|
Buccaneers eye playoffs
Published November 1, 2007
The only thing that stands between Brazoswood and a berth into the playoffs Friday is one team — Clear Brook.
The Buccaneers will try to earn a spot in the postseason when they travel to face the Wolverines on homecoming night at 7 p.m. at District Stadium.
“If we beat Brook, we’ll be in the playoffs,” Brazoswood coach Dean De Atley said. “But we know that they’re telling their kids the same thing if they beat us. It’s a tight district and every team that makes the playoffs is going to earn it.”
Brazoswood (6-1 overall, 3-1 District 24-5A) is near the top in the league standings, in second place behind Pearland (7-1, 4-0). Clear Brook (3-5, 2-2) is one of four teams in a logjam with two wins. The Oilers already have earned their ticket to the playoffs while Brazoswood and Clear Brook are two of five teams looking to snag one of the three remaining postseason spots.
“This district has really been crazy,” De Atley said. “We’re glad that we’re in a position where our destiny is in our own hands with a win and we don’t have to worry about what anybody else does. We’re in a good spot — that’s all you can ask.”
It wasn’t a great start to district for Clear Brook as it lost to Clear Creek, 41-14, and Galveston Ball, 18-16, and beat winless Alvin by just one point, 28-27. But with last week’s surprising 38-3 thumping of Clear Lake the Wolverines suddenly are postseason contenders.
“We had a big win last week to put us where we are fighting for a shot at the playoffs and have another big game against a very good Brazoswood team,” Clear Brook head coach Paul Lanier said. “With the off week we had two weeks to prepare for Lake and that gave us a little advantage. We knew we had to win that football game.
“And in this district anybody can beat anybody. On each Friday night the ones that make the fewest mistakes are going to win the game.”
Don’t look for a lot of passing yards in Friday’s district showdown between these run-orientated teams.
Brazoswood has rushed for 2,001 yards and thrown for just 539 yards this season. But compared to the Wolverines the Buccaneers look like gunslingers. Clear Brook has gained a whopping 2,574 yards on the ground and has passed for only 254 yards, less than half of Brazoswood’s aerial total.
“With that triple-option, Brook has really improved,” De Atley said. “They’re coming into their own and we know we face a dangerous offense.”
Leading the Wolverines’ is junior quarterback Lane Berry, who has run for 1,042 yards on 113 tries with a district-best 14 touchdowns. Berry averages a hefty 9.22 yards per carry. Complementing him out of the backfield is fullback Cornell Baxter, who has 705 yards on 104 tries with 10 scores. Last season, Baxter totaled 996 yards on 204 carries with eight touchdowns as the team’s featured back.
Brazoswood’s defense ranks second in district, allowing 241.4 yards per game.
“We’re going to be tested by Brook, but I think our defense has been the strong point of the year,” De Atley said. “We’ve given up some points on special teams mistakes and the defense has really given up a lot less than what you see. We bend but don’t break, and that defense has kept us in and won a lot of ball games this year.”
The Buccaneers’ offense has been spearheaded by running back Yobes Walker, who has gained at least 235 yards in each of the team’s three 24-5A wins. Walker ran for 298 yards against Clear Creek, 290 yards versus Alvin and 235 yards last week against Ball. In the team’s only district loss to Pearland, Walker totaled 95 yards.
Walker leads the district in rushing with 1,501 yards on 198 carries with 11 touchdowns. Ranked second, with 419 less yards, is Pearland’s Kasey Carrier. Berry is third, 40 yards behind the Oiler running back.
“We’re going up against a defense that has an eight-man front and that is designed to stop what we do,” De Atley said. “They move a lot of kids in and out to keep a fresh group on the field.
“We’d like to pass the ball a little more than we have, but every game is different. It’s all about matchups and taking advantage of what you can. If something is working, we’re going to try and go with that.”
DIRECTIONS TO DISTRICT STADIUM: Take FM 2004 east to Expressway 45 and head north. Take the FM 518/League City exit and turn right. The stadium is ahead on the right.
Jim Levesque is a sports writer for The Facts. Contact him at (979) 237-0161.
Share |
Save |
Mail |
Print
|
|
|
 |
|
FREE BAY BOAT WITH WATERFRONT PURCHASE Get
...
Click for all
Top Ads listing
|
