Abilene High Eagles by David Craghead

Starting Off The New District 3-5A

It's the start of District play and a bunch of new faces are around. It just doesn't seem right not traveling to Midland or Odessa. But we will still play our hardest.

To start off 3-5A play, we take on the Burleson Elks. The only game they have won so far this season was their opener against Arlington Seguin 16-14. But as we all know, things are different once District starts.

The past couple of weeks the Abilene High O has not played to their full potential. We have played against some good defenses, and that has made our offense much better for District. I know that we will be able to find weak spots in the Elk defense and take advantage of them and put points up on the board. I know that we will get after it and play like the Eagle O from the beginning of the season.

The Black Shirts will once again have a great week. Burleson is a run heavy team and I know that we will have no problem shutting them down. I have a feeling that they will be like Lubbock Monterey of years past when they kept running and then one play they pass for a big gain. Our Secondary can't give up that big play. We will have to stay home and take care of business. I know that Coach Fullen has the Warbirds prepared to have another great showing.

I am looking forward to seeing a big crowd supporting the Black and Gold as we start off the new District 3-5A. I know that the Warbirds will walk out with that all important first District win to go 5-0 on the season. Let's go out there, fly high, and knock some heads around. GO EAGLES!!!

Showdown At Shotwell

Here it is just the 3rd game of the season and the game against Cooper is already upon us. It is strange not having it Week 9. Most of the people think this is nothing more than a 5A vs. 4A, much like the game against F.W. Dunbar, and to a certain extent, that is true. It is still the Crosstown Showdown, and there are bragging rights to have, but since there are no district titles on the line or playoff spots to be won, the game's intensity is brought down a little bit. Yes this game has significance, but nowhere near as the most recent 2001 and 2002 bouts when the District Bell was up for grabs.

All week long I have heard that Cooper's defense is so fast and so physical that they will shut us down and shut us out. They may be fast and physical, but there is no way that they can shut us off. We have so many weapons that we will be able to pick apart their defense and have long sustained drives resulting in points on the board. The Eagle O is also fast and physical, much more than Cooper's defense. I know that the Warbirds will have no problem walking up and down the field and putting more points on the board.

I have also heard that their offense is fast and physical, and the Black Shirts will not be able to stop them. It is obvious that those guys that say that have never seen us play. Our Offense and Defense are on a higher level than Cooper. I see us having no problems shutting down their offense. The Eagle D has played well the first two games, and I know that we will continue that tonight.

I know that we will have a huge crowd on the East side of Shotwell cheering on the Warbirds. I know that once the dust has settled from opening kickoff, the Eagles will fly away with this game and walk out with a 3-0 record. Let's go out there, fly high, and knock some heads around. GO EAGLES!!!

Looking To Make It 2-0!!

This week Abilene High travels to take on Plano East. This is one of three out of town games in the regular season. Most people think that is a bad thing further down the road during playoffs. But we have always traveled well and had a big group of fans right there too. I know that we will have no problems this week.

Last week there were so many questions about the Offense. Well, those were written off in a hurry. We had no problems completing drives. The O Line was almost perfect. I was impressed with the way they worked together and handled everything. I expect another great showing. East's defensive line is a strong point and they play physical. But, we will be very well prepared, and we will play even harder. I see us having no problems driving the field and putting points on the board against a defense that gave up almost 400 yards and 40 points last week.

I know that our Warbird D will have an outstanding game. Last week for a small moment in time, we had a hard time keeping up the intensity. This week will be different. I know that Coach Fullen will have the Black Shirts flying high throughout the game. Plano East had very small numbers last week against Flower Mound. They had a little over 100 yards on the ground, but most of that was a 78 yard run by Toben Opurum in the 1st Quarter. They only had 6 first downs. I am sure that Coach Ringo has made improvements from last week, but it will not be enough to get past our D. I am sure that East will start off the game running the ball, but that will soon be abandoned for the passing game. But they will be in a world of hurt once they realize that they won't be able to pass on us either. I know that we will once again have a great game on Defense.

I am looking forward to this game. I know that we will do great. I am hoping that the Eagle fans outnumber the fans from Plano. I wish all that are going to the game to have a safe trip there and back. I am looking forward to seeing the Eagles walk out 2-0. Let's go out there, fly high, and knock some heads around. GO EAGLES!!!

A Great Way To Start Off The Season!!

Fort Worth Dunbar came into the game against the Warbirds knowing that they were overmatched in several aspects of the game. But they never gave up. They played hard throughout the game (and dirty at times, but I know they have done that several times before so I wasn't surprised). I was very happy with the way things went and the way we handled things throughout the game.

One of the questions that I stated in my last blog was if Stephen had the composure to lead the offense. And that he did. He had great pocket presence and field vision. Although it did seem like he didn't take his eyes off of his first target a few times, he did really well in my opinion. Another question was if the O Line would work together. And once again, the answer is yes. The pass blocking was great. The run blocking was great. I was very pleased with the way they played as a whole. Yes, there were a few missed assignments, but that happens from time to time. I was really excited that the #2's got in for some playing time and put some points on the board. Ian Williams and the rest looked good. It seems that we have more depth than most people had thought before the season started.

The defense played like they should have. The only time I was not happy was the drive when Dunbar scored in the 2nd Quarter. We had a big lead and I could tell that we had started to let up. It was really noticeable on the play when they scored. There were several players that missed their assignments. I knew that Coach Fullen would yell them back into shape, and he did that very well. They stiffened up and played hard like they did at the start of the game. The defense did really well. With the fumble returned for a touchdown along with a few more fumble recoveries, several tackles for loss, a couple of interceptions, and just overall hard-nosed playing, I would say that we are right where we need to be and will continue to get better. And remember that several of those turnovers were because of the backups. We have great depth on defense too.

I am really excited for this season. We had a great showing against Dunbar. We are loaded on both sides of the ball in my opinion. We have a great following of fans. The Abilene High Eagles are on the march. And I hope that this week against Plano East (who lost 40-8 against Flower Mound last week) we will have a great number of fans traveling to cheer on our Warbirds. I smell one great memorable season for this year's team, especially the Seniors. It's your time, your team. Make it happen. GO EAGLES!!

The Eagles Are Ready To Fly!

The 2007 edition of the Abilene High Eagles made a statement. They made so much noise throughout the state. Knocked off "High and Mighty" Southlake Carroll. One play away from the State Championship. Finally made those guys to the East realize that we still play football out here, and we are not to be ignored. But the 2008 edition wants to make even more noise.

After the end of 2007, so many changes for the Warbirds took place. We lost the majority of the starters on offense, a couple on defense, and the most recognized and toughest district in Texas was broken up. I personally was sad to see the traditions and rivalries thrown out the window, but I knew it would happen eventually with the 5A cutoff numbers rising. But I know that we will take what was given to us and make things happen.

As we face off tonight against Fort Worth Dunbar, several questions will be asked about our offense. Will we be able to replace a talented group of receivers? Will the Line be working together? Will Stephen have the composure to lead the Offense? I believe the answer is yes to all of them. Questions similar to them have always been asked when we lose several players on either side of the ball. And we always have things taken care of and all of the boys are ready to step up and get after it. I see us having no problems putting up points on the board against a talented Dunbar team; after all, the so-called new players on offense saw a bunch of playing time last year.

The Black Shirts will be one of the best in the state. Chris Williams leads a very talented group, along with P.J. Butler, Karsten Goodman, Justin Carroll, and Keith Carroll just to name a few. I am excited to see what is in store for the opposing offenses this season. Dunbar has a lot of speed on offense, but I know that the Warbirds will not have any problems shutting them down.

I am excited that the season is finally here. I have been counting down the days since last year, and I am sure many of you have too. I am excited to see our boys play under those lights, smell the smells, hear the sounds, and see thousands of screaming Eagle fans cheer on our boys tonight as we start off a great memorable season. Let's go out there, fly high, and knock some heads around. GO EAGLES!!!

One Step Closer!!!

It’s Week 15 and the Abilene High Eagles are still flying high!! This week is a very good match up for the Warbirds. A Pflugerville run heavy team vs. the outstanding AHS Black Shirts. A very well balanced AHS O vs. a somewhat suspect Panther D.

Last week against Longview, the Pflugerville Panthers threw the ball less than 5 times. That is something we haven’t seen in a few weeks. I am excited that our Eagle D will most likely be playing the run first, and then the pass. I don’t think that Pflugerville will change up many things this week. They have made a great playoff run, but that is going to come to a stop. I know Coach Fullen has our boys prepared and ready to go. He has a game plan in his mind, and I am confident that it will work. It doesn’t look like the 3 backs for the Panthers are very fast, but they do get after it. I know our boys will take care of business. Pflugerville will not know what hit them.

I honestly do not think that Pflugerville’s defense will be ready for our Offensive attack. We are extremely balanced, and will go with whatever works regardless of what it is. I am expecting to have a great showing this week. Against Hebron, we stalled more times than we should have, but that certainly will not be the case against the Panthers. I know that our boys will have several great drives resulting in touchdowns each time.

I am expecting a massive crowd getting into the heads of Pflugerville. Last week we stretched passed the endzones and I know our boys were very excited to see that many people backing them up. I am positive that we will have even more fans in attendance to witness the 2007 AHS Eagles make history. This will definitely be a great game! Let’s go out there, fly high, and knock some heads around. GO EAGLES!!!

Class 5A Div. 2 Region 1 FINALS!!!!!!!!!

After a very exciting victory over Southlake, the Abilene High Eagles find the Hebron Hawks standing in the way in the road towards the 5A DII State Title. And much like last week, this looks to be a very good game.

Offensively, AHS needs to be more efficient inside the redzone. Last week we added 3 points on the board instead of 7 a couple of times. I am positive that the Eagle O will be prepared and pick apart the Hebron defense. I have heard that their rush defense isn’t that good. That could put Hebron in a bad situation with Lackey, Flye, and Bass in the backfield. We will have to take care of the football, and take whatever Hebron gives us to put this one away with a check mark in the W column for the Warbirds.

The Warbird D will have another sound game and shut down the high powered Hawk offense. Even though Hebron as turned the ball over 10 times so far in the playoffs (6 fumbles, 4 ints), they have still found ways to get it done. But they haven’t met the Eagle Black Shirts until now. Hebron’s QB, Tanner Marsh, only has a little over 50 yards rushing all season. So it’s either passing to any of his 4 targets, or handing it off to Darius Staten. I know that the Eagle D will make sure that Hebron keeps the turnover streak alive, and we will take advantage of them.

I am looking forward to seeing a HUGE crowd wearing Black and Gold. Hebron will be attempting a “white out” game. I am sure that will not be happening because we have a great group of fans that will outnumber Hebron 4 to 1. Let’s go out there, fly high, and knock some heads around. GO EAGLES!!!

Time For A Game Full Of Emotion

It is time for Abilene High vs. Southlake Carroll Round 3. This will be on hard fought ballgame for both teams. I am very excited about this game.

Southlake has only lost 2 games over the last several years, but a bunch of those wins were by the smallest of margins. And yes I do know that more of their wins were from blowouts (one being a game 2 years ago that I try to forget about). This year will be a different verse in the song Eagles versus Dragons. I am confident that the Warbirds will walk away with another victory and a match-up against the Timberview/Hebron winner.

The Eagles will have to play perfect. That was the deciding factor in the Permian game. We turned the ball over 2 more times than we should have. I know that our boys will take care of the ball. So far in the Division II playoffs the Warbird O has played like a well oiled machine. I know that will continue. Southlake’s defense will have a scared look on their face when we take the field.

The Dragon offense will not get anything going against the Black Shirts. Our Defensive Line will be giving Riley Dodge a fit. We will be in his face every time they take the field. I know Coach Fullen has our boys prepared. I am expecting a great showing from our Eagle D.

I know that Texas Stadium will have a large number of fans for this game. I am expecting more Black and Gold. Unfortunately one of those fans wearing Black and Gold will be looking down through that hole in the roof. This game is for you Marcus. Let’s go out there, fly high, and knock some heads around. GO EAGLES!!!

Superman That Jones!!!

It is always a great feeling to have football practice during Thanksgiving week. And it gets even more exciting when there is a possibility of playing in the snow!

This week we face another run heavy team called the El Paso Coronado Thunderbirds. They will be in a world of hurt as long as our Warbird D has a repeat of last week. Weatherford couldn't get anything going until well after the game had been decided. I am looking forward to that happening again. I know Coach Fullen has our boys prepared. We will have to play physical, mistake free football to keep EP's run game contained. They have one guy that will run it in your face down the middle, and also a speedy guy that will take it to the outside. I am expecting a great showing from our Eagle D.

Last week our Offense got a bunch of things going. I am looking to see another well oiled machine. I know that this will be a fun game to watch. I'm not sure how much the weather will impact the game, but regardless, the Eagles will come out flying high.

The last time we played at Jones Stadium was this round of the playoffs in which we had a huge win over Amarillo Tascosa. Of course, it was much warmer. I suggest everybody bring a big coat and a few blankets because there is a possibility that it will be in the mid 30s for this game. I hope that the weather isn't a factor in bringing a huge crowd. I am expecting a massive wave of Black and Gold. Let's go out there, fly high, and knock some heads around. GO EAGLES!!!

It's Go Time!!

For the third straight year we will be taking on the Weatherford Kangaroos for the Bi-District round of the playoffs. And the best part is: Shotwell is the location. I am very happy to have a home game for the 4th week in a row.

As many of you know, Weatherford is a fairly run heavy team. They have that triple option offense that can eat you alive if run properly. But against our Eagle D, that will not happen. We will have play with our heads on a swivel to stop Weatherford’s attack. I am positive that Coach Fullen has our D prepared to stop anything put in front of us. And the Warbirds will be getting a bunch thrown at them. I am sure that Coach Wheaton will have several different looks depending on how well we defend against their offense. I know that he will use a few people rotating from QB to RB to FB. We will have to play sound football to keep those guys in check.

Offensively we should be able to pick apart their D and basically score at will. As long as our Offense shows up to play that will happen. Last week was a scary game to watch for me. I know that we had several people resting up for the playoffs, but I still thought we should have had a bigger victory than 7 points.

It is now time to get everything together and take care of business as we head to the Class 5A Division II State Championship. I know that being a home game we will have a full house getting into the heads of Weatherford. I don’t think the Kangaroos know what they are getting themselves into. Let’s go out there, fly high, and knock some heads around. GO EAGLES!!!

Important Last Game Of The Regular Season

This game always makes me nervous until the kickoff. It is the last game of the season and most people would say that this is a meaningless game for Abilene High because of the fact that we have already clinched a spot in the playoffs. This is certainly not a meaningless game. Odessa High needs a victory to make the playoffs for the first time since 1997. Coach Warren is looking at a couple of things. First, to show that he can get our boys prepared for this game after draining the tank the past two weeks, and second, to get his 100th victory while wearing the Black and Gold.

This will be a very good game. I am expecting a big crowd tonight at Shotwell. I am looking forward to seeing the Warbirds gain more momentum heading into the 3rd half of the season. Let’s go out there, fly high, and knock some heads around. GO EAGLES!!!

The Show Is Not Over!

Another Friday is upon us bringing the Crosstown Showdown along with it. This game is always full of emotion from both teams and deservingly so. This game means a bunch on so many levels. First off are the bragging rights for a year. Second would be the fact that both teams are in search of a win for a playoff spot (more so for Cooper). And there are so many more that I could go into detail about but will save you the time.

After last week’s loss to Permian, many would say that the Warbirds are physically and emotionally drained and wouldn’t have anything left in the tank for this game. That is certainly wrong. AHS left it all out on the field, and after the handshakes, prayers, and the drive back to the Nest, the Eagles turned their full attention to Cooper. Abilene High will be on full tilt to take on the Cougars. I am positive that the Eagle O will pick apart the Cooper defense and put up some crazy numbers. The Eagle D will virtually shut down the Cooper offense and put to rest any thoughts that our Defense is weak.

I am really looking forward to seeing a full crowd out at Shotwell tonight. This will be a really great game. Let’s go out there, fly high, and knock some heads around. GO EAGLES!!!

BRING IT ON PERMIAN!!

Almost everybody circled October 26, 2007 on their calendar before the season started. Coach Warren and Company circled this day after last week’s victory over Midland Lee. One Game At A Time. Any newspaper across Texas (and some outside the state) has hyped this game up to be one of the biggest games this season. It may very well be, but that won’t be determined until 7:30 tonight.

For the past two games, the Eagles have played outstanding. I am sure that several people will disagree with that and here is my response: Anytime that the 2nd and 3rd string guys get to see the field, especially for the majority of the second half, we played a great game. I know that the Warbirds will play outstanding once again against a very talented Permian squad. This looks to be a four overtime, two point victory on paper. But this game isn’t about those numbers on paper.

This is going to be a tough game for both teams. Most people would say that this game would come down to which team can take care of the little things. I am positive that Abilene High will do all of that and more. I know that our boys are prepared mentally and physically for this battle.

I know that the crowd will be huge tonight and most likely well over the 10,000 mark. I am sure that more fans will be sporting the Black and Gold out at Shotwell. I am looking forward to 7,000+ screaming Eagle fans getting into the heads of Permian. Let’s go out there, fly high, and knock some heads around. GO EAGLES!!!

Last Trip Of The Regular Season

Once again the Abilene High Eagles (6-0, 1-0) head back to Grande Stadium to take on the Midland Lee Rebels (2-4, 0-1). As most of you know, the Rebels lost to Permian last week 31-7.

For the District 3-5A opener, the Warbirds played a really great game on both sides of the ball. My blog for last week stated that the Eagle D would have interceptions, fumble recoveries, 3 and Outs, and many more. I was checking off the list one by one with a smile on my face. I look forward to seeing that continue tonight. Midland Lee has had some trouble in the past couple of weeks. Offensively, Lee has moved some linemen around a few times to find out who would fit best in each spot. There have been injuries and inconsistency up front. That is going to help out our D in a very big way. Coach Quis might be relying on the run to control the tempo of the game, but without a steady O Line, that process will fall apart in a hurry. I don’t know much about their offense other than the fact that they will be in for a long night against the Black Shirts.

The Eagle O will once again tear the field up at Grande. The Rebel defense missed a bunch of tackles last week against Permian and unless Lee found several new players, that will most likely be happening again. I will be looking forward to seeing the 2nd and 3rd guys get a bunch of playing time tonight, much like they did last week. As long as our offense that we have seen the past two ballgames shows up, we should have no problem handing the Rebels their 2nd loss in district play.

Penalties could haunt the Rebels in a big way tonight. So far this season, Lee has seen the yellow hankie 50 times for 358 yards. I am positive that the Eagles will be focused tonight and walk away with win number 7, putting Coach Warren at the top of the list for wins at Abilene High. I expect a really big crowd out in Midland cheering our boys on as we roll on to victory. Let’s go out there, fly high, and knock some heads around. GO EAGLES!!!

Time To Defend The Bell

After a much needed bye week, the Abilene High Eagles will be heading to Grande Stadium to take on the Midland High Bulldogs. This game is important on many levels. The Warbirds are carrying a 16 game district winning streak. Coach Warren and Company look to keep that streak going en route to a FOURTH STRAIGHT 3-5A title. Of course on the other hand, Midland hasn’t beaten the Eagles since Yenzer took over back in 2002 so they will be playing with a chip on their shoulder. And obviously both teams will be looking to get that very important first win in what could be the last year for the Little SWC.

Having the bye week before district play began was a really good thing. It gave us a chance to get some rest. Many people took notice of the 450+ passing yards Denton Ryan put up against our D a couple of weeks back. The Defense will not allow that to happen tonight. During that bye week, we went back to the basics on both sides of the ball. Against Denton Ryan, we gave up way too many big plays. The only big plays that will be taking place while the Warbird D is out on the field will be interceptions, fumble recoveries, 3 and Outs, among many more. I am really looking forward to seeing our D shine. In recent weeks, the Bulldogs have discovered the passing game that took them to a 3-2 non-district record. However, the Bulldogs will soon discover that they won’t be able to do much of anything against a well rested Eagle Defense tonight.

Spens Lackey will lead the troops to a great victory tonight. A couple of weeks ago, the Offense showed up to play and put 49 on the board. It is going to be a fun night for the Eagles since the O has finally come around. I am really looking forward to seeing how well the team will come together for this key first game in the District 3-5A race.

Midland High will be thinking that it is an advantage to have a home game against Abilene High, but we will certainly show the Bulldogs that Grande Stadium will not keep them safe from the Eagle fans. I want to see the Black and Gold shirts outnumber the purple shirts tonight. Let’s go out there, fly high, and knock some heads around. GO EAGLES!!!