stadiums. They win
their flip to be able to play that game at home.
But man, that was a good team they played. They
played a really good team that Frisco District. They are
absolutely up this year. It was always the round where
(02:08):
I thought that, you know, once you kind of have
those cross regional matchups, not in terms of the actual
region they're zoned in, but in terms of the distance wise,
I thought that's where we would get, you know, some.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Separation a little.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Georgetown's one that sticks out to me, of course, jet Walker,
who flipped his commitment twice in two weeks, originally from
West Virginia. Then he flipped in Minnesota, coming in late
with the Longhorns, and they offered him a chance to
stay home. So that surprises me simply because it's hard
to say at any point that jet Walker isn't the
best player on the field.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
But those were teams.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
That, you know, you figured they'd be, they'd be in dogfights,
and all three of them really were in it, at
least for a half.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
You saw Anderson quite a bit this year. We followed
their story closely. They fall short forty three to thirty
against Barbarus Hill. But the Trojans, I mean, how do
you think they'll view this season? Their first playoff win
since twenty ten in a record setting performance from Caleb Crenshaw.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
It was almost an equally rapid rise, and it equals
the dissent almost. And as with all due respects to
coach Hatcher, who I have the utmost respect for, and
that team really from where people thought at the end
of last season, where they thought that they were going
to need to reload, now they did with a couple
of transfers. We talked about Caleb Crenshaw, we talked about
(03:26):
Yahiem Riley, and they were absolutely big. I have to
categorize it as a success. Okay, anytime you make school
history like that. If you would have told them at
the beginning of the year, Hey, you guys are going
to go into the last week of the year undefeated
and you're gonna win a playoff game, everybody takes that. Now,
maybe they didn't anticipate that being undefeated at that point.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
I tell you what, Jake, I.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Think the season finale loss when they had an undefeated
district championship on the line and they had to play
Flugerville Weiss in the manner in which they lost, I
think it was the first time since A and M
consolidated early in the district season where they kind of
got punched in the mouth a little bit, and you
(04:09):
follow that up with a really close game against Friendswood
in the bye district round where Frinswood was a two
point conversion away from beating Anderson and having a first
round exit, so you already had the playoff win. I
thought that they would hang around with the running game
against Barber's Hill just a little bit longer, and they
did for really most of that third quarter. But that
(04:30):
is a big and talented Barber's Hill team who's now
going to be taking on Wise I with coach Hatcher
and the rest of those kids. I mean Liam McMillian,
who I think is one of the more underrated edge players,
Darby Shire, the way he came in having to take
over Max Girlick, who said all kinds of accolades Anderson,
that Trojan group has an awful lot.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
To be proud of.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
I'm sure they would have loved that rematch with Weiss.
We'll get to that Wis and Barber's Hill matchup in
just a moment, real quick. Iowa Colony knocked out Flugerville
forty nine seven. Richmond Randall beat Connolly fifty nine to
twenty eight.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
But this one raised my eyebrows. Second year in a row.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Brandham beats Liberty Hill and it's it was twenty seven
to twenty four. I think Liberty Hill had a defensive
score too, So they've kind of figured out that slot
team now a couple of seasons.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Going more power to him because as a broadcaster, I
haven't figured it out yet.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
You would think with how many snaps that I've seen
of a run of a center running this way and
then a full back leaks out, you think that I
would know it. No, that Brenham School always is going
to be well coached, and it's a no no if it.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Qualified as a blue blood football school.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
But I mean you just talk about you know, former
Longhord Malcolm Brown, who came out of their current Denver
Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton is a Brenham cub Gidrey who
I was surprised to see he has all the records now.
He set the Brenham you know, receiving record. That's always
gonna be a fun town to go to. Whenever I
go to cub Stadium during the regular season, I always
have a good time because those those people love football
(05:59):
right there, Bluebell Country, And I was a little bit surprised,
especially with the manner in which Limbery Hill finished up
the season and including that win against bass Drop.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
We'll get to bass Drop in a moment.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
First, LBJ, who dealt with some injuries during this loss
to Bay City, final score thirty four to nineteen. A
good fourth quarter comeback effort wound up falling short for LBJ.
What did you get to catch any of this one
between LBJ and Bay City?
Speaker 1 (06:26):
And did this result? It kind of surprised you.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
So this result surprised me in the sense that I
severely underestimated Bay City. Let's start there, so, of course,
and through the first in the most immediate future, recency
Bias says that you know LBJ is not going to
struggle early, especially you get the one seed. You kind
of have a one seed schedule through the first couple
of rounds. But this is about as shocked as I
(06:51):
was last year when they dropped to Lavernia.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
And I remember Roger.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
I remember watching that game with Roger Wallace on KVVO
and watching it and saying, Wow, I do think that
this is somewhat of a repercussion of your district schedule,
and it's you can't change the district you play. Who
you play and they beat them in the manner in
which they think they should beat them. They beat almost
They went over almost every game during the district season.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
You know, you see forty burgers in fifties. They start
to mount up when your team.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Is not used to getting scored on in the first quarter,
when your starters may not be used to playing more
all four quarters.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
It's different once you get to the playoffs. And that
thought is fresh.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
On my mind talking to you know, I'm talking to
the big boys here, but the six A and five
A programs that say, hey, we love getting young kids in,
we love making sure everybody gets a chance to play,
because that's the essence of high school football. On the
other side of that, you have to say, I need
to make sure that when it gets cold, when November
rolls around, when we're near Thanksgiving, that these guys can
(07:54):
go four quarters. I would love to see that matchup
LBJ being fully healthy.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
I do things a a much closer game. But hats
off to Bay City.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
That's a very athletic team, and that was always going
to be the thought in four A. Do you have
the athletes to keep up with LBJ? And on this day,
with the personnel that LBJ rolled out. They did, and
good luck to them.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
So let's talk now, starting from six A moving on
down about what regional semi final matchups Central Texas teams
will feature in. There's a lot a lot on this
late still in spite of all of those teams whose
seasons ended last weekend. Okay, six A Division one, Lake
(08:36):
Travis has a defense that is a problem.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
They are not.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
In the mood to give up a lot of points
this late in the season. That was true again in
a thirteen to seven victory over Brennan. By the way,
Brennan's points did not come from their offense.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
We mentioned it, I think in our halfway kind of
special between your and I where we said, okay, the
defensive MVP, you start with Carter Buck.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Everybody kind of just falls in line from there. With
Lake Travis, they.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
Haven't allowed more than fourteen since the end of September.
And mind you, that's when they're playing Dripping Springs and Westlake,
which obviously that looks a little different at this point,
but Westlake's Westlake and the Booie score even when they
did give up twenty one, was not in a got
into a shootout with Bowie to put absolutely as respectfully
(09:30):
as possible.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
You know, I tell you what.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
McBride, their quarterback, I think has really shown a lot
of growth, even in the most immediate future. In over
the last couple of weeks. He's responsible for the only
touchdown in the win over Brennan. And I say that
because he is in a hotbed of really good quarterbacks.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
You talk about Tadecy with vander Griff and.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
You talk reece Wise usually gets you know, rightfully, So
the moniker of okay, hey, these are the guys in
the Austin area and McBride maybe sometimes doesn't get the
spot like he deserves, but I guarantee you if you
ask him, he's the one that's still playing. I'm obvious
talking about with Ta Deki as well. He is in
(10:13):
total command of that offense. Lake Travis is the perfect
example of defense travels everywhere, and especially you're gonna.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
Need that in the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
It's like taking a bunch of shots with that with
a mallet towards a big rock and not seeing it fall.
And when you do that enough times as an offense,
especially with the ones that they've gone against, Brendan's always good.
Ask any Lake Travis fans how much they love playing
them in any sport.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
We're talking football here, I know, but in any sport
with the.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
Way realignment goes, it's always themselves and Brennan, and that's
a lot more quality win and they know it's quality,
and everybody knows how good Brennan is.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
But the manner in which.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
They did it, being able to win in multiple different
ways is where I think true championship teams are made.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
And I think that's what the Cavs are right now.
Thank Carter, they.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Get the Longhorns of Laredo United. Game is at Heroes
Stadium in San Antonio. Elsewhere in that sort of region
of the six A D one bracket San Antonio, Johnson,
Sybelo Steel is Lake Travis the favorite to get out
of that little pod.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
I think you have to Greg Tepper, the editor in
chief of Dave Campbell Texas Football. He's made some good points.
He's been on that Johnson team all year. And the
more I listen, the more you know I jump into
the film, and then you know, I'll tune in for
a half. That Johnson offense is really good. It is
really really good. That's kind of the matchup. I think
(11:40):
everybody kind of wants to see Steele. I give them
so much credit credit because this was kind of almost
what we're talking about with Anderson earlier. This was their
reload year where Steele had to overcome the losses of
Chad Warner who's now at UTEP, Jalen Cooper who's now
at SMU getting meaningful playing time, and Royal Capell their
(12:00):
slot receiver.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
You have three legitimate Division.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
One guys on your offense and they kind of replace
it now Steels defense led by Hugo, one of the
top interior defensive linemen who's headed to Arizona State.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
That's an interesting matchup. But when it comes to the
overall the regions, to get back to your question, I think
that Lake Travis would have to simply because we've seen
Lake Travis go against great offenses, maybe not one to
the caliber of Johnson, but we've seen comforable, comparable competition
to them, and that's why I think, you know, you
kind of have to give them a nod at least
(12:35):
at this point. So Lake Travis is the only team
we're talking with. EJ.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Sanchez of Texan Live, who has been on this team
all season long. The Dripping Springs Tigers, they have only
lost one game this season. It was a fourteen to
seven defeated the hands of Lake Travis. They beat Harlan
fifty two to twenty eight, but it wasn't as close
as that score. This was a forty nine to seven
game at one point. Just how high is the ceiling
(13:02):
for Kalen Zimmerman's group.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
I think you have to put them exactly where you
Maybe not Lake Travis because of the defense, but they
can go as far as.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
As anybody, especially in that region.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Look, we talked early and the reason I threw my
fists up, and the reason why I celebrate is because
you told me in week two or three, e J,
who were we not talking about?
Speaker 1 (13:21):
And I said, they just beat Vandergrift forty one to fourteen. Yeah,
Dripping Springs.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
Dripping Springs beat them forty one to fourteen, and everybody
kind of brushed it off. And that wasn't to me
kind of that wasn't me celebrating in Vandergriff or anything.
I'm a big fan of Drew Sanders, I'm a big
fan of him, but the manner in which they open
up the season with that win against Vandergriff was only
compounded with a big win against a really good at
Kaleen Horker Heights Club and then a tough loss against
(13:48):
Lake Travis where it says fourteen to seven. They had
the lead late in that fourth court. It was a
couple of late turnovers that kind of resulted in that score.
And I've credit to Lake Travis. They got the turnovers,
but that's a coin flip game with five minutes to
play in the fourth quarter, and they were missing key
personnel in that game, might I add, And also the
(14:08):
manner in which they beat Westlake. Nobody puts up forty
five points on Westlake. Nobody does that, but the Tigers did.
And I've been on them all throughout this year simply
because I thought the way they opened up a season
was as good as as really you could have done.
Chase Ames, their their quarterback. He's been slinging the ball
(14:30):
all around the field. You've been able to get Cooper
Reid back into the lineup dripping springs. I think to me,
can I don't want to call it catching lightning in
a bottle because of what I said in the earlier
on the season. But now that they have their stable back,
so to speak. They have their guys ready to go,
and they're playing as good as football as anybody regardless
(14:50):
of classification right now.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
And so was Harlan.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
They'd won ten of the road, just ran into the
buzz saw that is Dripping Springs.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Last week, computer thinks Dripping Springs.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Has a twenty one point advantage over bedeena Valley. Excuse me,
that game will be played, Let me make sure I
get this right. That game will be played in San Antonio,
two o'clock on Friday, Black Friday game. So the other
game on Friday, a night game at the Alamodome between
Vandergrift and San Marcus Drew Sanders team against John Walsh's team.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
What does this one boil down to?
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Two really good defenses, two really good defenses. Definitely the
potential to be I think Craig puts it affectionately a
rock fight.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
I think that could absolutely lead up to that.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
Here's the one thing about Sam Margins Before I say
how talented they are, Okay, you have multiple guys going
both ways. Division one talent everywhere Texas State committed linebacker
Lampkin who can go both ways? Is that San Marcus
earlier on in the season. I believe Week four lost
forty one to six to Lake Travis. So football isn't
(16:00):
played on paper. We can't exactly yah, let's use the
transit of property. But if you go down through each team,
where I think Vandergrift obviously was better than West leg
West League gave Lake Travis the better game.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
It's going to be tough for San Marcus, it really is.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
And vander Griff got their groove back because vander Grift,
you know, everybody kind of brushed off the forty one
to fourteen loss and then they lost to McNeil. Now
McNeil is a much improved team, much improved I think
by virtue of tiebreakers is the reason why they missed
the playoffs. But Vandergrift has been playing playoff games for
(16:38):
two of the last three weeks of the regular season.
They had to beat Round Rock to claim that district championship,
so they've kind of been in this mode for a
little while now, and so with that game, I think
I'm wondering if San Marcus can can put enough points
on the board. That's my concern right now against a
Vandergrift team that, look, hey, was able to you know,
(17:01):
break through that Westlake defense and that came down to
the walk off field goal. If San Marcus can score first,
I think this has a chance to come down to
the last possession.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Yeah, certainly would allow them to play that kind of
complementary style that they that they did when it went
right this year. So Vander Grifton dripping springs, potential collision. Course,
we'll cross that bridge if that is in fact what
we see in six A Division two.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
But let's get to five A because there's a lot
to talk about.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Starting with the Weiss Wolf's their first area round playoff
win in school history. You had the call Jackson Shad's
six touchdowns in the win over Lufkin. Now they get
this Barber's Hill team, which just knocked out Anderson. What
kind of a different challenge is that than what they
just saw in the last round.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
I would say perimeter talents.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
Barbers Hill has a couple more than Lovekin and was
Carl Absech the head coach of Lovekin, of course, what
many remember as the head coach of Cedar Park during
the state championship runs. Barbaras Hill is going to pose
a unique challenge. But the one thing that I want
to remind folks about Weiss. They're not a four seed.
(18:09):
They've gotten the four seed schedule, which is why the
Laporte win and the by district round. Really, when you
looked at it from a zoomed out perspective, that was always.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Going to be their toughest game.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
And that's kind of been echoed by Malcolm Hill to say, hey,
we kind of already slayed the dragons, so to speak.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
We've already kind of taken care of that.
Speaker 3 (18:28):
So Lovekin who beat Houston Westberry, and now you get
this Barbara's Hill team.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
Trip Davis is a problem for Barbara's Hill.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
I'm going to say that right now, Trip Davis, they're
outside receiver who's accounted for almost thirteen hundred yards this year.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
He's fantastic.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Weiss's defensive backs haven't been tested like that in a while,
probably the last time that Weiss's defensive backs have been
tested like that. You probably have to go to early
to the preseason to find outside receivers that can stretch.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
The field like that. Hendrick said, maybe.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
Hendricks and Romello, Boykin and Trevor and Morgan and and Miller,
those are probably the most condensed form of talent at
the wide receiver position that they're gonna have to cover
now seven Walmack Jory and Gwynn Garrett Stenner, who's headed
to Sam Houston State. Great cast of characters in the
defensive secondary. So that's going to be a fun matchup
(19:20):
to watch. I wise had to play that second half
of the year without a couple of games with Jordan Anderson,
they have two legitimate power for receivers. We talked about
Trey Moore at nauseam. I truly do think he's the
best wide receiver in the area. Took a trip up
to Norman. He's a legacy guy. His dad played at Oklahoma.
I'm pretty sure, honestly half the Wis's team was in
(19:43):
Norman for that victory for Oklahoma.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
This last week.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
I need to find two corners on this side of
the bracket that can match up with Trey Moore and
Jordan Anderson.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
I really do.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
Wis's offensive line averages two hundred and ninety five pounds
and they're starting a freshman at right tackle, so that
match up. Let's let's use our broadcaster bingo board and
say it'll come down to the trenches.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
Let's put that as the free space that I'll use here.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
But it really is going to Barbara Sales, a lot
bigger team and probably poses as much of a threat,
if not more than Laport from an upfront standpoint.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
It's gonna come down to the trenches. You know, we
gotta play cop memory football. You don't need a three here.
Oh sorry, that's that's the wrong sport. We'll get back
to basketball cards too. Oh okay, I didn't have this
on my Bengo card. Three hundred and eighty one yards rushing,
six rushing touchdowns, seven total touchdowns. Not for Weston Nielsen,
(20:45):
but for Gary Jefferson Junior, who helped Bastrop beat Waco
U sixty nine to forty two. And they now take
on the defending champions, Richmond Randall in a game being
played at Prairie View A and M on Saturday afternoon.
Ken Bastraw perhaps pull another upset or is this where
the road ends in your mind?
Speaker 1 (21:04):
For Jake Griedle's crew, it.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
All depends on Landon Williams callous it does. He did
not finish the game against Connolly. Now I'm not plugged
into the point where I say, okay, hey, let's not
risk it or hey, let's pull the starters because commonly,
first of all, quick shouts Conley, Charles Burton and his
staff kind.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
Of revitalizing that program. Very happy of them.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
Former Longhorn Longhorns fans will remember Jade Baron, who now
plays for the Denver Bronco's was a stand out of
ut He's a Connolly alum. With that being said, if
Lennon Williams Callous is healthy, he's always going to be
the best player on the field, just baring On recently
a five star according to Day Campbell Texas Football. If
he is available, I'm looking forward to a track meet
(21:47):
between himself and Gary Jefferson Junior.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
Now do I.
Speaker 3 (21:50):
Think that Weston Nielsen possesses maybe a couple more throws
in the arsenal than maybe that of Scribnic the starting
quarterback for Richmond Randall. You could certainly make that argument.
Now this, I think there's gonna be points in this game.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
I really do. What scares me about Randall both ways?
Speaker 3 (22:10):
Positively, what should scare you if you're a Bastrop fan
is they were down twenty one. Nothing to Iowa call
any who's still playing early on in the season, And
what basically everybody knew was going to be a playoff game,
and they came back strictly on the back of Land
and Williams Callous. You know, for comebacks, you maybe a
tip ball here, something crazy happens, a fumble they just started.
(22:32):
They just gave it to Land and Williams Callous and
let him bring them back when they were down twenty
one to nothing, and it worked. Now, the other side
of that, if you're maybe a Richmond Randall fan, is
that they've shown the ability they can get behind twenty
one to zero. And Iowall Colony definitely doesn't have Gary
Jefferson Junior. They definitely don't have West and Nielsen. I
know they don't have the defensive line of Bastrop, which
I've been very high on ever since you know, you
(22:54):
and I we were calling that game against Fluberville. With
this game, I think whoever makes the first stop first
stop might really boil this down to because neither of
these teams have been stopped really when the pedals to
the medal. Both these teams have not had to do
(23:14):
that in the last two weeks in the playoffs. Now
I understand that bass Drop ran into to Liberty Hill
at that time.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
I chalk it up, I really do.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
I think if you play that game with Liberty Hill,
I think more times than not, Bastrops gonna win that game.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
And Liberty Hill won on that day. And I know
you know you were there, you saw the score.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
But you know a multitude of factors factor that into me,
which I don't really worry about that Liberty Hill thing.
If you're not used to stopping the slot tea, you're
not used to stop stopping the slot tea when you're
facing more traditional offense like that of Randal.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
I think this shapes up to be a good matchup.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
Computer picks Randall by eighteen closer or less close closer.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
I don't disagree with them and saying that that Randall
probably should have the NOD.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
I think it's closer than eighteen.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
So all these area teams that we've mentioned, talking with EJ.
Sanchez of Texan Live before we let you go, you
had to put your faith in one area team to
last the longest, to make the deepest run in the postseason.
Not saying you think they're the best team, but maybe
they have the best draw. Who knows who is that
team today? On November twenty fifth. It's not supposed to
(24:25):
be easy.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
It's not supposed to be easy.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
I thought this was like, hey, EJ, come answer some
easy questions, but no, that's not the game we're playing.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Look, I have to go Lake Travis.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
I do like I wait to go out on a
Lamy Jay awesome, pick the favorite right now in that region.
But the defense is unlike anything I've seen for any
Austin area team. And you know the fact that you
draw what you do at this point. We previewed the
matchup earlier. I just don't think there's much arguing in
it because if you go from there with Lake Travis,
(24:55):
I'm gonn make sure I get this right.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
Then you take on a San Antonio Johnson Steel game.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
You look to be favored there in either games, simply
because you when it comes to the Johnson matchup, if
that's how it shakes out, I think that Lake Travis's
offense it's considerably better than Johnson's defense. It is where
I would land there, so I think they would be
favorite in both of those games. Then after that, you
know you you have a matchup with north Shore and Dickinson,
(25:21):
and that you cross that bridge. When it comes to it,
they're gonna take a chunk out of each other, probably
should both of them win their regional semi final games.
And I'm I'm just always gonna say the defense. Defense
is always going to win championship until I'm prove otherwise.
Offense will get you there, but you at some point
you're gonna have to make a stop.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
And I trust the Travis last one for you.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
You look at a big slate this this isn't just
limited to area teams this week, big slate of games
out there in the regional semi finals are starting to
see some some big powers collide. Are there any teams
that you'd put under the radar on a little bit
of an upset watch.
Speaker 3 (25:58):
If I'm fin the My goodness, I'm not sure if
it's an upset at this one.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
It sounds strange to say it.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
So I'm gonna go with my game simply because I
have the most information on it right now.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
The Woodlands College Park and DeSoto.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
If you ask most people right now, they would take
the Woodlands College Park.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
Okay, they do have.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
A loss on their record, but on games that were played,
I believe it was a forfeiture at the very beginning
of the season.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
Since then, they don't play close games.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
They don't they didn't play They haven't played a game
with all of their starters in since.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Week six of the season.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
Week six of the seasons when they first said okay, hey,
all starters have to play the whole game.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
They're dominant.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
Kyle Coats, who actually was under the tutelage of Claude
Mathis in Desoto's twenty twenty two state championship run. It's
a kind of you know, teacher against student in terms
of Kyle Coats and Claude Mathis.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Claude Mathis would go on.
Speaker 3 (26:56):
Record and say that, hey, this is not his greatest
Desto team, And after kind of bowing out last year
against Longview, they get their revenge this year.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
And everybody's still kind of waiting.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
To say, okay, okay, well de Soto's gone, and I
don't think so, I really don't. It sounds weird to
say Desto is an underdog to a couple of people,
but if you look at if you look at the
picks and look where everybody thought that this region would
stand in six A Division two, A lot of people
took College Park.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
And I just don't think de Soto's done yet. I
really don't, EJ.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Where can we see for this outstanding slate over the weekend.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
You can see all these games on textanlive dot com.
For any updates highlights for each game, you can follow
at EJ Sanchez twenty two on X I'm always the
down to farm a little bit of an engagement, have
a good time with the Tech high school football fans.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
They make it what it is.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
Well.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Glad to give you some flowers. But I don't know.
Maybe maybe you'll get humbled this week. Who knows, maybe
I'll get a victory lap next time I see you.
Appreciate you start you stopping by EJ. Happy Thanksgiving, Baby,
Happy Thanksgiving.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
That's e J. Sanchez from Texan Live.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
Always appreciate his time and insight on a great week
coming of the regional semifinals in Texas high school football.
Coming up a little bit more from Sean Miller. Will
check in with Craig Way from Maui. We got lots
still to do on the Craig Way Show on this
Tuesday afternoon on Sports Radio AM thirteen hundred to Zone
On the road again, going places.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
The Great Willie Nelson on a Texan Tuesday as the
road to Arlington. The road to a state championship continues
for several Austin area high school football teams. Here to
break it all down, our good friend EJ. Sanchez for
textan Live EJ. Happy Early Thanksgiving not just as a
holiday for family, but a holiday in high school football,
(00:28):
big milestone for a lot of teams around the state.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
The Thanksgiving to you.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
No, it's funny getting off of these coaches calls that
I've been, you know, going through all morning.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
That's always the first goal.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
And whenever a team feels like they have deep aspirations,
the first thing they say is, hey, let's make sure
we're together on Thanksgiving.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
We'll go from there.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
So any Texas high school fan, coach player, they're all say, hey,
we'll start with Thanksgiving and you know all the all
the ATX teams that are there right now, the step
one is done.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Which which games will you be covering this weekend?
Speaker 3 (00:58):
So this weekend on Austin Area teams, but an Austin
Area game, I'm doing six A Division two and I
am doing probably my favorite game of the year I'm
doing College Park and De Soto, so this is kind
of the meeting ground between Houston and Dallas. I got
off both of those coaches calls, and this is a
it's gonna be a good one, I promise you.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Well. We've got lots of great matchups to preview that
are that are all over the state, but we're gonna
focus mainly on the Austin area teams. Looking back though, quickly,
just some of the Austin Area teams who seasons came
to an end in the area around He had Huddle
losing fifty six to thirty seven against San Antonio Johnson.
Georgetown fell forty two to twenty one against Frisco Lone Star,
(01:38):
and Cedar Park came up a touchdown shy against Frisco
Wakeland forty three to thirty six. Just starting with that
batch of three, any of those results surprise you a.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Little bit, you know, with the home field advantage that
Georgetown received in their Frisco game, they they win their flip,
you know how it always goes with stadiums. They win
their flip to be able to play that game at home.
But man, that was a good team they played. They
played a really good team that Frisco District. They are
absolutely up this year. It was always the round where
(02:08):
I thought that, you know, once you kind of have
those cross regional matchups, not in terms of the actual
region they're zoned in, but in terms of the distance wise,
I thought that's where we would get, you know, some.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Separation a little.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Georgetown's one that sticks out to me, of course, jet Walker,
who flipped his commitment twice in two weeks, originally from
West Virginia. Then he flipped in Minnesota, coming in late
with the Longhorns, and they offered him a chance to
stay home. So that surprises me simply because it's hard
to say at any point that jet Walker isn't the
best player on the field.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
But those were teams.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
That, you know, you figured they'd be, they'd be in dogfights,
and all three of them really were in it, at
least for a half.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
You saw Anderson quite a bit this year. We followed
their story closely. They fall short forty three to thirty
against Barbarus Hill. But the Trojans, I mean, how do
you think they'll view this season? Their first playoff win
since twenty ten in a record setting performance from Caleb Crenshaw.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
It was almost an equally rapid rise, and it equals
the dissent almost. And as with all due respects to
coach Hatcher, who I have the utmost respect for, and
that team really from where people thought at the end
of last season, where they thought that they were going
to need to reload, now they did with a couple
of transfers. We talked about Caleb Crenshaw, we talked about
(03:26):
Yahiem Riley, and they were absolutely big. I have to
categorize it as a success. Okay, anytime you make school
history like that. If you would have told them at
the beginning of the year, Hey, you guys are going
to go into the last week of the year undefeated
and you're gonna win a playoff game, everybody takes that. Now,
maybe they didn't anticipate that being undefeated at that point.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
I tell you what, Jake, I.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Think the season finale loss when they had an undefeated
district championship on the line and they had to play
Flugerville Weiss in the manner in which they lost, I
think it was the first time since A and M
consolidated early in the district season where they kind of
got punched in the mouth a little bit, and you
(04:09):
follow that up with a really close game against Friendswood
in the bye district round where Frinswood was a two
point conversion away from beating Anderson and having a first
round exit, so you already had the playoff win. I
thought that they would hang around with the running game
against Barber's Hill just a little bit longer, and they
did for really most of that third quarter. But that
(04:30):
is a big and talented Barber's Hill team who's now
going to be taking on Wise I with coach Hatcher
and the rest of those kids. I mean Liam McMillian,
who I think is one of the more underrated edge players,
Darby Shire, the way he came in having to take
over Max Girlick, who said all kinds of accolades Anderson,
that Trojan group has an awful lot.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
To be proud of.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
I'm sure they would have loved that rematch with Weiss.
We'll get to that Wis and Barber's Hill matchup in
just a moment, real quick. Iowa Colony knocked out Flugerville
forty nine seven. Richmond Randall beat Connolly fifty nine to
twenty eight.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
But this one raised my eyebrows. Second year in a row.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Brandham beats Liberty Hill and it's it was twenty seven
to twenty four. I think Liberty Hill had a defensive
score too, So they've kind of figured out that slot
team now a couple of seasons.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Going more power to him because as a broadcaster, I
haven't figured it out yet.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
You would think with how many snaps that I've seen
of a run of a center running this way and
then a full back leaks out, you think that I
would know it. No, that Brenham School always is going
to be well coached, and it's a no no if it.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Qualified as a blue blood football school.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
But I mean you just talk about you know, former
Longhord Malcolm Brown, who came out of their current Denver
Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton is a Brenham cub Gidrey who
I was surprised to see he has all the records now.
He set the Brenham you know, receiving record. That's always
gonna be a fun town to go to. Whenever I
go to cub Stadium during the regular season, I always
have a good time because those those people love football
(05:59):
right there, Bluebell Country, And I was a little bit surprised,
especially with the manner in which Limbery Hill finished up
the season and including that win against bass Drop.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
We'll get to bass Drop in a moment.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
First, LBJ, who dealt with some injuries during this loss
to Bay City, final score thirty four to nineteen. A
good fourth quarter comeback effort wound up falling short for LBJ.
What did you get to catch any of this one
between LBJ and Bay City?
Speaker 1 (06:26):
And did this result? It kind of surprised you.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
So this result surprised me in the sense that I
severely underestimated Bay City. Let's start there, so, of course,
and through the first in the most immediate future, recency
Bias says that you know LBJ is not going to
struggle early, especially you get the one seed. You kind
of have a one seed schedule through the first couple
of rounds. But this is about as shocked as I
(06:51):
was last year when they dropped to Lavernia.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
And I remember Roger.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
I remember watching that game with Roger Wallace on KVVO
and watching it and saying, Wow, I do think that
this is somewhat of a repercussion of your district schedule,
and it's you can't change the district you play. Who
you play and they beat them in the manner in
which they think they should beat them. They beat almost
They went over almost every game during the district season.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
You know, you see forty burgers in fifties. They start
to mount up when your team.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Is not used to getting scored on in the first quarter,
when your starters may not be used to playing more
all four quarters.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
It's different once you get to the playoffs. And that
thought is fresh.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
On my mind talking to you know, I'm talking to
the big boys here, but the six A and five
A programs that say, hey, we love getting young kids in,
we love making sure everybody gets a chance to play,
because that's the essence of high school football. On the
other side of that, you have to say, I need
to make sure that when it gets cold, when November
rolls around, when we're near Thanksgiving, that these guys can
(07:54):
go four quarters. I would love to see that matchup
LBJ being fully healthy.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
I do things a a much closer game. But hats
off to Bay City.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
That's a very athletic team, and that was always going
to be the thought in four A. Do you have
the athletes to keep up with LBJ? And on this day,
with the personnel that LBJ rolled out. They did, and
good luck to them.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
So let's talk now, starting from six A moving on
down about what regional semi final matchups Central Texas teams
will feature in. There's a lot a lot on this
late still in spite of all of those teams whose
seasons ended last weekend. Okay, six A Division one, Lake
(08:36):
Travis has a defense that is a problem.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
They are not.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
In the mood to give up a lot of points
this late in the season. That was true again in
a thirteen to seven victory over Brennan. By the way,
Brennan's points did not come from their offense.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
We mentioned it, I think in our halfway kind of
special between your and I where we said, okay, the
defensive MVP, you start with Carter Buck.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Everybody kind of just falls in line from there. With
Lake Travis, they.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
Haven't allowed more than fourteen since the end of September.
And mind you, that's when they're playing Dripping Springs and Westlake,
which obviously that looks a little different at this point,
but Westlake's Westlake and the Booie score even when they
did give up twenty one, was not in a got
into a shootout with Bowie to put absolutely as respectfully
(09:30):
as possible.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
You know, I tell you what.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
McBride, their quarterback, I think has really shown a lot
of growth, even in the most immediate future. In over
the last couple of weeks. He's responsible for the only
touchdown in the win over Brennan. And I say that
because he is in a hotbed of really good quarterbacks.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
You talk about Tadecy with vander Griff and.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
You talk reece Wise usually gets you know, rightfully, So
the moniker of okay, hey, these are the guys in
the Austin area and McBride maybe sometimes doesn't get the
spot like he deserves, but I guarantee you if you
ask him, he's the one that's still playing. I'm obvious
talking about with Ta Deki as well. He is in
(10:13):
total command of that offense. Lake Travis is the perfect
example of defense travels everywhere, and especially you're gonna.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
Need that in the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
It's like taking a bunch of shots with that with
a mallet towards a big rock and not seeing it fall.
And when you do that enough times as an offense,
especially with the ones that they've gone against, Brendan's always good.
Ask any Lake Travis fans how much they love playing
them in any sport.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
We're talking football here, I know, but in any sport
with the.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
Way realignment goes, it's always themselves and Brennan, and that's
a lot more quality win and they know it's quality,
and everybody knows how good Brennan is.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
But the manner in which.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
They did it, being able to win in multiple different
ways is where I think true championship teams are made.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
And I think that's what the Cavs are right now.
Thank Carter, they.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Get the Longhorns of Laredo United. Game is at Heroes
Stadium in San Antonio. Elsewhere in that sort of region
of the six A D one bracket San Antonio, Johnson,
Sybelo Steel is Lake Travis the favorite to get out
of that little pod.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
I think you have to Greg Tepper, the editor in
chief of Dave Campbell Texas Football. He's made some good points.
He's been on that Johnson team all year. And the
more I listen, the more you know I jump into
the film, and then you know, I'll tune in for
a half. That Johnson offense is really good. It is
really really good. That's kind of the matchup. I think
(11:40):
everybody kind of wants to see Steele. I give them
so much credit credit because this was kind of almost
what we're talking about with Anderson earlier. This was their
reload year where Steele had to overcome the losses of
Chad Warner who's now at UTEP, Jalen Cooper who's now
at SMU getting meaningful playing time, and Royal Capell their
(12:00):
slot receiver.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
You have three legitimate Division.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
One guys on your offense and they kind of replace
it now Steels defense led by Hugo, one of the
top interior defensive linemen who's headed to Arizona State.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
That's an interesting matchup. But when it comes to the
overall the regions, to get back to your question, I think
that Lake Travis would have to simply because we've seen
Lake Travis go against great offenses, maybe not one to
the caliber of Johnson, but we've seen comforable, comparable competition
to them, and that's why I think, you know, you
kind of have to give them a nod at least
(12:35):
at this point. So Lake Travis is the only team
we're talking with. EJ.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Sanchez of Texan Live, who has been on this team
all season long. The Dripping Springs Tigers, they have only
lost one game this season. It was a fourteen to
seven defeated the hands of Lake Travis. They beat Harlan
fifty two to twenty eight, but it wasn't as close
as that score. This was a forty nine to seven
game at one point. Just how high is the ceiling
(13:02):
for Kalen Zimmerman's group.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
I think you have to put them exactly where you
Maybe not Lake Travis because of the defense, but they
can go as far as.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
As anybody, especially in that region.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Look, we talked early and the reason I threw my
fists up, and the reason why I celebrate is because
you told me in week two or three, e J,
who were we not talking about?
Speaker 1 (13:21):
And I said, they just beat Vandergrift forty one to fourteen. Yeah,
Dripping Springs.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
Dripping Springs beat them forty one to fourteen, and everybody
kind of brushed it off. And that wasn't to me
kind of that wasn't me celebrating in Vandergriff or anything.
I'm a big fan of Drew Sanders, I'm a big
fan of him, but the manner in which they open
up the season with that win against Vandergriff was only
compounded with a big win against a really good at
Kaleen Horker Heights Club and then a tough loss against
(13:48):
Lake Travis where it says fourteen to seven. They had
the lead late in that fourth court. It was a
couple of late turnovers that kind of resulted in that score.
And I've credit to Lake Travis. They got the turnovers,
but that's a coin flip game with five minutes to
play in the fourth quarter, and they were missing key
personnel in that game, might I add, And also the
(14:08):
manner in which they beat Westlake. Nobody puts up forty
five points on Westlake. Nobody does that, but the Tigers did.
And I've been on them all throughout this year simply
because I thought the way they opened up a season
was as good as as really you could have done.
Chase Ames, their their quarterback. He's been slinging the ball
(14:30):
all around the field. You've been able to get Cooper
Reid back into the lineup dripping springs. I think to me,
can I don't want to call it catching lightning in
a bottle because of what I said in the earlier
on the season. But now that they have their stable back,
so to speak. They have their guys ready to go,
and they're playing as good as football as anybody regardless
(14:50):
of classification right now.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
And so was Harlan.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
They'd won ten of the road, just ran into the
buzz saw that is Dripping Springs.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Last week, computer thinks Dripping Springs.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Has a twenty one point advantage over bedeena Valley. Excuse me,
that game will be played, Let me make sure I
get this right. That game will be played in San Antonio,
two o'clock on Friday, Black Friday game. So the other
game on Friday, a night game at the Alamodome between
Vandergrift and San Marcus Drew Sanders team against John Walsh's team.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
What does this one boil down to?
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Two really good defenses, two really good defenses. Definitely the
potential to be I think Craig puts it affectionately a
rock fight.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
I think that could absolutely lead up to that.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
Here's the one thing about Sam Margins Before I say
how talented they are, Okay, you have multiple guys going
both ways. Division one talent everywhere Texas State committed linebacker
Lampkin who can go both ways? Is that San Marcus
earlier on in the season. I believe Week four lost
forty one to six to Lake Travis. So football isn't
(16:00):
played on paper. We can't exactly yah, let's use the
transit of property. But if you go down through each team,
where I think Vandergrift obviously was better than West leg
West League gave Lake Travis the better game.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
It's going to be tough for San Marcus, it really is.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
And vander Griff got their groove back because vander Grift,
you know, everybody kind of brushed off the forty one
to fourteen loss and then they lost to McNeil. Now
McNeil is a much improved team, much improved I think
by virtue of tiebreakers is the reason why they missed
the playoffs. But Vandergrift has been playing playoff games for
(16:38):
two of the last three weeks of the regular season.
They had to beat Round Rock to claim that district championship,
so they've kind of been in this mode for a
little while now, and so with that game, I think
I'm wondering if San Marcus can can put enough points
on the board. That's my concern right now against a
Vandergrift team that, look, hey, was able to you know,
(17:01):
break through that Westlake defense and that came down to
the walk off field goal. If San Marcus can score first,
I think this has a chance to come down to
the last possession.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Yeah, certainly would allow them to play that kind of
complementary style that they that they did when it went
right this year. So Vander Grifton dripping springs, potential collision. Course,
we'll cross that bridge if that is in fact what
we see in six A Division two.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
But let's get to five A because there's a lot
to talk about.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Starting with the Weiss Wolf's their first area round playoff
win in school history. You had the call Jackson Shad's
six touchdowns in the win over Lufkin. Now they get
this Barber's Hill team, which just knocked out Anderson. What
kind of a different challenge is that than what they
just saw in the last round.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
I would say perimeter talents.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
Barbers Hill has a couple more than Lovekin and was
Carl Absech the head coach of Lovekin, of course, what
many remember as the head coach of Cedar Park during
the state championship runs. Barbaras Hill is going to pose
a unique challenge. But the one thing that I want
to remind folks about Weiss. They're not a four seed.
(18:09):
They've gotten the four seed schedule, which is why the
Laporte win and the by district round. Really, when you
looked at it from a zoomed out perspective, that was always.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Going to be their toughest game.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
And that's kind of been echoed by Malcolm Hill to say, hey,
we kind of already slayed the dragons, so to speak.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
We've already kind of taken care of that.
Speaker 3 (18:28):
So Lovekin who beat Houston Westberry, and now you get
this Barbara's Hill team.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
Trip Davis is a problem for Barbara's Hill.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
I'm going to say that right now, Trip Davis, they're
outside receiver who's accounted for almost thirteen hundred yards this year.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
He's fantastic.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Weiss's defensive backs haven't been tested like that in a while,
probably the last time that Weiss's defensive backs have been
tested like that. You probably have to go to early
to the preseason to find outside receivers that can stretch.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
The field like that. Hendrick said, maybe.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
Hendricks and Romello, Boykin and Trevor and Morgan and and Miller,
those are probably the most condensed form of talent at
the wide receiver position that they're gonna have to cover
now seven Walmack Jory and Gwynn Garrett Stenner, who's headed
to Sam Houston State. Great cast of characters in the
defensive secondary. So that's going to be a fun matchup
(19:20):
to watch. I wise had to play that second half
of the year without a couple of games with Jordan Anderson,
they have two legitimate power for receivers. We talked about
Trey Moore at nauseam. I truly do think he's the
best wide receiver in the area. Took a trip up
to Norman. He's a legacy guy. His dad played at Oklahoma.
I'm pretty sure, honestly half the Wis's team was in
(19:43):
Norman for that victory for Oklahoma.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
This last week.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
I need to find two corners on this side of
the bracket that can match up with Trey Moore and
Jordan Anderson.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
I really do.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
Wis's offensive line averages two hundred and ninety five pounds
and they're starting a freshman at right tackle, so that
match up. Let's let's use our broadcaster bingo board and
say it'll come down to the trenches.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
Let's put that as the free space that I'll use here.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
But it really is going to Barbara Sales, a lot
bigger team and probably poses as much of a threat,
if not more than Laport from an upfront standpoint.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
It's gonna come down to the trenches. You know, we
gotta play cop memory football. You don't need a three here.
Oh sorry, that's that's the wrong sport. We'll get back
to basketball cards too. Oh okay, I didn't have this
on my Bengo card. Three hundred and eighty one yards rushing,
six rushing touchdowns, seven total touchdowns. Not for Weston Nielsen,
(20:45):
but for Gary Jefferson Junior, who helped Bastrop beat Waco
U sixty nine to forty two. And they now take
on the defending champions, Richmond Randall in a game being
played at Prairie View A and M on Saturday afternoon.
Ken Bastraw perhaps pull another upset or is this where
the road ends in your mind?
Speaker 1 (21:04):
For Jake Griedle's crew, it.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
All depends on Landon Williams callous it does. He did
not finish the game against Connolly. Now I'm not plugged
into the point where I say, okay, hey, let's not
risk it or hey, let's pull the starters because commonly,
first of all, quick shouts Conley, Charles Burton and his
staff kind.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
Of revitalizing that program. Very happy of them.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
Former Longhorn Longhorns fans will remember Jade Baron, who now
plays for the Denver Bronco's was a stand out of
ut He's a Connolly alum. With that being said, if
Lennon Williams Callous is healthy, he's always going to be
the best player on the field, just baring On recently
a five star according to Day Campbell Texas Football. If
he is available, I'm looking forward to a track meet
(21:47):
between himself and Gary Jefferson Junior.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
Now do I.
Speaker 3 (21:50):
Think that Weston Nielsen possesses maybe a couple more throws
in the arsenal than maybe that of Scribnic the starting
quarterback for Richmond Randall. You could certainly make that argument.
Now this, I think there's gonna be points in this game.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
I really do. What scares me about Randall both ways?
Speaker 3 (22:10):
Positively, what should scare you if you're a Bastrop fan
is they were down twenty one. Nothing to Iowa call
any who's still playing early on in the season, And
what basically everybody knew was going to be a playoff game,
and they came back strictly on the back of Land
and Williams Callous. You know, for comebacks, you maybe a
tip ball here, something crazy happens, a fumble they just started.
(22:32):
They just gave it to Land and Williams Callous and
let him bring them back when they were down twenty
one to nothing, and it worked. Now, the other side
of that, if you're maybe a Richmond Randall fan, is
that they've shown the ability they can get behind twenty
one to zero. And Iowall Colony definitely doesn't have Gary
Jefferson Junior. They definitely don't have West and Nielsen. I
know they don't have the defensive line of Bastrop, which
I've been very high on ever since you know, you
(22:54):
and I we were calling that game against Fluberville. With
this game, I think whoever makes the first stop first
stop might really boil this down to because neither of
these teams have been stopped really when the pedals to
the medal. Both these teams have not had to do
(23:14):
that in the last two weeks in the playoffs. Now
I understand that bass Drop ran into to Liberty Hill
at that time.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
I chalk it up, I really do.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
I think if you play that game with Liberty Hill,
I think more times than not, Bastrops gonna win that game.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
And Liberty Hill won on that day. And I know
you know you were there, you saw the score.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
But you know a multitude of factors factor that into me,
which I don't really worry about that Liberty Hill thing.
If you're not used to stopping the slot tea, you're
not used to stop stopping the slot tea when you're
facing more traditional offense like that of Randal.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
I think this shapes up to be a good matchup.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
Computer picks Randall by eighteen closer or less close closer.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
I don't disagree with them and saying that that Randall
probably should have the NOD.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
I think it's closer than eighteen.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
So all these area teams that we've mentioned, talking with EJ.
Sanchez of Texan Live before we let you go, you
had to put your faith in one area team to
last the longest, to make the deepest run in the postseason.
Not saying you think they're the best team, but maybe
they have the best draw. Who knows who is that
team today? On November twenty fifth. It's not supposed to
(24:25):
be easy.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
It's not supposed to be easy.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
I thought this was like, hey, EJ, come answer some
easy questions, but no, that's not the game we're playing.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Look, I have to go Lake Travis.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
I do like I wait to go out on a
Lamy Jay awesome, pick the favorite right now in that region.
But the defense is unlike anything I've seen for any
Austin area team. And you know the fact that you
draw what you do at this point. We previewed the
matchup earlier. I just don't think there's much arguing in
it because if you go from there with Lake Travis,
(24:55):
I'm gonn make sure I get this right.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
Then you take on a San Antonio Johnson Steel game.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
You look to be favored there in either games, simply
because you when it comes to the Johnson matchup, if
that's how it shakes out, I think that Lake Travis's
offense it's considerably better than Johnson's defense. It is where
I would land there, so I think they would be
favorite in both of those games. Then after that, you
know you you have a matchup with north Shore and Dickinson,
(25:21):
and that you cross that bridge. When it comes to it,
they're gonna take a chunk out of each other, probably
should both of them win their regional semi final games.
And I'm I'm just always gonna say the defense. Defense
is always going to win championship until I'm prove otherwise.
Offense will get you there, but you at some point
you're gonna have to make a stop.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
And I trust the Travis last one for you.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
You look at a big slate this this isn't just
limited to area teams this week, big slate of games
out there in the regional semi finals are starting to
see some some big powers collide. Are there any teams
that you'd put under the radar on a little bit
of an upset watch.
Speaker 3 (25:58):
If I'm fin the My goodness, I'm not sure if
it's an upset at this one.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
It sounds strange to say it.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
So I'm gonna go with my game simply because I
have the most information on it right now.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
The Woodlands College Park and DeSoto.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
If you ask most people right now, they would take
the Woodlands College Park.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
Okay, they do have.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
A loss on their record, but on games that were played,
I believe it was a forfeiture at the very beginning
of the season.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
Since then, they don't play close games.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
They don't they didn't play They haven't played a game
with all of their starters in since.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Week six of the season.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
Week six of the seasons when they first said okay, hey,
all starters have to play the whole game.
Speaker 1 (26:38):
They're dominant.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
Kyle Coats, who actually was under the tutelage of Claude
Mathis in Desoto's twenty twenty two state championship run. It's
a kind of you know, teacher against student in terms
of Kyle Coats and Claude Mathis.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Claude Mathis would go on.
Speaker 3 (26:56):
Record and say that, hey, this is not his greatest
Desto team, And after kind of bowing out last year
against Longview, they get their revenge this year.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
And everybody's still kind of waiting.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
To say, okay, okay, well de Soto's gone, and I
don't think so, I really don't. It sounds weird to
say Desto is an underdog to a couple of people,
but if you look at if you look at the
picks and look where everybody thought that this region would
stand in six A Division two, A lot of people
took College Park.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
And I just don't think de Soto's done yet. I
really don't, EJ.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Where can we see for this outstanding slate over the weekend.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
You can see all these games on textanlive dot com.
For any updates highlights for each game, you can follow
at EJ Sanchez twenty two on X I'm always the
down to farm a little bit of an engagement, have
a good time with the Tech high school football fans.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
They make it what it is.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
Well.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Glad to give you some flowers. But I don't know.
Maybe maybe you'll get humbled this week. Who knows, maybe
I'll get a victory lap next time I see you.
Appreciate you start you stopping by EJ. Happy Thanksgiving, Baby,
Happy Thanksgiving.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
That's e J. Sanchez from Texan Live.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
Always appreciate his time and insight on a great week
coming of the regional semifinals in Texas high school football.
Coming up a little bit more from Sean Miller. Will
check in with Craig Way from Maui. We got lots
still to do on the Craig Way Show on this
Tuesday afternoon on Sports Radio AM thirteen hundred to Zone
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