September 30, 2025 • 25 mins
Greg Tepper is the editor-in-chief of Dave Campbell's Texas Football, and he joins Craig for a weekly conversation on all things football in the Lone Star State each Tuesday afternoon.
This week, they highlight some of the wildest high school and college mascots from the present and past, share a couple of fun matchups to spotlight this Friday night, and check in on Eastside, who may be writing one of the best stories in the state with its unbeaten start to the season.
This week, they highlight some of the wildest high school and college mascots from the present and past, share a couple of fun matchups to spotlight this Friday night, and check in on Eastside, who may be writing one of the best stories in the state with its unbeaten start to the season.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Brings us to our weekly conversation on a Texan Tuesday.
But before we do, the other thing that brings us
to this is to update the Baseball Wild Card games
going on right now. They're going to the top of
the fifth at Wrigley Field in Chicago with the Podres
leading the Cubs one to nothing. The earlier final in
the American League Game one was Detroit over Cleveland two
(00:22):
to one in Cleveland. The reason why I say it
also leads us in to our weekly conversations because the
editor in chief of Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine, Greg Tepper,
is a to the death Rangers fan and still a
season ticket holder.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Are you not, tep I am?
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Yes, gilt is charged?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Okay, all right?
Speaker 1 (00:42):
So with that in mind, I mean, the word came
down last night that Bruce Boch is going to step
away from the managing position. He's been offered a front
office position, then't I haven't seen official word on whether
he's going to accept that or not. And Jake pointed
out yesterday that the Giants all of a sudden of
a manager opening, So who does But how about your
thoughts just away from football for a moment, since you
(01:06):
followed the Rangers so closely in the season ticket older
on Bruce Bochy's accomplishments, Uh, he did what no manager's
ever done and managing the Rangers or a world title.
But but over the overall picture, on Bochi's dying me in.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Arlington, I think it's funny that like over the course
of Ranger's history, like there, there's there's all of these.
There's a couple of managers who are thought of like
kind of through rose colored glasses. Bobby Valentine is beloved
in Arlington. Ron Washington is beloved in Arlington. You know,
(01:39):
those guys to a certain extent. Art Howell was a
guy that that people liked. Uh, but but really you
know those guys, Ron Washington aside, they didn't really win anything, right,
Like here is a guy who did what what essentially
nobody could do, which is get them over the top. Uh.
And and you know he I think he kind of
(02:00):
cemented himself as as quite frankly, one of the finals
managers in baseball history. And what he did to bring
the Rangers to the Promised Land or what will not
be forgotten. It will it will be very interesting to
see where they go from here. Because uh, the if
you read the tea leaves of what Chris Young, the
new general manager kind of president general manager, is saying,
(02:23):
he's essentially saying, yeah, we're gonna get kind of cheaper here,
and we don't know if you're the guy we want
to be to be managing a really young team, you know,
a team built around Wyatt Langford and the game built
around Evan Carter and then these youngsters than Jack Lighter
and so I think it's interesting kind of the tea
leads there. But but certainly he's beyond approach.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Even in a short time, he will be remembered probably
as as the best manager in Rangers history, because he
did with nobody else could do. Speaking of baseball, one
more baseball thing before we get going to the province.
We'll talk football here about this is the first time
and this is played damning for me as a baseball
and then the first time I've actually sat down and
watched a Tarik Scooball start for Detroit. Oh yeah, holy cow,
(03:08):
Oh my gosh, dude's pretty good. The camp, the comp
I made, and obviously it's a very Rangers base Uh,
it's like a Cliff Lee threw one hundred's yes, like
some of the like some of times I was, I
was blown away watching him today and a nice uh
a nice matinee here in on on my television in
(03:30):
the office.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Yeah, yeah, there you go. Uh.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Greg Tepper, the editor chief Tape Campbell Texas Football, was Okay,
this will lead us in the football.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
We Uh.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
I was reading a thing from CBS Sports Line apologizing
to me, a fantasy football coach, for for grading my
draft the lowest and figuring out bet last. Because really
the reason why they did that is because the lot
the algorithm does not figure out our league and our
scoring system. So I'm off to a three and one start.
(04:01):
And it was apologizing to me, and it said, we
have to apologize to Craig Way because Wampa's Cats were
expected to finish at the bottom. You know, as I
know Wampas Cats is from my Taska down there in
Northern Hill County. And and I was, I was, you know,
I was explaining that to Washington, d c. Native although
he is the voice of the bas Drop Bears, Jay Carman,
(04:23):
our producer, about this about the Wampas Cats, and then
so on our text line. Folks had texted in some things,
and and our man Seapala said, Craig does normal Frost
Polar Bears. Frost actually played Itasca to open the season,
I think it was, And I said, that was definitely
the mascot name. So you get into it every bit
as much as I get into it as well.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
With the unique.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Quality and depth of the mascot names in the state
of Texas, don't you.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Yeah, most certainly, it's one of the things that really
kind of sets this state apart. And and and for
whether you're talking about you know, mascots that I think
are just very near and dear to the community's hearts,
like Santonio Lanier is the Vokes for the vocationals Uh,
Houston Sharpstown is the Apollos, which is something that I've
(05:12):
always liked. Or you just get into the wacky and wooly,
whether it's the Hamlin Pied Pipers or the Roscoe Plowboys.
You know, you get these things. What I love a
small shout out to a local team that maybe they're listening.
Uh is Huddo Huddo I see, because of course Huddo
is the Hippos. Uh. There's there's a great story about
(05:35):
a I believe like a train derailment and a hippo
got loose in town along those lines. Yeah, circustrain, that's
exactly right, and the hippo got loose in town. For
those who don't know, Huddo is booming. Huddo's you know,
booming in a big way. And and they're opening up
a second high school. And of course you have an
iconic mascot there a Huddo high school. So what is
the mascot going to be for the second high school
(05:56):
when they open? Of course it will be the hippos
because if they broke, just don't fix it. Uh, that's fantastic.
So between them and then I love by the way,
if you go out way out west to El Passo,
they have got a bunch of really good ones. Del
Paso del Vaya is the conquistadors. Uh, let's see one
of them. Who who's the as text? That is del Paso? Uh? No,
(06:21):
Eldorado is the conquistadors. Somebody's the assext and they're gonna
yell at me.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Maybe Montwood is the assext, right, Well, the del Vaer,
as you pointed out, is that or as they like
to set out to. And I was told this one time,
it's the Conquistadores, and not not just conquista doors, it's
the Conquistadores.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
So I was like, okay, okay, all right.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Duly noted El Dorado as texts, Yeah, Eldorado very much.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
I had that backward. El Dorado is the astext and
Delva is the Conquistadores. So yeah, they uh, they've got
they've got some some good ones going on out there
out in the Sun City as well. So it's a
it's a a another beautiful part of this of this
the States. The other thing that I like, and I
don't know how you feel about this, Craigway, is the
(07:06):
mascot where the boys and girls mascots are different. That
like Stephenville is the football team is the Yellowjackets and
the girls basketball team is the honey Bees, things like that.
I don't know how how you feel about about the
difference between the boys and the girls mascots within the
within the school.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Some of them are cute and they did like like Farwool.
They're in the far Northwest Panhandle the Steers for the boys,
the girls of the Lady Blue.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
So there's that. You got one Jake in Mina, North
Dakota the Magic City. You've got the magicians and the
majets with different logos.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
Okay, but but the basketball courts only got the magician
with a big mustache. So I see why they went
different directions there. See.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
Now, there's there's some that makes sense like that, and
then there's some that have kind of well, let's just
say they haven't met cultural appropriation yet. You know, you
get out there to Friona and you got to Eaton's,
but the girl's name is the Squaws and uh and
then uh in commands she.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Had one of those like that as well as if
I remember correctly.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
So uh, yeah, there's some of those that haven't kind of,
you know, updated themselves yet so to speak.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Yeah, they're they're they're handful of those. Those are always
very very very odd. And then but like it's it's
you know, it's it's it does make sense that like
if you're the the mask, if your mascot is the bulls, right, well,
I've got bad dudes. I don't want to. I don't
want to, you know, uh, turn this into an educational
show here, but the Lady Bull doesn't, you know, it's
(08:37):
it's a little tough. So so you know those are
those are the types of things that I've always I'm
always learning things. I want to say. Yeah, and there's one.
I think it's comfort Comfort. Their mascot is the is
the Bobcats. But then I think they're the girls scenes
are the Deer. I'm fairly certain. And it's it's something
very st Yeah, that is correct.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
And down in Molten, down in that South send control
very much. Uh, Czech heritage, Polish heritage. Molton is the
Bob Katz with a K and a Z and the
girls team is the Bob Kittens.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
So you got the Bobcats and the Bob See.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
That's that's great. Another another good part of of the
the fabric of high school sports here in Texas.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Well the fabric of college football in Texas.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
And there was absolutely zero, not no, no change whatsoever
in the Dave Campbell's Texas Football FBS Power Poll. I
guess uh that that the staff didn't see anything and
the earth shattering enough to shake say A and M
from the top spot tech from the two Texas, the
three tsue, the four Houston five, that sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
I think basically a big part of it is that
almost all of these teams were off, like like I
believe most of the team, I think nine of the
team or I think was it took the week off.
It was just a thin week. And then a lot
of the results were relatively kind of staying within the
current landscape of what we saw, you know, A and
m you know, playing a real to borrow a phrase
(10:08):
from the host of the show, Real Pappy Pole against
Auburn to come away with a a you know, a win,
playing simplement and in the end a good all same calm,
but ultimately probably not you know, you know, it wasn't
terrible enough for them to be not from the number
one thought. Uh you know, you saw TCU play a
battle with Arizona State on Friday night and end up
(10:31):
coming up just short, you know, the one that I was,
and certainly I want to be clear that that I
support our friend Mike Craven and whatever he does. The
one that I am very interested in seeing what he
ends up doing with is Houston. Houston, you know, to
go on you know, to go on the road and
to nudge out a twenty seven twenty four win over
Oregon State, uh to you know, to get a win
(10:53):
into overtime, A real gutty performance to come back late
and then win that game in overtime. And I know
Oregon State is going five, but certainly you know that
has to count with the vas still a quote unquote
power of five team there, and so I think I'm
interesting to see what the upside is for Houston. Obviously
a huge game this week against Texas Tech. If they
when that one would be needless to say, things will
(11:15):
shift around. But that was the one that whenever Mike
filed his hisitar, pall that Okay, that's that's interesting. You're
you're keeping them, keeping them a steady there with photoons.
That's the team that I think has got some upside nowe.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Yeah, I agree with you.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
And to use the phrase from the host of your program,
you uh one could say that A and M kind
of played with its food a little bit with with
with Auburn and Houston likewise, and even Baylor giving up
twenty seven points, as Mike wrote to the Cowboys as
a concern, but they did with that score forty five
and stillwater to.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Get the win.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Yeah, did they get the win? And ultimately that's that's
the name of the game, especially for Baylor, where you know,
right now, they're not necessarily in the business of style points. Uh,
they basically get wins. However, they got actually on the
road against the reeling Oklahoma State team. You're right, I've
got major, major, major concerns about this defense, especially as
(12:12):
they get into the real thick of Big twelve play,
But ultimately you ended up getting to win. And the
kind of the opposite, the opposite situation with with A
and M where they take on an under an undermanned
Auburn team that led by Jackson Arnold who feels like
he's he's really you know, feels like Austin Westlake might
have done some mean things to him because it's just
(12:34):
not working for him right now. And they're at Auburn
and and look, defensively, you could have no notice about
what they were able to do. They absolutely smothered Auburn,
and Auburn's only score of the game was a defensive score.
And it never really felt even when you know, even
when a Auburn got the ball back, you know, with
(12:55):
under two minutes to go and needing a touchdown to
win it, you never really felt like they were to
the threat. That's courtesy of, of course, the the A
and defense. But I do think that and I know
that Mike Galco had some choice words from the media
about asking some of these questions. A and M give
a sloppy game playing It is simple. I mean they
turned the ball over, they gave up thirteen or that
(13:18):
they win thirteen penalties for almost one hundred and twenty yards.
When they were able to hold onto the ball, good
things happened. They rang up more than four yard golfins,
but they kept shooting themselves in the foot. That'll fly
at home against Auburn. It will not fly against the
kind of the upper cross of the sec. And so
I think that is one of the things that for A.
(13:38):
And if if that's the egg ula, that's the biggest egula,
cool that you can live with that, but make sure
that you keep it within the bounds of this game
against a relatively beatable Auburn team.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Talking football with Greg Tepper, editor in Cheap Dake Campbell's
Texas football magazine, Let's Jump to High School?
Speaker 2 (13:57):
Is the best six eighteen in the.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
State of Texas that nobody is talking about Fort Ben Ridgepoint?
Speaker 3 (14:06):
Yeah, they are. And I think that this Ridge Point
team we kind of had our eye on them for
for a hot minutes simply because they are from a
from a recruiting perspective, perhaps the most loaded team in
Texas high school football. They are our recruiting folks. Greg
Powers and Mallory Hartley are doga about Fort Been Ridgepoint
(14:29):
and the talent, and they've got not just at the
senior class, but but juniors and sophomores. They are loaded
down there, and so far, so good for them. You know,
in their game against against Bridgeland, they kind of pulled
away late in that game and that was kind of
the one thing that was a little bit you know,
it probably they won thirty one to three, but it
probably wasn't as resounding as that is that score is.
(14:52):
But ultimately they've gone out there and they have taken
care of business and they are the clear favorite now,
you know, after a win over four pen Travis, they're very,
very clear favorite in the Stact twenty one sixth a
depending on who gets that fourth playoff spot. Actually, let
me make sure. I'm not sure or no. I think
they're actually locked into the Division one routes. And I
will just say this, we've kind of had this conversation
(15:14):
around the office and perhaps you and I have talked
about it at times. Sixteenth Division one does feel much
more gettable this year, just because Glena Park North Shore,
especially in Region three, it feels like they are they're down.
They've already got that lost to South though Cliff on
their record, Duncanville is beatable, beatable. We feel like, you know,
a lot of the real power appears to be going
(15:36):
over to the Division two bracket, and so if you
are a four pen ridge point at least in Region three,
suddenly you feel like things could really open up for
you and this could be a really special year. But
I love what Rickle Favors ball Club has. They're in
four pendicy. I think they are a team that is
going to be making some noise when we get to November.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
What did you make of as a jump of four A,
what did you make of that Salina Panther Creek game,
which was it was a barn burner down into the
final five minutes of the ball game and there were
lead changes back and forth. I things Selina finally showed
its pedigree, but uh, but Panther Creek Uh looked like
it was ready for the challenge.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
Yeah, I think that this really reflects well on on
Panther Creek and what they were able to do. The
top line talent for them is so remarkable. I mean
a Jalen Lot and Donovan Webb, and I know he
left with an injury. Hopefully, you know, hopefully it's not
as bad as as it could be. In their quarterback
grayl and Fry. They are they are. They've gotten dudes
(16:36):
playing and simple. And I thought that they played unafraid
against a really good, you know, Salima team that has
got plenty of weapons himself. This is now a couple
of times this season already that Selina has to use
the same phrase twice in the same interview. Played with
their food a little bit. And and you know, a
(16:56):
couple of weeks ago against Franklin, they were they futched
around a little bit because you know, a three eight
Division one team, they number one team in three Division
one to be clear, but a team that you're a
full classification bigger than And then you go back the
week before that they played Gunner, where you are three
full divisions larger than them. Again, at the time, the
number one team in three Division two is still the
number three team in three Vision two and at halftime
(17:18):
I want to say that was a one point game,
and so that's they have been playing around a little
bit defensively. I've got a little bit of concerns there.
But the one thing that got the you know, you
see those ads one weird trick to win a football game,
you just press the boat Bentley button, and Vot Bentley
can bail you out of a lot of situations. He
is a remarkable player. And and for now, you know,
(17:42):
it's a very tough district. They're gonna have to deal
with an undefeated Sulfur Springs in a couple of weeks.
I think Paris is dangerous as well. But for Solina,
they they feel like if they can clean up the
defensive issues and kind of the defensive lapses, they've certainly
got VQV one to take them back to back there
for you want.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
The other story, by the way, and we'll we'll find
out more about them than I think this week. That's
that's kind of slowly bubbling down. I don't know how
many much that the local media has paid attention to them,
but this this business of what's going on at east
Side Early College is developing something really special. Here's here's
a team, uh that in the time that they've been
(18:23):
east Side, after they shut down, after the school shut
down the old Johnston High and they changed the name
and they and they came back, they've never had a
winning season, and here they are with a winning season.
Here they are unbeaten the district play Uh, they they
beat Travis. Uh, they play Maine or New Tech and
if they find a way with it, there they are.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
They're in the driver's seat to make sure they get
the school's first ever playoff berth and And maybe this
is a little far fetch, tap, but if they can
beat teams like Northeast Early College and and then Taylor,
we're talking about a team that would be playing LBJ
for the district title in the final week of the
regular season. It's an amazing story of what's going on
(19:09):
over there.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
So I talked with this was the at the beginning
of last year. At the end of the twenty twenty
fourth season, I talked with Luis Pacera, the coach there
at the Austin East Side, for a piece on Texas
Football dot Com. And I'm gonna be honest, after the fact,
now it should have become obvious that these are coaches
like you don't want me to be talking to you
at that point. Because I was writing a story about
(19:31):
some of the most forlorn teams in Texas high school football.
I called forward Diamond Hille Jarvis, their coach. I called
the coach at Monte Alto right and called, well, all
of them had some of the longest losing streaks in
the state of Texas. Austin east Side at that time
had the longest losing streak in Texas. They ended up,
you know, snapping that last year. It was a fifty
(19:51):
one game losing streak. It is inconceivable, quite frankly, for
them to be four and one. It's unbelievable. What Louis
Passerra has one uh there and they've gone out and
they've they've, you know, to beat Austin Travis last week.
I think, you know, you don't. You have to. One
of the things that I talked about with when I
talk about Texas high school football is that you have
(20:11):
to judge things kind of based on a curve. The
expectations in Austin East Side are going to be very
different than the expectations in South Lake Carrol. You just
have to you have to judge them a little bit differently.
And and and when you talk about what they were
able to do last week with a twenty six to
twelve win against Austin Travis, because that is just a
signature win for that program, Like I don't think you
know that for other for most other programs in the state,
(20:34):
that would just be another ho hum, hey, fantastic we
got win put in the left hand column. For the Panthers,
it's special. And I think you're exactly right when you
take a look at that district. You know, look, LVJ
is of course LVJ, and they are going to be,
in my opinion still even though they're struggling a little
bit at two and two, still the clear favorite to
win the district. But right now, I think you you
(20:56):
look at at east Side as one of the teams
that is is in the driver's seats to grab at
least one of the playoff buck and arguably finished second
in that district. It is remarkable. And when you talk
to when I talked with coach Passera last year, he
just talked about how if you do the if you
build the right things and you build the culture, then
(21:17):
the wins will come, like plain and simple. Is that
we're just going to have a positive attitude and it's
going to happen. And so you just feel good to
see that be true, that you if you just keep
doing good things and stacking good days, then good things
will happen. And winnings in factious and winning stontagious. And
they've got the bug now there at east Side. It's remarkable, Yeah,
it is.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
I mean when you think about the fact, remember on
the off off line off scoreboard when we got done
with the television show a couple of years ago, three
years ago whatever, we were talking not only about the
losings true rememor, we were talking about whether they would
even score any points during the year, and I think
the wound up with eight that that one particular year.
(22:00):
And the fact just to look like to say, at
our friend Jerry Forest computer rankings, the fact that they're
seventy ninth out of one hundred and seven and by
the way, number one oh seven is in their district
who they started to play achieve the Polar Bears. Speaking
of Polar Bears, I think it's just flabbergasting. It's going
to be one of the stories of the state that
(22:22):
they'll get their first assuming they stay the course that
they would get their first ever playoff berth as he signed,
and it's going to take some research going back to
see last time as the old school Johnston that they
got in.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
It's an amazing story.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
Yeah it is. It's one of the stories right now
in Texas high school football. You don't necessarily want to
say anything. It's one of those things that like it's
like a no hitter, like you don't want to talk
about it, but like just say those good things happening
in each side, like so far, so good. Keep the
train of tracks, get a couple more winds of development,
and then they can really celebrate there for program, it's
(22:59):
been a long time coming then for a program that
has has needed something to cheer back. And by the way,
from what I can understand, I believe the last time
they made the playoffs was in nineteen ninety one. In
any way, they when nineteen ninety one was the last
time Johnston made the playoffs, which would I think probably
I would have to make sure about this, but I'm
fairly certain they share that history and so as a result,
(23:22):
ninety one would.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
Be what we're looking at. I think you're exactly right.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
I think I do remember reading about that or hearing
about that some now of the old Johnston Rams getting.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
In over there. Hey oh wait, wait, wait, wait wait.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
I've got three games and you've got to pick one
to transport to. So allow me to be mean to you.
Hear of the three games that you could go to,
I've got one in six A that would be a
resurgent rock Wall who owns a win over North Crowley
(23:56):
hosting Longview. I've got I ad one. You got number one,
Alito at Dent Ryan, who's also unbeaten. And then the
other one, and this one's out there a little bit.
You got Midland Greenwood against the new kids on the
Black the block, the Loubbic Cooper Liberty Group, who is
also five and zero.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Which one do you are you checking out? If you
could only be at one?
Speaker 3 (24:19):
Okay, I want to be very clear that Alito and
Dent Ryan is the best game of the week. It's
the largest open day of the week. Thirty percent of
the state is off and so so it's a thinner
slate and Alito dent Rhine is the biggest game of
the state. One hundred and thirty game districts winning streak
for Aledo, which is incredible, is on the line against
det Ryan. So that is the best game of the week.
(24:39):
But the game I'm transferring to is going to be
Lubic Liberty and Midland Greenwood. It's a battle of unbeaten.
It is very clearly the biggest game in Liberty history
because they've only been playing for two years and they're
really fun to watch. They are They've got a quarterback
whose name escapes me at the moment, who has been
really really fun to watch are. They are dynamic and
(25:04):
it's Colton Bushard is his name. But green would have
been my pick in Region one of four eight Division
one for since the beginning of the season. I love
their quarterback, Lincoln Madrid. They played a really hard nose
brand of defense. This is a really fun game. So yeah,
I'm going to JMP Memorial Stadium in Midland if I
can transport anyway where, although I will again admit that
(25:24):
Ryan and Alito is the game of the week in
the state.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Well put, hey, appreciate the time, Thanks so much, enjoy
the week, all right, you two my friends?
Speaker 2 (25:32):
All Right, that's GREGT.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
Chapper, Editor in chief Dave Campbell's Texas Football Magazine, all right.
Coming up, we'll hear the conversation Will Matthews had with
Ryan Wingo when we continue on thirteen Out of the Zone.
Brings us to our weekly conversation on a Texan Tuesday.
But before we do, the other thing that brings us
to this is to update the Baseball Wild Card games
going on right now. They're going to the top of
the fifth at Wrigley Field in Chicago with the Podres
leading the Cubs one to nothing. The earlier final in
the American League Game one was Detroit over Cleveland two
(00:22):
to one in Cleveland. The reason why I say it
also leads us in to our weekly conversations because the
editor in chief of Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine, Greg Tepper,
is a to the death Rangers fan and still a
season ticket holder.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Are you not, tep I am?
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Yes, gilt is charged?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Okay, all right?
Speaker 1 (00:42):
So with that in mind, I mean, the word came
down last night that Bruce Boch is going to step
away from the managing position. He's been offered a front
office position, then't I haven't seen official word on whether
he's going to accept that or not. And Jake pointed
out yesterday that the Giants all of a sudden of
a manager opening, So who does But how about your
thoughts just away from football for a moment, since you
(01:06):
followed the Rangers so closely in the season ticket older
on Bruce Bochy's accomplishments, Uh, he did what no manager's
ever done and managing the Rangers or a world title.
But but over the overall picture, on Bochi's dying me in.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Arlington, I think it's funny that like over the course
of Ranger's history, like there, there's there's all of these.
There's a couple of managers who are thought of like
kind of through rose colored glasses. Bobby Valentine is beloved
in Arlington. Ron Washington is beloved in Arlington. You know,
(01:39):
those guys to a certain extent. Art Howell was a
guy that that people liked. Uh, but but really you
know those guys, Ron Washington aside, they didn't really win anything, right,
Like here is a guy who did what what essentially
nobody could do, which is get them over the top. Uh.
And and you know he I think he kind of
(02:00):
cemented himself as as quite frankly, one of the finals
managers in baseball history. And what he did to bring
the Rangers to the Promised Land or what will not
be forgotten. It will it will be very interesting to
see where they go from here. Because uh, the if
you read the tea leaves of what Chris Young, the
new general manager kind of president general manager, is saying,
(02:23):
he's essentially saying, yeah, we're gonna get kind of cheaper here,
and we don't know if you're the guy we want
to be to be managing a really young team, you know,
a team built around Wyatt Langford and the game built
around Evan Carter and then these youngsters than Jack Lighter
and so I think it's interesting kind of the tea
leads there. But but certainly he's beyond approach.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Even in a short time, he will be remembered probably
as as the best manager in Rangers history, because he
did with nobody else could do. Speaking of baseball, one
more baseball thing before we get going to the province.
We'll talk football here about this is the first time
and this is played damning for me as a baseball
and then the first time I've actually sat down and
watched a Tarik Scooball start for Detroit. Oh yeah, holy cow,
(03:08):
Oh my gosh, dude's pretty good. The camp, the comp
I made, and obviously it's a very Rangers base Uh,
it's like a Cliff Lee threw one hundred's yes, like
some of the like some of times I was, I
was blown away watching him today and a nice uh
a nice matinee here in on on my television in
(03:30):
the office.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Yeah, yeah, there you go. Uh.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Greg Tepper, the editor chief Tape Campbell Texas Football, was Okay,
this will lead us in the football.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
We Uh.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
I was reading a thing from CBS Sports Line apologizing
to me, a fantasy football coach, for for grading my
draft the lowest and figuring out bet last. Because really
the reason why they did that is because the lot
the algorithm does not figure out our league and our
scoring system. So I'm off to a three and one start.
(04:01):
And it was apologizing to me, and it said, we
have to apologize to Craig Way because Wampa's Cats were
expected to finish at the bottom. You know, as I
know Wampas Cats is from my Taska down there in
Northern Hill County. And and I was, I was, you know,
I was explaining that to Washington, d c. Native although
he is the voice of the bas Drop Bears, Jay Carman,
(04:23):
our producer, about this about the Wampas Cats, and then
so on our text line. Folks had texted in some things,
and and our man Seapala said, Craig does normal Frost
Polar Bears. Frost actually played Itasca to open the season,
I think it was, And I said, that was definitely
the mascot name. So you get into it every bit
as much as I get into it as well.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
With the unique.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Quality and depth of the mascot names in the state
of Texas, don't you.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Yeah, most certainly, it's one of the things that really
kind of sets this state apart. And and and for
whether you're talking about you know, mascots that I think
are just very near and dear to the community's hearts,
like Santonio Lanier is the Vokes for the vocationals Uh,
Houston Sharpstown is the Apollos, which is something that I've
(05:12):
always liked. Or you just get into the wacky and wooly,
whether it's the Hamlin Pied Pipers or the Roscoe Plowboys.
You know, you get these things. What I love a
small shout out to a local team that maybe they're listening.
Uh is Huddo Huddo I see, because of course Huddo
is the Hippos. Uh. There's there's a great story about
(05:35):
a I believe like a train derailment and a hippo
got loose in town along those lines. Yeah, circustrain, that's
exactly right, and the hippo got loose in town. For
those who don't know, Huddo is booming. Huddo's you know,
booming in a big way. And and they're opening up
a second high school. And of course you have an
iconic mascot there a Huddo high school. So what is
the mascot going to be for the second high school
(05:56):
when they open? Of course it will be the hippos
because if they broke, just don't fix it. Uh, that's fantastic.
So between them and then I love by the way,
if you go out way out west to El Passo,
they have got a bunch of really good ones. Del
Paso del Vaya is the conquistadors. Uh, let's see one
of them. Who who's the as text? That is del Paso? Uh? No,
(06:21):
Eldorado is the conquistadors. Somebody's the assext and they're gonna
yell at me.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Maybe Montwood is the assext, right, Well, the del Vaer,
as you pointed out, is that or as they like
to set out to. And I was told this one time,
it's the Conquistadores, and not not just conquista doors, it's
the Conquistadores.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
So I was like, okay, okay, all right.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Duly noted El Dorado as texts, Yeah, Eldorado very much.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
I had that backward. El Dorado is the astext and
Delva is the Conquistadores. So yeah, they uh, they've got
they've got some some good ones going on out there
out in the Sun City as well. So it's a
it's a a another beautiful part of this of this
the States. The other thing that I like, and I
don't know how you feel about this, Craigway, is the
(07:06):
mascot where the boys and girls mascots are different. That
like Stephenville is the football team is the Yellowjackets and
the girls basketball team is the honey Bees, things like that.
I don't know how how you feel about about the
difference between the boys and the girls mascots within the
within the school.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Some of them are cute and they did like like Farwool.
They're in the far Northwest Panhandle the Steers for the boys,
the girls of the Lady Blue.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
So there's that. You got one Jake in Mina, North
Dakota the Magic City. You've got the magicians and the
majets with different logos.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
Okay, but but the basketball courts only got the magician
with a big mustache. So I see why they went
different directions there. See.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
Now, there's there's some that makes sense like that, and
then there's some that have kind of well, let's just
say they haven't met cultural appropriation yet. You know, you
get out there to Friona and you got to Eaton's,
but the girl's name is the Squaws and uh and
then uh in commands she.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Had one of those like that as well as if
I remember correctly.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
So uh, yeah, there's some of those that haven't kind of,
you know, updated themselves yet so to speak.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Yeah, they're they're they're handful of those. Those are always
very very very odd. And then but like it's it's
you know, it's it's it does make sense that like
if you're the the mask, if your mascot is the bulls, right, well,
I've got bad dudes. I don't want to. I don't
want to, you know, uh, turn this into an educational
show here, but the Lady Bull doesn't, you know, it's
(08:37):
it's a little tough. So so you know those are
those are the types of things that I've always I'm
always learning things. I want to say. Yeah, and there's one.
I think it's comfort Comfort. Their mascot is the is
the Bobcats. But then I think they're the girls scenes
are the Deer. I'm fairly certain. And it's it's something
very st Yeah, that is correct.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
And down in Molten, down in that South send control
very much. Uh, Czech heritage, Polish heritage. Molton is the
Bob Katz with a K and a Z and the
girls team is the Bob Kittens.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
So you got the Bobcats and the Bob See.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
That's that's great. Another another good part of of the
the fabric of high school sports here in Texas.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Well the fabric of college football in Texas.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
And there was absolutely zero, not no, no change whatsoever
in the Dave Campbell's Texas Football FBS Power Poll. I
guess uh that that the staff didn't see anything and
the earth shattering enough to shake say A and M
from the top spot tech from the two Texas, the
three tsue, the four Houston five, that sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
I think basically a big part of it is that
almost all of these teams were off, like like I
believe most of the team, I think nine of the
team or I think was it took the week off.
It was just a thin week. And then a lot
of the results were relatively kind of staying within the
current landscape of what we saw, you know, A and
m you know, playing a real to borrow a phrase
(10:08):
from the host of the show, Real Pappy Pole against
Auburn to come away with a a you know, a win,
playing simplement and in the end a good all same calm,
but ultimately probably not you know, you know, it wasn't
terrible enough for them to be not from the number
one thought. Uh you know, you saw TCU play a
battle with Arizona State on Friday night and end up
(10:31):
coming up just short, you know, the one that I was,
and certainly I want to be clear that that I
support our friend Mike Craven and whatever he does. The
one that I am very interested in seeing what he
ends up doing with is Houston. Houston, you know, to
go on you know, to go on the road and
to nudge out a twenty seven twenty four win over
Oregon State, uh to you know, to get a win
(10:53):
into overtime, A real gutty performance to come back late
and then win that game in overtime. And I know
Oregon State is going five, but certainly you know that
has to count with the vas still a quote unquote
power of five team there, and so I think I'm
interesting to see what the upside is for Houston. Obviously
a huge game this week against Texas Tech. If they
when that one would be needless to say, things will
(11:15):
shift around. But that was the one that whenever Mike
filed his hisitar, pall that Okay, that's that's interesting. You're
you're keeping them, keeping them a steady there with photoons.
That's the team that I think has got some upside nowe.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Yeah, I agree with you.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
And to use the phrase from the host of your program,
you uh one could say that A and M kind
of played with its food a little bit with with
with Auburn and Houston likewise, and even Baylor giving up
twenty seven points, as Mike wrote to the Cowboys as
a concern, but they did with that score forty five
and stillwater to.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Get the win.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Yeah, did they get the win? And ultimately that's that's
the name of the game, especially for Baylor, where you know,
right now, they're not necessarily in the business of style points. Uh,
they basically get wins. However, they got actually on the
road against the reeling Oklahoma State team. You're right, I've
got major, major, major concerns about this defense, especially as
(12:12):
they get into the real thick of Big twelve play,
But ultimately you ended up getting to win. And the
kind of the opposite, the opposite situation with with A
and M where they take on an under an undermanned
Auburn team that led by Jackson Arnold who feels like
he's he's really you know, feels like Austin Westlake might
have done some mean things to him because it's just
(12:34):
not working for him right now. And they're at Auburn
and and look, defensively, you could have no notice about
what they were able to do. They absolutely smothered Auburn,
and Auburn's only score of the game was a defensive score.
And it never really felt even when you know, even
when a Auburn got the ball back, you know, with
(12:55):
under two minutes to go and needing a touchdown to
win it, you never really felt like they were to
the threat. That's courtesy of, of course, the the A
and defense. But I do think that and I know
that Mike Galco had some choice words from the media
about asking some of these questions. A and M give
a sloppy game playing It is simple. I mean they
turned the ball over, they gave up thirteen or that
(13:18):
they win thirteen penalties for almost one hundred and twenty yards.
When they were able to hold onto the ball, good
things happened. They rang up more than four yard golfins,
but they kept shooting themselves in the foot. That'll fly
at home against Auburn. It will not fly against the
kind of the upper cross of the sec. And so
I think that is one of the things that for A.
(13:38):
And if if that's the egg ula, that's the biggest egula,
cool that you can live with that, but make sure
that you keep it within the bounds of this game
against a relatively beatable Auburn team.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Talking football with Greg Tepper, editor in Cheap Dake Campbell's
Texas football magazine, Let's Jump to High School?
Speaker 2 (13:57):
Is the best six eighteen in the.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
State of Texas that nobody is talking about Fort Ben Ridgepoint?
Speaker 3 (14:06):
Yeah, they are. And I think that this Ridge Point
team we kind of had our eye on them for
for a hot minutes simply because they are from a
from a recruiting perspective, perhaps the most loaded team in
Texas high school football. They are our recruiting folks. Greg
Powers and Mallory Hartley are doga about Fort Been Ridgepoint
(14:29):
and the talent, and they've got not just at the
senior class, but but juniors and sophomores. They are loaded
down there, and so far, so good for them. You know,
in their game against against Bridgeland, they kind of pulled
away late in that game and that was kind of
the one thing that was a little bit you know,
it probably they won thirty one to three, but it
probably wasn't as resounding as that is that score is.
(14:52):
But ultimately they've gone out there and they have taken
care of business and they are the clear favorite now,
you know, after a win over four pen Travis, they're very,
very clear favorite in the Stact twenty one sixth a
depending on who gets that fourth playoff spot. Actually, let
me make sure. I'm not sure or no. I think
they're actually locked into the Division one routes. And I
will just say this, we've kind of had this conversation
(15:14):
around the office and perhaps you and I have talked
about it at times. Sixteenth Division one does feel much
more gettable this year, just because Glena Park North Shore,
especially in Region three, it feels like they are they're down.
They've already got that lost to South though Cliff on
their record, Duncanville is beatable, beatable. We feel like, you know,
a lot of the real power appears to be going
(15:36):
over to the Division two bracket, and so if you
are a four pen ridge point at least in Region three,
suddenly you feel like things could really open up for
you and this could be a really special year. But
I love what Rickle Favors ball Club has. They're in
four pendicy. I think they are a team that is
going to be making some noise when we get to November.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
What did you make of as a jump of four A,
what did you make of that Salina Panther Creek game,
which was it was a barn burner down into the
final five minutes of the ball game and there were
lead changes back and forth. I things Selina finally showed
its pedigree, but uh, but Panther Creek Uh looked like
it was ready for the challenge.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
Yeah, I think that this really reflects well on on
Panther Creek and what they were able to do. The
top line talent for them is so remarkable. I mean
a Jalen Lot and Donovan Webb, and I know he
left with an injury. Hopefully, you know, hopefully it's not
as bad as as it could be. In their quarterback
grayl and Fry. They are they are. They've gotten dudes
(16:36):
playing and simple. And I thought that they played unafraid
against a really good, you know, Salima team that has
got plenty of weapons himself. This is now a couple
of times this season already that Selina has to use
the same phrase twice in the same interview. Played with
their food a little bit. And and you know, a
(16:56):
couple of weeks ago against Franklin, they were they futched
around a little bit because you know, a three eight
Division one team, they number one team in three Division
one to be clear, but a team that you're a
full classification bigger than And then you go back the
week before that they played Gunner, where you are three
full divisions larger than them. Again, at the time, the
number one team in three Division two is still the
number three team in three Vision two and at halftime
(17:18):
I want to say that was a one point game,
and so that's they have been playing around a little
bit defensively. I've got a little bit of concerns there.
But the one thing that got the you know, you
see those ads one weird trick to win a football game,
you just press the boat Bentley button, and Vot Bentley
can bail you out of a lot of situations. He
is a remarkable player. And and for now, you know,
(17:42):
it's a very tough district. They're gonna have to deal
with an undefeated Sulfur Springs in a couple of weeks.
I think Paris is dangerous as well. But for Solina,
they they feel like if they can clean up the
defensive issues and kind of the defensive lapses, they've certainly
got VQV one to take them back to back there
for you want.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
The other story, by the way, and we'll we'll find
out more about them than I think this week. That's
that's kind of slowly bubbling down. I don't know how
many much that the local media has paid attention to them,
but this this business of what's going on at east
Side Early College is developing something really special. Here's here's
a team, uh that in the time that they've been
(18:23):
east Side, after they shut down, after the school shut
down the old Johnston High and they changed the name
and they and they came back, they've never had a
winning season, and here they are with a winning season.
Here they are unbeaten the district play Uh, they they
beat Travis. Uh, they play Maine or New Tech and
if they find a way with it, there they are.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
They're in the driver's seat to make sure they get
the school's first ever playoff berth and And maybe this
is a little far fetch, tap, but if they can
beat teams like Northeast Early College and and then Taylor,
we're talking about a team that would be playing LBJ
for the district title in the final week of the
regular season. It's an amazing story of what's going on
(19:09):
over there.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
So I talked with this was the at the beginning
of last year. At the end of the twenty twenty
fourth season, I talked with Luis Pacera, the coach there
at the Austin East Side, for a piece on Texas
Football dot Com. And I'm gonna be honest, after the fact,
now it should have become obvious that these are coaches
like you don't want me to be talking to you
at that point. Because I was writing a story about
(19:31):
some of the most forlorn teams in Texas high school football.
I called forward Diamond Hille Jarvis, their coach. I called
the coach at Monte Alto right and called, well, all
of them had some of the longest losing streaks in
the state of Texas. Austin east Side at that time
had the longest losing streak in Texas. They ended up,
you know, snapping that last year. It was a fifty
(19:51):
one game losing streak. It is inconceivable, quite frankly, for
them to be four and one. It's unbelievable. What Louis
Passerra has one uh there and they've gone out and
they've they've, you know, to beat Austin Travis last week.
I think, you know, you don't. You have to. One
of the things that I talked about with when I
talk about Texas high school football is that you have
(20:11):
to judge things kind of based on a curve. The
expectations in Austin East Side are going to be very
different than the expectations in South Lake Carrol. You just
have to you have to judge them a little bit differently.
And and and when you talk about what they were
able to do last week with a twenty six to
twelve win against Austin Travis, because that is just a
signature win for that program, Like I don't think you
know that for other for most other programs in the state,
(20:34):
that would just be another ho hum, hey, fantastic we
got win put in the left hand column. For the Panthers,
it's special. And I think you're exactly right when you
take a look at that district. You know, look, LVJ
is of course LVJ, and they are going to be,
in my opinion still even though they're struggling a little
bit at two and two, still the clear favorite to
win the district. But right now, I think you you
(20:56):
look at at east Side as one of the teams
that is is in the driver's seats to grab at
least one of the playoff buck and arguably finished second
in that district. It is remarkable. And when you talk
to when I talked with coach Passera last year, he
just talked about how if you do the if you
build the right things and you build the culture, then
(21:17):
the wins will come, like plain and simple. Is that
we're just going to have a positive attitude and it's
going to happen. And so you just feel good to
see that be true, that you if you just keep
doing good things and stacking good days, then good things
will happen. And winnings in factious and winning stontagious. And
they've got the bug now there at east Side. It's remarkable, Yeah,
it is.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
I mean when you think about the fact, remember on
the off off line off scoreboard when we got done
with the television show a couple of years ago, three
years ago whatever, we were talking not only about the
losings true rememor, we were talking about whether they would
even score any points during the year, and I think
the wound up with eight that that one particular year.
(22:00):
And the fact just to look like to say, at
our friend Jerry Forest computer rankings, the fact that they're
seventy ninth out of one hundred and seven and by
the way, number one oh seven is in their district
who they started to play achieve the Polar Bears. Speaking
of Polar Bears, I think it's just flabbergasting. It's going
to be one of the stories of the state that
(22:22):
they'll get their first assuming they stay the course that
they would get their first ever playoff berth as he signed,
and it's going to take some research going back to
see last time as the old school Johnston that they
got in.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
It's an amazing story.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
Yeah it is. It's one of the stories right now
in Texas high school football. You don't necessarily want to
say anything. It's one of those things that like it's
like a no hitter, like you don't want to talk
about it, but like just say those good things happening
in each side, like so far, so good. Keep the
train of tracks, get a couple more winds of development,
and then they can really celebrate there for program, it's
(22:59):
been a long time coming then for a program that
has has needed something to cheer back. And by the way,
from what I can understand, I believe the last time
they made the playoffs was in nineteen ninety one. In
any way, they when nineteen ninety one was the last
time Johnston made the playoffs, which would I think probably
I would have to make sure about this, but I'm
fairly certain they share that history and so as a result,
(23:22):
ninety one would.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
Be what we're looking at. I think you're exactly right.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
I think I do remember reading about that or hearing
about that some now of the old Johnston Rams getting.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
In over there. Hey oh wait, wait, wait, wait wait.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
I've got three games and you've got to pick one
to transport to. So allow me to be mean to you.
Hear of the three games that you could go to,
I've got one in six A that would be a
resurgent rock Wall who owns a win over North Crowley
(23:56):
hosting Longview. I've got I ad one. You got number one,
Alito at Dent Ryan, who's also unbeaten. And then the
other one, and this one's out there a little bit.
You got Midland Greenwood against the new kids on the
Black the block, the Loubbic Cooper Liberty Group, who is
also five and zero.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Which one do you are you checking out? If you
could only be at one?
Speaker 3 (24:19):
Okay, I want to be very clear that Alito and
Dent Ryan is the best game of the week. It's
the largest open day of the week. Thirty percent of
the state is off and so so it's a thinner
slate and Alito dent Rhine is the biggest game of
the state. One hundred and thirty game districts winning streak
for Aledo, which is incredible, is on the line against
det Ryan. So that is the best game of the week.
(24:39):
But the game I'm transferring to is going to be
Lubic Liberty and Midland Greenwood. It's a battle of unbeaten.
It is very clearly the biggest game in Liberty history
because they've only been playing for two years and they're
really fun to watch. They are They've got a quarterback
whose name escapes me at the moment, who has been
really really fun to watch are. They are dynamic and
(25:04):
it's Colton Bushard is his name. But green would have
been my pick in Region one of four eight Division
one for since the beginning of the season. I love
their quarterback, Lincoln Madrid. They played a really hard nose
brand of defense. This is a really fun game. So yeah,
I'm going to JMP Memorial Stadium in Midland if I
can transport anyway where, although I will again admit that
(25:24):
Ryan and Alito is the game of the week in
the state.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Well put, hey, appreciate the time, Thanks so much, enjoy
the week, all right, you two my friends?
Speaker 2 (25:32):
All Right, that's GREGT.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
Chapper, Editor in chief Dave Campbell's Texas Football Magazine, all right.
Coming up, we'll hear the conversation Will Matthews had with
Ryan Wingo when we continue on thirteen Out of the Zone.
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