Denton RC High School

Check out this nicely done video from my buddies over at the Abilene Reporter News.

If you weren't there last night, watch Luke Russell's first touchdown run on the end around. Unfortunately, the camera man was faked out almost as bad as those three defenders Russell made look silly, but you still get to see the stop and the juke.

It seems like every year there's a team that comes out of nowhere, gets hot at the right time and makes a really nice playoff run. Wait, I think Guyer has already done that. I'll be honest, at the beginning of the season when I looked on Dave Campbell's Texas Football Web site and saw they predicted a Class 4A Division I Region I final between Wolfforth Frenship and Guyer, I scratched my head.

Looks like there's a reason we call Dave Campbell's the "Bible of Texas HS football".

Guyer got slaughtered by Lake Dallas back on Oct. 17. Since then, the Wildcats have reeled off six straight wins and are improving each and every week -- offensively, defensively, and most notably fewer penalties, especially the bone-headed ones that had plagued Guyer earlier this year.

Since one lovely commenter questioned how often I post from my couch, I decided to switch things up a bit and post from my parents' couch as I'm watching the Giants whup up on the Redskins. As much as it pains me to say, they are the best team in the NFL. There you go, Jeff, I said it.

Now, on to the football you folks really care about -- last night's 28-7 utter domination of Abilene Cooper at the hands of Guyer. It's funny, I almost typed "upstart Guyer" there, but I can't even call the Wildcats upstart anymore. Let this sink in, the team that was the laughing stock of the area for the past two years is now 11-2 and is one of eight teams left in the state that's still playing.

I'm too tired to say much. Just know that Guyer absolutely dominated every facet of the game. And the team the Wildcats dominated was no slouch as their first two playoff opponents probably were, and Guyer will admit it.

Cooper was good, hard-nosed team, and the Wildcats whupped them six ways to Sunday. I'll be back tomorrow for more thoughts, including my beasts of the game. Maybe this time it will be from my parents' couch, because I like to keep y'all guessing. Goodnight and I hope everyone had a good holiday.

Oh, and yes, Guyer will play undefeated Wolfforth Frenship Saturday at 2 p.m. at the hallowed grounds of Texas Tech's Jones SBC Stadium in Lubbock. See you guys there.

Liberty Christian has been eliminated from the playoffs after losing to Dallas Christian, 56-35.

And, yes, that is the correct score.

1:00 4Q: Cooper has it.

1:45 4Q: Timeout Guyer, the Wildcats have 4th-7 at the Cooper 32 and are going for it.

5:14 4Q: 3rd-16, no problem. Walsh hit Harkins on a deep post for 33 yards down to the Guyer 46.

First, let's take a look at the uneven stats. First for Guyer...

14 first downs, 232 rushing yards and most importantly 21 points. Jaimaine Wilhite has 118 yards on just 14 carries.

For Cooper...

18 rushing yards, 13 passing yards. Yes, 31 total yards. Three first downs (one on a facemask with no time left), and not a single first down until there was 1:16 remaining in the half.

0:00 2Q: OK, it appeared the half ended on a big Taylor Bible sack for an 11-yard loss, but he was flagged for a facemask, which gives the Cougars one untimed down from the Guyer 26. That would be a 41-yard field goal attempt. They went for a hail mary and it fell short. They were flagged for block in the back anway, so it wouldn't have mattered. Time to go own the radio waves. Check me out on 88.1 FM.

0:03 2Q: Cody Marley just stuffed Pimpton for a 1-yard loss to force 4th-3 at the Guyer 41. The Cougars let the clock run down to 3 seconds and called a timeout. I guess they'll take one last shot at the end zone before the half, or kick a 58-yard field goal?

The suspense has built, and here it goes.... Cooper appeared to win the toss and defered. Guyer will get the ball first. Even if Walsh didn't really want it, he's getting it. We'll see if his gut feeling comes through. It will be huge to keep the turnovers and penalties to a bare minimum, which a commenter pointed out earlier.

As in Abilene Cooper's starting defensive lineman Magic Johnson, who's 5-10, 185 pounds. That's his real name, I'm not even kidding.

Also, Cooper has a running back named Austin Magruder, which is sort of close to MacGruber, who is awesome. If you watch SNL, you know what I'm talking about.

I'm sitting here in the lush press box at Bearcat Stadium in Aledo, which is a perfect-sized stadium -- smaller than C.H. Collins.

I just got back from my pregame chat with Guyer's coaches, met with Bryan Kegans again to get a quick word in about the Tech-Baylor game (last week was obviously an abberation), and talked to John Walsh for a while, along with a slew of assistants.

Walsh told me he was "thinking" when I asked how he was doing. About what? About whether he wants the ball or not. With Guyer's stellar defense, he usually defers, but he said he's considering taking the ball tonight, though he probably won't. We'll see what he decides on. Wind isn't a factor, it's a gorgeous late fall night outside.

Liberty Christian trails Dallas Christian, 28-7, at halftime in the TAPPS Division II state semifinals.

Sorry!

It's always tough to watch a team get bounced from the playoffs. It reminds me of being an all-state band alternate two years in a row for both jazz and classical. Brutal.

Tonight, it was Scotty Young, Logan Sadowski and the Ryan Raiders who were mourning coming up a little short. Those two guys may love Ryan football more than anyone, so it was no surprise they were the most broken up, at least that I could see.

Despite the loss, there are plenty of pats on the back to give out, and many more to come throughout the week as we review the season. Here are my Beasts of the Game for this one.

I'm sitting here in beautiful San Angelo, Texas and listening to the Ryan-Frenship game on the World Wide Web. This is my first time to be around a computer in a few days (it's West Texas, sorry). Joke, I love West Texas, I'm an alum.

Anyway, it sounds like the Raiders might not get out alive with this one nearing the end, which puts a kink in my plans for a Guyer-Ryan rematch. Here's what the Wildcats will have to do tomorrow against Abilene Cooper (8-4) to ensure that at least one Denton ISD team stays alive.

Ryan will start with the ball. A touchdown drive would go along way toward the Raiders advancing.

Third quarter

9:44
Bud Sasser is on pace for a career game. He caught a 15-yard pass on fourth-and-4, and then caught a 24-yard touchdown on a skinny post. Young looked sharp, and we have a new game here, folks.

8:48
Ryan failed to collect on an onside kick, and Frenship converted the short field quicks. Running back Bryan Seicks went up the middle for a 15-yard touchdown.

The bad news for you Ryan fans is that the Raiders trail, 14-7. The good news is they are very much in this game, and the offense hasn't really stretched its legs yet.

Both of Frenship's touchdowns came after Ryan interceptions. Both weren't great throws. The second came on a bomb that was way over the receivers head.

But after that second touchdown, Ryan's offense started clicking. It started running those short passes, screen passes and draw plays, and Ryan got going.

Ryan's defense has been great. It's held the Tigers to 78 yards rushing on 19 carries, maybe the best that ration has looked all year. Frenship quarterback Tyler Lloyd is 6-for-13 for 69 yards. All in all, I think the Raiders can hang with these guys.

Here we go. Frenship will get the ball first.

First quarter

Logan Sadowski hit Frenship in the backfield on the first play from scrimmage, but the Tigers converted for a first down. 3rd-and-9 Frenship.

9:22
An incomplete pass on third down gave the ball to Ryan, which started at the 10 and is now driving.

7:37
Scotty Young just showed off his arm strength with a bomb down the sideline, but it fell well past the intended receiver. Frenship has it at its own 38.

I just got settled in here at Lowrey Field in Lubbock after a brutal drive down 114. As I pulled into the stadium, about 40 Frenship fans lined the street and waved as I pulled in. Most of Ryan's fans hadn't even made it yet.

Needless to say, we got a good one coming here. Ryan's high-octane passing game is going to get a taste of how they do it out West. I'm sitting next to my old buddy George Watson from the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. I worked in Lubbock right out of college very briefly, so this is a homecoming of sorts for me.

Look, we've rehashed this game to bits. We know these two teams. We know their strengths and their weaknesses. What it'll likely come down -- as most good games between two good teams do -- to turnovers and execution.

... but here are a few morsels to chew on from my interview with Joey Florence this week.

On the defensive improvement:
"I thought we were playing some good offensive football teams starting with Pearce, McKinney, [Wichita Falls] Rider, Denton Guyer, Lake Dallas. We were just playing some good teams. I wasn't worried. Obviously you're concerned that you have to play good against good people. We'll get a good test Friday night. We'll have our hands full with these guys."

On moving Jake Strickland and Ty Hooks to defensive and Jordan Richmond up to varsity:
"Hooks and Strickland have been good at end, that's been the biggest impact. Billy [Mitchell] had an ankle injury. He's back and healthy. Richard Ross is doing well. We have a little more depth with those guys. You need that with some of the offenses we're playing."

On being 0-3 on coin flips this post-season:
"I'm about 0-100. I apologize to the great fans of Denton Ryan and the community. It's just a bad deal. I'm just not winning them and not had much luck."

First of all, greetings and happy Thanksgiving from the home of the 1992 4A state champions -- Waxahachie, Texas.

We here in Waxahachie know all about strong running teams as the 1992 Indians used the three-headed rushing monster of quarterback Lamont Moore and running backs Sammie Overton and Corey Pointer to roll through A&M Consolidated, 28-24, in the state title game in the Astrodome.

We also topped the Joey Florence-coached Sulphur Springs Wildcats along the way. Sorry about that, coach!

Ryan will face another strong running in Wolfforth Frenship on Friday. I made a few calls today and got the skinny on the Tigers.

Yes, the Wolfforth Frenship Tigers are undefeated. Yes, they are ranked No. 6 in the state. Yes, the will probably be the favorite heading into the Class 4A Region I Region semifinals on Friday, but don't count out the Ryan Raiders.

The consensus is that the level of competition in West Texas is lighter than it is in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, so undefeated against West Texas schools may not be the same as it is over here. That's not my opinion but the general feeling I get from coaches around the area. Take it for it's worth.

The easy thing to do would be to see how the Tigers did against Metroplex teams, but they didn't play any. They did face off against some of the tougher West Texas team, including Guyer's opponent and district rival, Abilene Cooper. Remember, Cooper and Frenship are gunning for a district rematch as well.

Frenship beat Cooper, 16-10, in what is probably the Tigers' biggest win of the season. Center Mason Walters is by far their best player, but he is considered one of the best centers in the nation. After that, they have no one on Rivals.com.

Well, I hate to look ahead and jinx either team, but I can't help it. I would love to see another Guyer-Ryan game, and I'm sure the Raiders would love it too, moreso than Guyer considering Ryan would be out for revenge, but that doesn't by any means say Guyer would be ducking it.

Anyway, we got word today that a site has been locked down for the two teams if they should meet again, and it's not what you're probably thinking, though it's a lot more logical. Follow the jump for the surprise!

Guyer junior setter/hitter Kaylee Fifer was named to the Texas Girls Coaches Association All-State team for the second straight year.

The do-it-all star, who was also the District 5-4A MVP after leading Guyer to the area round of the playoffs. She finished the season with 274 kills and 727 assists in 130 total sets. She also had 45 aces and 20 blocks to go with her 370 digs. Pretty good season, I'd say.

Over in Argyle, senior setter Jessica Bonfield also landed on the team. She had 247 kills, 1,035 assists, 74 aces and 106 blocks in leading her team to the regional tournament.

Once again the Denton area shined in the area round as only one of our teams was bounced. It just goes to show that nobody knows football like 76201.

Ryan 49, Mansfield Timberview 14
Most of what I heard before this game suggested a decisive Ryan win, but I followed my own intuition and decided it was a tossup. From here on out, I think I'll stick with telling you guys what I hear instead of what I think. On another note, Scotty Young now has 60 touchdown passes, not 61. He needs seven to tie Graham Harrell's state record of 67. If Ryan beats Wollforth Frenship, he will break that record.

Guyer 44, Arlington Sequin 0
Luke Russell figuratively pointed at his adversaries as he ran down the field against Seguin, instead of actually pointing at them like he did against Ryan. The former suits him better, and helped Guyer roll to a convincing win that shows the potential they have for these playoffs. Did I hear someone say Ryan-Guyer rematch?

The Ticket, 1310 AM/104.1 FM will carry the live radio broadcast of Friday's Class 4A regional semifinal playoff game between Denton Ryan and Wolfforth Frenship at Lowrey Field in Lubbock. Airtime is 6:50 p.m.
Fans listening inside the stadium may hear the broadcast on a special "road radio" feed. The frequency is 89.5 FM in Lubbock.
Friday's game can also be heard on The Ticket's website, www.theticket.com

We have a time, date, place! Ryan will take on Wolfforth Frenship at 7 p.m. on Friday at Lowery Field in Lubbock.

I asked Joey Florence if they had a chance in this one. He said, "We're the Ryan Raiders, aren't we?"

This should be a good one. I'll have more on the matchup this week.

Click here for a look at the state high school playoff pairings.

The Wildcats will take on Abilene Cooper (8-4) on Saturday night in Aledo at 7:30 p.m. Guyer will be the visiting team for the third straight week and wear its lucky white jerseys. The Cougars beat El Paso Del Valle 56-10 on Saturday.

Check out the team page over at the Abilene Reporter-News' Web site here. The Cougars losses are all to good, to great, teams -- Abilene, Garland, Hebron and Frenship. This will be the first real test for Guyer in the postseason and we'll see if the Wildcats can build on the confidence gained from last night's win over a team not nearly the caliber of this Cooper team.

Click here for a look at the state high school playoff pairings.

We know who Ryan will play next week in the Class 4A Division I Region I quarterfinals -- Wolfforth Frienship.

Frenship, which grossly misspelled "Friendship" upon conception, had no trouble with Canutillo as the Tigers romped into a bout with Ryan next week.

We do not know, however, when or where. I just got off the phone with Joey Florence. He said he and Frenship head coach and former Dallas Maverick Brad Davis will schedule the game tomorrow.

The Raiders will have their hands full. Frenship was ranked No. 6 in the state in the AP's final poll. The Tigers beat six playoff teams in the regular season and has two playoff wins already. Ryan is 4-3 against playoff teams this year.

What do you guys think? Can the Raiders pull the upset?

I've gone on and on about how great Guyer's defense and offense were during Friday's 44-0 area-round round win over Arlington Seguin, but that overlooked third phase of the game was just as big.

The only blemish on the special teams slate was a missed extra point by Sam Alspach, but clearly by looking at the score, it didn't so much matter.

Guyer's kickoff coverage was unreal against a speedy, athletic team who's bound to have some pretty solid returners back there. Alspach kept putting his kickoffs either just inside the end zone or at the 1- or 2-yard line. Follow the jump to see where Seguin started its drives.

Well, I'm sitting at home now after another fine night of Texas High School Football Playoffs. Night's don't get any finer than what the Guyer Wildcats had tonight. Forty-four points and a big fat zero for the opponent -- the first shutout in school history.

What Luke Russell did tonight was huge on many levels. After being held mostly in check this season, Russell showed what he was supposed to be coming into the year in Friday's win. He caught eight balls for 221 yards and had five grabs for 191 at halftime. He had receptions of 64, 44 and 55 yards -- all of which were short passes and he took care of the rest with the yards after catch. The kid can flat-out fly, and we finally saw it tonight as his timing with J.W. Walsh finally appears to be clicking after Walsh missed six weeks and has been cleared to throw for three games now.

As Boedeker already said, we had a technical problem with the blog we apologize for. But trust me, you didn't miss much drama out in Fort Worth tonight.

Despite modest numbers, Ryan's offense was in top form. It converted on seven of eight possessions, not counting the final possession that was a precautionary run up the middle and a knee. I'll list some stats at the end of the post.

But this night belongs to the defense. The much-maligned unit has put up with a lot of abuse from you guys this year, but you have to give those guys credit. After Antonio Anderson's pick-six at the end of the first half, Yahshua WIlliams intercepted Donte Parker.

The Wolves scored on their next drive, but with the way Timberview tried to shorten the game, it only got two more drives, both of which were turnovers on downs.

All of BELO had its blog blown up by terrorists tonight. Sorry for the lack of updates, I'll try to post some stuff when I get home. Huge win for the Wildcats. It was the best all-around performance I've seen from them this year.

Well, well, well. ... Luke Russell has arrived. Guyer has waited for this night to come when he'd blow up and have a big game because it was clear he had the skill to do it all along. But now, he's done it, to the tune of five catches for 191 yards ... in one half.

Russell has all of Guyer's receiving yards and the Wildcats have 116 yards on the ground, led by Jaimaine Wilhite's 10 carries for 53. He also has three touchdowns. It's not that Russell has been absent this season -- he's served as a decoy and been big on screen passes, but tonight's different.

Ryan could not have asked for a better situation going into halftime.

The Raiders have done a great job limiting Timberview's running game, and the offense scored on both its drives.

But wait, why did Ryan only get the ball twice in the entire half? Timberview's first drive ate up seven minutes and ended in an Eric Stephens score. After a quick Ryan score to tie it, Timberview had the ball for eight minutes.

With a little less than two minutes left in the first quarter, Timberview went three-and-out and punted, but Beshears fumbled to give the Wolves another shot. They converted on fourth-and-1, third-and-11, and third-and-1before throwing an incomplete pass on third-and-7 at Ryan's 34-yard line.

Kaufman has defeated Argyle 21-16

Pilot Point has defeated Gunter 15-13.

Here we go! Timberview will receive to start the game.

First quarter

5:12
Timberview did exactly what it needed to do -- run down Ryan's throat. Quarterback Donte Parker had no problem guiding the Wolves on that drive as he converted on fourth down and Eric Stephens punched it in from seven yards out.

1:50
D.J. Beshears accounted for 60 yards and a 6-yard touchdown on that drive, including a 32-yard gain on third-and-long where he broke a tackle from about everyone on Timberview's defense. Ryan ran the ball well on that drive as well.

Ryan forced a three-and-out, but Beshears fumbled on the return. The Wolves have a second-and-10 after a great tackle by Peyton Whitlock.

Second quarter

10:32
Timberview has a fourth-and-1 at its own 35-yard line as Ryan called time out. Ty Hooks, who was playing defensive end, has left the game and is on crutches on the sideline.

The Wolves got it and march on.

5:07
That was the longest drive that didn't score. Ryan takes over at its own 4-yard line.

0:21 2Q: On 2nd-10, Garrett Talburt got to Seguin QB Todd Hensley and dropped him for a 6-yard loss. Seguin called a timeout and will face 3rd-16 from its 49.

2:13 2Q: Guyer just went on a 10-play, 67-yard drive capped off by a 10-yard touchdown run from Wilhite, who bulled over a Seguin defender and carried him into the end zone for the final two yards. Russell had another 14-yard catch on 3rd-5 and he now has all of Guyer's receiving yards (191) on five grabs.

6:35 2Q: The teams just traded fumbles from Kamrhan Jones for Guyer and Witherspoon from Seguin. Now, Guyer has the ball at its own 33.

Arlington Seguin is the home team in this game and the Cougars had a very different, fun-looking warm-up routine.

There's the usual loudspeakers blaring rap music, but Seguin had a full-blown DJ, with a mic and all. He was randomly saying words in the songs and all the players were just dancing and having fun. I don't know how it gets them ready to play football, but it was pretty funny to watch.

Also, another note...the announcer here likes to say "Guyer Wildcats' fans, are you in the house??" and the same with the Arlington Seguin fans. It's quite humorous.

I brought my own personal laptop (Macbook...What up??!!) to take advantage of the press box's wireless internet. Blogging should go a lot smoother tonight.

I'm about to head down to the field for my customary pregame chats with coaches, most notably probably offensive tackles coach Bryan Kegans (who started at Tech just a few years back) to talk about how our alma mater is playing to stay alive in the National Championship game. I'm sure for tonight, at least, he'll be more concerned with Guyer advancing to the area round after a win over Arlington Seguin here in about four hours.

Anyway, I'll leave you with my Tech-OU prediction and be back later with my Guyer prediction.

Tech 48, OU 37.

The answer to that question may be the answer to this question: Can Ryan win this game?

The Raiders will have their hands full with Mansfield Timberview's running game. Running back Eric Stephens will be a teammate of Ryan's Yahshua Williams next year at Texas Tech.

Timberview quarterback Donte Parker is nearing the 1,000 yard rushing mark this season. Throw in a couple of stout receivers, including Tulsa commit Aaron Burks, and the Wolves should be able to move the ball.

That's not to say Ryan can't keep pace. We already know what Scotty Young, Jay Catlin, D.J. Beshears, Bud Sasser and one of the best offensive lines in the state can do.

If you can't make it to the Ryan Raiders or Guyer Wildcats playoff games Friday night but want to see a state high school playoff game, head to C.H. Collins Athletic Complex. The Celina Bobcats, 8-3, faces Kennedale, 9-2, in a Class 3A Division II matchup at 7:30 p.m.

As I said last Friday after checking out the Seguin-Arlington Heights box score, something stuck out to me -- more than 250 yards rushing for the Cougars, 94 yards passing.

Anyone who knows anything about Guyer football knows the Wildcats excel in run defense, and have struggled at times against the pass.

I can give you an Adam Boedeker guarantee that no team that Guyer has a chance of facing the rest of the way, except maybe Longview, could run for 250 yards against the Wildcats' front seven. Follow the jump to see a game-by-game breakdown of Seguin's offensive output this season, as well as rushing yards allowed by the Cougar defense (Guyer's offense averages 290 yards per game on the ground).

Former Lady Warrior do-everything athlete Whitney Hand is in the Nov. 17 college basketball preview edition of Sports Illustrated.

Hand's teammate at Oklahoma, Courtney Paris, is featured on the cover, but Hand is featured as one of eight "freshmen who aren't getting all the props they deserve". Hand was named the Big 12's Preseason Freshman of the Year. She scored 11 points in the Sooners' season-opening 88-57 win over UC-Riverside, and hit 3 of 7 attempts from beyond the arc.

The little write-up on her mentions the legendary moment last year when she beat Dallas Mavericks sharpshooter Jason Terry in a 3-point shooting contest. It'll be fun to see how Hand does this year in the Big 12.

Remember when Ryan alum Jarvis Moss blocked that field goal against South Carolina in 2006? So does Urban Meyer, and the play is now seen as a turning point in Florida's season that year, which ended in a Bogus Championship Series title (no offense, Jarvis).

Here's a story from our friends at The Gainesville Sun, who have now immortalized the play.

Moss is having a so-so season with the Broncos this year. He's still struggling to find playing time, although I did see him play a lot against Atlanta on Sunday. He has 10 tackles and 2.5 sacks this year.

ESPN's thought process when it comes to selecting high school football games to broadcast is simple. First, the game needs two great teams. Second, the teams need two great quarterbacks.

A game I think fits that bill next year will be Ryan-Lake Dallas. Scotty Young and James Franklin will be big-time quarterback prospects in 2009. They represent different quarterback styles as Young is the drop-back passer and Franklin is the dual-threat quarterback.

Ryan and Lake Dallas will both be good next year as Ryan's front seven has some young studs ready to emerge off the junior varsity and Lake Dallas has plenty coming up as well. The game will also be at C.H. Collins, which is a media-friendly venue.

What do you guys think? Should ESPN have its hockey-hating eyes on this game?

No, the wind didn't "give" Ryan a playoff win. Ryan adjusted to the wind better than Birdville, and that was the difference in the game.

Ryan built a 19-0 lead after the first quarter as the Hawks struggled with gusts that unofficially breached 30 mph. Birdville decided not to punt into the wind twice in the first quarter, going for it on fourth-and-9 from its own 31 and fourth-and-10 from its own 20. Ryan got the stop on both fourth downs and turned the short field into touchdowns.

Joey Florence made a genius move at the end of the first quarter when Birdville had the ball with a 1:40 left in the quarter. He used all three Ryan timeouts to force the Hawks to convert on third down with the wind in their face. The result was a run for minus-1 yard, and a punt on the first play of the second quarter.

Our area teams went a stunning 5-1 in bi-district play, providing further evidence that people just don't roll like they do up in Denton County. We bid farewell to Lake Dallas, but the rest of the area moves.

Ryan 46, Birdville 41
A lot of you are ragging on Ryan's defense for letting Birdville back in the game, but Ryan didn't let Birdville back in the game. Birdville muscled its way back in the game. Remember, the Hawks had one of the better offenses in the area, and the only quarterback whose numbers are close to Scotty Young's is Josh Dorman, who was impressive in the second half. And the Raider defense had as many big plays in the game as the Raider offense - the fumble return in the first quarter, the two sacks on fourth down, the interception at the end of the game.

Guyer 21, Saginaw Boswell 13
The Wildcats are looking more and more impressive even though this may not have been their best game. With its season on the line, Guyer rebounded after a rough first half to win its first ever playoff game. That kind of resilience will take the Wildcats far this year. I also think Guyer have the make up of a team that could pull a big upset this postseason. They play great defense and have a three-headed rushing attack that can control the clock. Does that sound like a pro football team that pulled a big upset recently? I think they were from New York ...

Aledo 31, Lake Dallas 14
The Falcons season ends after getting an absolutely brutal first-round draw. And even if they somehow beat Aledo, they'd have gotten Everman, who Aledo plays this weekend. Lake Dallas earned a small victory by scoring 14. That sounds absurd, but the Bearcats hadn't given up more than seven points since Sept. 12. Although the bracket-makers got the best of Lake Dallas this year, the future is still bright for Corinthians across Corinth.

Again, my preliminary picks follow...

Class 4A Region I
Division I
Ryan (8-3) vs. Mansfield Timberview (6-5), 7:30 p.m. Friday at Fort Worth Brewer
Guyer (9-2) vs. Arlington Seguin (5-6), 7:30 p.m. Friday at Southlake Carroll

Well, with the season winding down, we're starting to toss around some ideas of who will be what on our All-Area team that will come around the end of December.

I'll tell you guys what I am thinking with a few of my top choices in each category. Feel free to throw out your ideas on the matter.

I'll start at the top with MVP, and I think everyone can guess where this will lead.

Just got off the phone with coach John Walsh and he confirmed that Guyer will play on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Southlake's Dragon Stadium.

The Wildcats will face Arlington Seguin (5-6) and will hope for the same result as last time they played a game at Dragon Stadium -- probably with a little more ease this time around though, no?

In hopes of starting a tradition that Boedeker began last week with his Beasts of the Ryan-Guyer Game, here are my Beasts of Ryan's win over Birdville tonight (although my blog entry won't be longer than War and Peace like every other Boedeker post. BURN!)

First of all, Ryan will play Mansfield Timberview at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at Brewer High School.

3. Scotty Young
The junior quarterback was phenomenal adjusting to the wind. His 42-yard toss to Bud Sasser, which ended in a Sasser fumble and a D.J. Beshears fumble return for a touchdown, may have been the difference in the game as the Hawks couldn't do anything with the wind in their face in the first quarter. Joey Florence told me after the game that the wind wasn't much of a factor in the second half, but Ryan's ability to move the ball in the second quarter was essential.

The Raiders will get the ball with the wind at their backs to start the second half.

Third quarter

11:40
One play and a touchdown. D.J. Beshears took a screen 70 yards to give Ryan a commanding lead.

8:53
Birdville just answered with authority. The Hawks had no trouble moving into the wind, and Clarke Renfro caught a 27-yard touchdown pass to cut Ryan's lead.

7:16
Beshears is coming up huge. He just took a short slant 45 yards for a touchdown. A Birdville defender was waiting for him at the goal. Beshears, the Marion Barber of receivers, literally hit him like a linebacker, stayed on his feet and walked into the end zone. BEAST.

1:18 4Q: Dran Crenshaw just returned an interception 22 yards to paydirt to seal the game.

2:15 4Q: I'm not sure what's going on but the freshman Aune is still in the game and just handed the ball to Frizzell four times to give Argyle a 34-21 lead after he ran for 37 yards and 13 on two straight to cap off the drive that was all his. Hedlund kicked the extra point.

4:07 4Q: OK, it's time for Argyle to panic. Backup QB Jon Mark Abbey just found Tyrell Smith for a 16-yard scoring strike. He's 4-for-4 since taking over and the Wildcats have scored 21 unanswered points, all in teh fourth quarter against the wind.

Yes, the unit is getting a lot of help from a wind that is gusting between 25 and 30 miles per hour, but the Ryan Raider defense is playing better than it has all year.

This is the most physical I've seen them play this year. They are hitting the Hawks in mouth, driving them to the ground on tackles and most importantly, making plays.

Starting with the Richard Ross fumble return on Birdville's first drive, Ryan is getting it down. The Hawks' second drive was ended by a Jake Strickland sack on fourth down. The third drive ended in a four-and-out, and Cooper Jackson nailed Cory Hines to cause a drop on a first down, which ended up being a pretty big play as Josh Dorman threw three straight incompletions to give Ryan the ball back.

Ryan came up with another fumble recovery and another stop before Birdville scored twice in the second quarter.

I'm throwing this on this here blog for Jeff, who loves marching band, really he does.

Argyle is the reigning state champion and is a lot bigger than Paris' band. The announcer is setting up their show right now and when he was introducing the Eagles' band he said "It's cold outside, but we're about to turn up the heat! Some say it's like taking a bath in chocolate..."

What??!? Does someone want to explain that to me?

Liberty Christian has defeated Parish Episcopal 41-26.

Aledo has defeated Lake Dallas 31-14.

Here comes the shootout. Birdville will get the ball first.

First quarter

8:07
Birdville was deep in Ryan territory when running back Jacob Grayson fumbled. Richard Ross, the biggest boss thus far, returned it to the Birdville 1-yard line, where Jay Catlin punched it in. The wind blew the snap on the extra point, which failed.

4:57
Jake Strickland came up with a huge sack on fourth down as Birdville didn't want to punt into the wind, which is shifting. Ryan has the ball on the Birdville 24.

4:10
Jay Catlin has his second touchdown of the night, this time a 22-yarder on a draw. Scotty Young has yet to throw a pass.

0:00 2Q: The Paris offense, which came in looking pretty stout judging by stats and the size of their skill players, has been held to nothing. Argyle's defensive front is dominating, led by David Johnson, who has 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a tackle for-loss.

7:19 2Q: The wind didn't affect Argyle, just as I suspected. Just call me a soothsayer. Hedlund even had an 11-yard pass to Brady Brown down to the Paris 2 before Kyle Frizzell punched it in.

We're starting the second quarter here and now Argyle will be facing the wind. I don't think it will matter much with Argyle's running game though, which Paris hasn't shown to have yet.

This may be the biggest game for the Raiders since they were in Class 5A battling Southlake Carroll on national television.

Losing breeds losing, and while Ryan's not exactly a "losing team," four straight first-round playoff exits and a senior class not winning a playoff game can have a very negative affect on a program.

That's why Joey Florence wasn't too eaten up over the loss to Guyer last week. He knows this is the one that matters, and it matters a lot of the future of the Ryan Raiders.

I just got set up here at Pioneer Stadium. I'm happy to be in the press box and not outside in the cold. It'll be interesting t o see how these two high-flying passing games adjust to the wind, which is blowing perpendicular to the end zones.

By the end of the night, we're supposed to see 40 degrees and the wind is whipping right now here at Little Elm Athletic Complex where Paris and Argyle about to go at it for the Class 3A Division II Region II bi-district championship.

The flags here look like they're about to be blown off of their staffs and the wind is swirling like crazy. It could make for an interesting night for both teams when it comes to passing the ball. As far as having the wind though, I don't think that'll be an issue with the way it's swirling.

There's a famous person sighting on the field, as former record-breaking quarterback JJ Harp is in the house. Before the Argyle players made their way out, he was out there tossing the ball around with his dad, Argyle offensive coordinator Jeff Harp.

JJ is now at Eastern New Mexico, where he ended up winning the starting job this year as a true freshman. He's still the greatest high school quarterback I've ever seen on a week-to-week basis. He was a fun one to watch.

I just took a quick peek at the box score from last night's Arlington Seguin-Fort Worth Arlington Heights game, which Seguin won to get Guyer on Friday night.

One thing jumped out at me about the Cougars. They rushed for 264 yards and threw for 94, on and they're 5-6 and in a below average district.

I have some news for Seguin, you won't be able to run for 264 yards on Guyer's defense. The Wildcats have proven all year they can stop the run (except for that Ryan game against a great RB). I get the feeling Robert Owoyele is no Jay Catlin. Teams that have had success against Guyer this year have thrown the ball on them. Seguin can't do that, and should propel Guyer into the third round, likely to face Abilene Cooper, likely at Texas Stadium. Take that to your bookies.

The Wildcats will play Arlington Seguin (5-6) in the area round of the Class 4A Division I Region I (that's a mouthful) playoffs next week.

The game is set for the same bat time, same bat channel as last night. Well, actually it's on Friday but it's at Southlake's Dragon Stadium again and will have another 7:30 p.m. kickoff. I miss those 7 p.m. kicks, personally.

Guyer will again be the visitor. There is a very small chance the game could get moved if Southlake Carroll ends up having to play Friday night, but their coaches told Guyer coach John Walsh that they won't do that if it's up to them. Also, the Dragons might have some trouble advancing seeing as how they drew Colleyville Heritage this weekend. It's 99.9 percent set for Friday, 7:30 p.m. at Dragon Stadium.

Boy, this is one of those games that you just look up at the scoreboard, see you won the game, and move on.

The Wildcats played the worst half of football this season in the first half (John Walsh's words, not mine, though I agree) and managed to trail just 10-7 thanks to five straight three-and-outs in the first half from Guyer's defense.

The Wildcats' rushing attack was much better in the second half, as Jaimaine Wilhite had 20 yards at halftime and finished with 138. Perhaps the biggest play of the game came on Guyer's final scoring drive on 3rd-4 when J.W. Walsh found 6-3, 265-pound tight end Cole Underwood for an 18-yard gain to extend Guyer's drive, prevent a three-and-out and eat up three more minutes off the clock to give Boswell the ball with less than 90 seconds to play needing eight points to tie.

Underwood had one reception for 3 yards entering the game as he's normally a blocking tight end and gives way to Austin Otto in passing situations.

0:00 4Q: Gregory just threw up a prayer and it was picked off by Marquis Smith at the Guyer 12. Game over, Wildcats advance. That was a nailbiter to the umpth degree.

0:23 4Q: Boswell just hit a 32-yard touchdown pass down the middle of the field but it was called back because of a false start.

0:33 4Q: 3rd-2 for Boswell at the Guyer 42. And they get the first and get out of bounds at the 32.

I have to admit, this game has not taken on the shape that I thought it would. I thought it'd be a pretty high-scoring game with two powerful offenses going out, but instead it's been the defenses that have taken control.

Guyer has hurt itself mightily with two fumbles, including one at the Boswell half-yard line going in for a score. The Wildcats have also committed five penalties for 35 yards.

Boswell's defense has been impressive up front, stopping Guyer's hulking O-line and containing the Wildcats' rushing attack which has averaged 402 yards per game over the last three.

0:02 2Q: Guyer just can't get anything going offensively after the first two offensive plays of the night that were big runs from Walsh. Boswell has the ball now at the 16 and should run the clock out. Now I'm off to get my radio swerve on.

1:15 2Q: Guyer's defense finally broke as Gregory rolled out to buy time and found Mavroulis wide open 15 yards behind Guyer's defense for a 56-yard touchdown. Guyer's playing about as badly as it could be offensively right now and still trails just 10-7. They've got to be pretty comfortable with that considering.

2:01 2Q: And here's another Guyer three-and-out. Boswell now has the ball at its 21 after a 40-yard punt.

Especially for a team that has never been there. I was down on the field with my pregame chat buddy, Guyer soccer coach Cody Schroeder, and he was saying he loves the playoffs (as in the soccer variety), but there's something even more special about playoff football.

I have to agree. Coach John Walsh told me the jitters are there. If Guyer can get rid of those jitters quickly, the Wildcats should be OK in this game. With a sophomore QB with four varsity games under his belt. But J.W. Walsh isn't a typical sophomore QB. I'm sure the jitters will be there, but I think he'll shake them pretty quickly.

My photographer, yes, my photographer, Gary Payne and I went to Kincaid's Hamburgers for dinner and had a real nice bacon cheeseburger and fries.

Now I'm sitting in the press box here at Dragon Stadium, home of the Southlake Carroll juggernaut that some folks in Denton might know something about. Just sayin'.

I've been here once before for a Carroll-Plano East game back in 2005. Carroll dominated.

Assistant sports editor Trevor Williams and staff writer Adam Boedeker talk Guyer football and basketball.

Nov. 12 Guyer podcast

Assistant sports editor Trevor Williams and staff writer Jeff Andrews talk Ryan football and basketball.

Nov. 12 Ryan podcast

I decided to take a look at some numbers because I'm a numbers geek and break down Guyer's three games since the return of sophomore quarterback J.W. Walsh from an elbow injury that forced him to miss six games.

I'm not taking anything away from backup QB Marquis Smith, I promise. What he did was more than admirable as he stepped in for Walsh after the season-opening win over Newman Smith from his cornerback position and led Guyer to a 4-2 record in his six starts.

But since Walsh came back in a limited role against Little Elm and Wichita Falls, and an every-down player in Friday's win over Ryan, Walsh has led the Wildcats' offense to new heights, and it seems to be peaking at just the right time -- tonight's playoff opener against Saginaw Boswell at 7:30 p.m. in Southlake.

Follow the jump for a game-by-game breakdown, and go see "Role Models", it's funny.

Some lady calls up here at the DR-C pretty regularly. She complains that the problem with Denton's football team isn't numbers, it's a coaching staff, led by Randy Patzkowski, that drives players away. "The halls of DHS are filled with great football players," she says.

Almost all of Denton's sports teams are suffering from numbers problems, so by this lady's logic, all the coaches at DHS are driving great athletes off the field.

Are you telling me no soccer players want to play for Sid Khoury? Khoury is one of the most likable coaches I've met in Denton. His life is an amazing story. He's touched the lives of many soccer players in Denton and I don't think I've ever heard anyone say a bad word about him.

How about girls basketball coach Dennis Krishka? I think he may be the best basketball coach in Denton. He's coached in college and has skins on the wall to rival Joey Florence. Are you telling me that he's responsible for a freshman class that had four, count 'em -- four, players last year?

So things didn't go as planned against Guyer on Friday, but what was ultimately lost in that game?

Obviously Ryan's pride is hurt from losing to an in-town rival. But from a more concrete standpoint, Ryan is basically going to face Birdville instead of Saginaw Boswell because of the loss. That's it.

Well, Birdville is a little better team than Boswell, but Ryan's side of the bracket doesn't look that much different than Guyer's. And let's face it: Ryan has a big target on its back every week because they are the Ryan Raiders. Everybody wants a piece of them, especially an up-and-coming team like Guyer.

I'd be willing to bet Guyer wanted that game more than Ryan did. A win over Guyer to Ryan is simply that: a win over Guyer. To Guyer, the win is further proof that the Wildcats have arrived as serious contenders. The game that really matters to Ryan is the one coming on Friday.

The regular season is over. The playoff are upon us. The boys who fell short have to wait until next year. Those who made the cut get ready to perform on the biggest stage in high school sports. Here's how the final week went in the area.

Little Elm 39, Denton 36
Excellent finish for the Broncos despite the loss. Denton showed a lot of resilence to climb back in this game. This wraps up a simply brutal year for the Broncos, but the good news is there's no where to go but up. Denton's subvarsity teams have rebounded numbers-wise, so a return to competitive play is hopefully in the cards for our friends on Fulton.

Guyer 42, Ryan 28
We've pretty much beaten this game to death on, as Tim MacMahon would say, this here blog, so let's talk about the future. How will these two teams be in the years to come? I'm going to say great. Ryan will take a hit on the offensive line, but the Raiders have a ton of defensive studs coming up. Next year should see a more balanced Ryan team. Guyer will also lose talent on the offensive line, and some more in the defensive front seven, but the future is bright for the Wildcats as well with J.W. Walsh and Jaimaine Wilhite returning.

The Colony 34, Lake Dallas 33
The Falcons seem to have dropped off a bit since the tough part of their scheduled ended a few weeks ago. The Colony is a good team, but Lake Dallas should not have lost this game. This was the last game of the year for the Cougars, and it didn't mean anything as far as playoffs for Lake Dallas, so I'm sure the Falcons were checked out. Next up, state-ranked Aledo.

First of all, Ryan is playing Birdville at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Saginaw Boswell High School, although I'm sure they're not thrilled about it.

This is another really tough draw for the Raiders in the first round after two years of Keller Fossil Ridge. The good news is they aren't locked into that draw like they were with Fossil Ridge, so next year, they may get Saginaw, like they should have this year.

Just a quick note: Scotty Young isn't entirely responsible for the passing game's off night against Guyer. There were numerous drops. D.J. Beshears, who had two receptions for seven yards, dropped a ball that likely would have gone for a 96-yard touchdown. James Johnson dropped a big one, too.

I don't have a reason why the passing game was off. It just seemed like one of those nights where they couldn't get out of their own way. I'm confident that Ryan will rebound.

No. 5 John Walsh Look, this is no knock on Joey Florence, who's probably one of the most respected coaches in the state amongst his peers, and has clearly had more than his share of success on the field, but I watched the inexperienced Guyer coach (relatively speaking) outcoach Florence on Friday. At first, it looked spotty as Guyer started off running some cutesy plays that I just don't understand a lot of the times, except for when they work -- funny how that works, huh? But credit Walsh because he got away from that after he saw what his power and option running games were doing to Ryan's defense and stuck with it. Also, he called a perfectly timed, perfectly executed fake punt in the third quarter by Kamrhan Jones, and Guyer took a 27-21 lead. Then there was Florence's call to go for it on 4th-and-4 at his own 33, down one score. I get his logic -- Ryan's offense is really good, and Ryan's defense hadn't stopped Guyer all night, but I questioned the play selection -- a throw 15-20 yards down the middle of the field. Why not run a draw to Catlin? Or a slip or jailbreak screen to Beshears -- both of which had worked well early in the game? Florence knew he made a mistake, and took blame for it after the game, but I definitely understood his logic in going for it.

At one point in this season, it appeared Ryan and Lake Dallas might have to the two best teams in a very tough District 5-4A, especially after Wichita Falls Rider was decimated by injuries to some key folks.

What a difference a few weeks can make. The Falcons looked very lackluster in a 30-point win over Denton. Granted, the starters didn't even play a half, but when they were in it didn't look like Lake Dallas from earlier in the year. Then there's last night's loss to The Colony? I know the game meant nothing, but it's a rivalry game from the "oh so tough" old District 9-4A, so I was a bit surprised to see The Colony come out on top, especially at Falcon Stadium.

Then there's Ryan's 42-28 loss to Guyer last night. The Wildcats looked like a very vulnerable team a few weeks back after Lake Dallas rolled them. Then, Little Elm threw for nearly 500 yards against Guyer in a Wildcat blowout. But since then, the Guyer secondary has looked better against Wichita Falls and Ryan last night.

I'll bold my very preliminary picks...

Class 4A Region I
Division I
Ryan (7-3) vs. Birdville (7-3), 7:30 p.m. Friday at Saginaw Boswell
Guyer (8-2) vs. Saginaw Boswell (5-5), 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Southlake Carroll
Division II
Lake Dallas (7-3) vs. Aledo (10-0), 7:30 p.m. Friday at Justin Northwest

Class 3A Region II
Division II
Argyle (6-4) vs. Paris (6-4), 7:30 p.m. Friday at Little Elm

Class 2A Region II
Division I
Pilot Point (8-1) vs. Boyd (5-5), 7 p.m. Thursday at Justin Northwest

TAPPS Division II
Dallas Parish Episcopal (8-2) at Liberty Christian (7-3), 7:30 p.m.

DISTRICT 5-4A STANDINGS
District Overall
W-L W-L PF PA
y-Wichita Falls Rider 7-0 7-3 299 183
x-Lake Dallas 5-2 7-3 402 285
x-Guyer 5-2 8-2 360 236
x-Ryan 4-3 7-3 509 321
The Colony 4-3 7-3 316 253
Wichita Falls 2-5 3-7 261 345
Little Elm 1-6 1-9 175 448
Denton 0-7 0-10 140 479
x -- clinched playoff berth
y -- clinched district title

FRIDAY, NOV. 7
Wichita Falls Rider 17, Wichita Falls 0
Little Elm 39, Denton 36
Guyer 42, Ryan 28
The Colony 34, Lake Dallas 33

Here are a few stats I believe are indicative of Ryan's loss to Guyer tonight:

Time of possession in the second half: Guyer 18:45, Ryan 6:15.

Play selection: Guyer, 66 rush, 8 pass; Ryan, 12 rush, 34 pass.

Scotty Young: 13-for-34, 228 yards, four touchdowns, two interceptions.

Ryan's passing game was obviously off. I don't know how much of that was Guyer or just the timing being off, but what's carried the Raiders all year didn't come through tonight. Running back Jay Catlin managed to gain 133 yards on just 12 carries. Given Guyer's ability to control the ball, I don't know why he wasn't included in the game plan more.

First off, J.W. Walsh is fine. He just had leg cramps. It wasn't nearly as serious as it looked. Second, with Springtown's mild upset of Saginaw, the Wildcats will play Boswell in the bi-district round of the Division I playoffs on Thursday night at Southlake Carroll at a time to be determined, either 7 or 7:30 p.m.

The Pioneers are a heavy passing team, and after talking to some Birdville scouts here tonight, they said Boswell will score some points, but Guyer should "stomp" the Pioneers. Apparently they have no defense to speak of, and the Wildcats should be able to run the ball at will.

Another interesting note from the Birdville scouts, these were one of the guy's exact words: "To be honest, I thought we'd be here to scout Guyer. In fact, we did scout Guyer. We didn't even scout Ryan."

That could be bad news for the Hawks. They'll have film, but that assumption that Ryan would win the game could cost them dearly.

After a hard-fought game and the first win for Guyer in this series, dubbed the "Crosstown Showdown", there was a nice scene at midfield after the game.

The teams gathered in a big circle with Guyer sophomore QB, and Guyer coach John Walsh's son, J.W., in the middle of the circle. The sophomore led a heartfelt prayer for both teams to keep both teams safe from injury and wishing good luck to both teams in the postseason. It was nice to see after there was some signs of chippiness late in the game that the two teams could put all that behind them and come together. And it was something John Walsh and Ryan coach Joey Florence talked about before the game.

0:00 4Q: Guyer kneeled the ball twice at the Ryan 1 to end the game, showing some class. It could've been even worse on the scoreboard.

2:50 4Q: Third-and-5 for Guyer at the Ryan 19, and I'm heading down to the field. Guyer has 330 yards rushing on the night.

4:59 4Q: This win for Guyer might've just taken a bad turn as J.W. Walsh just limped very gingerly off the field with Guyer just trying to kill clock. Marquis Smith is seeing his first action at QB tonight, and Guyer has 3rd-6 from the Ryan 30.

Springtown is beating Saginaw 35-7, which is unexpected. If Springtown holds on, they'll go Division II and knock Birdville up to Division I with Saginaw Boswell. The winner of this game would get Boswell, and the loser will get Birdville. Birdville has the second leading 4A passer in the DF dub behind Young. If Guyer ends up winning this game, Ryan-Birdville might last five hours.

This game just became more important because Birdville is pretty good -- much better than Saginaw and Boswell. The Hawks' two losses this year are to Richland and Arlington Heights. They slaughtered Saginaw, Boswell and Springtown.

What a first half we've had here at Collins. Ryan's Scotty Young is 9-for-21 with three touchdowns and a pick. He has 51 on the season now, three shy of Graham Harrell's number through 10 games in 2003 when he went on to win a state title and set the state record for 67 in a season.

Guyer is playing the exact type of game it would want, except for the fact that the Wildcats are shooting themselves in the foot. They've missed two extra points, a rarity for Guyer, which is the difference in the score right now. They also had a key recovery of a mysterious muffed punt by Ryan's D.J. Beshears at the Ryan 30. On the first play, they had a bobbled snap that Peyton Whitlock into Guyer territory to give Ryan a Young touchdown. That's a 14-point swing right there, possibly.

Guyer gets the ball to start the second half and could really use a touchdown. If they just keep up with the straightahead running, I think they'll do that.

On a side note, Sherman leads Denison 10-9 at the half! A defensive stalemate between two teams with no defense!

Celina has beat Argyle by a score of 35-13.

The Colony has defeated Lake Dallas 34-33.

Little Elm has defeated Denton 39-36.

END HALF: Sam Alspach's 51-yard field goal attempt fell short and was returned by Peyton Whitlock to the Ryan 20 to end the half. This is a barnburner. The game plan is playing out in Guyer's favor with the way the clock is being controlled by the Wildcats' offense. I'm going to go join Jeff in the radio booth since Ryan's leading he gets to be on. I'm just going to sit and there and watch him and make him nervous.

0:22 2Q: Guyer just called its final timeout of the half with the ball at the Ryan 45. The Wildcats let about 25 second go off the clock, lined up and then called a timeout. Not sure what took them so long but they need about 20 more yards to get in Alspach's field goal range.

1:54 2Q: Guyer has the ball at its 26 after a nice punt from Scotty Young. I'd look for Guyer to keep the ball on the ground and not take too many chances since it is getting the ball back in the second half.

I talked with both Guyer coach John Walsh and Ryan coach Joey Florence, who were chatting it up at midfield. I asked for their predictions on the Axe game. They both said "lots of rushing and lots of points," and agreed with me that James and Jones are two of the best RBs in Texas.

I wanted to get down and stand behind Scotty Young during warmups to see if he's worthy of being a Red Raider quarterback (kidding) and he definitely passed my eyeball test. I saw him throw his last pass -- about a 40-yard deep fly route to the back left corner of the end zone. He was so confident in it he started walking in before the ball even reached its peak. Of course, it was a perfectly placed pass.

Guyer is at full strength with OLBs Blake Terry and Ravion Ingram going through full warmups. Ryan OT Garrett Gramling is in jeans.

This oughta be a good one folks. Nine minutes and counting.

As I said this morning, tonight you get a special treat. Assuming my Verizon internet card doesn't crap out, I'll be blogging an extra amount of awesomeness tonight while my esteemed colleague, Jeff Andrews, does everything else. That's right, our boss likes me more.

If you want my basic thoughts on tonight's game, check out my post from this morning.

My score prediction? If everything goes the way I said in Guyer's favor, which I think very well could happen, I'm going with Guyer 37, Ryan 31.

Jeff's prediction? Ryan 34, Guyer 27.

Tonight's matchup at C.H. Collins is so big, well, you'll get a double dose of DR-C greatness as both myself and Jeff will be at the game. I'll be blogging up a storm, so be sure and refresh often.

This game is tough to read for many reasons. The game means nothing as far as playoff implications. The seeding is important, but there are some players who may not play due to injury who likely would play if the game was important -- Ryan OT Garrett Gramling, Guyer DT Spencer Wilson and OLBs Ravion Ingram and Blake Terry, just to name a few. My understanding is that Gramling is definitely out.

If one team has more to play for tonight, I'd say it's Guyer just because the Wildcats have never given Ryan a game, which will likely change tonight as both teams come in 7-2 and 4-2 in district play.

Set 4
It's over. Guyer loses in four in a pretty big upset, I'd say.

Timeout Guyer and they now trail 23-19. This is pretty intense as Guyer has made a plenty respectable rally, but it might be too late for that. We'll see.

I'm here at Keller Central a little late thanks to some ridiculous traffic and a prematch stop at Wing Stop.

Tonight's match pits Guyer (27-15) against Seguin (28-15), a first-time playoff team which finished second in 8-4A behind Aledo.

Again, like on Tuesday, this is a match that Guyer should probably sweep, but it depends on which team shows up. If it's the one that showed up Tuesday, the Lady Wildcats could be in some trouble. They'll need to play a lot more soundly and go after open spots on the floor and not just winding up and trying to send the ball six inches into the ground.

Here's the latest podcasts on Ryan and Guyer put together by Assistant to the Sports Editor (I'm sorry, Assistant Sports Editor) Trevor Williams, myself, and Guyer beat writer Adam Boedeker.

Enjoy!

Ryan podcast

Guyer podcast

So far, things have unfolded as I have foreseen, just like the Emperor in Return of the Jedi up until Darth Vader turned on him. Hopefully I can hold off Darth Vader, also known as Boedeker, for one more week.

Ryan has clinched a playoff berth and can feasibly play Saginaw, Birdville or Fort Worth Boswell. The games that matter for Ryan and Guyer are obviously their head-to-head game on Friday, and Saginaw's game with Springtown.

Ryan will play Saginaw with a win over Guyer and a Saginaw win over Springtown. Ryan will play Boswell with a loss to Guyer or a win over Guyer and Springtown win over Saginaw. Ryan will play Birdville with a loss to Guyer and a Springtown win over Saginaw.

The situation is pretty much the same for Guyer. A win over Ryan and a Saginaw win pits the Wildcats against Saginaw. Guyer will play Boswell with a loss to Ryan and a Saginaw win or a win over Ryan and a Springtown win. Guyer will play Birdville with a loss to Ryan and a Springtown win.

The Ryan Lady Raiders were bounced from the playoffs last night by Birdville in possibly the most agonizing way.

Ryan went up 2-0 after stealing the first set and dominating the second. The Lady Raiders were up 20-18 in the third set and had it tied at 21, but were shut down by two kills Sydni Levy.

The story was the same in the fourth and fifth sets. In the fourth, Ryan led 19-18 and had it tied at 21 again. Two kills by Levy ended. In the fifth, Ryan had it tied at nine but couldn't find another kill.

Ouch. Three sets were tied late and the Lady Raiders couldn't find the offense. To Ryan's credit, Levy really found her game late and was as hard a hitter as you'll see in high school. It's easy to say Ryan couldn't get it done, but Ryan really played well. Birdville just was a step ahead late in the last three sets.

The Lady Wildcats swept Saginaw tonight to move into the area round of the playoffs, where they'll face Arlington Seguin on Thursday night at Keller Central at 7 p.m.

Tonight wasn't the prettiest win for Guyer, and head coach Jennifer Bramlett made it clear at times, but the fact that they can play a sloppy match for quite a while and still come out with a sweep speaks pretty well of the Lady Wildcats.

Alyssa Hanley was huge tonight with 12 kills and six aces. Her jump serve is incredible, and it was on tonight. Bramlett told me she didn't think Saginaw's district prepared them for such aggressive serving and after watching, that was pretty clear.

Set 3
Guyer wins the third set 25-14, and the match 3-0 and will advance to the area round. More to come later.

Timeout Saginaw: Guyer now leads 22-12 with two kills from Kailey McEntire and a kill and yet another ace from jumpserve machine Alyssa Hanley. I tell you what, I would like a crack at one of her serves just to see how stupid I could look.

Timeout Saginaw: Guyer leads 10-6 behind a kill and an ace from Hanley. Arledge is serving right now and has two straight unreturned serves. They were hit three times, so technically they'rre not aces but the first pass was terrible on both.

I'm here at Carrollton Newman Smith just about 15 minutes away from the start of another postseason run for the Lady Wildcats. After winning District 5-4A, they get a champ's draw with the fourth-place Saginaw Rough Riders out of 6-4A. Saginaw came out on the right end of a three-way playoff for fourth between Saginaw, Boswell and Azle.

The Lady Wildcats (26-15) outmatch Saginaw talent-wise, led by returning all-state setter/hitter Kaylee Fifer to mention just one in the interest of being brief.

Saginaw is making its first-ever playoff apperance, which in itself means nothing considering Guyer made its first postseason appearance last year and finished in the regional semifinals.

And we're off! Should be a good one. Keep me updated on election results.

Game 1

10-8, Birdville
Ryan went up 8-5, but three straight errors have the Lady Hawks in the lead.

19-17, Birdville
Things looked bleak for the Lady Raiders down 17-10, but three straight Lady Hawk errors have Ryan back in it.

25-23, Ryan
Nice finish for the Lady Raiders. Down 23-20, Kayla Bond had three kills and Maddy Taylor had an ace to steal one from Birdville.

Game 2

7-1, Ryan
Birdville looks a little rattled after the Game 1 loss. Four errors contribute to the deficit.

Ryan is about 10 minutes away from beginning another playoff run here at Saginaw High School. The Lady Raiders open with Birdville, but Dentonites know what is looming for Ryan -- Guyer.

Ryan should make through Birdville tonight, provided Kayla Bond is healthy enough to put a dent in the Lady Hawks' quick offense. The area around may pit an even lighter opponent for Ryan.

After that, it's likely Guyer. I for one am predicting a sixth meeting between the two rivals.

Scotty Young has received his first big-time scholarship offer this week. The Texas Tech Red Raiders made an offer, but the quarterback is keeping his options open -- at least for now.

Texas Tech's stove couldn't be hotter after its win over Texas on Saturday. That may or may not play into Scotty's decision. Earlier this year, he told me he planned on playing through his junior year before making a decision. Young is also potentially a big-time baseball recruit.

Personally, I think Tech would be a good fit for Young. He runs a wide-open offense at Ryan behind a big offensive line, similar to the situation Ennis' Graham Harrell has in Lubbock.

What do you guys think?

Well, we have three playoff games tomorrow, all of which should be pretty easy wins for our area teams.

Guyer, the 5-4A champ, will play Saginaw at 7 p.m. at Carrollton Newman Smith, Ryan will play Birdville at Saginaw at 6:30 p.m. and Argyle will play Paris North Lamar, formerly 4A, in Sherman at 7 p.m.

I plan to blog from the Guyer match, so if you're unable to make it, follow the action here. This is of course barring any problems with having a place to hook up my computer at Newman Smith. Unfortunately, you never know what to expect in that regard at volleyball/basketball matches, it's not like going to a football stadium.

With the way Ryan is playing offense this year, the Raider defense doesn't need to be the '85 Bears. "Bend, don't break" is the philosophy for Ryan, and it worked against The Colony on Friday.

After the Raiders went down 10-0 in the first quarter, Ryan closed the first half by forcing a Cougar punt, a turnover on downs and then pulled down consecutive interceptions, one by Antonio Anderson, the other by Peyton Whitlock. Ryan was up 21-10 at halftime.

If the Raiders can get consecutive stops like that, they will win a handful of playoff games. Even when Ryan "struggles" on offense, it's as dynamic as any offense in the state. Remember the objective is to get a win, and if possible, to win handily. Giving up 24 points and 360 rushing yards ultimately doesn't matter if you win by three scores, which is what Ryan has been doing all year.

It's put up or shut up time in high school football, and Week 9 saw numerous teams do both. Ryan and Guyer joined the postseason fray with wins, and our friends from Sanger bowed out after a commendable loss.

Lake Dallas 50, Denton 20
With the win, the Falcons clinch the No. 2 seed in Division II and will face the winner between Aledo and Birdville on Friday. As for Denton, this season couldn't end fast enough. Facing winless Little Elm in the last game of the season could be a blessing or a curse. On one hand, you got a chance to win the last game of the year. On the other, a loss to a winless team would crush whatever confidence the Broncos have left.

Ryan 42, The Colony 24
The Raider offense sputtered to start the game but still raced passed a playoff-caliber team in convincing fashion. This bodes well for Ryan's hopes for a playoff run. Ryan has responded well to adversity all year. The Raiders kept pace in a shootout against McKinney. They rebounded from a terrible start against Rider. They performed well in a very tight game against Lake Dallas despite losing. Is Ryan's first playoff win since 2004 looming?

Guyer 50, Wichita Falls 14
I knew Guyer would eventually be a good football team. Did I know it was going to happen this fast? No. That's a credit to not only the Wildcat players, but their coaches. To go into a new school with no tradition and install a system that the kids buy into is tough. John Walsh and his staff have done so with stunning results. Now Guyer has a chance to cement itself as the best team in DISD when it faces Ryan on Friday.

Texas Tech 48, Texas 43. Book it.

OK, so it was 39-33.

Suck it, Horns.