WOS92

Too much squeaking in by the skin o' their teeth will eventually catch up, I think. I don't see them in the same class as Dayton or Central. They typically nab that third spot, and I really think LC-M will rise up for a year or so and get that one.

I do have to say that a .500 record w/ Mosely's accomplishments is pretty rough. I almost jumped off a building the year we were .500.

How tall is the helton kid? He looks extremely undersized, but it's not a very good shot to judge that from. Just going by that pic, though, he looks around 5'4. Still, pics can play tricks.

LC-M. I think they'll be in the playoffs w/ Dayton and Central this year. I really do. Big Ned has been right there on the precipice of dropping out record-wise for a few years (.500 last year, I think). This will be a banner year for LC-M. Then parental pressures and better offers will send Moody packing within three seasons, and we'll be right back to the Bumblin' Bears.

No, he said we have the athletes, just not enough. That means pound-for-pound, yes. Real-world situation, real-world depth, no.

Probably better, but not good enough to be top three or four.

No, we couldn't play up to the 5A schools and win - most likely. But we certainly have proven that we can still play with the 4A teams. Last year we beat Dayton 26-9, as well as beating Bay City and LCM. The year before that, we beat Bay City and two playoff teams from the local 4A district - district champ Central and also Nederland. The year before THAT, our first in 3A, we beat Nederland and Central, losing to Bay City, who went 9-2. Our record against 4A teams - very few of them "weak" - since dropping to 3A is 8-1. That includes - over the course of just three years - two of the undefeated district champions from the former District 20-4A.

No doubt Thompson is the best single coach in our area. Absolutely dominates. You might get him in the first, but he'll figure you out in the second half.

So, in summation: It won't be WO-S. It will be either Silsbee or WO-S. Awesome.

Sorry, dude. Don't see us fighting to make the playoffs. We'll be in the top three. Cornel Thompson is still there.

Good RB coming back, but not a lot to work with otherwise. In the only game I saw of theirs last year - against WO-S - they seemed to have adopted a bad mentality. I don't say this lightly - but they seemed afraid, like they were just playing to not lose by too too much. They were running backwards to avoid the tackles and were down by 49 at the half. They had 10 total yards, one completion, and one interception (returned for a TD). If they bring back more than half of the team on both O and D, then I'll give them five wins.

I think most - or at least the vocal majority - of the PN-G fans would not put their coaching staff at the top. It sounds like they are getting a little fed up with some of the playcalling and other decisions at the top, but as an outsider, I think Burnett does a fine job.

gato 76 Ummmmm... WO-S beat y'all that same year. This little now-3A school has a 7-3 record against y'all. HELLO!

Kirbyville should be better this year, but I'm thinking WO-S will be better than most think. Our QB is looking pretty special, and he led the JV to a 9-0 season as a sophomore last year. If I had to pick, I'd say WO-S, then Silsbee, then Kirbyville. Kirbyville came in with high expectations against us last year - with balla talking big despite the absence of their QB - and ended up being outscored by 30 and outgained by 289. I expect our defense to be just as stout as last year, and our offense to be just a little less smooth. My early prediction for WO-S/Kville is WO-S 28, K'ville 17.

Gotta go with my Mustangs on this one. We lost quite a few stars, but those stepping into their shoes have been earning some eyebrow raises in JV (9-0 last year) and in 7-on-7 (averaging more points per game than all but one other team in the state tourney). Last year's QB, Bevil, and his predecessor, Beasley, were one-year guys. This year's QB, Hypolite, should have two years at QB and - from all reports I've heard - has fleet feet and an ever-improving arm. Depauldrick Garrett might have the best year of any RB we've ever had, and Ronnie Dennis has been pulling in touchdown after touchdown in 7-on-7. Although it's not a great indicator of success in the real game, it is a great way to build chemistry between a QB and his receivers - and it sounds like that mission has been accomplished. Also, there's another "Franks" coming up (brother of Kerry at TAMU and Jacoby at TTU). With each year that Coach T is back in charge of the D, it has improved. That should continue this year with a few great leaders returning. Although Kirbyville returns a truckload of kids from last year's team, it's not enough to convince me that they'll step up this year. Maybe, but my money is on my Mustangs.

As an outsider, I have to admit that I was shocked the last few times that PN-G played at WO-S that the purple crowd only filled about 65 percent of our visitors' side, as opposed to the sellouts in the 90s. Several people around me commented on it as well.

Very, very funny. Actually, WO-S is three schools - West Orange, Stark and Wallace High. Wallace actually won at least one state title under coach Willie Ray Smith, so I guess we have three now. heh You Jasper guys will try anything to level the field. Just kidding.

Not to ruffle any feathers here, but I only saw one game of HF's last year, and it was against WO-S. They gave up 54 points (with a running clock in the second half) and 440 yards. They had a DC?

Mental mistakes, injuries, Dishon's visor was foggy, BC was cheated by the rain delay, etc.

I don't think Liberty is as bad as they were against us that night, but I also think that if they were thrown into our district, they would rarely contend for a playoff spot. Jasper, WO-S, Silsbee, BC, Kirbyville... too much.

Were they not also Liberty's first and (respectively) eleventh games? I'm just saying that despite lousy playcalling, we manhandled a team that you guys slipped by. For the better part of a decade, we've managed to overcome lousy offensive playcalling with strong defense and sheer physical talent. The talent, although young, will still be there. Yes, we'll have a first-year QB. We also had a first-year QB last year (Bevil) - and the year before (Beasley). The youngster stepping in was 9-0 as a sophomore last year at the helm of the JV and led one of the only two teams in the 7 on 7 state tournament to score more than 40 points in every tournament or pool play game. We also have a great receiver and one of the top RBs in the area coming back at the skill positions. I think we'll be fine.

Damage control. Say the right things.

Even better! Like a little Beasley! J/K

That play calling has been in place since 99. In 2000, we took a young team to the 4A state finals and finished 15-1. Big games? Wasn't the Dayton game a big game? We won it 26-9. We beat Kirbyville 46-16. We also beat Liberty, a team that BC struggled against, by 60 on that same playcalling. Yes, the dude needs to go, but despite his best efforts to doom us, we continue to succeed.

That's just trying to skew attention from BC's problem. I also think it's pretty close to crossing the "no tolerance" line set up in this thread. I can tell you that I'd have a hard time believing most of the better-known athletes from WO-S have been using in recent years, because, for the most part at least, they are extremely lean. There are a few schools - BC included - where previously wiry kids bulk up like crazy in no time. It's a shame, but don't cast a persecuting eye on other schools just because yours has been busted. The odd thing is, for having a "steroid ring," BC had a pretty rough year last year. I certainly didn't get the feeling from the article that BC caught the problem. It sounds to me like they're doing the right things in follow-up, but not that they "cracked down." It's sort of a PR/Damage control thing. That's what I get from it.