ABILENE HIGH PASSES FIRST TEST OF 2010
By mark rogers
August 28, 2010
They can go 12-4 with those four losses coming in the next four non-district games.
So, does last night's 36-27 win over Belton really mean anything? Officially, no. But it does do something for that little voice in the back of everyone's mind that says, "oh you were great when you could sneak up on people, but now that you're on top, the truth will be revealed."
Abilene showed what it is capable of as the #1 team in the nation (according to ESPN) against a top notch QB. They made the plays they needed to make when they needed to make them in order to win.
The last time Abilene High took the field as the defending state champs the year was 1957 and the Eagles had a bunch of first-time starters that no one thought would be able to do anything.
All that team did was go 10-0 in the regular season and knock of a #1 ranked Amarillo Sandies team (which was compared to the 1956 Eagles) in the second round of the playoffs. The 1957 squad lost in the state-semis to eventual champ Highland Park...the winning streak ending at 49.
The only thing similar between that team and this year's team is the fact that they were/are defending champs.
The 1957 team didn't have a #1 "national" ranking. They weren't preparing to play a game on national television. They didn't have to deal with MTV camera crews and being written about in national publications.
All those things only make winning each and every week that much harder.
And I'll give one reason why I think the Eagles have a great shot at repeating, despite everything that is stacked against them:
Their schedule.
Steve Warren is an animal. He could have gone out and scheduled some cream puffs...like how about any team from the district they played in the last two years...but he didn't.
He got two of the best teams in Florida, the second best team in Louisiana, and two of the best teams in Texas. Then they have to play Cooper, Odessa, Permian, Lee and Midland. To say that Coach Warren's team will be battle tested come November 12 is an understatement. Somebody prove me wrong, but I think this may be the toughest, most star-studded schedule in the history of Texas high school football.
I would not be surprised if AHS loses the next four games and STILL wins the championship simply because of the magnitude of the games they will play in the next month.
They have the tools. They have the talent. They have the experience.
If they can handle distractions (or keep handling distractions, I should say) and "take it one game at a time", the 2011 Eagles could find themselves with an even bigger target on their backs...
...as the TWO-time defending state champs.
I can't wait for the rest of the year.
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