Blitz Rewind: Badgers turn tide in mostly forgettable decade Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 10 2009 05:08 By Nick Talbot
Killeen Daily Herald

For the last nine seasons, nothing seemed to go right for Lampasas.

From 2003-05 the Badgers started at least 5-0 only to lose four or more games in district play and finish well out of the playoff race.

The last two seasons, with a loaded nondistrict schedule, the Badgers did not win a single game and went 0-20. There were close games – a 20-17 loss to Gatesville in 2007 – and complete blowouts, 57-0 to Lake Travis in 2008.

In 2009, the tide seems to be turning for the Badgers. And streaks are starting to get broken.

True, there have been heartbreaks, including a 49-48 loss to the Hornets and a 7-6 loss to Rockdale, but there have finally been more positives than negatives.

First Lampasas defeated Manor in its season opener to break the 20-game losing streak.

Then after falling to Lake Travis 38-7 in a game that was closer than the score indicated, Lampasas has come alive. The Badgers (4-6) won three of their last four (wins over Dripping Springs, Marble Falls and Hutto) and have made the playoffs for the first time since 2000.

That season they were beaten in round 1. They have not won a playoff game since 1998 when they defeated Austin Reagan 14-7.

If they are to break that streak as well, they will have to defeat Austin McCallum (7-2) on Friday at Georgetown's Birkelbach Stadium.

McCallum won District 26-4A, after winning its last seven games of the season.

High-rolling Hornets

The Gatesville Hornets rolled the dice once this season and it got them into the postseason for the first time since 2002.

They rolled the dice again Friday, but came up short. The risk-reward for their gamble was just falling into third place in District 7-3A, a place they'll take since they have at least one more game to play.

Gatesville and China Spring were tied 35-35 going into overtime. The Cougars scored first on a Bryan Bell 25-yard run and ensuing extra-point kick.

The Hornets scored on their possession as Jake Truss threw his fourth touchdown pass, a 16-yarder to Christian Santulan. Gatesville went for two, but Truss' pass fell incomplete.

A week before, Gatesville ran a trick play out of the victory formation and got a touchdown and two-point conversion to beat West by the 10 points the Hornets needed to clinch a playoff spot.

Buffs gaining ground

The record was only slightly better – 2-8 vs. 1-9.

However, Florence scored 240 points this season (24.0 per game), a huge uptick from 2008 when the Buffaloes only managed 102 and were blown out in almost every game.

Even better news?

They will get several of their skill-position players back for one more season. Returning next year are quarterback Doak Hensley, running back Michael Ramirez and wide receivers Daniel Taylor, Emilio Ramirez and Balentin Carranco.

The biggest challenge for the Buffaloes may be replacing an experienced offensive line, Garrett Daniels, Christian Bohannon and Cody Kyle were all key senior starters on the line.

Staying at the nest

Although the season ended on a low note, with Salado getting blown out by Rogers 42-14 on Friday for its seventh loss of the season, the Eagles have what appears to be a bright future with several key contributors coming back for at least one more season.

Among those is Salado sophomore Austin Silva, who rushed for 778

yards and seven touchdowns for the Eagles.

With his showing in his first varsity season, Silva will be District 25-2A's top-returning rusher. Also returning for Salado will be junior quarterback Cole Brentham, who finished as the district's No. 2 passer behind Florence junior Doak Hensley with 1,038 yards on 86-of-158 passing and a 3-to-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio, as well as junior tailback Cole Calder, who also added more than 400 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

Startling turnaround

From 2004-08 the Belton Tigers were 10-40.

Last season they were 3-7, but one of those wins was due to a forfeit.

This season, they are 9-1 and are now co-district 12-5A champs along with Copperas Cove. Belton clinched a share of the title when it defeated Bryan 34-14 on Friday.

Part of that credit goes to junior phenom quarterback David Ash, who has thrown for 1,343 yards and 19 touchdowns.

But, more impressive is what they did when he was injured. Belton went 2-1 without Ash, including a win over co-district champion A&M Consolidated, and kept itself in the district race.

Ash again went out in the third quarter Friday, but Belton kept on coming, with backup Jonathan Paysse throwing a 42-yard TD pass to Seth Alcozar.

Tracking numbers

59 – The yards in Brandon Abbott's touchdown reception from Lampasas quarterback Vann Millican in the Badgers win over Hutto. Millican had only thrown for 42 yards on the season entering the game.

32 – The number of turnovers for Florence this season. The next closest of any team in the district was Jarrell, which had 24.

469 – The total yards racked up by Belton in its win over Bryan on Friday. The Tigers had 261 through the air and 208 on the ground.

3 – The number of winning seasons Gatesville has had since its last playoff appearance in 2002. The Hornets went 7-3 in 2003 and and 6-4 in 2006.

Fast forward

FRIDAY

Lampasas vs. Austin McCallum (7:30 p.m., at Georgetown) – McCallum went undefeated in District 26-4A play, but its foes were a woeful 16-32 overall and only 7-17 outside of district play. The two teams did share a common opponent – Dripping Springs. The Badgers defeated the Tigers 42-21 and The Knights blew out the Tigers 41-14.

Belton vs. Mesquite Horn (7:30 p.m. at Mansfield) – Mesquite Horn (6-4) is led by quarterback Emory Miller, who threw for 2,389 yards and 21 touchdowns and also led the team in rushing with 685 yards and 11 scores. Belton, which owned the top defense in 12-5A, will have to shut down Miller if the Tigers look to continue their outstanding 2009 campaign.

Gatesville vs. Burnet (7:30 p.m. at Bulldawg Stadium) – Gatesville (7-3) is in the playoffs for the first time since 2002 and faces a postseason regular in Burnet (7-2).

The Bulldogs are in the playoffs for the fourth straight season and are looking to get out of the first round for the first time since 2003, when they went to the state title game behind Jordan Shipley and Stephen McGee.

Angel Verdejo and Alex Byington contributed to this report.