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A lot on line for ’Cats, Mavs
Published November 6, 2009
There were a lot of high hopes when the 2009 campaign kicked off for the Angleton Wildcats. Many of those aspirations have become a reality, and now the Class 4A’s No. 5-ranked team and District 24-4A champs are looking for a perfect regular season.
Tonight, the Wildcats (6-0 district, 9-0 overall) will head north to Alvin’s Memorial Stadium to finish the regular season against the Manvel Mavericks (2-4, 4-5).
“It has been a year of history making, no doubt,” Angleton head football coach Finis Vanover said. “We had a motivating factor because we wanted to win (the district title) last year to close out the old stadium and open up this new venue with a district championship. But we are not done yet because we want to be playing in December.”
Manvel isn’t going in to today’s game without any motivation of its own. The Mavericks have an opportunity to take fourth place and district and earn a playoff berth, but they must beat the Wildcats.
“Our practices have been electric this week and it has felt like a playoff atmosphere, but we have to win this game,” Manvel head coach Kirk Martin said.
The Mavericks’ 20-12 win over La Marque (2-4, 4-5) last week put them in a three-way tie with the Cougars and Texas City (2-4, 3-6) for fifth place, one game behind Santa Fe (3-3, 6-3). But for any team to climb in the 24-4A standings, Santa Fe must lose today to Pearland Dawson.
Today, La Marque plays at Friendswood and Texas City hosts Brazosport.
If the Indians do lose and Manvel wins against Angleton, there is a bevy of opportunities for the Mavericks to make the playoffs.
“It is going to make a lot of things happen for us,” Martin said. “But we are excited about playing the No. 5 team in the state, and what better way to get into the playoffs.”
Manvel would make the playoffs via point differential in a four-way tie with a win, Santa Fe loss and wins by Texas City and La Marque. Manvel would also reach the postseason with a win, a La Marque win and losses by Santa Fe and Texas City or a win and losses by Santa Fe, La Marque and Texas City.
There is a possibility the final playoff spot won’t be determined on the filed, but with a flip of a coin.
Wins by Manvel and Texas City and losses by La Marque and Santa Fe would make it a three-way tie between Manvel, Texas City and Santa Fe. Those three schools split the season series with one another and the point differential is the same for all.
In that scenario, a coin flip would decide what team makes the playoffs. If that happens, Manvel, Texas City and Santa Fe would meet after today’s games in Santa Fe for the flip.
But the Wildcats can squash all Manvel’s playoff hopes with a victory.
“I am not going to bet against (Manvel) because they are as focused and determined as they can be,” Vanover said. “They are disciplined and respectful of things. They love playing the game and are playing for a reason and a prize.”
Angleton has already lined up their Class 4A Region III bi-district game and won a coin flip to host the game. The Wildcats will play Terry at 2 p.m. Nov. 14 at Wildcat Stadium.
“That’s all set and ready to go, now we have to focus in and concentrate on finishing things off the right way and put an exclamation point on it by going into this historic playoff game with a perfect, undefeated season,” Vanover said. “That’s the absolute, No. 1 priority for us now.”
Joel Luna is the sports editor for The Facts. Contact him at 979-237-0160.
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