KFDM COOP Posted November 8, 2008 Report Posted November 8, 2008 Playoff bound By Nick Cioci The Baytown Sun Published November 9, 2008 The Sterling Rangers still have some work to do before the Class 5A football playoffs begin this weekend. “We played well offensively in the first half and well defensively in the second half,†coach Herb Minyard said of Friday night’s 35-26 win over Channelview in their final District 21-5A game. “We are just still trying to put together a complete game offensively and defensively for four quarters.†The Rangers face off against Pearland in a Division I bidistrict game Friday at 7 p.m. at Deer Park. Ranger coach Herb Minyard said the Rangers have a lot of room for improvement before that game. While the defense allowed Channelview quarterback Dominique Jefferson to pass for 200-plus yards and three touchdowns, the Ranger stoppers did just that often enough to overcome five RSS turnovers, four in a row in the second half. The Rangers used two goal line stands to secure their victory. The first one came in the second quarter with the Rangers up 14-6 and the Falcons on the Sterling 1-yard line. The Rangers held them to zero yards on their first three plays and then Mark Gray dropped the Channelview running back for a two-yard loss on fourth down. The second big stop came in the third quarter with the Rangers up 28-20 and the Falcons on the Sterling 10-yard line. Malcom Zeno started the defensive stand off for the Rangers with a tackle for a four-yard loss. The Falcons followed that with an incomplete pass, which the Rangers followed with a Mark Michel sack for an eight-yard loss on third down. The Rangers finished off the stand by forcing Jefferson into an incomplete pass on fourth down from the 27. Defensive back Johnell Hayden’s 71-yard fumble return touchdown turned the tide for Sterling. Then Hayden added a late interception to help ice the game away. “We need to work on ball security,†Minyard said, noting his team’s second-half turnover proclivity. “As well as doing a better job tackling in the open field and communicating in the kicking game.†In Port Arthur, the Lee Ganders lost to the Port Arthur Memorial Titans 13-10 Friday night, ending their season and keeping them out of postseason play. The Ganders had 13 penalties on the night with 10 of them being major walkoffs. “You shouldn’t complain about the officials,†Gander coach Dick Olin said. “But it’s the same thing every time you go down there. We’ve played down there (the Golden Triangle) twice and we’ve had 32 penalties.†Olin said in Friday’s game he saw the fastest holding call ever. “We snapped the ball and the flag flew,†he said. “They called ‘Holding, No. 57.’ Maybe 57 held, but he didn’t have anybody on him and it’s hard to call that on the snap.†Olin said once they got into a first-and-long situation offensively they were in trouble. “If we get into a first-and-20, we are dead in the water,†he said. “We can’t throw the football and don’t have the offense to make that up.†Olin said the Titans only had two plays on offense. “They had a 94-yard touchdown pass that was like our Seven Lakes game, where we tipped it, then they tipped it, and then they caught it and ran it in,†he said. “Then they also had a fourth-and-20 and caught a pass for the touchdown. “I haven’t seen the tape yet, but I looked at it last night on the bus and it looks like he caught it out of bounds.â€
sahen Posted November 9, 2008 Report Posted November 9, 2008 The Sterling/Channelview game shouldnt have been near that close, I have never seen a team w/ the luck of Channelview in that first half....They couldnt move the ball on first and second down, but on 3rd they just lobbed the ball and kept making some crazy catches, it was unreal at times...through all of that Sterling looked like they were gonna take over in the 2nd half come halftime but for whatever reason their offense went out the window and they started turning the ball over...Channelview was driving to take the lead in the 4th quarter when the big fumble recovery for a TD iced the game, the defense came to play the 2nd half i dunno where the offense went... on a sidenote Channelview should be embarassed not at the play or athletes on their team but at the fact that they only had 29 kids on a 5a high school team (i counted before the game i was so shocked, i kept waiting for more to come out of the locker room)...29 channelview? are you kididng me???? i go regularly to liberty games as well and i have never seen a 3a team with less than 30 kids...i dont know how that is possible, maybe some failed but even then they couldnt have more than 35-40...they have a lot of work to do in promoting the football program in channelview apparantly, which is sad since we do live in Texas....
sahen Posted November 10, 2008 Report Posted November 10, 2008 Good luck in the Playoffs, thanks...hopefully we can play Pearland a close one...im not expecting a win, but for a change im jsut happy we are there... on a side note what is up w/ the karma thing, i keep getting negative points? am i ticking someone off or something?
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