We are just past the halfway point of football season which makes me very sad, we waited all summer long to watch football and now it is almost over.
There are still plenty of games to enjoy before the end of the season, especially locally. The Taylor Ducks, St. Mary’s Rams, Granger Lions and Hutto Hippos all play the great sport of football on Friday and I am going to break down what I think needs to happen for them to win their respective games.
The Ducks will be back on the road this week in Lampasas, and their key to victory is to establish the run. The Ducks found a lot of success running the football last Friday in Davenport Andrias Fisher is one of those backs that gets better as the game goes a long.
Feed him let him feel some contact early then sit back and watch the fireworks. This will allow the offense to dial up some play-action passes and take advantage of the mismatches they will have with their receivers.
Defensively the Ducks have been playing outstanding but penalties have hurt them. If they clean that up and keep playing fast and physical, they can upset Lampasas on the road.
The Rams are clicking at the right time this season. Back-toback wins in the last two weeks and all they have to do to extend their streak to three is just follow the same formula.
They are lethal at running the ball but it is their recent defensive play that has been unbelievable. Getting stops when they need them and also taking the ball away teams. All six of the players on the defense have play making ability and are starting to piece it all together making them very formidable.
If the Rams stay the course offensively and defensively they will extend their winning streak.
The Lions are in a similar spot as the Rams, if it is not broken, do not fix it. Run the ball and play great defense. All the great football teams have had those two factors part of their team’s identity.
It has yet to fail them this season so why change it up now? It’s homecoming too so they may have a little extra juice especially coming off of a shutout win on the road last week.
The Hutto Hippos fell victim to another second half collapse last Friday but I think this time it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. No one likes losing especially when you’re up at halftime.
Last Friday’s loss to Harker Heights saw frustrations boil over a bit on the sidelines for the Hippos and after the game, there was a feeling in the air of, “Ok we need to fix this right now,” The Hippos played hard against the Knights especially in the 4th quarter to try to win the game, but it was too little too late.
The Hippos are immensely talented, I say it every week and I will continue to say it because it is the truth. These young and extremely talented athletes coupled with a stellar coaching staff are all the pieces of a successful football. All they have to do is put it together and I do not doubt them at all.
There are many ways for a team to get back on track but none better than beating a district opponent on their home field. The Hippos travel to Temple to show people that their 0-2 start to district play does not reflect who they are as a team.
