Go Friday Night

W W W W W W W and ZERO other things

By
October 15, 2005

Well, another game behind us and another W. For those of you counting that is W W W W W W W and ZERO other things. You know what I am talking about baby!

WOW! That first quarter was something wasn’t it? The Grande Communications stadium was “arockin� for that 12 minutes. I watched the Eagles take the opening kick off and take a little drive down the field for a TD and then I went to thee concession stand. I wasn’t gone but a couple of minutes and when I get back in the stands it is a 7-7 game. What happened? Mr , Batch ripped us on a shovel pass for 83 yards. This is against THE Eagle “D“. Not the second string mind you, THE EAGLE “D“. I tell a Midland fan setting behind me that was that. “It ain’t gonna happen again�.

The Eagles score again, The Eagles score again. The Eagles score again, this time THE EAGLE “D�. It is now 28-7 and I am saying “life is good�. Then BAM! Mr. Barron Batch rips off a 71 yard run. The Midland fan says nothing but I see the look he gives me. Halftime and it is 28-14 Eagles. Why am I still nervous?

The second half has Midland High outscoring the Eagles 6 to 3 but it isn’t enough and the Eagles “fly� back to Abilene with a 31-20 win over a good Midland High team. Two district games and two wins for the Eagles. LIFE IS GOOD!

Looking a little closer at the stats reveals a couple of things to me. Batch got 129 on the ground and 129 on passes. That is a little misleading but a shovel pass is a pass though many would consider it a run. Now. Rushing the ball 18 times for 129 yards looks like a seven yard per carry average. That is good. Real good. However, after further review, take 71 yards and one carry away, He has 58 yard on 17 carries which is nearly 3.5 yards a carry. Still good. Now I know he is mortal. Passing 129 yards on 4 catches looks like 32 yards a catch and it is but since 83 came on one play it is more like 15 a catch. Nothing wrong with that either. What I am saying is Abilene High did play exceptional defense against an exceptional athlete. By the end of the game, the aforementioned exceptional athlete was not quite as eager to participate as earlier in the game.

Some of you that read this blog probably visit another internet site called thelittleswc.com. If so, you know the smack talk that was delivered my the Midland High fans this past week. It was all in fun on their part but it did get a little over the edge a couple of times. As a good friend of mine has pointed out to me today, the Eagles made “another statement� last night. Yes indeed!

The running game for the Eagles did not quite get untracked in this game. The mark of a good team is to get the job done even when things are not working. The Midland D was stout against the run so the Eagles took what they were given. The passing game. Balance is always best but if you get shut down in one area you have to ‘do it� another way. The Eagles did it passing. No surprise. Potts and company are know for that.
It is difficult to shut down the Eagles completely. It may be impossible!

Back to the “D� for a moment. Two interceptions and a fumble recovery by the Eagles along with four other fumbles by Midland High were keys in the Abilene High victory.

District wide results this week: Abilene High (7-0) (2-0) 31 Midland High (5-2) (1-1) 20. Odessa High (6-1) (2-0) 42 Abilene Cooper (4-3) (0-2) 14. Midland Lee (3-4) (2-0) 16 Odessa Permian (4-3) (0-2) 6.

Next weeks games: Odessa Permian at Abilene High, Abilene Cooper at Midland High, Midland Lee at Odessa High.

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