District 21-5A begins to sort itself out

[KFDM COOP]

District 21-5A begins to sort itself out

By Dave Rogers

 

Published October 28, 2007

District 21-5A football is living up, or down, to preseason expectations this fall.

It’s exciting, because just about anyone – but so far, not Sterling – can beat anyone on any given night.

And it’s less than artistic, because, frankly, there are so few complete teams.

The proper expression should be that anybody – and especially Sterling — can lose to anyone on any given night.

Coaches at Lee were marveling last week at their 29-23 victory over Port Arthur Memorial.

“I still haven’t figured out how we won that game,†one of them told me four days later. “Halfway through the fourth quarter, I was already planning how we were going to come back from the defeat. The next thing I know, Thomas Bates runs a fumble back 80 yards for a touchdown. We get another touchdown and we win.â€

Beaumont West Brook is clearly the class of the league. The Bruins should go far in the playoffs for the third straight year.

Third-year coach Craig Stump may have had a more talented team last year, but this one is better because the players have been around Stump three years so their understanding and execution of the coach’s schemes are better.

Humble, after a close-up look, is one of the least impressive 7-1 teams I’ve seen. They average scoring fewer than 20 points a game.

But coach Walt Beasley’s Wildcats are efficient.

They converted five of seven third downs and two of two fourth downs in three consecutive long scoring drives in their 21-12 win over Lee. Those drives included a combined 34 plays and ate up nearly 40 percent of the game clock.

West Brook and Humble clinched playoff berths Friday by each improving to 5-0 in 21-5A. Humble will play in the big-school Division I bracket and West Brook in the small-5A Division II.

After that, it gets interesting.

Lee stands in third place at 3-2, with Channelview, Port Arthur and Kingwood all at 2-3 and still with good shots at the post-season.

The Ganders host Channelview Friday, then finish the regular season at 1-4 Atascocita.

Channelview has the toughest remaining schedule with Lee and a final regular season game at home against West Brook, a team it upset last year.

Port Arthur hosts 0-4 Sterling Friday, then finishes at Humble.

Kingwood has the easiest remaining schedule, hosting Atascocita, then coming to Stallworth Stadium to play Sterling. The Mustangs, 0-6 overall nine days ago, could finish 4-6 and in the playoffs.

The Ganders would like that, if they can get into the playoffs.

If Lee makes the playoffs and Kingwood doesn’t, Lee would be 21-5A’s No. 2 team in Division I and face another bi-district meeting with North Shore, which is off to another 8-0 start.

If Kingwood makes the playoffs, the Mustangs would be 21-5A’s No. 2 team in Division I and have to face North Shore.

If Kingwood makes the playoffs, whichever team emerges from the remaining three contenders – Lee, Channelview and Port Arthur — would face Pasadena Memorial, which is currently 7-0, in Division II bi-district.

Humble appears headed to a Division I first-round draw of Deer Park (currently 6-2) while West Brook will probably face South Houston (4-3) in Division II.

d, but we should have been in that situation anyway.â€

[82 5A State Champs]

Great article, coop!