I've enjoyed being you blogger and I hope ARN will have me back next year. I know that this blog has suffered criticisms from not being stat heavy and all I can say is that I did the best I could with a full work schedule and living 17 hours away. This was new territory for me as far as 4A and not every team has a website and ARN has done such a good job with their gofriday night team pages it just felt redundant to repeat the same info. I love my alma mater and I hope I did them some kind of justice this season.

Go Cougars!!!!
Jason Mcgrew

Editors note:
Any comments with obscene language or no redeemable content were not accepted. So if you don't see your comment on any of the blogs you know the reason why. I posted everything else but the items mentioned above.

Any stats that I did use was from Dave Campbell.com, Rivals.com, LonestarGridIron.com, and a few other meta sites that had no author for me to credit. Most of the information on rival teams that the Coogs played was mostly gotten from reading pages of forums or contacting their bloggers direct. I would like to especially thank the Denton Guyer, Big Spring, Canyon Randall bloggers for pointing me in the right direction on their teams.

Thanks to my mom for telling me that all my blogs were excellent even though I knew that some of them weren't.

In this last game El Paso was just outclassed and as usual they do not generally do well against Cougar teams in the playoffs. They have the Denton Guyer Wildcats up next and from everything I've seen there a pretty standard metroplex team. They are really big and physical there defensive line weighs 948 pounds respectively and they run a 3-4. There offensive line is battle hardened and are also very big and very physical. They tend to open up very big lanes for their running backs and come with a very balanced offensive attack. This team also likes to do a lot of cute plays like the onside kick and Spradlin is going to have the hands team out there every time. They also have some really creepy "Omen" music playing on their website to watch their videos, and their official record is 9-2. They are a for real playoff team and its sad to say metroplex teams generally are the guys that knock us out every year. Yes, even back in the 90's. The one thing you don't hear them brag about in the forums is their secondary and with Cougar receiving corp they better lay off the pork skins and quit reading their press clippings. A lot, is going to depend on the Cougar offensive line and keeping Hesleps pocket nice and firm. If they can't keep Heslep on his feet and throwing in the game then we could be in some trouble. They are excellent on the run and about every coach in Texas has Pimpton scouted. Probably, wouldn't be a bad idea to use a full complement of backs especially Alfred and try to exhaust those fatties on their defensive line. This is going to be a game in which the Cougars speed will be very important and a turnover in this game could be very bad. The Wildcats tend to be very opportunistic and will get points off of mistakes. If you have the gas money it should be a good one and I would go if I could. So wear your red and blue this week and send some prayers to Ford and his elbow, he's a tough stud but I'm sure he would appreciate it.

Take Care
Go Cougars!!!!!!

My apologies to Denton Guyer Wildcat fans I did not realize there was another Denton Wildcats team in the playoffs to where there could be confusion. I mean I'm used to 5A teams that are actually known. (Odessa Permian (Permian, Mojo,), Abilene High (Abilene Eagles, so I didn't take into account your feelings once again my apologies. Oh yah, and btw we are known as Abilene Cougars in some places, sometimes Abilene Cooper, sometimes Coogs. Didn't know you 4A guys were so sensitive notice corrections have been made.

I also owe a great apology to Ryan Heslep my blogs have not been friendly toward him but it was a master game by him tonight and I offer him congratulations and hell of game. Tommy Bowman had a very nice short and long range game, and Reese also had a very suprising and welcome touchdown that gave the Coogs a spark to start it off. Of course Amon contributed with his almost requisite touchdown and its a great boon that he seems to be recovered from his ankle injury. The defense as usual played outstanding and Ford along with his supporting cast of Spears, Robinson, Hazlett, and Brandon Henderson totally decimated a very good passing team. They broke the Raiders early and welcomed them to Cougar country with some outstanding hits and a nasty blitz that kept the Raider QB skittish the rest of the game. Theres still plenty of time to get on the bandwagon folks and those of you that jumped off are more then welcome back as the Coogs head to the 2nd round of division playoffs in Odessa. Wear your red and blue this week and have a hankie ready for Eagle fans as they have finally had to come back down to reality. Go Coogs!!!!!!!

The Coogs will only fare well though if their offense can keep the Raider defense out on the field if they can manage to eat up the clock and score like we know they can, this one should be in the bag. If however they fumble on special teams and do not hang on to the ball in the recieving corp this could be a very long shoot out type game. The Cougars cannot make mistakes this Saturday if they want to beat the Raiders fumbles can quite literally send us to Basketball way early. The Coogs unfortunately are also known to being weak against onside kicks and gimmick plays and I guarantee you expect to see at least one of each in the game. I would say that Spradlin put the whole hands team out there every time and make the Raiders pay for trying an onside kick that they will most definetly try because of success from other teams. Thats the only real gloom and doom other than that this looks like probably one of the better games of the season, it should be one worth driving to. Good luck and be careful if your planning on driving to the game, and GO Coogs!!!!!

For you stat people if you can find out their state ranking please comment and let me know because I cannot find it, or you can email me at dragonlance41@hotmail.com

Cougar ranking came from Dave Campbell website.

The Cougars are going to have to start playing up to their potential and crush this team, and I mean in a big way. The program is losing credibility across the state as a dominant 4A contender, and that is not a good thing headed into division 1 playoff bracket. There are some legitimate monsters waiting and the Coogs still seem like their in some kind of cruise mode. Their passing game right now is below average compared to some of the metroplex teams like #1 Everman, #4 Dallas Carter, and as I said before defensive coordinators are ready for Pimpton and so Heslep and his receiving corp have got to come big in this game and make all those defensive coordinators keep it honest. The Cougars have been able to lean on the defense heavily in all their district wins but those days are bout to run its course, the offense is going to have to stay on the field longer than what they have been on every ball possession. We will start seeing the bigger 4A schools next week and we most definitely do not want our defense tired because of not looking down the field and ball droppage when they do.

I hate for the tone of this blog to be so negative but the Coogs need to deliver this week and build some momentum going into playoffs. For those of you headed to Plainview be careful and get there and back safe. I'm out GO Cougars!!!!!!!!

Polling information I got off Dave Campbells football website, Lone Star Grid Iron has the Coogs ranked #23, If anybody has some constructive information to give or has a really good website that I'm missing be sure to comment back and I'll investigate it.

In closing today this blog is supposed to be easy reading on what I feel the Cougars need to do and so that people can respond and good conversation can be started. It will never be stat heavy, and thats the way I intended it. Any district stats are available on this website for any team in the district. When we hit the playoffs I will start researching different web sites and begin posting a few stats and a little bio on the team were facing.

I've been saying it every week, and maybe this week it might happen, I would like to see the other side of the spread offense start to click. I would like to see the Coogs air out the ball a little bit more than what they have been doing. Eventually the Coogs are going to run into a lot stiffer competition and defenses. Pimpton has been a suprise but like all great players he can be neutralized and defensive coaches in our district and other likely playoff bound teams are likely coming up with multiple scenarios for Pimpton. I also think its important to get Hyslep some much needed confidence in throwing to his talented recieveing core. He's kinda like Brett Favre in that he will generally throw an interception at least once in the game. Right now thats not hurting us too much but when we start playing better teams in playoffs the kind of mistakes are going to knock the Coogs out. The Coogs can secure a playoff spot tonight if they win, what seed they are will be decided next week by the outcome of Cooper vs Frenship, with Plainfield ending out the regular season.

For those making the trip to Big Spring be careful driving and watch out for deer along the road, and enjoy another Cougar Friday night.

The Coogs are coming off a bye week and should be we well rested when they open up district play with Hereford. I believe that this is a must win for the Coogs so that they can set the tone early in the district, and wash the bad taste of 3 losses out of their mouths. The Coogs have got a very nice situation in that they do not have to make the long trip up into the panhandle, and get to play in front of the hometown fans. Like I said last blog, Hereford is not use to coming down this way and I have a feeling playing a new school in their district; added with a long road trip might play well in the Coogs favor.

Just looking at Herefords stats, they look like an average ball team to me, although as I was watching Benchwarmers they did mention the quarterback for Hereford is very good and likes to air it out. So the Cougar secondary is going to have to be on the job, and stay on the job for the whole game. I think Hyslep, Pimpton, and company really should have a an mvp night against the Hereford defense. I see nothing special in it and I will be really suprised if Pimpton does not rush for well over a 100 yards again this week. I would like to really see the Coogs air out the ball to excellent receiving corp that they have. For some reason in this spread offense there are not a lot of deep routes being run or being utilized. I think that this would be a great game to at least give some deeper routes a try, on what I figure is going to be a very tired Hereford defense. Our receiving corp is very deep and I think being the bigger team with more backup that Spradlin and the Coogs have a chance to really exhaust the Hereford secondary, especially with Pimpton keeping them honest on the run defense.

Lets show Hereford what its like to come to Abilene and lets send them home with a loss and tell everybody in the district that putting a target on the Cougars is not the best idea in the world, because they take it personal.

The Cougars are going into a bye week and so they will have some time to rest tired muscles and have extra time to prepare for their first regular season game Hereford. The Coogs have many advantages coming into this game besides the extra week of rest. They also get to play in the cozy confines of Shotwell while the Hereford team gets to make a very long trip. Looking at the Hereford stats they seem like a pretty average team on offense and defense, they are coming off a loss this week and who knows what there in for next week. Another loss would not hurt my feelings any, and some vengeful Coogs would also make my heart swoon. Cooper is 2-0 against 4A teams this season and In my opinion I believe that this game is going to go pretty quick in Coopers favor. If anything just from an exhaustion standpoint, the Coogs are going to have more players on the sideline then anybody they play in the regular season. With a very fast top notch receiving corp, I think your going to have some very winded defensive backs, that will have to run a constant nickel defense on the Coogs or give Pimpton the chance to run all over them. The main key is that coach Spradlin is going to have to realize that he has a bigger team and start using the spread to its fullest against what I feel is going to be a very tired team without as many backups. The grueling pre-season run that Coogs have made have done two things, it has given them much needed confidence that they can still hang with playoff bound 5A's. It has also helped them that they have seen a lot of coverages and offenses and so their should be no big suprises for them.

With no Cougar game happening if you want to get your fix I would say go check out any of the 3A games in the surrounding areas. That has been a very fun division to watch and its only going to get better. Hopefully, ARN will move our blog up to the active ones, so tell your friends that the Cougar blog is going well. I'm going to do some research on Hereford and will be able to give you a little better break down on what the Coogs are looking at for their district opener.

That doesn't mean that the Coogs do not have some work to do before district play starts, and first things first is all the penalties. The Coogs have basically given away some wins to some teams that I felt really fell short of the hoopla that is bestowed upon them. I think that as the offensive line gets more and more used to Ryan Heslep's cadence a lot of the false starts are going to fade away as time goes on. The team as a whole is going to mature and so I expect to see very few penalties in the homecoming game against Lewisville Hebron. The offense is also going to have to get on track, and start producing in the red zone and watching the fumbles. Some people have called it bad play calling but I think the offense as a whole needs to be confident that every time there in the red that there going to score. They will gain that over time and Cougar fans need to give them that time. I would still like to see our receiving corps unleashed though a little bit more than what they have been. Sonnier, Bowman, and Powers are going to beat most corners down the field. I also think that the Spradlin has been in the game long enough and has been holding them back to a certain degree to have a few suprises left. I expect when district play starts your going to see a very productive spread offense in action.

Lets get excited about Saturday's game and everybody where there red and blue and lets show the doubters in Abilene that Cougar pride is still strong, and that we do not need rude t-shirts to make a point. We have been there before and we are going to be there again, so lets make some noise on Saturday and remember your faithful blogger listening to live stream up here in Indianapolis wants to be able to hear the screams.

If anybody sees any mistakes definitely let me know this is my first time doing this and if I miss something I would like to know about it so I can fix it. Lets get this blog going again.