San Antonio Express News Article on D'Field-Blanco

[rubsumdirtonit]

 

 

By Chad Peters - Express-News IRVING — Tears streaming down Chase Howells' face, a timid smile began to break through as the Blanco senior addressed his teammates one final time Friday night.

 

Though the Panthers' perfect season had just ended — so, too, drawing a close to Howells' high-school career — the linebacker/offensive tackle couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction on the heels of Daingerfield's 43-7 victory in the Class 2A Division II state semifinals.

 

There he was, after all, huddled at midfield of Texas Stadium with some of his closest friends, just one tantalizing step short of a chance to play for the program's second state championship.

 

“This is the best memory of my life playing with everybody,” Howells said. “It's been a long year. But what a better place to go out than (Texas) Stadium? Those are my boys.

 

“It's just sad for it to come to an end.”

 

In a season in which seemingly nothing — no deficit, miscue or opponent — could deter the Panthers (14-1), they ultimately ran into a foe in Daingerfield that was simply too equipped to let Blanco work its magic.

 

Falling behind 14-0 less than eight minutes into the game on a series of early mistakes — a fumble, a 4-yard punt and a blown coverage — Blanco settled down in the second quarter to earn a chance to possibly even the score at 14-14 entering halftime.

 

But Daingerfield (13-1), like it had done most of the night, stiffened to force a momentous turn in events.

 

Facing 4th-and-11 from the Daingerfield 24-yard line, Blanco had a man running wide open down the middle of the field — only to have a Daingerfield lineman swat away the pass at the line of scrimmage for a stoppage on downs with several minutes left in the second quarter.

 

Then, with 16 seconds left in the half, Daingerfield sophomore quarterback Tyler Boyd dropped a beautiful 25-yard touchdown pass over two defenders and into the hands of Juron Smith in the corner of the end zone to push the lead back to 21-7.

 

The play provided the first six of Daingerfield's 29 unanswered points to close the game.

 

“That was pretty much the backbreaker,” Blanco coach Danny Rogers said.

 

With Blanco's usually potent offense continuing to stall, the quick-strike Tigers used a flurry of big plays to bury the Panthers in the second half. Daingerfield, which scored two touchdowns in its first four plays from scrimmage to start the game, added scores of 25, 25 and 29 yards over the final two periods.

 

Boyd finished with four scores (three passing and one rushing), and went 7 of 10 for 133 yards passing to go along with 47 rushing yards on eight carries. Speedy tailback KoKo Smith had 176 yards on 18 attempts.

 

“We didn't have our burst that we always had,” said Blanco running back Kevin Gray, who scored the team's lone TD. “We were waiting for our burst. And when it came, they shut it down.

 

“They were the better team today.”

 

[JTMoney]

Thats a lot of class. Most players wouldnt have the guts to say something like that. It usually leads into blaming the ref.

[Tiger1995]

Thats a lot of class. Most players wouldnt have the guts to say something like that. It usually leads into blaming the ref.

 

 

You are so right.

Hey I've meant to ask are you still in VA. I love that area. Stay away from those GO-GO's on Mercury BLVD aint nothing but trouble. goodluck man

[TheTigerPride]

It was total domination by the TIGERS!!!

Blanco boys did play hard just couldn't handle speed and execution. :happy65:

[franksnbeans]

Article from the Austin Statesman:

 

 

Daingerfield routs Blanco 43-7 in Class 2A semifinal

By Danny Davis

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Saturday, December 13, 2008

 

IRVING — It took Daingerfield less than eight minutes to ruin Blanco's perfect season.

 

The Tigers used a handful of early mistakes by Blanco to build a two-score lead and then coasted to a 43-7 state semifinal win at Texas Stadium. Daingerfield (14-1) advanced to next week's Class 2A, Division II championship game and will face the winner of today's semifinal between Cisco and Pottsboro.

 

"They grabbed momentum right at the start and we never could get it back," said Blanco coach Danny Rogers. "Those guys can play, can't they?" :thumbsup:

 

Blanco (14-1) won the coin toss and had a promising start, reaching its own 42-yard line in just five plays. But the drive was halted suddenly when a scrambling Derek Tesch fumbled away the football to Daingerfield junior linebacker Joe Lafayette.

 

Tesch's fumble followed a critical false start by one of his offensive linemen. The Panthers had a third-and-1 from their 42, but the penalty turned a manageable third down into a passing down, and Tesch lost the ball while trying to find an open receiver.

 

On the first play after the fumble, Daingerfield quarterback Tyler Boyd scored on a 17-yard run.

 

Blanco got the ball back and again quickly drove beyond its own 40. But two consecutive negative gains forced a punt, and Blanco's Dal Dechert could only muster a 4-yard kick, setting up Daingerfield at the Panthers' 33.

 

Daingerfield quickly took advantage of the excellent field position, turning the third play of its drive into a 34-yard touchdown pass from Boyd to a wide-open Juron Smith. The touchdown gave Daingerfield a 14-0 lead with 4:26 to go in the first quarter.

 

"Once we had the momentum, we knew they had to play at our tempo and we knew they couldn't play at our tempo," Lafayette said.

 

Kevin Gray ran for a touchdown on Blanco's next drive, and the Panthers had a chance to tie the game in the second quarter after reaching the Daingerfield 23. But the drive ended when Tesch's pass on fourth-and-12 was batted down at the line with 2:55 left in the first half.

 

Daingerfield then stormed back down the field, ending a strong first half with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Boyd to Smith with 16 seconds remaining.

 

Blanco came into the state semifinal giving up only 8.1 points a game and hadn't allowed more than 21 points in a single contest this season. The Panthers struggled to stop Daingerfield in the opening 24 minutes, though, giving up 151 yards of offense on 20 plays.

 

Boyd finished the game with four touchdowns, three of which were passes of at least 25 yards. Junior running back KoKo Smith added 172 rushing yards and a score .

 

Junior Layton Dworaczyk led Blanco with 98 rushing yards on 14 carries.