14-4A State of the Race

[Mavchamp]

Better late than never, eh?

 

Current 14-4A standings are posted on the Mav site. I also tossed in a little 13-4A playoff watch from our brethren up "North" (and West).

 

http://www.etsupersite.com/

 

Thanks!

 

LAST WEEK:

 

PINE TREE Vs. JOHN TYLER: As if there weren't enough JT threads running around on SDC, the one (or two or three or four) that popped up concerning the final score of this game may have done nothing but fire up an already rabid JT squad. No matter what you may think about their 73-6 domination of PT, two things were very clear after the game. John Tyler is a very good football team and......well.....PT has a long way to go. The Lions have yet to break much of a sweat this season since losing to 5A powerhouse Lufkin 17-14. Since then..... CUJO has been on a roll. But now the Lions are ready to enter the teeth of district play. The next few weeks will show if this dog's bite is as big as it appears to be or if their bark is worse than their bite.

 

NACOGDOCHES VS. WHITEHOUSE: The Wildcats needed a win over Nac Friday night to set the stage for a monster battle in week 7. But that meant taking care of business in week 6, which they did by dispatching Nacogdoches 48-19. This could have easily become a trap game for Whitehouse, but a steady diet of Trey Metoyer and a benevolent Nac team added up to another big win for the Wildcats. Nac had 5 turnovers (ten in the last two games) that kept them from making more of a game of it. The Wildcats can now move on to one of the biggest games in program history.

 

HALLSVILLE Vs. MARSHALL: Marshall had to overcome playing without their starting QB and offensive Juggernaut Bryce French, who was injured in the Jacksonville game. Several other linemen also had some bumps and bruises from the Tomato Bowl battle that kept them out as well. Hallsville took advantage of the absence of Frnech by keeping the Mav offense on it's heels most of the night. But a determined J. Kelly and a stellar effort by the Mav defense made the 17-10 score stand. The Bobcats were turned away inside the Maverick twenty yardline twice. French and company should be back this week in time to take on Nac.

 

JACKSONVILLE Vs. KILGORE: The Indians may be the cardiac kids of East Texas in 2010. After beating Marshall on a FG with 00:00 left on the clock after a defensive penalty, the Tribe almost trumped the excitement by kicking a FG with less than one minute to go against Kilgore, then needed the Bulldogs to miss a FG in the final seconds to preserve the 27-26 win. That's two victories by a total of 4 points, both in the final seconds. Kilgore losses another close game this season as they prepare to enter the teeth of their district schedule as well.

 

THIS WEEK:

WHITEHOUSE (5-1, 3-0) Vs. JOHN TYLER (5-1, 3-0): For several years WH has been attempting to set the stage that would put them among the elite teams of the region. However, each time it seems they stumbled along the way to keep that from happening. That's not the case in 2010. The Wildcats are off to a (5-1) start and will play in arguably one of their biggest regular season games in program history. WH can solidify its spot with a win over one of the most storied programs in the state of Texas: John Tyler. The stage doesn't get much bigger. 12,000+ could be on hand at Rose Stadium. The region will be watching to see what the New Kids on the Block can do against The Establishment. WH had a chance to do the same last season against Longview in the playoffs......and well. The Establishment won....convincingly. But this WH team seems to have the pieces to get the win. Meanwhile..... John Tyler chalks this one up as just another big time game for a big time program. JT was a region finalist last season. They have played in multiple state championships, semifinals, and other deep runs the last 10, 20, 30 years (and longer). This is a statement game. JT wants to show that they are the JT of old. The JT that makes annual deep runs into the post season. Nothing new. Just the expected. WH, on the other hand wants to show that they are ready to take the first steps to become what JT is. This is what WH has been wanting for the last few years. Now they finally got it. Time to see what they can do with it. Get your popcorn ready. This could be good!

 

MARSHALL (4-2, 2-1) Vs. NACOGDOCHES (2-4, 1-2): This is a big game for both teams. A win by Marshall will all but seal a playoff spot for Mavericks, which would improve to (3-1) with PT left for the season finale. However, a Marshall loss could put the Mavs in dire straits. Nac, meanwhile is ready to shake off the cobwebs of playing JT and WH the last two weeks. A Nac loss would severely paralyze the Dragon's hopes of making the post season, putting them in a near must win in their final three weeks. This game has more than just your "run-of-the-mill" banter of a must win game for either program. There are family ties so to speak in this one. Then again, that's nothing new between these two programs. Scott Ford, head coach at Nacogdoches was a standout player for Marshall in the mid 80's. He was part of the building blocks that lead to Marshall's football rebirth that culminated with the 5A Div I title in 1990. His head coaching success at 5A Los Fresnos brought him to Nac to do the same. He opened some eyes when he recruited the help of his former HS coach, Dennis Parker. Parker lead Marshall to that title in 1990 as head coach. Scott Ford took over for the retiring Bill Harper, who is currently the winningnest coach Marshall High school has ever had. Toss in the fact that Ford has a lot of family (many MHS graduates) and he and Parker both have many friends in Marshall, this has the makings of a mini civil war. At least emotionally. But on paper.... it's just another game between a program trying to make a name for itself and an established program looking to carry on its winning tradition.

 

KILGORE (2-4, 1-2) Vs. HALLSVILLE (2-4, 0-3): It's always interesting when rivalry games are made a little more meaningful when both teams have their backs against the wall. Such is the case in this match up. A loss by either team in this game can all but put their dreams of the playoffs away until next year. However, a win could propel them into one of the final playoff spots. In spite of being winless, the Bobcats may have the upper hand looking at the big picture of things in 14-4A. The Bobcats have already faced WH, JT, and Marshall. Wins in their final weeks could set them up for a darkhorse playoff team. Hallsville appears to be getting healthy just in time to take on a young Kilgore team, a charmed Jax team, PT, and Nac. All appear to be winnable if the Bobcats can continue their recovery from the infirmary. Kilgore needs every win they can get as they still have WH and JT remaining on their schedule. With losses to Marshall and Jax already on their slate, a loss to Hallsville would all but end their hopes. The dogs need a win this week as well as next week against Nac to keep things alive. The good news for Kilgore is that they were close in both of their district losses as they only fell by 3 to Jax and by 10 to Marshall. It will be interesting to see which team will come out fighing for their playoffs lives in this game. Each knows another loss could make their final three weeks of the season long and difficult, while a win could spark them to a spectacular finish.

 

JACKSONVILLE (4-2, 2-1) Vs. PINE TREE (1-5, 0-3): The Indians will be looking to continue their good fortune this season with a win over Pine Tree. Jacksonville has used heroics and heart-stopping drama to scratch their way to a 2-1 district mark in 14-4A. They have won their last two games by the thinnest of margins, the sign of a good team. They are probably hoping this week will be a little more relaxing as they travel to take on a PT team that has struggled all season long. Pine Tree is looking for any kind of positives on their season, which appears to be going like so many others.

 

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY:

Going by the current 13-4A standings, this is what the playoff matchups would look like if they were to start right now.

 

JOHN TYLER Vs. TEXAS HIGH (4-3, 2-1)- JT is the top seed in Div I for 14-4A right now, while Texarkana is the #2 team in Div I for 13-4A.

 

MARSHALL Vs. SHERMAN (6-1, 3-0): Marshall is the #2 seed from 14-4A in Div I, while Sherman is the #1 seed in Div I for 13-4A.

 

WHITEHOUSE Vs. ROYCE CITY/MT. PLEASANT- RC AND MP are both (1-5, 1-1) in district play and would be the #2 seed in Div II, while WH would be the top seed in Div II from 14-4A.

 

JACKSONVILLE Vs. SULPHUR SPRINGS (5-2, 2-1): J-ville would be the #2 seed in Div II and would face off against SS, who is the #1 seed in Div II from 13-4A.

 

Sherman and Texas High are locks for Div I it appears unless one of them completely falls apart in the final part of the season.

 

JT appears to be a lock for Div I from 14-4A..... but Marshall and Nac are both contenders for the other Div I spot. The Marshall/Nac game could help sort that out a tad.

 

See ya'll at the stadium!

 

Mavchamp

http://www.etsupersite.com/

[Coach Rab]

I can't imagine Mt. Pleasant remaining in the race for a playoff spot from that district. And if Royce City is just as bad, I wouldn't expect them to hang up there either. I think we will know more about 13-4A at the end of week 9, would be nicer to know something about #3 and 4 after this week, but I just don't see too much light being shed on that district this week.

 

14-4A should start to shape up a bit more this week. Marshall should know about where they stand after this week (as well as Nac) and JT and WH should know who is going to be the district front runner and who the more dominant team is after this week. Still alot of questions in Kilgore and Jacksonville but I believe its safe to eliminate Hallsville and Pine Tree.

 

I see it finishing something like this:

 

1. John Tyler

2. Marshall (yes, i am picking marshall over whitehouse. I think the Mavs have the corners to slow down whitehouse.)

3. Whitehouse

4. Jacksonville

5. Kilgore

6. Nac

7. Hallsville

8. Pine Tree

[cujoforlife]

i like the whole set up of this week. it's going to be a good one. for all

[HvilleCat23]

Finally! Beem waiting for these mav haha. I like the sound of most of this. But hallsville rb played well and wasnt but a good 70 to 75 percent during marshall game. A healthy johnson and return of lineman and starting qb should allow us to win out with the exception of jacksonville game because they can pass. But with the rust of these kids missing & partly playing in 1 in the last 4 games.

[HvilleCat23]

with seeing the bulk of the teams... I see it.

wh/jt

wh/jt(yes until i see after this game wh played us harder than anyone they have a chance)

marshall(pick them 3rd because wh and jt are stronger, and im pickin hville in playoffs)

hallsville(they have the players and potential back im sayin they come out strong)

jacksonville

kilgore

nac

pinetree

 

i have faith in my cats when healthy i wouldnt pick a stronger offense in district. I give everyone a chance its a very close race in this district. Most people will doubt my cats. But they are regaining their starters that didnt get to play in the hardest games of season are coming back. Im just glad no more david bush or trey metoyer!

[cujoforlife]

<br />with seeing the bulk of the teams... I see it. <br />wh/jt<br />wh/jt(yes until i see after this game wh played us harder than anyone they have a chance)<br />marshall(pick them 3rd because wh and jt are stronger, and im pickin hville in playoffs)<br />hallsville(they have the players and potential back im sayin they come out strong)<br />jacksonville<br />kilgore<br />nac<br />pinetree<br /><br />i have faith in my cats when healthy i wouldnt pick a stronger offense in district. I give everyone a chance its a very close race in this district. Most people will doubt my cats. But they are regaining their starters that didnt get to play in the hardest games of season are coming back. Im just glad no more david bush or trey metoyer!<br />

<br /><br /><br />

 

 

h-ville played harder then what score showed against jt

[purplemonkeydishwasher]

Better late than never, eh?

 

Current 14-4A standings are posted on the Mav site. I also tossed in a little 13-4A playoff watch from our brethren up "North" (and West).

 

http://www.etsupersite.com/

 

Thanks!

 

LAST WEEK:

 

PINE TREE Vs. JOHN TYLER: As if there weren't enough JT threads running around on SDC, the one (or two or three or four) that popped up concerning the final score of this game may have done nothing but fire up an already rabid JT squad. No matter what you may think about their 73-6 domination of PT, two things were very clear after the game. John Tyler is a very good football team and......well.....PT has a long way to go. The Lions have yet to break much of a sweat this season since losing to 5A powerhouse Lufkin 17-14. Since then..... CUJO has been on a roll. But now the Lions are ready to enter the teeth of district play. The next few weeks will show if this dog's bite is as big as it appears to be or if their bark is worse than their bite.

 

NACOGDOCHES VS. WHITEHOUSE: The Wildcats needed a win over Nac Friday night to set the stage for a monster battle in week 7. But that meant taking care of business in week 6, which they did by dispatching Nacogdoches 48-19. This could have easily become a trap game for Whitehouse, but a steady diet of Trey Metoyer and a benevolent Nac team added up to another big win for the Wildcats. Nac had 5 turnovers (ten in the last two games) that kept them from making more of a game of it. The Wildcats can now move on to one of the biggest games in program history.

 

HALLSVILLE Vs. MARSHALL: Marshall had to overcome playing without their starting QB and offensive Juggernaut Bryce French, who was injured in the Jacksonville game. Several other linemen also had some bumps and bruises from the Tomato Bowl battle that kept them out as well. Hallsville took advantage of the absence of Frnech by keeping the Mav offense on it's heels most of the night. But a determined J. Kelly and a stellar effort by the Mav defense made the 17-10 score stand. The Bobcats were turned away inside the Maverick twenty yardline twice. French and company should be back this week in time to take on Nac.

 

JACKSONVILLE Vs. KILGORE: The Indians may be the cardiac kids of East Texas in 2010. After beating Marshall on a FG with 00:00 left on the clock after a defensive penalty, the Tribe almost trumped the excitement by kicking a FG with less than one minute to go against Kilgore, then needed the Bulldogs to miss a FG in the final seconds to preserve the 27-26 win. That's two victories by a total of 4 points, both in the final seconds. Kilgore losses another close game this season as they prepare to enter the teeth of their district schedule as well.

 

THIS WEEK:

WHITEHOUSE (5-1, 3-0) Vs. JOHN TYLER (5-1, 3-0): For several years WH has been attempting to set the stage that would put them among the elite teams of the region. However, each time it seems they stumbled along the way to keep that from happening. That's not the case in 2010. The Wildcats are off to a (5-1) start and will play in arguably one of their biggest regular season games in program history. WH can solidify its spot with a win over one of the most storied programs in the state of Texas: John Tyler. The stage doesn't get much bigger. 12,000+ could be on hand at Rose Stadium. The region will be watching to see what the New Kids on the Block can do against The Establishment. WH had a chance to do the same last season against Longview in the playoffs......and well. The Establishment won....convincingly. But this WH team seems to have the pieces to get the win. Meanwhile..... John Tyler chalks this one up as just another big time game for a big time program. JT was a region finalist last season. They have played in multiple state championships, semifinals, and other deep runs the last 10, 20, 30 years (and longer). This is a statement game. JT wants to show that they are the JT of old. The JT that makes annual deep runs into the post season. Nothing new. Just the expected. WH, on the other hand wants to show that they are ready to take the first steps to become what JT is. This is what WH has been wanting for the last few years. Now they finally got it. Time to see what they can do with it. Get your popcorn ready. This could be good!

 

MARSHALL (4-2, 2-1) Vs. NACOGDOCHES (2-4, 1-2): This is a big game for both teams. A win by Marshall will all but seal a playoff spot for Mavericks, which would improve to (3-1) with PT left for the season finale. However, a Marshall loss could put the Mavs in dire straits. Nac, meanwhile is ready to shake off the cobwebs of playing JT and WH the last two weeks. A Nac loss would severely paralyze the Dragon's hopes of making the post season, putting them in a near must win in their final three weeks. This game has more than just your "run-of-the-mill" banter of a must win game for either program. There are family ties so to speak in this one. Then again, that's nothing new between these two programs. Scott Ford, head coach at Nacogdoches was a standout player for Marshall in the mid 80's. He was part of the building blocks that lead to Marshall's football rebirth that culminated with the 5A Div I title in 1990. His head coaching success at 5A Los Fresnos brought him to Nac to do the same. He opened some eyes when he recruited the help of his former HS coach, Dennis Parker. Parker lead Marshall to that title in 1990 as head coach. Scott Ford took over for the retiring Bill Harper, who is currently the winningnest coach Marshall High school has ever had. Toss in the fact that Ford has a lot of family (many MHS graduates) and he and Parker both have many friends in Marshall, this has the makings of a mini civil war. At least emotionally. But on paper.... it's just another game between a program trying to make a name for itself and an established program looking to carry on its winning tradition.

 

KILGORE (2-4, 1-2) Vs. HALLSVILLE (2-4, 0-3): It's always interesting when rivalry games are made a little more meaningful when both teams have their backs against the wall. Such is the case in this match up. A loss by either team in this game can all but put their dreams of the playoffs away until next year. However, a win could propel them into one of the final playoff spots. In spite of being winless, the Bobcats may have the upper hand looking at the big picture of things in 14-4A. The Bobcats have already faced WH, JT, and Marshall. Wins in their final weeks could set them up for a darkhorse playoff team. Hallsville appears to be getting healthy just in time to take on a young Kilgore team, a charmed Jax team, PT, and Nac. All appear to be winnable if the Bobcats can continue their recovery from the infirmary. Kilgore needs every win they can get as they still have WH and JT remaining on their schedule. With losses to Marshall and Jax already on their slate, a loss to Hallsville would all but end their hopes. The dogs need a win this week as well as next week against Nac to keep things alive. The good news for Kilgore is that they were close in both of their district losses as they only fell by 3 to Jax and by 10 to Marshall. It will be interesting to see which team will come out fighing for their playoffs lives in this game. Each knows another loss could make their final three weeks of the season long and difficult, while a win could spark them to a spectacular finish.

 

JACKSONVILLE (4-2, 2-1) Vs. PINE TREE (1-5, 0-3): The Indians will be looking to continue their good fortune this season with a win over Pine Tree. Jacksonville has used heroics and heart-stopping drama to scratch their way to a 2-1 district mark in 14-4A. They have won their last two games by the thinnest of margins, the sign of a good team. They are probably hoping this week will be a little more relaxing as they travel to take on a PT team that has struggled all season long. Pine Tree is looking for any kind of positives on their season, which appears to be going like so many others.

 

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY:

Going by the current 13-4A standings, this is what the playoff matchups would look like if they were to start right now.

 

JOHN TYLER Vs. TEXAS HIGH (4-3, 2-1)- JT is the top seed in Div I for 14-4A right now, while Texarkana is the #2 team in Div I for 13-4A.

 

MARSHALL Vs. SHERMAN (6-1, 3-0): Marshall is the #2 seed from 14-4A in Div I, while Sherman is the #1 seed in Div I for 13-4A.

 

WHITEHOUSE Vs. ROYCE CITY/MT. PLEASANT- RC AND MP are both (1-5, 1-1) in district play and would be the #2 seed in Div II, while WH would be the top seed in Div II from 14-4A.

 

JACKSONVILLE Vs. SULPHUR SPRINGS (5-2, 2-1): J-ville would be the #2 seed in Div II and would face off against SS, who is the #1 seed in Div II from 13-4A.

 

Sherman and Texas High are locks for Div I it appears unless one of them completely falls apart in the final part of the season.

 

JT appears to be a lock for Div I from 14-4A..... but Marshall and Nac are both contenders for the other Div I spot. The Marshall/Nac game could help sort that out a tad.

 

See ya'll at the stadium!

 

Mavchamp

http://www.etsupersite.com/

 

As always Mav, GOOD STUFF!

[franksnbeans]

I can't imagine Mt. Pleasant remaining in the race for a playoff spot from that district. And if Royce City is just as bad, I wouldn't expect them to hang up there either. I think we will know more about 13-4A at the end of week 9, would be nicer to know something about #3 and 4 after this week, but I just don't see too much light being shed on that district this week.

 

14-4A should start to shape up a bit more this week. Marshall should know about where they stand after this week (as well as Nac) and JT and WH should know who is going to be the district front runner and who the more dominant team is after this week. Still alot of questions in Kilgore and Jacksonville but I believe its safe to eliminate Hallsville and Pine Tree.

 

I see it finishing something like this:

 

1. John Tyler

2. Marshall (yes, i am picking marshall over whitehouse. I think the Mavs have the corners to slow down whitehouse.)

3. Whitehouse

4. Jacksonville

5. Kilgore

6. Nac

7. Hallsville

8. Pine Tree

 

I think Marshall will be in a dog fight with Nacogdoches. Nac is not a bad team. They have some talented players.

[mav01]

Its all about match-ups. If you are good at stopping the run then you have a chance to beat Marshall. Nac seems to have done well against the run with JT and Whitehouse, but were torched by the passing game. Marshall gets passing game on track again, then they have a chance to take 2nd or 3rd in district. If not, then Nac could take that 4th playoff spot tomorrow.

[GloryBound]

I can't imagine Mt. Pleasant remaining in the race for a playoff spot from that district. And if Royce City is just as bad, I wouldn't expect them to hang up there either. I think we will know more about 13-4A at the end of week 9, would be nicer to know something about #3 and 4 after this week, but I just don't see too much light being shed on that district this week.

 

14-4A should start to shape up a bit more this week. Marshall should know about where they stand after this week (as well as Nac) and JT and WH should know who is going to be the district front runner and who the more dominant team is after this week. Still alot of questions in Kilgore and Jacksonville but I believe its safe to eliminate Hallsville and Pine Tree.

 

I see it finishing something like this:

 

1. John Tyler

2. Marshall (yes, i am picking marshall over whitehouse. I think the Mavs have the corners to slow down whitehouse.)

3. Whitehouse

4. Jacksonville

5. Kilgore

6. Nac

7. Hallsville

8. Pine Tree

 

I applaud your EXTREME homerism.

 

[Coach Rab]

I applaud your EXTREME homerism.

 

 

I am not really a "homer" since I have bashed the coaching staff and a few other things about the program that I wouldnt be proud of. I just know this team well and know what they can do since I worked with these kids on varsity prior to moving to Ft. Worth. Mavs are pretty much a shoe-in for a playoff spot. I just think they have the talent in the secondary to knock off Whitehouse.

 

A few adjustments to the Mavericks offensive gameplan and they can score with the best of them. Marshall vs. Whitehouse will be a great game to watch. Whitehouse is more on the talent level of the Mavs and Jacksonville than they are to the talent level of JT. Their dreams of a district title will come crashing down this week against JT. Just my honest opinion. Like I've said in the past, my predictions are MY PREDICTIONS. If your feelings get hurt by them, I can't do anything about your sensitivity.

[ricnel64]

The Mav secondary exactly didn't stop Jacksonville (allowed 160 yards passing and 2 TDs) and Whitehouse has a better passng attack that J'ville does, so I don't see how one could expect the Mavs to be able to stop Whitehouse through the air!

 

I guess, every now and then dreams and fantasies do come true, though!

[Matt]

Better late than never, eh?

 

Current 14-4A standings are posted on the Mav site. I also tossed in a little 13-4A playoff watch from our brethren up "North" (and West).

 

http://www.etsupersite.com/

 

Thanks!

 

LAST WEEK:

 

PINE TREE Vs. JOHN TYLER: As if there weren't enough JT threads running around on SDC, the one (or two or three or four) that popped up concerning the final score of this game may have done nothing but fire up an already rabid JT squad. No matter what you may think about their 73-6 domination of PT, two things were very clear after the game. John Tyler is a very good football team and......well.....PT has a long way to go. The Lions have yet to break much of a sweat this season since losing to 5A powerhouse Lufkin 17-14. Since then..... CUJO has been on a roll. But now the Lions are ready to enter the teeth of district play. The next few weeks will show if this dog's bite is as big as it appears to be or if their bark is worse than their bite.

 

NACOGDOCHES VS. WHITEHOUSE: The Wildcats needed a win over Nac Friday night to set the stage for a monster battle in week 7. But that meant taking care of business in week 6, which they did by dispatching Nacogdoches 48-19. This could have easily become a trap game for Whitehouse, but a steady diet of Trey Metoyer and a benevolent Nac team added up to another big win for the Wildcats. Nac had 5 turnovers (ten in the last two games) that kept them from making more of a game of it. The Wildcats can now move on to one of the biggest games in program history.

 

HALLSVILLE Vs. MARSHALL: Marshall had to overcome playing without their starting QB and offensive Juggernaut Bryce French, who was injured in the Jacksonville game. Several other linemen also had some bumps and bruises from the Tomato Bowl battle that kept them out as well. Hallsville took advantage of the absence of Frnech by keeping the Mav offense on it's heels most of the night. But a determined J. Kelly and a stellar effort by the Mav defense made the 17-10 score stand. The Bobcats were turned away inside the Maverick twenty yardline twice. French and company should be back this week in time to take on Nac.

 

JACKSONVILLE Vs. KILGORE: The Indians may be the cardiac kids of East Texas in 2010. After beating Marshall on a FG with 00:00 left on the clock after a defensive penalty, the Tribe almost trumped the excitement by kicking a FG with less than one minute to go against Kilgore, then needed the Bulldogs to miss a FG in the final seconds to preserve the 27-26 win. That's two victories by a total of 4 points, both in the final seconds. Kilgore losses another close game this season as they prepare to enter the teeth of their district schedule as well.

 

THIS WEEK:

WHITEHOUSE (5-1, 3-0) Vs. JOHN TYLER (5-1, 3-0): For several years WH has been attempting to set the stage that would put them among the elite teams of the region. However, each time it seems they stumbled along the way to keep that from happening. That's not the case in 2010. The Wildcats are off to a (5-1) start and will play in arguably one of their biggest regular season games in program history. WH can solidify its spot with a win over one of the most storied programs in the state of Texas: John Tyler. The stage doesn't get much bigger. 12,000+ could be on hand at Rose Stadium. The region will be watching to see what the New Kids on the Block can do against The Establishment. WH had a chance to do the same last season against Longview in the playoffs......and well. The Establishment won....convincingly. But this WH team seems to have the pieces to get the win. Meanwhile..... John Tyler chalks this one up as just another big time game for a big time program. JT was a region finalist last season. They have played in multiple state championships, semifinals, and other deep runs the last 10, 20, 30 years (and longer). This is a statement game. JT wants to show that they are the JT of old. The JT that makes annual deep runs into the post season. Nothing new. Just the expected. WH, on the other hand wants to show that they are ready to take the first steps to become what JT is. This is what WH has been wanting for the last few years. Now they finally got it. Time to see what they can do with it. Get your popcorn ready. This could be good!

 

MARSHALL (4-2, 2-1) Vs. NACOGDOCHES (2-4, 1-2): This is a big game for both teams. A win by Marshall will all but seal a playoff spot for Mavericks, which would improve to (3-1) with PT left for the season finale. However, a Marshall loss could put the Mavs in dire straits. Nac, meanwhile is ready to shake off the cobwebs of playing JT and WH the last two weeks. A Nac loss would severely paralyze the Dragon's hopes of making the post season, putting them in a near must win in their final three weeks. This game has more than just your "run-of-the-mill" banter of a must win game for either program. There are family ties so to speak in this one. Then again, that's nothing new between these two programs. Scott Ford, head coach at Nacogdoches was a standout player for Marshall in the mid 80's. He was part of the building blocks that lead to Marshall's football rebirth that culminated with the 5A Div I title in 1990. His head coaching success at 5A Los Fresnos brought him to Nac to do the same. He opened some eyes when he recruited the help of his former HS coach, Dennis Parker. Parker lead Marshall to that title in 1990 as head coach. Scott Ford took over for the retiring Bill Harper, who is currently the winningnest coach Marshall High school has ever had. Toss in the fact that Ford has a lot of family (many MHS graduates) and he and Parker both have many friends in Marshall, this has the makings of a mini civil war. At least emotionally. But on paper.... it's just another game between a program trying to make a name for itself and an established program looking to carry on its winning tradition.

 

KILGORE (2-4, 1-2) Vs. HALLSVILLE (2-4, 0-3): It's always interesting when rivalry games are made a little more meaningful when both teams have their backs against the wall. Such is the case in this match up. A loss by either team in this game can all but put their dreams of the playoffs away until next year. However, a win could propel them into one of the final playoff spots. In spite of being winless, the Bobcats may have the upper hand looking at the big picture of things in 14-4A. The Bobcats have already faced WH, JT, and Marshall. Wins in their final weeks could set them up for a darkhorse playoff team. Hallsville appears to be getting healthy just in time to take on a young Kilgore team, a charmed Jax team, PT, and Nac. All appear to be winnable if the Bobcats can continue their recovery from the infirmary. Kilgore needs every win they can get as they still have WH and JT remaining on their schedule. With losses to Marshall and Jax already on their slate, a loss to Hallsville would all but end their hopes. The dogs need a win this week as well as next week against Nac to keep things alive. The good news for Kilgore is that they were close in both of their district losses as they only fell by 3 to Jax and by 10 to Marshall. It will be interesting to see which team will come out fighing for their playoffs lives in this game. Each knows another loss could make their final three weeks of the season long and difficult, while a win could spark them to a spectacular finish.

 

JACKSONVILLE (4-2, 2-1) Vs. PINE TREE (1-5, 0-3): The Indians will be looking to continue their good fortune this season with a win over Pine Tree. Jacksonville has used heroics and heart-stopping drama to scratch their way to a 2-1 district mark in 14-4A. They have won their last two games by the thinnest of margins, the sign of a good team. They are probably hoping this week will be a little more relaxing as they travel to take on a PT team that has struggled all season long. Pine Tree is looking for any kind of positives on their season, which appears to be going like so many others.

 

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY:

Going by the current 13-4A standings, this is what the playoff matchups would look like if they were to start right now.

 

JOHN TYLER Vs. TEXAS HIGH (4-3, 2-1)- JT is the top seed in Div I for 14-4A right now, while Texarkana is the #2 team in Div I for 13-4A.

 

MARSHALL Vs. SHERMAN (6-1, 3-0): Marshall is the #2 seed from 14-4A in Div I, while Sherman is the #1 seed in Div I for 13-4A.

 

WHITEHOUSE Vs. ROYCE CITY/MT. PLEASANT- RC AND MP are both (1-5, 1-1) in district play and would be the #2 seed in Div II, while WH would be the top seed in Div II from 14-4A.

 

JACKSONVILLE Vs. SULPHUR SPRINGS (5-2, 2-1): J-ville would be the #2 seed in Div II and would face off against SS, who is the #1 seed in Div II from 13-4A.

 

Sherman and Texas High are locks for Div I it appears unless one of them completely falls apart in the final part of the season.

 

JT appears to be a lock for Div I from 14-4A..... but Marshall and Nac are both contenders for the other Div I spot. The Marshall/Nac game could help sort that out a tad.

 

See ya'll at the stadium!

 

Mavchamp

http://www.etsupersite.com/

 

WOW, amazing analysis, Mav. Great insight.

[Coach Rab]

The Mav secondary exactly didn't stop Jacksonville (allowed 160 yards passing and 2 TDs) and Whitehouse has a better passng attack that J'ville does, so I don't see how one could expect the Mavs to be able to stop Whitehouse through the air!

 

I guess, every now and then dreams and fantasies do come true, though!

 

 

You put words into my mouth :) I said "slow down"

[mav01]

No one will be able to STOP Whitehouses passing attack. JT will be the biggest test, but I expect them to still get their fair share of yards. I will go with 42-28 JT victory. Marshall has struggled defending the pass, but I think that comes from guys being out of position more than guys not being athletic enough. I think the Marshall vs Whitehouse game will be much closer than some of the Whitehouse faithful believe it will be. Marshall was a false start away from going up by 3 scores on Jax late in the 4th. Cut out those mental errors and Marshall will give WH all they want.

[32dive]

After JT's game against WH, it seems JT's schedule has saved the best for last. No easy wins from this point on. WH, Mar, Kil, then Jax, a recipe for success or setback.

[BEVODIDIT]

After JT's game against WH, it seems JT's schedule has saved the best for last. No easy wins from this point on. WH, Mar, Kil, then Jax, a recipe for success or setback.

 

I think WH ruined it for the others. JT has had their scare. JT takes care of business the rest of the way. Marshall and Kilgore may be good enough to beat WH, but JT will probably beat them both by at least 3 scores.