I didn't know what to expect after the thrashing Coleman delivered the week before. My gut was telling me that we get better as the game goes on and if we could keep it close, we'd win. Turns out my gut was right.

The second half was all Hammers. The defense was phenomenal. Levi and Hunter made great plays that inspired the others to elevate their games. Hawley didn't know what hit them. Coach Lucas started putting pressure on the QB with stunts and pass rushes. Hawley abandoned their game plan, which was a mistake. The running game that had been so successful early on, wasn't even a factor in the last two quarters.

We backed them all the way into their own end zone, then took 'em down for a safety. Sean Lee had a fumble return for a touchdown called back due to an illegal block. We recovered another fumble on a bad snap but then turned it right back over with an interception. We should have had another two scores at least. But a win is a win.

I'm real impressed by the play of our younger players. The sophomore starters, Ryan, Hunter, Brandtly and Dylan are not scared anymore. They're starting to look like they belong on the field with those older guys and that's a good thing for Coach Lucas. Ryan was all over the place defensively but got sidelined with leg cramps before the half. Freshman Tyler Lucas stepped in at linebacker, and with Phillip limping around, Tyler did a good job of making stops. Phillip played through the pain well which is a good thing since there was no one else to fill in at linebacker.

Injuries are the only thing standing between the Yellowhammers and a playoff spot. We've played four games and three of them against Class 2A opponents . Haskell and Coleman are great teams to be sure, but we played both teams without all of our best players. We seem to be getting better but it's going to be our durability that determines whether or not we make it to the big dance.

I'm convinced without a doubt, that the third playoff spot is ours for the taking. Realisticaly, Albany may be destined for the third spot as Cisco showed us how vulnerable they can be. Cisco is probably the best team in Class 2A, but even Merkel managed to score on them. So I'm saying, without anything other than my intuition to go on, that Albany's loss to Cisco trumps our loss to Coleman. Our mutal opponent was Haskell, which Albany beat 34-28. If you didn't know our situation, you'd say that gives Albany the edge. There are plenty of folks around here who think we could've beaten that Haskell team. I hope Albany looks at that mutual opponent as evidence that they don't have to take us seriously.

Things are looking up.

Then Bronte came to town. The Longhorns were not a very good football team, or did we make them look bad? Either way we whooped 'em pretty good. Josh Reese showed the critics what he can do when he's healthy and focused. At times his speed looked similar to his cousin Jackie's, who shredded defenses just two years ago. If and when Josh realizes that he's special, this team is headed for greatness.

Hunter Kennedy had a great game on both sides of the ball. The kid is a monster. He can do just about anything he wants on the line of scrimmage. We'll see how well he does against the competition as the teams get better.

Coleman is no joke. We'll know just how good (or bad) we are after Friday's game.

Neither team was able to generate much offense. Coahoma is a 2A school who may be better than a lot of people think. They are definitely better than last year. They also ran a complex defense that I'm not sure I've ever seen in a scrimmage. We would have had to study tape and practice accordingly for a week just to scheme against it. And we played the live portion without Josh Reese, Dexter Daniel or Hunter Kennedy. Jordan Miller was visibly sick. These four have a huge impact on an offense that is already lacking depth.

But if all that sounds like excuses let me tell you what we accomplished. Toward the end of the night, Rotan pounded the ball down field. The line looked much better against Coahoma's big boys as the red team was driven back play after play. Phillip ran as hard at the end as he did in the beginning. This while battered and bleeding. Several players dug in with cuts and bruises and sprains.

In short, we're exactly what I thought we would be. Not razzle dazzle, but grinders. Tough kids who won't give up. Sean Lee illustrated this with a 90 yard sprint to catch a defender who recovered a fumble and ran for a touchdown. Sean was in full sprint and never let up. In the end he was blocked in the back and the touchdown was called back. Coahoma got the ball on our 20 yard line (10 yards from the spot of the penalty). Our defense held. Coach Lucas was justifiably excited as he heaped praise on Lee.

There were some rough moments for sure. Some of the underclassmen looked scared and timid at times. We put the ball on the ground a couple of times, and blocking was ugly at first. But to classify the scrimmage as a spanking is just plain wrong. Besides being inaccurate, it's unfair to the warriors in the bunch who fought valiantly to the end. I would be careful not to listen to people who watch 20 minutes of action, form an opinion, then hop on the grapevine to tear people down.

In the end, Coahoma scored once and we didn't. They dropped one pass in the end zone and lost another TD on a penalty. Give me our guys and 4 quarters of real football and I say we win a close one. Give me a healthy Josh, Jordan and Hunter and we spank them.

Phillip Carrillo will be on everyone's mind when district rolls around. The kid can flat out play fullback. What does a prototypical fullback do? He runs low. Phillip is not very tall to begin with so this part is easy for him. He runs hard. The burley senior loves contact and will bury defenders who don't come ready. He blocks. Boy does this team block! All over the tape you can find bodies flying and it's not Yellowhammers getting hit. Phillip is the hardest hitter in the bunch. Occassionally, when he's not an integral part of the play, he'll slack off, but this problem is easily correctable. My early prediction. He's your first team all-district fullback.

Josh Reese is as sensational as ever. He's been a threat for years but this is his year. He scored both touchdowns and one was a broken play. Most impressive was his willingness to lower his shoulder and finish a run. If Josh stays positive about his role as the playmaker on the team from the QB spot, the backfield or catching passes, there's no stopping him. Prediction? Josh is already on everyone's radar. He's an early candidate for offensive MVP and every other award in the area. It's 100% up to him to go get 'em.

Jordan Miller and Levi Sparks. What a tandem on the offensive line! Phillip and Josh are good runners, but when Jordan and Levi open holes, running the ball looks fun. They are absolutely crushing folks. The all stars at Roscoe and Albany may be getting the praise now, but I'll put my boys against them anyday. They're the leaders on an offensive line that includes junior Jonathan Boles. Boles is strong and quick. He won't be as noticeable as the other two, but humble and durable, he'll be there every play. These guys lead an offensive line that is strong, unselfish and classy. You won't be able to help but cheer for these linemen.

The receivers. Luke Wells and Quaintell Williams are gifted. Either one of them could just as easily play running back. They're shifty. They've got great hands and both have a smoothness on the field that's fun to watch. Quaintell has more speed and athleticism but Luke has a nose for the football and great downfield blocking skills. They're both great and they're both coming back next year.

The Youngsters. These guys have multiple years left and that is just plain exciting. Hunter Kennedy, Ryan Tovias, Brandtly Kelly and Dylan Warren are all starters on varsity. They fill different roles and they'll likely have to learn multiple positions to ease a serious depth problem. They come off a stellar JV season and they know how to win. The ultimate youngster is David Reese. A freshman fill in, Reese may find himself starting on defense and getting considerable time running the ball. He's got Reese quickness and he carries the name through for three more years.

More Weapons. All this, and we haven't even seen Dexter Daniel, Sean Lee or Byron Antaya. The three missed the scrimmage for various reasons but will most likely be active by district.

I may have left some people out, but it wasn't intentional. I watched the tape and mentioned those I felt stood out. If you want to comment and call me out on forgetting anyone, misspelling names or anything else. Feel free to do so. This is the Rotan Yellowhammers Blog, not Cam Tovias's soap box. I look forward to your comments.

Cam
camtovias@sbcglobal.net

The Booster Club is actively decorating the town orange with plans for banners, flags and all sorts of spirit stuff. The donut sale was hindered somewhat by the rain, but thanks to some nifty salesmanship all boxes were gone.

Thursday evening the Hammers will scrimmage my old alma mater, Coahoma, in Coaohma. Most people assume I was in Sweetwater when I wasn't in Rotan, but my last 3 1/2 years of high school were spent as a Bulldog. I don't know anyone there anymore, except for a few great teachers and coaches, so my loyalty will not be divided.

I hope all you Yellowhammer fans will take the time to read and write on this blog. It's been here for three years now with very little response. Maybe I'll mention something in the paper.