My Football Weekend Pt. 3

Just so you guys will know. This weekend isn't just about football. This is a time for me to hang with my dad and do what we used to do when I was young. Football has always been an important part of our relationship. I didn't play, but we watched football together. We still watch football together, and it's one of the things I look forward to most in the year.

Usually, we make our way into a press box when we go on this trip, so we don't have to sit in the cold. No such luck for the 3rd and final game of the trip.

Dad and I were out in the cold, and I do mean cold for the Class 4A game between Waxahachie and Longview. The winner will face Guyer in the quarterfinals.

Dad and I were all bundled up in 5 layers and ready to watch some football, and we saw a game that we will not forget for a long time. We saw a 20 point lead get blown. We saw hard hits. We saw the longest pass play in high school football history. We saw a team get dominated down the stretch.

Longview was not ready to go when the game started. Waxahachie jumped out to a 20-0 lead 7 minutes into the 1st quarter, and we thought we were going to freeze for nothing.

Wait just a minute. That's when Longview woke up from their winter nap. The Lobos scored 21 points before halftime to take the lead for the 1st time.

The 2nd half is when it go really interesting. Both teams were pounding on each other and delivering hard hits in the 3rd and 4th quarters.

3rd quarter, Longview pins Hachie at their half yard line, and that's when we saw the longest pass play in Texas high school history. How about a 99-yard touchdown pass for the Indians that put them back in front by 5, 26-21. Beautiful pass and run. It was probably a tie for the longest pass play, but the longest none the less.

Then Longview took over. They ran the ball over, through, and around the Waxahachie defense to the tune of 29 unanswered points.

Longview wins 50-26 after trailing to start the game, 20 to nothing. What a turnaround. Dad and I almost forgot we were cold. WOW!

So the football part of the trip was over, or so we thought. We got in the car to head to the hotel, and heard the final play of the Big 12 Championship game. Bonus football on this weekend from heaven! Texas wins on a last second field goal and they are headed to the BCS National Championship game.

What a day! What a weekend! Now it's over, but it's just 364 days until it starts, again.

My Football Weekend Pt.2

I Forgot to explain how this all started. My friend Jason, who didn’t get to come this year, is the guy that introduced me to the thrills of the 1st weekend in December. We saw a tripleheader at Texas Stadium in 1996, I decided right then and there that I loved watching high school football.

Before he had kids, Jason traveled all over West Texas to find football games during the playoffs. Now, I make sure the 1st weekend in December is open so I can go watch football.
Originally, the trip was a day trip, but the older we got, the more we liked the idea of not driving back to Abilene in the middle of the night. So, now the wives, kids and my parents come on Friday. The guys go watch football, and the ladies go shopping.

The 1st game on Saturday features 2 of the best 4A schools in the state with 2 of the best quarterbacks in the state.. Denton Guyer and Denton Ryan met at C.H. Collins Stadium in Denton. These 2 teams are both ranked in the top 10 in the Harris Ratings, and they finished 1 and 2 in district play.

Guyer quarterback J.W. Walsh is a cherished recruit for every team in the state, and Ryan quarterback Scotty Young is headed to play at Texas Tech.

The 1st half was sloppy. Guyer fumbled 4 times, and Young threw 2 interceptions for Ryan. Guyer returned the interception 72 yards for a score. The Wildcat led, 14 to 6 at the half.
As sloppy as the 1st half was, the 2nd half was even worse. Young threw 3 more interceptions.

Guyer ran out of bounds with the lead and kicked an ill-advised onside kick in the 4th quarter that kept Ryan in it. Not a great game, but still fun to watch.

Denton Guyer stays alive with a 28-25 victory over rival Denton Ryan.

Dad and I are off to the next game between Waxahachie and Longview.

My Football Weekend Pt. 1

This is the week of my annual high school football trip. Usually, we are at the Texas Stadium on the 2nd Saturday of December and the UIL brings us 3 football games.

This year, no such luck. So, my dad and I are spending the weekend driving all over the metroplex to get our football fix. We will watch a game in Arlington, Denton, and south Dallas.

It started Friday night at Maverick Stadium. The number 1 ranked Abilene High Eagles taking on Arlington Bowie.

Herschel Sims started the scoring with a 2 yard touchdown run in the 1st quarter. The score capped a 17 play, 98 yard drive for Abilene High. Abilene High led the game, 7-0 at the end of the 1st quarter.

The Eagles never looked back on this Friday. Sims scored touchdowns on the next 3 possessions and Abilene High was on its way. Sims carried the ball 37 times for 212 yards. Tony Curtis added another touchdown to give the Eagles a 28 point lead.

Abilene High is on to the next round with an easy 35 to 7 victory over Arlington Bowie.

My dad and I are off to the next game. We will be in Denton to watch the Denton Ryan/Denton Guyer game on Saturday.