December 16, 2025 • 28 mins
Championship week has arrived in high school football! Craig and Greg Tepper, the editor-in-chief of Dave Campbell's Texas Football, preview each matchup in Arlington and discuss the upcoming CFP matchup between Texas A&M and Miami among other topics pertaining to football in the Lone Star State.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
M hm, well, hello, the.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
My it's been a long long time.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
By the way, that's how Greg Tepper is going to
open up, uh with being we do the two A
Division two state championship game on Thursday morning. Well, hello there,
it's been a long time. You know, it's it's been
a week since we had him on the program, the
editor in chief at Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine. And uh,
(00:31):
well we'll uh we'll get we'll get to the Heisman
a moment. But but I am correct, right, you'll be
you'll be pretty excited to welcome any and all viewers
to the telecast.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
There.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Yeah, fired up, fired up for this? What what's What's.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Also very interesting? And I don't know if you go
through this because.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
How many games are you calling for for our friends
of victory?
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Seven? Seven?
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Okay, So I'm doing four and this is the this
is the most I've ever done.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
They're they're they're they're now getting there.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
I think that I've gone enough games without cursing on
the air that they trust me a little bit more
so about four games. And I've got to tell you,
I am two the point now where my brain is
so fried by staring at these teams and just like
figuring out all of the little things and talking with
coaches and trying to get all that intel. Like I
(01:19):
don't know, it's one of those things like you look
at my brain at this point, it's just like looking.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Into the matrix.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Just ones and zeros and wingbacks and and and split
back zers and stuff.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
It is a it is a wild scene right now.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
But so yeah, so when the games arrive, I'll be like,
oh good, it's actually worth doing all this to myself.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Yeah, let me ask you, do you have coach zoom fatigue?
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Man, I have done so much. You and I all
the teams have gone and done a ton of zoom
calls and these coaches And then the other thing that
I do because I'm sick, is I like to talk
with a coach that that.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
This team beat a couple of rounds ago, because then
kind of.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Crib off their notes and get there get like that's
how you can get good stuff like tendencies and like
and who who Like who's who are the defensive guys
that you're really worried about? Like you know, sometimes coaches
will will you know, won't be able to necessarily self
diagnose who their best offensive lineman is, but the team
who just got their rear end kicked will.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Be able to tell you. And so those types of
things are coupled.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
So, yeah, I've spent a lot of time on zoom
over the past forty eight hours.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Temper and I were on a zoom at eight o'clock
this morning with Brady Carney, they head coach at Munster,
because we're doing the two A Division two state championship
tomorrow morning. And you asked him that. You said, I
like to talk to coaches that you've beaten and ask
them an I thought, what a glutton for punishment you
hear these guys, But you did doing that, and maybe
(02:53):
the same I guess also with Daniel Benecker, the head
coach at Chiner, because it is kind of interesting to
hear other coaches what they see the programs they just played,
whether they beat them or lost to them.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Yeah, you get, you get like kind of it's it's supposedly.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
It's like gossip, you know what I mean of?
Speaker 3 (03:09):
Just like, hey, you you spent an entire week doing
nothing but figuring out how this team works.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Uh, And so I like to ask these guys.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Like my first question when I asked these coaches, I'm.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Like, how do you beat these guys? Like what, what's
the way that you beat them? And a lot of
these guys are like.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Well, if I knew that you're idiot, then I would
have done it.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
What do you ask me for?
Speaker 4 (03:28):
Yeah, exactly, I'm the wrong guy, asked.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
All right, well jump back to the high school event.
Let's let's talk college football. It is, after all, playoff
week for the fight in Texas Aggies, uh in the
seven versus ten matchup as thettle host Miami. Meanwhile, you know,
sitting back waiting on an eventual opponent will be Texas
Tech and they're they're waiting to see, well it's going
(03:52):
to be Oregon. But anyway, the Oreon James Madison winner
to play in the Orange Bowl. But how about how
about your thoughts on this Texas A and in Miami matchup.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Yeah, I think it's a really fascinating matchup. And I
know I mentioned it whenever the initial bracket came out
a couple of weeks ago that I thought that this
was a really brutal draw for the Aggies, you know,
taking on a Miami team that is going to be
playing with a chip on their shoulder because there's a
lot of people talking about how they don't deserve to
be in the playoffs. Uh. And then also if they
were to get past that, then they get a date
(04:24):
with Ohio State, And if they were to get past that,
they get a date potentially with a team like Georgia.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
So there's there's no rest for the weary for sure.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
What I think is going to be really interesting here
is that I think that this will be a real
test for the am M offensive front.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
You know, Ruben bain Off. The edge for Miami has
been absolutely outrageous.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Uh. They have got some They've got some legit dudes.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
I mean obviously there there's this is this is a
an NFL Leiden UNFL prospect laden roster with guys like
campe Scott at the cornerback spot. I mean then Carson
Backs the quarterback is a guy. Uh, this is gonna
be really interesting. I think one of the things that's
gonna be that's gonna be absolutely interesting to see is
that the A and M defensive front against the Miami
(05:10):
offensive line is going to be the real box office matchup.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Because I think that this is a very.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Good offensive line, but we know that that is where
A and M makes their head is up front with
a little bit of havoc with the guys they've got
in the front. I think that's that's gonna be that's
gonna be really really critical. Uh. I think a lot
of this comes down to whether or not A and
M is able to stop the run. You know, it
was a team that that obviously Texas had their way
running the ball with them.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Uh, you know South.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Carolina before that was able to run the ball. Can
Miami run the ball? They run the ball that the
AM's in a lot of trouble.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
I like to think they've had two weeks to figure
it out.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
I think that especially being at home, uh, it was what's.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
Gonna be a wild atmosphere.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Uh in in in Aggie Land, you would think that
they would be the favorite in this one. Vegas seems
to think so, you know, three and a half point
favorites seems about rights about it more or less a
pickup game.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
On a on a neutral site.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
I like the Aggies to win the game. I think
that Marcel Reid has a nice bounce back game, and
I think that they wild serve at home.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
You know, I wondered instantly if the Heisman Trust, people
who own and operate the Heisman Trophy ceremony, were wishing
that Marcel Reid had indeed had a good game against
Texas and would have gotten the invite, uh, you know,
instead of Diego Pavia. In light of everything Pavia had
(06:28):
to say after the Heisman Trophy only to have to
walk back yesterday too.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Yeah, it's been uh, look, Diego Paviy has had quite
quite a week. I would say the entire the entire uh,
you know, Heisan circus has been really interesting. You know,
this is a I think an absolutely fascinating situation here
because I do think that you know, Fernando Mendoza, uh,
you know, the winner and and pretty clear winner, you know,
(06:55):
six or twenty three first place Vosas is not you know,
that's that's nothing that's.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
On your nose of that.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (07:02):
It's been a very bizarre.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Race because I think that that you know, we we it's.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Kind of gone alongside what the way the hysen.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
Usually works, which is who's the best player on.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
The best team. Well, it's been uh, you know, it's
been Mendoza on on Indiana. That's a that's the number
one team.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
But I do think that you know, there were Texta
Tech fans who.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Are upset that Jacob Rodriguez an invite, And I understand that.
I think he's been the best linebacker in the nation
and and and certainly if you want to talk about
the most arguably you know, one of the most impressive
and remarkable units in the nation, uh, the Texas Tech defense,
he's the leader. Event Uh, it has been a little
bit of a circus. I think overall, I would say
(07:41):
the Heightsman probably doesn't hate it, just because I think
that a little bit of the shyness has faded from
it over the past few years as far as the
Heisman Trophy is concerned. And you know, nothing's better than
than you know, drama and controversy to to drum up
some interest.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
So yeah, it was a unique situation for Diego Pavia.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
But I do think that you're right they may have
wanted Marcel Reid there and to h although who knows
who wo a male Dolph after that? Anyway, I mean,
you're like, if you just wouldn't have gotten the invite,
we might have heard the same thing from Diego Pavia.
So I don't know it's a unique situation.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Yeah, no doubt about it, visiting with Greg Tapper, editor
in chief Tape Campbell's Texas Football magazine and part of
all of the broadcast team of Victory Plus would be
calling the state championship games this week. All right, let's
let's move to the state championship games before we get
to the breakdown of of of these games, Which of
(08:38):
the twelve schools is the outlier? If there's one, you
can only have one outlier, which one is it?
Speaker 2 (08:49):
It's probably.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Ni Aller is probably Joaquin into a Division one. You know,
a team that has been you know, fish in third
place in their own district, right the upset Refeio in
the in the state semifinal. Joaquin is probably the party
crasher here. But I mean, at the same time, they've
been almost unstoppable because the slot p, as we are
(09:13):
fond of saying, is the devil.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Yeah, and and uh, you and I were been been
joking about them the last three weeks going. Surely their
rabbit's foot has to have been rubbed bare by now,
surely they have nothing left, and yet they keep finding
ways to when and I guess what the most impressive
(09:36):
one is knocking out Refeio.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Well, and and the way that that game happened is
absolutely remarkable because they're in, you know, in the fourth quarter, Refeio.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Scores to take a two score lead.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
The next time Refeio has the ball, they are down
by two scores. Because what happened is Waking goes down
and scores, covers, an on side kick, goes down and
School recovers, a month's kick, goes down and scores and
gets a two point conversion to go up by nine points,
and suddenly everything has gone has gone haywire for the
(10:09):
number one team in the state. It was a remarkable
like this, This is what I love about that game,
Hamilton and uh and Joaquin, even though it is the
exact opposite of a brand name matchup. We've got plenty
of brand name matchups, this one ain't in It is
that you've got two teams that I think feel like
they rightly believe they are teams of destiny. Rightfully believe.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
Is like, oh yeah, this is it's supposed to be.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Us this year. It's supposed to be our year.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
And that's why I think it's gonna make for Wednesday
night a real fun.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
Kickoff, interesting all right now, let's uh, let's go to
the breakdown of each of these matchups. The first game
tomorrow morning at eleven o'clock and Granger Hunters will join
me for that. One is the six man game one
A Division one Gordon Rankin Going's Gordon is going for
a three peat playing Rankin who and I guess you
(11:01):
could make a case a little bit for them being
a bit of an outsider, couldn't you getting into this deal?
Speaker 2 (11:06):
I would get they have been they have relished the
underdog role.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
I think they were underdogged in their first round matchup
against Gordon County. I think they're underdogs in their regional
final against white Face. I think they were underdogs last
or I guess ten days ago in their state semifinal
win over Water Valley. And they have relished in that
underdog role. But this feels like a different animal. Gordon
(11:30):
has been absolutely outrageous. I want to give you a
statistic that absolutely blew my mind. This week Striker Reed
the Air Force commit for Gordon. Striker Reed has touched
the ball fifty nine times this season and has scored
thirty touchdowns, which means that he has been tackled fewer
times than he scored.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
By the way, he's also made seventy three tackles on
defense with a couple of sacks and two picks.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
For the number one team of number one defense in
all of six man football. Yeah, I am installing Gordon
as a player favorite.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
It's interesting for folks who don't know about this Gordon
team that's won back to back state titles. They're unbeaten there,
They're thirteen to zero. It's more than just that. It's
more in the fact that they pitched four consecutive shutouts
at one point. It's more than the fact that every
game they have played except one has been decided by
(12:30):
the forty five point mercy rule, which, for those of
you who don't know and six man football, if you're
up by forty five or more at halftime or any
point in the second half, the game is over. The
one game they didn't was because for one of something
better to do, they played an eleven man game right
over here to the east of us at Thorndale, and
they won that one by thirty three points.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
I mean that's and by the way, yeah, byway, that's
a Thorndale team that won a playoff game this year. Okay,
not some little sisters of the poor team, like they're
pretty good and Gordon, Gordon, there's a chance to talk
to with folks around the six man community, Like if
if tomorrow morning goes the way that we think it might,
then the conversation is going to turn to their place
(13:14):
in six man football history.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
Yeah, and then and then one other thing we should
point out. Oh, by the way, every game was played
away from home because their stadium and athletic facilities were
wiped out by a tornado back in May.
Speaker 4 (13:28):
Yeah, it's there.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
They're an amazing team.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
It's an amazing team, and and and you guys should
certainly tune in to watch it. But I would certainly
tune into the first half because I'm not certain there
will be a second.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Yeah, that's a good point there, All right, what about
the second one? You have another defending state champion and
Jaydon and they're playing a perennial power in Richland Springs.
It's a different kind of Richland Springs team, isn't even
though the computer is only expecting the jay Birds to
win this by five points, but it might be.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
A bit more. Yeah, I think there's a much this
is a much much more competitive game than the than
the first one because of both these defenses. Defenses have
been absolutely outrageous. Jay's given up eleven points a game
in six man football. That's crazy. Uh, they have been spectacular.
What I love about this Risslin Spring scene is that
they have a variety of different guys that can beat you.
(14:21):
Guys like Cohen Etherridge, Guys like Billy Perry.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Uh. They have got a lot of guys that they
can get the ball to and so they're very multiple. Uh.
This is I think.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
I think this is going to be a good defensive
matchup as far as six man football.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Games are concerned.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
And the other thing is, as far as I can tell,
this is their first ever meeting, which makes this really
interesting because either are two of the more decorated programs
in six man football history, which should.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Make for a really fun uh afternoon slate.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
All right, then let's go to the evening contest in
two A division. Now you're working this one right, This
is one of the four ms. No, you're not on
the two anyway. Okay, I'm not on it either, but
this should be an awful lot of fun. Hamilton and
Joaquin to first time final. We were just talking about
(15:11):
Joaquin Doubts to met your own peril and Hamilton Hamilton coming.
Of course they had a great run last year, but
now in the final for the first time ever, two first.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Time state finalists.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
I mean, Hamilton's been playing football since nineteen fourteen, so
like this isn't like, Oh, Richmond Randalls in their first
state champion. Now they've been playing for one hundred and
eleven years and Ryan Marwitz and company have gotten them
into a state championship game. I love their running back
Alston Hale. He missed the semi final last year because
he lacerated his kidney in the regional final, and so
(15:45):
now he's back and running with a vengeance. He's been
a great story going up against Jauquen, which again the
Slot Sea is the devil and the way they run
it with Cooper Bragg, Jacob Metlin, Mary and Wilson, they
got a lot of different ways to beat you. And
as good as this Hamilton defense has been, they have
not seen the Slot team and so that is going
to be the real question here. Can that outstanding Hamilton
(16:08):
defense diagnose and slow down the Slot team?
Speaker 1 (16:11):
Well, okay, all right, the two a D two game
that we're working is Munster and Shiner Thursday morning rematch
from last year's state championship, which was a heck of
a ballgame in thirty six twenty nine game. You I
got the vibe from you. You're expecting a different result
this time around. Munster won last year's game.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Yeah, I think that this is another type game to
really good defense.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
The Shiners defense is outrageous.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
I mean they just got done keeping the all time
leading rusher in Texas high school football history in Kagan
Ash out of the end zone in his final game.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
I mean that's heavy stuff.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
I also love what they've done in the quarterback spot
where they've moved their receiver kind of because they had
to because of an injury. They move receiver Jarvis Williams
over to quarterback. He has given them another element in
that split back geer. Munster is a team that of
course the state champs, and they will have the single most.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
Dynamic player of this game.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Case and Carney is worth the price of admission. This
kid is superman out there. He is going to be
a lot of fun. And this is also an outstanding
monster and even I'm expecting a really fun ball game.
I think Shiner might be your favorite in this one,
but I think we're going to have a really fun
kickoff Thursday.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Well, you know what Munster is working for. They have
that that triple crown thing where you have the head coach,
you have his son as the starting quarterback, and the
daughter is the head cheerleader.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
That's that's gonna be hard to overcome. The Shiner.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Yeah, yeah, that's a tough That's a tough Cobbo all right.
And then we get to the three A games Now
Grandview we've seen in recent years, but not over the
past two to three four years because of that. So
I think they're a bit of a surprise. Yoakam has
just been on a role in the machine and they
they they really proved that in the semifinal win of
(17:57):
Orlando last week.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
I'm on this game with Ted Emrick. I'm really excited
about this grand View. You're right, I mean, they have
figured it out that they they're.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
Throwing them all.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
They got another quarterback back there. His name is de
Nutt Landers. He had a lot of fun to watch.
They got a lot of weapons on the outside, like
Blue Hubbard, like like like Cason Sanders. They've got a
lot of different weapons on the outside. The defense is
going to be tested though against a explosive yoakam team
with a ton of dudes, including the SMU S Xager Burnett.
(18:28):
They have a freshman named Jermarcus Robinson that you need
to keep your eye on.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
This guy is a burner and he is going to
be able.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
He is the guy who can take a two yards
touch and turn into a seventy yard touchdown. That's gonna
be a fun matchup that I think could get could
get up and down because there are two pretty high
powered offenses.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
The four the three a D two game and I
have that one on Thursday night, and you and I
were talking, might be one of the better matchups Wall
which was finally able to break not down the Wall,
get past Gunner and deny them a fourth straight state
title opportunity against a perennial power in Newton. Uh. But
(19:08):
but one thing I got to say about Newton. Obviously,
they're they're very explosive. Uh They're they're a lot of
fun to watch. They have uh And in talking about Newton,
they they have uh you would say one of those
uh explosive offensive weapons.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
And and more than just an explosive offensive weapon. They
have a real uh versatile guy in kJ Porter, but
they have a freshman at quarterback in Isaiah Foster who
has stunned people and I and I had to ask
Drew Johnson said did you expect this? And he said, well,
he was really good in middle school. So, and they're
(19:54):
playing a Wall team that's probably not faster, but they're
bigger than so it's kind of a size versus here.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
This to me is the game that if you're a
neutral and you just won a great small school game,
this is the one you want Thursday night.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
I think this is box office stuff. You're exactly right.
Newton is a wrecking machine right now.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
In the ray they won the way.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
They run the ball with kJ Porter uh and with
with Deligrick Samuel. They are fast, they are they are elusive.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
And then you're right.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
They unleashed their their quarterback guys. They have Foster last
week and there they went over East Bernard. But they
will have to get past Wall, who got that big
cathartic win over the throwing three times defending state champ
gunner Land.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
In York is a four thousand yard passer. I mean,
this kid is.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Unbelievable that tons of weapons like Reid Robertson. And by
the way, their defense has been very good as well.
Both the defense have been very good. This is this
is whereas three A Division one. The way I'll categorize
it as these are the teams that have survived and advanced.
These are the teams that have survived the tournaments. This is,
in my opinion, very clearly the two best teams in
three Division two. And it's gonna be a whale of
(21:03):
a game Thursday night.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Okay, if that isn't the best game of the of
the week, I've got two others in mind, and one
of those may well be the four A D one game.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
Stevenville Kilgore, I'm also on this one, and I'm so
fired up about this. This is let me tell you something.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
If you like physical football, if you like two teams
that are going to take higher irons to each other
for forty eight minutes, this is the ballgame for you.
This is to take your eye off the ball type game,
because these two fronts are huge and menacing and just
physical and mean and nasty and it's gonna be a
(21:40):
lot of fun. And oh, by the way, you got
outstanding playmakers like the superstar freshman receiver for.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
Stevenville, Caden Monk, who.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
Has really emerged on the scene to be a true weapon,
a true deep threat for this outstanding Stevenville offense.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
And then you've got Lachillian.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
Graves, the Texas State commit for Kilgore, who is ill lactrifying.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
On both sides of the ball.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
This is gonna be a fun, fun, fun matchup and
again one of those take your eye off the ball
type type games because both of these offensive and defensive
lines are going to get after it.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
In four A D two.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
It's been a great story for west Ron Stark who
could who could tep have lost their by district game
to Robinson It was that competitive and now here they
are in the final. But it's it's kind of like
you're talking about. It's a different thing, almost like with Gordon.
If you were to pick the sure fire winner, maybe
it's Gordon in their game. But if but Carthage is
(22:36):
probably not right far behind him.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
I think you're exactly right. I think Carthage is a
clear favorite in this game. The star power heer is outrageous,
whether it's kJ Edwards or Quebec or Jet Surrat or
Benny Smith.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Or Junior Henders.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
I mean the load they're loaded.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
I mean.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
And the other thing is that for those who don't.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
Know, Carthage head coach Scott Surratt has been to ten
state championship games and he is ten and zero.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
And by the way, a lot of those games.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
Only one of those games has been a one score
game back in like I think there's second one. They
beat gram by one point thirteen to twelve. Other than that,
a little bit a lot of blots.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
Now, I will say this, watch this game.
Speaker 3 (23:14):
If one to watch the machine, it's fun to watch
the Carpage machine. But also if you've never seen Kelvy Jefferson,
the running back for West Orange Stark, this kid is unbelievable. Okay,
he is five to three and one hundred and fifty
five pounds. He is a water bugs, but he is
strong as an.
Speaker 4 (23:31):
Ox and he is so quick you cannot tackle him.
Like you can't tackle him. They like they cracked the code.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
He has a lot of fun.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
He might be the player I'm most excited to watch,
even though I think that the Mustangs are an underdog.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Give five a D one Frisco Lone Star, which was
able to you know, break through the barrier and shock
Alita last week. And then you got Smithson Valley all
r is the defending state champ. But you talked to
Larry Hill like we did last night, and it's kind
of you, you know, Larry Hill is just kind of
an all shucks. We just kind of gather up guy
and get on after it and do that, and it's
(24:02):
it's it's so funny. Listium and the guy that's a
live wire and jeff Rayburn, the head coach at Lone Star.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
This is a great coaching match up because of course
you've got the legend Larry Hill, and you've also got
a guy who I think is now in a position
where obviously he doesn't have like the three hundred wins,
but Jeff Ravern has been a terrific coach for more
than a decade and the one thing missing from his
resume is a state championship. He can get that year
in a game that will be entirely dictated by what
(24:30):
pace this game is played at, because I don't think
from a pace perspective, you could draw two more polar
opposite teams. You have Smiston Valley, who is methodical. They're
they're like a Bond villain, you know what I mean,
where they're just like gonna slowly take you apart and
stuff like that.
Speaker 4 (24:47):
Meanwhile, you've got you've got lone star.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Who wants to go, go go.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
We want to see how many times we can get
the ball. Whoever dictates the pace in that game is
going to win. And I don't know how it's going
to go, but it's going to be a fascinating watch.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
A D two is a rematch Richmond Randalls South Oak
Cliff Randam kind of dominated Sock in the second half
last year. I got a feeling this thing is gonna
be a lot closer.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
I think it's gonna be a great game.
Speaker 3 (25:09):
South O'cliff is loaded defensively, that death row defense, and
they're also healthy Jamar and Phillips. Their star linebacker is
back and is an absolute wrecking machine going up against
is This is the number one scoring defense in the
state in five day Division two in South Oak club
against the number one scoring offense in the state in Randall,
led by the remarkable, sensational, unbelievable Landon Williams. Callus this
(25:32):
guy who might be the best running back in America
at any level, at any high school level. This guy
is unbelievable. Can South Oakcliff bottle him up? That is
that is the good on good match up there, and
that's that's worth the price.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
Of admission, no doubt, all right?
Speaker 1 (25:46):
And then finally the six A games, Uh Duncanville north Shore?
Need we say more? It's Roman numeral six in nine
years between these two.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Uh, I like, I don't even know what to say
at this point.
Speaker 4 (26:00):
Uh, there's no see here's the thing, there's no secrets.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
Between the two programs anymore. Uh.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
But what I want to see is cann Duncansville, which
is found a way to manufacture offense by getting the
ball to to as and theus uh and and to
their their variety of different weapons. Can they find a
way past what has.
Speaker 4 (26:16):
Been a pretty good.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
North Shore defense?
Speaker 3 (26:18):
And can that ferocious defensive front led by kJ Ford
find a way to make Caleb Maryland the superstar quarterback
for Northshore?
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Can they make him uncomfortable?
Speaker 3 (26:27):
But I mean it's north Shore duncans If I have
to talk you into it, then then you just you're
not into high school football.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Same would could be said for the last game, which
I think could wind up being if if if not
Stevenville Kilgore, if not Well Newton, then the Southern King,
which the computer says as a pickham, could be the
best for the record. Uh, we played Claude Mathis's rant yesterday.
He was not ranting at you. Uh that was Professor
Diggs wentn't up there? Who met who set in the
(26:54):
bania was once?
Speaker 2 (26:56):
It wasn't me.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
For once.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
I I'm innocent here.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
But yeah, this is done.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
I start of say, what we're witnessing, whether Desota wins
or not, is I think the greatest multiple week playoff
cumulative performance. By running back on what Sarad Baker has done.
What fifteen hundred rushing yards in five playoff games, averaging
over three hundred yards per game.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
He's the most dangerous man in Texas played and simple.
He's unstoppable right now. And that's the challenge for the
c King defense, which has been pretty good.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
Here's the thing.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
If you like home runs, if you like going back
and forth in big plays, this is the game for
you because if you maybe you've seen the highlights of DeSoto,
you know what they've got with Sarad Baker and the
five star wide receiver movie Feaster.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
But if you haven't seen ce King, a first.
Speaker 3 (27:45):
Time state finalist. They got Rice signing and Deon Sims
is an absolute burner. Their quarterack Timpy positive in Fantaska,
and they have a sophomore named Dylan Mitchell who last
year as a freshman, finished fourth in the in the
one hundred and six A. It is a lightning rod
and he's going to.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
Be a lot of fun on.
Speaker 3 (28:04):
I think we've got a great way to close out
the state championships, no doubt about it.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Tep I appreciate it. I'll see you on the property tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
You won't even have a choice. I will see you there,
all right. Thanks.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
That's Greg Tepper, editor in chief Dave Campbell's Texas Football Magazine.
There's your preview of all those state championship games. We'll
be back to wrap up our number two. We have
more to come here on thirteen under the zone
M hm, well, hello, the.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
My it's been a long long time.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
By the way, that's how Greg Tepper is going to
open up, uh with being we do the two A
Division two state championship game on Thursday morning. Well, hello there,
it's been a long time. You know, it's it's been
a week since we had him on the program, the
editor in chief at Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine. And uh,
(00:31):
well we'll uh we'll get we'll get to the Heisman
a moment. But but I am correct, right, you'll be
you'll be pretty excited to welcome any and all viewers
to the telecast.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
There.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Yeah, fired up, fired up for this? What what's What's.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Also very interesting? And I don't know if you go
through this because.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
How many games are you calling for for our friends
of victory?
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Seven? Seven?
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Okay, So I'm doing four and this is the this
is the most I've ever done.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
They're they're they're they're now getting there.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
I think that I've gone enough games without cursing on
the air that they trust me a little bit more
so about four games. And I've got to tell you,
I am two the point now where my brain is
so fried by staring at these teams and just like
figuring out all of the little things and talking with
coaches and trying to get all that intel. Like I
(01:19):
don't know, it's one of those things like you look
at my brain at this point, it's just like looking.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Into the matrix.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Just ones and zeros and wingbacks and and and split
back zers and stuff.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
It is a it is a wild scene right now.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
But so yeah, so when the games arrive, I'll be like,
oh good, it's actually worth doing all this to myself.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Yeah, let me ask you, do you have coach zoom fatigue?
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Man, I have done so much. You and I all
the teams have gone and done a ton of zoom
calls and these coaches And then the other thing that
I do because I'm sick, is I like to talk
with a coach that that.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
This team beat a couple of rounds ago, because then
kind of.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Crib off their notes and get there get like that's
how you can get good stuff like tendencies and like
and who who Like who's who are the defensive guys
that you're really worried about? Like you know, sometimes coaches
will will you know, won't be able to necessarily self
diagnose who their best offensive lineman is, but the team
who just got their rear end kicked will.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Be able to tell you. And so those types of
things are coupled.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
So, yeah, I've spent a lot of time on zoom
over the past forty eight hours.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Temper and I were on a zoom at eight o'clock
this morning with Brady Carney, they head coach at Munster,
because we're doing the two A Division two state championship
tomorrow morning. And you asked him that. You said, I
like to talk to coaches that you've beaten and ask
them an I thought, what a glutton for punishment you
hear these guys, But you did doing that, and maybe
(02:53):
the same I guess also with Daniel Benecker, the head
coach at Chiner, because it is kind of interesting to
hear other coaches what they see the programs they just played,
whether they beat them or lost to them.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Yeah, you get, you get like kind of it's it's supposedly.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
It's like gossip, you know what I mean of?
Speaker 3 (03:09):
Just like, hey, you you spent an entire week doing
nothing but figuring out how this team works.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Uh, And so I like to ask these guys.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Like my first question when I asked these coaches, I'm.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Like, how do you beat these guys? Like what, what's
the way that you beat them? And a lot of
these guys are like.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Well, if I knew that you're idiot, then I would
have done it.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
What do you ask me for?
Speaker 4 (03:28):
Yeah, exactly, I'm the wrong guy, asked.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
All right, well jump back to the high school event.
Let's let's talk college football. It is, after all, playoff
week for the fight in Texas Aggies, uh in the
seven versus ten matchup as thettle host Miami. Meanwhile, you know,
sitting back waiting on an eventual opponent will be Texas
Tech and they're they're waiting to see, well it's going
(03:52):
to be Oregon. But anyway, the Oreon James Madison winner
to play in the Orange Bowl. But how about how
about your thoughts on this Texas A and in Miami matchup.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Yeah, I think it's a really fascinating matchup. And I
know I mentioned it whenever the initial bracket came out
a couple of weeks ago that I thought that this
was a really brutal draw for the Aggies, you know,
taking on a Miami team that is going to be
playing with a chip on their shoulder because there's a
lot of people talking about how they don't deserve to
be in the playoffs. Uh. And then also if they
were to get past that, then they get a date
(04:24):
with Ohio State, And if they were to get past that,
they get a date potentially with a team like Georgia.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
So there's there's no rest for the weary for sure.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
What I think is going to be really interesting here
is that I think that this will be a real
test for the am M offensive front.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
You know, Ruben bain Off. The edge for Miami has
been absolutely outrageous.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Uh. They have got some They've got some legit dudes.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
I mean obviously there there's this is this is a
an NFL Leiden UNFL prospect laden roster with guys like
campe Scott at the cornerback spot. I mean then Carson
Backs the quarterback is a guy. Uh, this is gonna
be really interesting. I think one of the things that's
gonna be that's gonna be absolutely interesting to see is
that the A and M defensive front against the Miami
(05:10):
offensive line is going to be the real box office matchup.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Because I think that this is a very.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Good offensive line, but we know that that is where
A and M makes their head is up front with
a little bit of havoc with the guys they've got
in the front. I think that's that's gonna be that's
gonna be really really critical. Uh. I think a lot
of this comes down to whether or not A and
M is able to stop the run. You know, it
was a team that that obviously Texas had their way
running the ball with them.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Uh, you know South.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Carolina before that was able to run the ball. Can
Miami run the ball? They run the ball that the
AM's in a lot of trouble.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
I like to think they've had two weeks to figure
it out.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
I think that especially being at home, uh, it was what's.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
Gonna be a wild atmosphere.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Uh in in in Aggie Land, you would think that
they would be the favorite in this one. Vegas seems
to think so, you know, three and a half point
favorites seems about rights about it more or less a
pickup game.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
On a on a neutral site.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
I like the Aggies to win the game. I think
that Marcel Reid has a nice bounce back game, and
I think that they wild serve at home.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
You know, I wondered instantly if the Heisman Trust, people
who own and operate the Heisman Trophy ceremony, were wishing
that Marcel Reid had indeed had a good game against
Texas and would have gotten the invite, uh, you know,
instead of Diego Pavia. In light of everything Pavia had
(06:28):
to say after the Heisman Trophy only to have to
walk back yesterday too.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Yeah, it's been uh, look, Diego Paviy has had quite
quite a week. I would say the entire the entire uh,
you know, Heisan circus has been really interesting. You know,
this is a I think an absolutely fascinating situation here
because I do think that you know, Fernando Mendoza, uh,
you know, the winner and and pretty clear winner, you know,
(06:55):
six or twenty three first place Vosas is not you know,
that's that's nothing that's.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
On your nose of that.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (07:02):
It's been a very bizarre.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Race because I think that that you know, we we it's.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Kind of gone alongside what the way the hysen.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
Usually works, which is who's the best player on.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
The best team. Well, it's been uh, you know, it's
been Mendoza on on Indiana. That's a that's the number
one team.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
But I do think that you know, there were Texta
Tech fans who.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Are upset that Jacob Rodriguez an invite, And I understand that.
I think he's been the best linebacker in the nation
and and and certainly if you want to talk about
the most arguably you know, one of the most impressive
and remarkable units in the nation, uh, the Texas Tech defense,
he's the leader. Event Uh, it has been a little
bit of a circus. I think overall, I would say
(07:41):
the Heightsman probably doesn't hate it, just because I think
that a little bit of the shyness has faded from
it over the past few years as far as the
Heisman Trophy is concerned. And you know, nothing's better than
than you know, drama and controversy to to drum up
some interest.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
So yeah, it was a unique situation for Diego Pavia.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
But I do think that you're right they may have
wanted Marcel Reid there and to h although who knows
who wo a male Dolph after that? Anyway, I mean,
you're like, if you just wouldn't have gotten the invite,
we might have heard the same thing from Diego Pavia.
So I don't know it's a unique situation.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Yeah, no doubt about it, visiting with Greg Tapper, editor
in chief Tape Campbell's Texas Football magazine and part of
all of the broadcast team of Victory Plus would be
calling the state championship games this week. All right, let's
let's move to the state championship games before we get
to the breakdown of of of these games, Which of
(08:38):
the twelve schools is the outlier? If there's one, you
can only have one outlier, which one is it?
Speaker 2 (08:49):
It's probably.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Ni Aller is probably Joaquin into a Division one. You know,
a team that has been you know, fish in third
place in their own district, right the upset Refeio in
the in the state semifinal. Joaquin is probably the party
crasher here. But I mean, at the same time, they've
been almost unstoppable because the slot p, as we are
(09:13):
fond of saying, is the devil.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Yeah, and and uh, you and I were been been
joking about them the last three weeks going. Surely their
rabbit's foot has to have been rubbed bare by now,
surely they have nothing left, and yet they keep finding
ways to when and I guess what the most impressive
(09:36):
one is knocking out Refeio.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Well, and and the way that that game happened is
absolutely remarkable because they're in, you know, in the fourth quarter, Refeio.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Scores to take a two score lead.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
The next time Refeio has the ball, they are down
by two scores. Because what happened is Waking goes down
and scores, covers, an on side kick, goes down and
School recovers, a month's kick, goes down and scores and
gets a two point conversion to go up by nine points,
and suddenly everything has gone has gone haywire for the
(10:09):
number one team in the state. It was a remarkable
like this, This is what I love about that game,
Hamilton and uh and Joaquin, even though it is the
exact opposite of a brand name matchup. We've got plenty
of brand name matchups, this one ain't in It is
that you've got two teams that I think feel like
they rightly believe they are teams of destiny. Rightfully believe.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
Is like, oh yeah, this is it's supposed to be.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Us this year. It's supposed to be our year.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
And that's why I think it's gonna make for Wednesday
night a real fun.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
Kickoff, interesting all right now, let's uh, let's go to
the breakdown of each of these matchups. The first game
tomorrow morning at eleven o'clock and Granger Hunters will join
me for that. One is the six man game one
A Division one Gordon Rankin Going's Gordon is going for
a three peat playing Rankin who and I guess you
(11:01):
could make a case a little bit for them being
a bit of an outsider, couldn't you getting into this deal?
Speaker 2 (11:06):
I would get they have been they have relished the
underdog role.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
I think they were underdogged in their first round matchup
against Gordon County. I think they're underdogs in their regional
final against white Face. I think they were underdogs last
or I guess ten days ago in their state semifinal
win over Water Valley. And they have relished in that
underdog role. But this feels like a different animal. Gordon
(11:30):
has been absolutely outrageous. I want to give you a
statistic that absolutely blew my mind. This week Striker Reed
the Air Force commit for Gordon. Striker Reed has touched
the ball fifty nine times this season and has scored
thirty touchdowns, which means that he has been tackled fewer
times than he scored.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
By the way, he's also made seventy three tackles on
defense with a couple of sacks and two picks.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
For the number one team of number one defense in
all of six man football. Yeah, I am installing Gordon
as a player favorite.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
It's interesting for folks who don't know about this Gordon
team that's won back to back state titles. They're unbeaten there,
They're thirteen to zero. It's more than just that. It's
more in the fact that they pitched four consecutive shutouts
at one point. It's more than the fact that every
game they have played except one has been decided by
(12:30):
the forty five point mercy rule, which, for those of
you who don't know and six man football, if you're
up by forty five or more at halftime or any
point in the second half, the game is over. The
one game they didn't was because for one of something
better to do, they played an eleven man game right
over here to the east of us at Thorndale, and
they won that one by thirty three points.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
I mean that's and by the way, yeah, byway, that's
a Thorndale team that won a playoff game this year. Okay,
not some little sisters of the poor team, like they're
pretty good and Gordon, Gordon, there's a chance to talk
to with folks around the six man community, Like if
if tomorrow morning goes the way that we think it might,
then the conversation is going to turn to their place
(13:14):
in six man football history.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
Yeah, and then and then one other thing we should
point out. Oh, by the way, every game was played
away from home because their stadium and athletic facilities were
wiped out by a tornado back in May.
Speaker 4 (13:28):
Yeah, it's there.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
They're an amazing team.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
It's an amazing team, and and and you guys should
certainly tune in to watch it. But I would certainly
tune into the first half because I'm not certain there
will be a second.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Yeah, that's a good point there, All right, what about
the second one? You have another defending state champion and
Jaydon and they're playing a perennial power in Richland Springs.
It's a different kind of Richland Springs team, isn't even
though the computer is only expecting the jay Birds to
win this by five points, but it might be.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
A bit more. Yeah, I think there's a much this
is a much much more competitive game than the than
the first one because of both these defenses. Defenses have
been absolutely outrageous. Jay's given up eleven points a game
in six man football. That's crazy. Uh, they have been spectacular.
What I love about this Risslin Spring scene is that
they have a variety of different guys that can beat you.
(14:21):
Guys like Cohen Etherridge, Guys like Billy Perry.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Uh. They have got a lot of guys that they
can get the ball to and so they're very multiple. Uh.
This is I think.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
I think this is going to be a good defensive
matchup as far as six man football.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Games are concerned.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
And the other thing is, as far as I can tell,
this is their first ever meeting, which makes this really
interesting because either are two of the more decorated programs
in six man football history, which should.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Make for a really fun uh afternoon slate.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
All right, then let's go to the evening contest in
two A division. Now you're working this one right, This
is one of the four ms. No, you're not on
the two anyway. Okay, I'm not on it either, but
this should be an awful lot of fun. Hamilton and
Joaquin to first time final. We were just talking about
(15:11):
Joaquin Doubts to met your own peril and Hamilton Hamilton coming.
Of course they had a great run last year, but
now in the final for the first time ever, two first.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Time state finalists.
Speaker 3 (15:22):
I mean, Hamilton's been playing football since nineteen fourteen, so
like this isn't like, Oh, Richmond Randalls in their first
state champion. Now they've been playing for one hundred and
eleven years and Ryan Marwitz and company have gotten them
into a state championship game. I love their running back
Alston Hale. He missed the semi final last year because
he lacerated his kidney in the regional final, and so
(15:45):
now he's back and running with a vengeance. He's been
a great story going up against Jauquen, which again the
Slot Sea is the devil and the way they run
it with Cooper Bragg, Jacob Metlin, Mary and Wilson, they
got a lot of different ways to beat you. And
as good as this Hamilton defense has been, they have
not seen the Slot team and so that is going
to be the real question here. Can that outstanding Hamilton
(16:08):
defense diagnose and slow down the Slot team?
Speaker 1 (16:11):
Well, okay, all right, the two a D two game
that we're working is Munster and Shiner Thursday morning rematch
from last year's state championship, which was a heck of
a ballgame in thirty six twenty nine game. You I
got the vibe from you. You're expecting a different result
this time around. Munster won last year's game.
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Yeah, I think that this is another type game to
really good defense.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
The Shiners defense is outrageous.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
I mean they just got done keeping the all time
leading rusher in Texas high school football history in Kagan
Ash out of the end zone in his final game.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
I mean that's heavy stuff.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
I also love what they've done in the quarterback spot
where they've moved their receiver kind of because they had
to because of an injury. They move receiver Jarvis Williams
over to quarterback. He has given them another element in
that split back geer. Munster is a team that of
course the state champs, and they will have the single most.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
Dynamic player of this game.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Case and Carney is worth the price of admission. This
kid is superman out there. He is going to be
a lot of fun. And this is also an outstanding
monster and even I'm expecting a really fun ball game.
I think Shiner might be your favorite in this one,
but I think we're going to have a really fun
kickoff Thursday.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Well, you know what Munster is working for. They have
that that triple crown thing where you have the head coach,
you have his son as the starting quarterback, and the
daughter is the head cheerleader.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
That's that's gonna be hard to overcome. The Shiner.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Yeah, yeah, that's a tough That's a tough Cobbo all right.
And then we get to the three A games Now
Grandview we've seen in recent years, but not over the
past two to three four years because of that. So
I think they're a bit of a surprise. Yoakam has
just been on a role in the machine and they
they they really proved that in the semifinal win of
(17:57):
Orlando last week.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
I'm on this game with Ted Emrick. I'm really excited
about this grand View. You're right, I mean, they have
figured it out that they they're.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
Throwing them all.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
They got another quarterback back there. His name is de
Nutt Landers. He had a lot of fun to watch.
They got a lot of weapons on the outside, like
Blue Hubbard, like like like Cason Sanders. They've got a
lot of different weapons on the outside. The defense is
going to be tested though against a explosive yoakam team
with a ton of dudes, including the SMU S Xager Burnett.
(18:28):
They have a freshman named Jermarcus Robinson that you need
to keep your eye on.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
This guy is a burner and he is going to
be able.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
He is the guy who can take a two yards
touch and turn into a seventy yard touchdown. That's gonna
be a fun matchup that I think could get could
get up and down because there are two pretty high
powered offenses.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
The four the three a D two game and I
have that one on Thursday night, and you and I
were talking, might be one of the better matchups Wall
which was finally able to break not down the Wall,
get past Gunner and deny them a fourth straight state
title opportunity against a perennial power in Newton. Uh. But
(19:08):
but one thing I got to say about Newton. Obviously,
they're they're very explosive. Uh They're they're a lot of
fun to watch. They have uh And in talking about Newton,
they they have uh you would say one of those
uh explosive offensive weapons.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
And and more than just an explosive offensive weapon. They
have a real uh versatile guy in kJ Porter, but
they have a freshman at quarterback in Isaiah Foster who
has stunned people and I and I had to ask
Drew Johnson said did you expect this? And he said, well,
he was really good in middle school. So, and they're
(19:54):
playing a Wall team that's probably not faster, but they're
bigger than so it's kind of a size versus here.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
This to me is the game that if you're a
neutral and you just won a great small school game,
this is the one you want Thursday night.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
I think this is box office stuff. You're exactly right.
Newton is a wrecking machine right now.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
In the ray they won the way.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
They run the ball with kJ Porter uh and with
with Deligrick Samuel. They are fast, they are they are elusive.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
And then you're right.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
They unleashed their their quarterback guys. They have Foster last
week and there they went over East Bernard. But they
will have to get past Wall, who got that big
cathartic win over the throwing three times defending state champ
gunner Land.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
In York is a four thousand yard passer. I mean,
this kid is.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Unbelievable that tons of weapons like Reid Robertson. And by
the way, their defense has been very good as well.
Both the defense have been very good. This is this
is whereas three A Division one. The way I'll categorize
it as these are the teams that have survived and advanced.
These are the teams that have survived the tournaments. This is,
in my opinion, very clearly the two best teams in
three Division two. And it's gonna be a whale of
(21:03):
a game Thursday night.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Okay, if that isn't the best game of the of
the week, I've got two others in mind, and one
of those may well be the four A D one game.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
Stevenville Kilgore, I'm also on this one, and I'm so
fired up about this. This is let me tell you something.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
If you like physical football, if you like two teams
that are going to take higher irons to each other
for forty eight minutes, this is the ballgame for you.
This is to take your eye off the ball type game,
because these two fronts are huge and menacing and just
physical and mean and nasty and it's gonna be a
(21:40):
lot of fun. And oh, by the way, you got
outstanding playmakers like the superstar freshman receiver for.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
Stevenville, Caden Monk, who.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
Has really emerged on the scene to be a true weapon,
a true deep threat for this outstanding Stevenville offense.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
And then you've got Lachillian.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
Graves, the Texas State commit for Kilgore, who is ill lactrifying.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
On both sides of the ball.
Speaker 3 (22:02):
This is gonna be a fun, fun, fun matchup and
again one of those take your eye off the ball
type type games because both of these offensive and defensive
lines are going to get after it.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
In four A D two.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
It's been a great story for west Ron Stark who
could who could tep have lost their by district game
to Robinson It was that competitive and now here they
are in the final. But it's it's kind of like
you're talking about. It's a different thing, almost like with Gordon.
If you were to pick the sure fire winner, maybe
it's Gordon in their game. But if but Carthage is
(22:36):
probably not right far behind him.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
I think you're exactly right. I think Carthage is a
clear favorite in this game. The star power heer is outrageous,
whether it's kJ Edwards or Quebec or Jet Surrat or
Benny Smith.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Or Junior Henders.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
I mean the load they're loaded.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
I mean.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
And the other thing is that for those who don't.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
Know, Carthage head coach Scott Surratt has been to ten
state championship games and he is ten and zero.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
And by the way, a lot of those games.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
Only one of those games has been a one score
game back in like I think there's second one. They
beat gram by one point thirteen to twelve. Other than that,
a little bit a lot of blots.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
Now, I will say this, watch this game.
Speaker 3 (23:14):
If one to watch the machine, it's fun to watch
the Carpage machine. But also if you've never seen Kelvy Jefferson,
the running back for West Orange Stark, this kid is unbelievable. Okay,
he is five to three and one hundred and fifty
five pounds. He is a water bugs, but he is
strong as an.
Speaker 4 (23:31):
Ox and he is so quick you cannot tackle him.
Like you can't tackle him. They like they cracked the code.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
He has a lot of fun.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
He might be the player I'm most excited to watch,
even though I think that the Mustangs are an underdog.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Give five a D one Frisco Lone Star, which was
able to you know, break through the barrier and shock
Alita last week. And then you got Smithson Valley all
r is the defending state champ. But you talked to
Larry Hill like we did last night, and it's kind
of you, you know, Larry Hill is just kind of
an all shucks. We just kind of gather up guy
and get on after it and do that, and it's
(24:02):
it's it's so funny. Listium and the guy that's a
live wire and jeff Rayburn, the head coach at Lone Star.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
This is a great coaching match up because of course
you've got the legend Larry Hill, and you've also got
a guy who I think is now in a position
where obviously he doesn't have like the three hundred wins,
but Jeff Ravern has been a terrific coach for more
than a decade and the one thing missing from his
resume is a state championship. He can get that year
in a game that will be entirely dictated by what
(24:30):
pace this game is played at, because I don't think
from a pace perspective, you could draw two more polar
opposite teams. You have Smiston Valley, who is methodical. They're
they're like a Bond villain, you know what I mean,
where they're just like gonna slowly take you apart and
stuff like that.
Speaker 4 (24:47):
Meanwhile, you've got you've got lone star.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Who wants to go, go go.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
We want to see how many times we can get
the ball. Whoever dictates the pace in that game is
going to win. And I don't know how it's going
to go, but it's going to be a fascinating watch.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
A D two is a rematch Richmond Randalls South Oak
Cliff Randam kind of dominated Sock in the second half
last year. I got a feeling this thing is gonna
be a lot closer.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
I think it's gonna be a great game.
Speaker 3 (25:09):
South O'cliff is loaded defensively, that death row defense, and
they're also healthy Jamar and Phillips. Their star linebacker is
back and is an absolute wrecking machine going up against
is This is the number one scoring defense in the
state in five day Division two in South Oak club
against the number one scoring offense in the state in Randall,
led by the remarkable, sensational, unbelievable Landon Williams. Callus this
(25:32):
guy who might be the best running back in America
at any level, at any high school level. This guy
is unbelievable. Can South Oakcliff bottle him up? That is
that is the good on good match up there, and
that's that's worth the price.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
Of admission, no doubt, all right?
Speaker 1 (25:46):
And then finally the six A games, Uh Duncanville north Shore?
Need we say more? It's Roman numeral six in nine
years between these two.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Uh, I like, I don't even know what to say
at this point.
Speaker 4 (26:00):
Uh, there's no see here's the thing, there's no secrets.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
Between the two programs anymore. Uh.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
But what I want to see is cann Duncansville, which
is found a way to manufacture offense by getting the
ball to to as and theus uh and and to
their their variety of different weapons. Can they find a
way past what has.
Speaker 4 (26:16):
Been a pretty good.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
North Shore defense?
Speaker 3 (26:18):
And can that ferocious defensive front led by kJ Ford
find a way to make Caleb Maryland the superstar quarterback
for Northshore?
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Can they make him uncomfortable?
Speaker 3 (26:27):
But I mean it's north Shore duncans If I have
to talk you into it, then then you just you're
not into high school football.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Same would could be said for the last game, which
I think could wind up being if if if not
Stevenville Kilgore, if not Well Newton, then the Southern King,
which the computer says as a pickham, could be the
best for the record. Uh, we played Claude Mathis's rant yesterday.
He was not ranting at you. Uh that was Professor
Diggs wentn't up there? Who met who set in the
(26:54):
bania was once?
Speaker 2 (26:56):
It wasn't me.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
For once.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
I I'm innocent here.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
But yeah, this is done.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
I start of say, what we're witnessing, whether Desota wins
or not, is I think the greatest multiple week playoff
cumulative performance. By running back on what Sarad Baker has done.
What fifteen hundred rushing yards in five playoff games, averaging
over three hundred yards per game.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
He's the most dangerous man in Texas played and simple.
He's unstoppable right now. And that's the challenge for the
c King defense, which has been pretty good.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
Here's the thing.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
If you like home runs, if you like going back
and forth in big plays, this is the game for
you because if you maybe you've seen the highlights of DeSoto,
you know what they've got with Sarad Baker and the
five star wide receiver movie Feaster.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
But if you haven't seen ce King, a first.
Speaker 3 (27:45):
Time state finalist. They got Rice signing and Deon Sims
is an absolute burner. Their quarterack Timpy positive in Fantaska,
and they have a sophomore named Dylan Mitchell who last
year as a freshman, finished fourth in the in the
one hundred and six A. It is a lightning rod
and he's going to.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
Be a lot of fun on.
Speaker 3 (28:04):
I think we've got a great way to close out
the state championships, no doubt about it.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Tep I appreciate it. I'll see you on the property tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
You won't even have a choice. I will see you there,
all right. Thanks.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
That's Greg Tepper, editor in chief Dave Campbell's Texas Football Magazine.
There's your preview of all those state championship games. We'll
be back to wrap up our number two. We have
more to come here on thirteen under the zone
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