Go Friday Night

Early Longhorns 31 un-Comfort-able Bobcats 28

By Tracy Ebarb
November 27, 2006

No matter which side of the stadium you were on Friday night, you saw a great High School Football Game. The teams were pretty evenly matched, sort of. The Comfort Bobcats based their game plan around one great player, Luke Roberts. This game plan had worked all season for Comfort, they averaged about 45 points per game and that made them the favorite for this game. It's pretty intimidating to play an opponent that you know scores on almost every possession. THE EARLY LONGHORNS WERE NEVER INTIMIDATED! In fact, after stopping their opening drive, I think the Bobcats began to realize, that they were now the underdog in this game. My "game ball" goes to the defense! Those guys played the 'bend but don't break' game to perfection. Coach Luker had said that one of the keys was limiting their QB's effectiveness, and to not allow them to score quickly. I didn't see the final stats, but I'm sure Roberts had an oustanding game for the Bobcats, but not where it counted. In a game of two evenly matched teams, this one came down to the last 52 seconds and superior coaching! The offense had led the way for the entire game, we scored first, and either led the game or were tied the entire way. It seemed like our coaches had scripted this game to come down to the last possession. I am amazed at the way Coach Tindol and Company managed the 4th quarter, especially the final 3 minutes. All we really needed was about a minute to prove who the best team on the field was, and that's exactly what happened.

Coach Tindol has said many times that this team needed to find it's own identity, truer words were never spoken. Last year's guys set the pace, and established some high expectations. When you look back and compare last year's run with this year's - it is amazing what a difference a year makes. Maybe the most glaring difference is in the abilility to over come adversity. Consider the injuries we've suffered, and then look at how guys have stepped up week after week to fill those gaps. Consider the new District, and the quality of competition that we've faced week after week. Think about this: 5 teams we faced before the playoffs, made the playoffs themselves! Cisco's only loss this year is to Early, and they play this weekend in the Division II Regionals. Crawford ended the season ranked in the State Top 5, won their District and just lost last weekend to another top ranked team. Clyde made the playoffs in a tough 3A District. Wall and Coleman are both still alive in the playoffs and with a win this weekend, will meet each other for a chance to win the Region in D-II, the winner then might get a chance to play Cisco for the Divisional Championship. In my opinion, the 2006 Edition of the Early Longhorns has already done some amazing things, but what's crazy is that they're not finished! This team has just now begun to really play it's best football.

The Littlefield Wildcats are a strong football team, but I believe the Longhorns have a date with destiny! I loved the billboard/chain-link fence message from this last week - "Impossible is Nothing". I, personally needed to hear that, to see it in print, to believe it. I don't know about you, but from time to time I feel like the underdog in life, and sometimes impossibilities seem pretty real, pretty salty, pretty hard to see over. At the risk of sounding simplistic, I know life is not a football game, but I also know that life can be lived with the same intensity, the same passion, the same optomism, the same drive and determination, that is required to play and win a football game. For that, I want to thank the Early Longhorns! To be honest, last year I was grateful for every opportunity and exited after every win, this year, however, is a little different. I am still grateful for the opportunity to support the 'Horns in playoff games and definitely excited after every win, but I can see the goal more clearly than last year. We've got to take care of business in Sweetwater this weekend, much like we did in Wichita Falls last year at this time. We can't look past Littlefield (although anyone who's been there will tell you that's a good idea!) And as fans, we can't let our support diminish! Our friends across the bayou, many of whom attended our playoff games last year, have playoff games of their own to attend this year, so it is really time for us to step up our fan support. Believe me, there's nothing to do in Littlefield, so the Wildcat fans will be there in force, we've got to give them a show of fan support that will rock the Mustang Bowl. Invite your friends, invite your family, make some new friends, if you're single - consider getting married, if you're pregnant - try to deliver before game time, do whatever you have to do to get to Sweetwater's Mustang Bowl Friday at 6:30, and dress for success(warmly)!!!! And as always, GET LOUD AND LEAVE PROUD!!!

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