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Coaches wanting to defend the spread should check out Richardson Berkner. I've seen Berkner play twice this season. In those games against spread offenses, it has allowed a total of seven points.
First, there was a shutout of South Grand Prairie on zero week. Friday night, DeSoto could manage just a touchdown. In between, North Crowley scored six points. That's 13 points allowed in three games. It has played 10 shutout quarters out of a possible 12.
What stands out is the way Berkner defenders (1) don't stay blocked very long and (2) the way they tackle. Opponents with the ball go down falling backward, not forward. For instance, 15 of DeSoto's 35 rushing plays lost yardage in Berkner's 10-7 win.
With the emphasis on scoring a lot of points to win the last few years, it is refreshing to see a team really and truly win with defense.
Trinity was mighty impressive tonight. That was no slouch they were playing in Cedar Hill, and it was at Cedar Hill's house. The 37-14 score was misleading. It could have been oh so much worse, but Trinity subbed a little and hurt itself with a couple of turnovers.
The thing about Trinity is that, yeah, we know they've got bulldozers up front. They can do the power running thing all night. But Denarius McGhee is a very confident, competent quarterback. A little too confident once, when he held on to the ball way too long and took a deep sack.
But what makes this Trinity team really devastating is its speed. It may not be as noticeable because it comes in the form of some big bodies, but Cedar Hill was supposed to be a test for Trinity. Cedar Hill is the finesse team with lots of quickness, Trinity the big, physical team. Yet Trinity stayed with Cedar Hill step for step.
So who is capable of beating Trinity at this point?
Skyline's 35-29 win over Arlington Bowie signified Raiders QB Javia Hall's arrival as an elite area quarterback. Let's hope magnificent Bowie QB Christian Matthews will be back on the field soon.
Hall, a junior, had a phenomenal performance. He completed 17 of 22 passes for 215 yards and four TDs and scrambled for another score.
Hall's poise was just as impressive as his stats. Bowie twice took the lead in the second half. Hall responded by capping one TD drive with a beautiful TD scramble, then hitting Mike Davis for the junior WR's third TD catch of the game to put Skyline ahead for good.
"He's a point guard," Skyline coach Reginald Samples said. "That's what we need. We think we've got players all over the place. We need a guy who can get them the ball and be a leader."
Naaman Forest showed tonight why it should be considered one of the area's elite team. And I'm not saying it because of running back Jonathon Miller, who scored five touchdowns and rushed for 211 yards.
I'm saying it because of the defense. They say defense wins championships. And tonight Naaman Forest's defense was all over QB Luke Halpin and Mesquite.
It had five sacks and allowed 177 yards of total offense. Not only the defensive lineman did its job by pressuring Halpin, but the defensive backs like Terrance Bullitt were there to lay hard hits on the receivers and forced several drops.
Still Naaman Forest's passing game hasn't been tested. We'll see how the team does next week when it visits Plano West.
Crazy finish at Lake Highlands.
Garland kicked a 22-yard field goal with 2:02 left to take a 40-38 lead. But considering the teams combined for more than 1,100 total yards, nothing was certain with Garland's defense.
Lake Highlands drove deep into Garland territory but fired a couple incompletions int he end zone. The Wildcats had a 31-yard field goal attempt to win the game.
The snap was a little low, and the holder dropped the ball. The Wildcats tried to scramble for the first down but couldn't get there. It was Lake Highlands' 10th fumble on the night.
Quarterback Jared Barnett dominated for Garland with more than 400 yards of total offense. He also hand a hand in all five touchdowns, rushing for one and throwing for the rest. The teams had eight plays of more than 40 yards - including four touchdowns.
I wasn't sure how Garland was going to follow up last week's thrilling 23-20 win over Duncanville. But somehow, the Owls beat that tonight.
A good job by both offenses, but a noticeable job in the second half by the Plano defense. Congrats to the Wildcats.
Bowie's offense went kaput when QB Christian Matthews left with a knee injury.
Skyline's offense sputtered for much of the second half, but the Raiders have a couple of budding junior stars in QB Javia Hall and WR Mike Davis. Their third TD connection was the difference in a thriller at UTA's Maverick Stadium.
Offensively, Plano and Hebron are relatively even. Plano's winning this game because of key defensive plays in the second half.
Jake Traylor has an interception and a fumble recovery, and Michael Liu pounced on a Hebron loose ball. Those three turnovers took the fire out of a fired-up Hebron squad.
We have 1:43 left to play. Plano leads Hebron, 41-28.
Plano QB Carson Meger just scored on another 1-yard run with 3:22 left in the fourth quarter, a score that could be the proverbial nail in the coffin.
Plano leads Hebron, 41-28. Plano missed the PAT.
QB Javia Hall hit WR Mike Davis on a fade route for a 9-yard TD.
Hall has completed 17 of 22 passes for 215 yards and four TDs. Davis has seven catches for 131 yards and three TDs.
And Skyline has a 35-29 lead over Arlington Bowie with 3:43 remaining.
Skyline's Corey Nelson blocked an Arlington Bowie punt, scooped it up and rumbled to the 5-yard line.
There's 3:53 to go, and Skyline will take the lead if the Raiders don't royally screw this up.
Speaking of which, false start.
The Hebron Hawks are still alive, thanks to Darius Staten.
The diminuitive running back just ran 27 yards for a Hebron touchdown. Staten (5-6, 177) has been as much a beast as Plano's Rex Burkhead. Staten has 188 rushing yards, compared to Burkhead's 127.
Plano leads Hebron, 35-28, with 5:53 remaining. Expect an exciting finish.
Berkner defense comes up big with three interceptions in fourth quarter. Berkner remains unbeaten at 3-0. DeSoto drops to 1-2.
Arlington Bowie has a 29-28 lead with 7:29 to go despite not having a first down in the second half.
Skyline got conservative on offense -- putting RB James White in the shotgun and trying to play smashmouth -- and paid for it. DE Donovan Vestal forced a fumble on third down, and DB Caleb Carr scooped it up at the 5 and took a couple of steps into the end zone.
And the refs didn't inadvertently blow the whistle on this one.
Two bad snaps deep in their own territory results in a safety, giving Garland two points. Wait, there's defense in this game?!
Trinity looked like the No. 1 team in the state tonight. Very sharp performance.
Arlington Bowie LB Marquis Barnes ripped the ball from a Skyline RB and rumbled 42 yards for a touchdown. Except the refs ruled that he was down, even though he never got touched.
Might have been an inadvertent whistle.
Whatever the case, Bowie coach Kenny Perry appears to be rather perturbed. His team, which is really struggling offensively since QB Christian Matthews' injury, should have just tied the score.
Rex Burkhead just crossed the goal line on a 3-yard run to give Plano a 35-21 lead over Hebron with 11:54 in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats definitely have momentum as the game winds down.
Interception by Berkner's Grant Nakwaasah set up a 41-yard FG by Zach Olen with 3:00 left in the game. With the wind to his back, Olen drills it for Berkner's first lead.
Rex Burkhead has been a force in Plano's latest drive. The Wildcats are on the 3-yard line and preparing to take a two-touchdown lead.
Skyline figured out a way to get its offense going again: Let junior QB Javia Hall do his thing.
Hall threw a pair of pretty deep balls -- for 35 and 34 yards -- and capped the 75-yard drive with an 8-yard scramble, shaking out of a D-lineman's grasp and zig-zagging through the Bowie defense into the end zone.
Hall has completed 14 of 17 passes for 198 yards and three TDs.
Skyline 29, Bowie 22 ... 1:31 3Q.
Cedar Hill stuffed Trinity on two plays inside the one, forcing Trinity to turn the ball over on downs.
It's a minor victory in what looks like a major loss for Cedar Hill, which now must avoid a safety.
Plano just capped a 12-play, 80-yard drive that took up more than five minutes in the third quarter. Carson Meger capped the drive with a 1-yard plunge.
Plano leads Hebron, 28-21, with 3:17 in the third.
One play after Zorn's TD run, Garland responds with a 70-yard touchdown pass from Jared Barnett to Adrian Phillips.
That's four passing plays of more than 50 yards for Garland. Something tells me the madness has just begun.
Skyline probably ought to figure out a way to block Arlington Bowie's Ricky McGraw the next time it punts.
McGraw has gotten a piece of all three Skyline punts. One block set up a touchdown. He tipped the next, but it still went 39 yards. And he just batted one into the end zone, where the ball rolled out of bounds for a Bowie safety. If McGraw didn't get it, Curt Copeland would have.
Bowie 22, Skyline 21 ... 4:33 3Q.
Ricky Zorn rushes up the middle on a quarterback keeper on fourth-and-goal to give the Wildcats a 31-28 lead. There are still six minutes left in the third quarter.
Skyline marched up and down the field in the first half. They suddenly can't get a first down.
Credit Bowie's defense, which is fired up and flying around. Skyline has minus-3 yards on two possessions in the third quarter.
RB Jonathon Miller just scored his fifth touchdown of the day. And you wouldn't believe it, but Miller is having a quiet second half.
Don't expect any Mesquite comebacks. Naaman Forest has the ball with two minutes left.
Garland scores on an 11-yard slant pass from Jared Barnett to Alex Updyke. Key play on the drive: a 56-yard bomb from Barnett to Updyke.
But don't look now - Lake Highlands is driving again.
For the first time all night, Arlington Bowie and Skyline traded possessions without putting any points on the board.
Bowie turned it over on downs after moving to the Skyline 30. Skyline punted after a three-and-out possession.
Skyline 21, Bowie 20 ... 8:02 3Q
Euless Trinity took the opening kick of the second half and drove 86 yards in nine plays - plus a 15-yard facemask penalty. Trinity ran the ball on every play. Tevin Williams got six straight carries, then Damien Hart got the honor of scoring on a seven-yard run.
After an interception, Trinity is driving again. This time Trinity is working on its passing game. After a 26-yard completion, Williams walked in from 4 yards out. There's 5:24 left in the third.
Celina is losing at home by 18 at halftime.
Bill Spinks reports from the game that Daingerfield is beating Celina with big plays. Daingerfield has scored on runs of 40- and 64-yards and returned a fumble 45-yards for another touchdown.
Daingerfield's fourth TD of the first half was a 2-yard score that was set up by a 36-yard run.
The Bobcats' last home loss came on Oct. 16, 1998 against Pilot Point, 24-13.
Daingerfield also snapped Celina's state-record winning streak at 68 games in 2002 when it beat Celina, 21-20, in an 3A-II area round playoff at Garland's Williams Stadium. It was the teams' only previous meeting.
This game was originally scheduled to be played Saturday night at Royse City but concerns over Saturday's weather caused the teams to move to Celina.
Neither team managed a threat in the period. Old fashioned defensive game.
Just thought I would point out for the record that the pressbox here at Cedar Hill moves every once in a while. It feels like the Kyle Field pressbox when the Aggies do there rocking side-to-side thing. Except there aren't 60,000 Aggies here, so it must be the wind. Which really isn't any more comforting.
PLANO
147 total yards (only 3 rushing yards)
7 penalties for 53 yards
Rex Burkhead has an 89-yard kickoff return for a touchdown
HEBRON
261 total yards (Darius Staten has 126 rushing and two TDs and 47 receiving yards)
Garland and Lake Highlands have combined for 650 yards of offense and 23 first downs through the first two quarters of the shootout at Wildcat-Ram Stadium.
The Wildcats took the lead at the end of the first half, driving 60 yards in two minutes. The key play of the drive: Lake Highlands quarterback Ricky Zorn threw a nice pass to Dionte Garrett in the flat.
Garrett made a move to the middle but lost the ball along the way - the Wildcats' fifth fumble of the half. Lake Highlands recovered and scored on the next play, a 10-yard fade from Zorn to Billy Allen in the left corner of the end zone.
I'm anxious to see what these two teams have in store for the second half.
Highland Park 30, Coppell 21 at the half.
The teams have combined to score TDs on the last six possessions.
Highland Park, which was stopped at the Coppell 1 on its opening possession, has 334 total yards. QB Luke Woodley has completed 12 of 20 passes for 221 yards and a TD.
Coppell, which gave up a safety when the punt snap hit the crossbar after its first possession, has 198 total yards. RB Evans Okotcha has rushed for 65 yards and two TDs on eight carries.
My colleague Tim MacMahon spoke earlier about Skyline's poor clock management to end the first half. Let's add Hebron to that list.
Hebron was unable to get a field goal attempt off before the first-half buzzer after having the ball with 17 seconds left to play. The Hawks got 8 yards on a pass from Justin Iwuji to Tyshon Nobles but couldn't get the field-goal unit out in time, blowing a chance to take the lead.
Hebron and Plano are tied, 21-21, and Hebron will get the ball first in the second half. Hebron fans would agree that a three-point lead entering the second half would have been nice.
The only stat you really need to describe this game: Cedar Hill has punted five times. Trinity has yet to punt.
That's why it's 23-7 in favor of Trinity at the half. This has been a dominating performance against a talented Cedar Hill team. Trinity can do it all, mixing a power running game (seven different ballcarriers!) and a precision passing game. Cedar Hill has found a little success running the ball, but its passing game is nowhere near Trinity's level.
The numbers: Trinity has outgained Cedar Hill 255 to 84. Trinity has rushed for 99 and passed for 156. Cedar Hill: 61 rush, 23 pass.
Trinity has 13 first downs to Cedar Hill's 6.
The one stat that favors Cedar Hill: Trinity has been penalized four times for minus-35 yards. Cedar Hill has just one penalty for five yards. Both teams have lost fumbles.
Denton Ryan entered the night averaging 58 points per game. Looks like that'll go up after tonight.
Ryan has a 41-26 lead over McKinney with several minutes left in the second quarter. Jeff Andrews is providing frequent updates on the Denton Record-Chronicle blog.
The first half ended with Skyline trying to line up for a field goal. There was 1:20 on the clock when the Raiders got to the Arlington Bowie 5. Pretty poor clock management.
"You've got to be kidding me!" a scout from another school is saying over and over again in the Maverick Stadium press box.
Skyline 21, Bowie 20 at the half.
Hebron had avoided kicking to Rex Burkhead for most of the game. The Hawks should have avoided him again because they just paid for it.
Burkhead took one to the house, 89 yards, for another Plano score. We're tied, 21-21, with 2:20 left until halftime.
Shootout, anyone?
A week after connecting on a 92-yard bomb to beat Duncanville, Jared Barnett and Adrian Phillips have done it again for Garland. Barnett just hit Phillips on a 30-yard pass over the middle. Phillips broke the tackle at midfield and scampered the remaining 50 yards for the touchdown. That makes it 21-17, Garland with 1:52 left.
The high-octane offenses for Highland Park and Coppell are putting on a show. Coppell just scored to cut Highland Park's lead to 23-21 with a little more than three minutes left at the half.
Hoping to get a halftime call from the Highlander Stadium press box to get some stats.
With 2:32 left in the second quarter, Hebron QB Justin Iwuji found the end zone on a 3-yard run. Hebron now leads Plano, 21-14.
It has been the Jonathon Miller show so far. The Oklahoma-bound runner had four touchdowns and 184 rushing yards in just the first half. I had to count his touchdowns twice because I couldn't believe it. Naaman Forest has only one punt.
Mesquite QB Luke Halpin is known for his comebacks. He has engineered two fourth quarter comebacks this season. He will need a third one if Mesquite wants to remain undefeated. He is 12-for-19 with 106 passing yards and one touchdown.
Tevin Williams spun free for a 24-yard TD run as Trinity goes up 23-7 over Cedar Hill with 2:45 left in the half. There was a botched snap on the extra point.
Berkner QB Lawrence Williams capped a 60-yard drive on a 3-yard TD run with 41 seconds left in the half. Drive was helped by a 15-yard facemask penalty. DeSoto has seven penalties for 65 yards and Berkner has one for five yards.
DeSoto grabbed a 7-0 lead on a 52-yard drive on the possession prior.
Some big defenisve hits in the first half by Berkner LB Corey White and DeSoto DT Damion Lewis, the latter on fourth down at the DeSoto 20, a yard short of a first down.
DeSoto, which has had trouble with PATs this year, got one from Jared Griffin.
Backup QB Deric Davis scored on a 1-yard run, but Bowie missed the extra point. We've got 5:41 to go in the half.
Bowie isn't going to roll over just because its leader went down.
The Vols are knocking on the door after Ricky McGraw blocked a punt. First-and-goal at the 5.
DeSoto scored first on a 23-yard run by junior Marcus Murphy. QB Ryan Polite made a nice option pitch just as Berkner's Jerome Regal arrived.
Bowie QB Christian Matthews has taken off his shoulder pads. He's lying down on the trainer's table with his left knee wrapped and his hands over his head.
I won't speculate on the severity of the injury. It'd be an absolute shame if this is something that keeps him out for a while.
Bowie might be pretty good without Matthews. The Vols are a great team with him.
Bowie QB Christian Matthews is still on the trainer's table. They just wrapped up his left knee.
The Vols' offense is sputtering without him. They just went three-and-out.
Skyline quickly capitalized on the turnover, with QB Javia Hall and WR Mike Davis hooking up for another 15-yard TD.
Davis has been dominant tonight, catching four passes for 80 yards and two TDs.
Bad news for Skyline foes: Hall and Davis are both juniors. These guys might go down as one of the best QB/WR tandems in DISD history by the time they're done.
Another incompletion - Jackson is 1-for-7 - leads to a 3-and-out for Cedar Hill. A short punt means Trinity takes over at the Longhorn 47 leading 17-7 wiht 9:50 left in the half.
DB Kerry Nation, one of a few big-time recruits in the Skyline secondary, made a leaping interception and returned it to the Bowie 20.
Nation picked off Bowie backup QB Deric Davis. Christian Matthews, who went down funny on the final play of the first quarter, is visiting with the school's athletic trainer behind the bench.
A minute after a 45-yard bomb from Lake Highland's Ricky Zorn to Dionte Garrett sets up a field goal, Garland answers with a 74-yard touchdown pass from Jared Barnett to Keith Blanton.
It's 17-14. After the first quarter. The teams have racked up more than 400 yards of offense so far. It's going to be a long, exciting night.
McGhee threw his first incompletion on third-and-goal. Had plenty of time, just couldn't find anyone open. Isaac Arellano nails a 22-yarder with 11:09 left in the half.
A crisp, 56-yard drive by Trinity has the Trojans leading 14-7 at Cedar Hill.
Trinity QB Denarius McGhee is 5-for-5 passing for 128 yards.
Cedar Hill QB Driphus Jackson just coughed up the ball at his own 12. Trinity is knocking on the door as we start the second quarter.
All tied at 14 with five seconds to go in the first quarter.
Skyline QB Javia Hall hit WR Mike Davis for a 15-yard TD. The ball might have gone right through a Bowie DB's hands. That kid was looking at his mitts while Davis danced into the end zone after grabbing the bullet out of the air.
Hall, a junior, has been just as impressive as Bowie's Christian Matthews. Hall is 6-of-8 passing for 90 yards and two TDs.
Here's a list of postponements and cancellations involving teams from Galveston, Houston and surrounding areas.
CLASS 5A
Brazoswood vs. Friendswood, ccd.
Galveston Ball vs. Beaumont Central, ccd.
Houston Chavez vs. Splendora, ccd.
Houston Clear Lake vs. The Woodlands, ccd.
Houston Milby vs. Pasadena, ccd.
League City Clear Creek vs. Baytown Lee, ccd.
Pasadena Dobie vs. Pearland Dawson, ccd.
Pasadena Rayburn vs. Baytown Sterling, ccd.
Spring Westfield vs. Beaumont West Brook, ccd.
CLASS 4A
Angleton vs. Alief Hastings, ccd.
Austin Johnston vs. Hempstead, ccd.
Houston Davis vs. Houston Wheatley, ccd.
Houston Scarborough vs. Houston Austin, ccd.
Manvel vs. Columbia, ccd.
Nacogdoches vs. Lufkin, ppd.
Port Lavaca Calhoun vs. Floresville, ccd.
CLASS 3A
Atlanta vs. Carthage, ppd.
Columbus vs. Hallettsville, ccd.
Edna vs. Van Vleck, ccd.
La Grange vs. Needville, ccd.
Palacios vs. Wallis Brazos, ccd.
CLASS 2A
Boling vs. Ganado, ccd.
Danbury vs. Weimar, ccd.
Elysian Fields vs. Hooks, ppd.
Groveton vs. Franklin, ccd.
San Augustine vs. Bullard Brook Hill, ccd.
CLASS 1A
Alto vs. Arp, ccd.
Burkeville vs. Joaquin, ccd.
Timpson vs. Tyler All Saints, ccd.
West Sabine vs. Garrison, ccd. SIX-MAN
Saint Jo def. WF Notre Dame, forfeit
OTHER SCHOOLS
Bay Area Christian vs. Katy Faith West, ccd.
Dickinson Pine Drive vs. Houston Clear Lake Christian, ccd.
Greenville Christian vs. Leverett's Chapel, ccd.
Houston St. Pius X vs. Huntsville, ccd.
Lake Jackson Brazosport vs. Houston Westbury Christian, ccd.
The Woodlands Christian vs. Baytown Christian, ccd.
Center vs. Tyler Chapel Hill, ccd.
Conroe vs. Houston Westside, ccd.
Donna vs. Laredo Alexander, ccd.
Longview vs. Barbers Hill, ccd.
Arlington Bowie kicker Steve Validez just made his biggest play of the game, making the saving tackle on a long kickoff. Still, Skyline gets to start at the 50.
We've had four possessions, and three of them have gone for touchdowns. The only defensive stop was when Bowie forced a fumble.
Last year's game was a low-scoring, 17-7 finish. This one is going to be a shootout. It's 14-7 Bowie in the first quarter.
Plano tied the game, 14-14, with 5:50 in the second quarter on a 40-yard pass play from Carson Meger to Robert Robinson. Hebron, however, is on the move and deep in Plano territory with 3:33 remaining until halftime.
The Hawks were aided by a 40-yard pass play from Justin Iwuji to Alex Norman. Hebron is on the 6-yard line.
Hebron's Alan Kernen blocks a Plano punt, giving the Hawks excellent field position early in the second quarter. Three plays later, Hebron's Darius Staten scores his second rushing touchdown of the night, this one from a yard out with 8:44 on the clock.
Hebron leads Plano, 14-7.
With one second on the clock, Hebron RB Darius Staten found daylight against Plano's defense on a 73-yard touchdown run. Blake Denton's PAT tied the game, 7-7.
We're about to start the second quarter. Stay tuned.
A crisp, 56-yard drive by Trinity has the Trojans leading 14-7 at Cedar Hill.
Trinity QB Denarius McGhee is 5-for-5 passing for 128 yards.
Cedar Hill QB Driphus Jackson just coughed up the ball at his own 12. Trinity is knocking on the door as we start the second quarter.
QB Christian Matthews connected with WR Jordan Selexman for an 11-yard TD. Matthews lofted the ball high and let Selexman, a 6-2, 195-pound transfer from Duncanville, go get it on a fade route.
Matthews has 114 total yards less than 10 minutes into the game, and that's coming against one of the area's best defenses.
Bowie 14, Skyline 7 ... 2:27 1Q.
It's already a shootout at Wildcat-Ram Stadium. After the Wildcats struck first, Garland quarterback Jared Barnett scored on a 34-yard quarterback draw to tie it at 7. Not to be outdone, Lake Highlands quarterback Ricky Zorn kept an option run and rushed 44 yards. He fired a 34-yard pass to wide receiver Dionte Garrett to make it a 14-7 game with 5:25 left in the first.
On the next play after Trinity fumbled the ball at its own 32, Cedar Hill QB Driphus Jackson kept his legs moving and broke through the pile for a TD.
It's 7-7 with 4:01 left in the first quarter.
Skyline looked like it was going to drive right back downfield, but RB James White fumbled at the end of a nice run. Bowie DB Jordan Donnell recovered to give Christian Matthews and Co. the ball near midfield.
Trinity leads Cedar Hill 7-0 in the first quarter after Denarius McGhee hit Bobby Brown down the right sideline for a 67-yard TD.
So far Trinity has looked much more dominant than Cedar Hill, but Trinity has given away some yards with penalties. The big difference is Trinity's Denarius McGhee can thrown the ball while Cedar Hill's Driphus Jackson has been way off target on most of his throws.
Cedar Hill has also had two kicking game mental mistakes. The first was attempting to return the opening kickoff from 9 yards deep in the end zone. Then after Trinity's score, another Cedar Hill return man caught the ball on the sideline at the 16. If he lets it go out, Cedar Hill gets the ball at the 35.
Best play so far, DeSoto DB Dominique Bennett stole the ball from Berkner Terry Gilbert after a 52-yard run to the DeSoto 8.
Arlington Bowie 7, Skyline 7 with 6:35 to go in the first quarter after a do-it-all drive by Bowie QB Christian Matthews, a three-year starter who has orally committed to Kansas.
The drive started and ended with sweet runs by Matthews, who scored on a 12-yard draw. He gained 35 yards on the first play of the possession, making a pretty move to elude Skyline star CB Steve Williams in the open field.
Matthews completed three of six passes for 40 yards on the 11-play drive. His most impressive pass was an incompletion, coming when the WR dropped a ball after Matthews kept his eyes downfield while eluding pressure.
The Jayhawks are getting a good one. And we've got a heck of a game so far at UTA's Maverick Stadium.
Looks like the only thing that can stop Lake Highlands' rushing game is...Lake Highlands. After racking up a 12-yard gain on the third play, RB Antoine Harrison fumbled to give the ball to Garland.
On the next possession, Harrison had a 28-yard rush followed by a 9-yard run. He was shaken up on the play and limped off the field.
Two plays later, Lake Highlands quarterback Ricky Zorn kept the ball on an option to the right and scored from five yards out. It's 7-0, Lake Highlands, with 7:50 left in the first.
Garland Naaman Forest RB Jonathon Miller scored on a 5-yard run in Naaman Forest opening drive. He later rushed for a 1-yard touchdown. Miller ran for 56 yards during Naaman Forest's first two drives of the game.
Plano made its first drive look pretty easy. It went 80 yards and nine plays for a touchdown. Rex Burkhead capped the drive with a 5-yard run on a toss-sweep play.
Plano scored in 3:16. Impressive.
Plano leads, 7-0, with 8:44 in the first quarter.
Arlington Bowie allowed a total of six points in its first two games. It took Skyline a little more than two minutes to exceed that total tonight.
QB Javia Hall hit James White for a 5-yard TD to cap a five-play, 71-yard drive. The big play was a 52-yard pass from Hall to Mike Davis on third down.
Skyline 7, Bowie 0 ... 9:51 1Q
Big crowd here at Longhorn Stadium for Euless Trinity-Cedar Hill. People are still trying to get in - they're having to park cars on the grass next to the practice fields.
Back with more later.
Not quite from the parking lot, but some members of the Berkner band were still filing in when it came time to play the school song. Those still under the stands waiting to come through the entrance were playing.
In just the last five minutes, the wind has picked up. It is blowing from the east on this field, which runs east-west. Could be a factor. Berkner rarely passes. DeSoto throws a lot with Ryan Polite. Advantage Berkner.
I just got word from the Denton Record-Chronicle that tonight's Pilot Point at Ferris football game has been canceled because of Hurricane Ike and evacuation efforts.
The scoreboard says we're 29 minutes away from Garland taking on Lake Highlands. The teams just headed to the locker room after pregame stretches. Here are a couple things I'm going to be watching tonight:
How will Garland handle Ricky Zorn? The Wildcat junior has rushed for 317 yards in the first two games - seventh best in area 5A. Not bad for a quarterback, who's also thrown for almost 150 yards each game. Lake Highlands boasts the seventh best offense in area 5A, so the Owls should have their hands full.
Can Lake Highlands' defense step up? The Wildcats have given up 73 points through the first two games. Considering Garland QB Jared Barnett threw for 210 yards in the second half in last week's 23-20 win over Duncanville, Garland could easily put up 35 points tonight.
Lastly, can Garland avoid the classic let-down game? The Owls are probably still soaring after their thrilling win over Duncanville on the 92-yard bomb from Barnett to Adrian Phillips. If Garland doesn't put that win behind them and come out strong tonight, the Owls could quickly fall back down to earth.
Getting ready for the start of DeSoto-Richardson Berkner in DeSoto. Lot of green on the field right now in pregame. Both teams are wearing green pants tonight and Berkner tops its look with green helmets. DeSoto wears gold headgear.
Tonight is the debut of a new scoreboard with video capability at Eagle Stadium. It is positioned on the southwest end of the stadium. The old scoreboard, on the northwest corner of the property, is going to be donated to the city youth league, athletic director Dave Meadows said.
Looking for a close game tonight. Berkner is a solid 2-0. DeSoto is 1-1, but its loss came to highly-ranked Plano.
Tonight's showdown between Hebron and Plano should be a good one. Hebron is one of the few teams in the area that plays near flawlessly at home. Plano isn't ranked No. 2 in the state for nothing.
Keep an eye on Hebron QB Justin Iwuji, who could have a pretty good passing day against a Plano defense that's still young. RB Darius Staten is due for a good night. For Plano, the Triplets - QB Carson Meger, RB Rex Burkhead and WR Kris Lott - will look to make big things happen early. DB Laron Kelly is the reigning SportsDay Defensive Player of the Week.
We're about 30 minutes away until kickoff.
For the first time since the 2001 state title run, Mesquite begins the season 2-0. That's the good news, now the bad news. It faces Garland Naaman Forest today at Williams Stadium and then takes on Southlake Carroll next week at home.
Don't blame Mesquite coach Robbie Robinson, who was named right before the season started. He didn't make the schedule. He just inherited it.
"I think the schedule we are playing is too tough," Robinson said. (Our readers disagree)
 The Skyline and Arlington Bowie players are on the UTA Maverick Stadium field warming up for tonight's matchup of teams ranked in the top 10 of SportsDay's 5A area rankings. Bowie (2-0) is No. 4. Skyline (1-0) is No. 6.
A year ago, Skyline was one of only two teams to hold Arlington Bowie to less than three touchdowns in a game. Bowie still won, 17-7.
Skyline shut out Kimball in its season opener last week, and Bowie followed up its season-opening shutout with a big win over South Garland.
Bowie QB Christian Matthews completed 13 of 16 passes for 201 yards and two TDs and ran for two more last week. Skyline will have to try to contain him somehow. Skyline, with a secondary led by cornerback Steve Williams, won't give up a lot of big pass plays. It only gave up a total of 54 yards last week.
Bowie will get more than that in the first quarter, but this should be a great game. And we'll get it in before Hurricane Ike messes things up.
The Hillcrest football team plays at Parish Episcopal tonight.
There was a scheduling error in the paper this morning.
Hurricane Ike has forced another change. McKinney ISD athletic secretary Sandra Minter informs us that tonight's McKinney Boyd-Copperas Cove game has been moved up 90 minutes to 6 p.m. at McKinney's Ron Poe Stadium.
Wylie has been one of the surprises in area 5A this year, starting the season with a 21-14 win over Hebron and a 52-13 shellacking of Arlington Seguin.
But Wylie coach Bill Howard said the Pirates shouldn't have crept up on anyone.
Bad news from Duncanville. Starting senior QB Larry Miller is out for the season with a broken ankle, coach Jeff Dicus said.
Sophomore Divan Ealy has been promoted from the junior varsity and could start in Friday's home game against North Mesquite.
Junior Corvin Jefferson, who played the fourth quarter in last week's 23-20 loss to Garland, could also see action.
Miller was injured on the final play of the third quarter while running around right end. Dicus said he'd never seen an ankle swell like Miller's did. The injury will require surgery.
"Nobody worked harder than Larry,'' Dicus said. "Everybody will have to step it up without him.''
One blemish on my record last week, but nobody went undefeated, so I can claim that I know as much about area high school football as anybody. Or at least as much as any of the three folks who tried to outpick me.
Hey, how about some audience participation?! How else are you gonna get lifelong bragging rights? They're all yours if you finish with a better record than me predicting these five games.
Arlington Bowie 24, Skyline 14
Just like last year, Bowie will hand Skyline its only loss of the regular season. QB Christian Matthews is polished enough to make plays even against a great defense like Skyline's.
Euless Trinity 28, Cedar Hill 21
Teams that are ranked No. 1 in the nation don't need an edge, but Trinity should benefit from having a bye last week while Cedar Hill had to rally in the fourth quarter to beat Wichita Falls Rider. There will be some nasty collisions between Trinity RB Dontrayevous Robinson and Cedar Hill LB Aaron Benson, two of the area's best at their positions.
Garland Naaman Forest 34, Mesquite 27
If a team's second most productive running back is orally committed to Oklahoma, that's a scary squad. That's the case for Garland Naaman Forest, where Demario Broadnax is putting up even bigger numbers than Jonathan Miller behind an outstanding offensive line.
Plano 24, Hebron 17
Hebron coach Brian Brazil will probably consider it good news that I'm picking against his Hawks, since I wrongly had them as winners the last two weeks. Hebron has no time to lick its wounds with Plano RB Rex Burkhead invading the Woodshed.
Highland Park 42, Coppell 38
Two of the area's most high-powered offenses meet in a game that might be decided by midnight. Coppell is averaging 40 points despite taking their foot off the pedal in the fourth quarter of two blowouts. The Cowboys won't have that luxury at Scotland Yard.
Last week: 4-1
Season: 8-2
A proposed city ordinance in Chicago would forbid the use of metal bats in youth baseball leagues, on claims they are a danger to young players on the field. According to the story, some parents and players in the Chicago area have been hoping for a ban because they say metal bats are dangerous because they launch the ball faster than wooden bats.
There's evidence for that, but the difference isn't great. New York City has a similar ban for its school system, but nothing has been proposed for the Dallas area.
Here's a story I wrote on the topic recently.
Staff writer Greg Riddle reports that Southlake Carroll coach Hal Wasson said Friday's scheduled game between the Dragons and Bellaire has been cancelled. There are no plans for a makeup.
UPDATE: Mansfield Timberview coach Chris Jones said Saturday's scheduled game between Timberview and Belton has moved to Friday, Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at Mansfield ISD Stadium.
This means there are no local games on Saturday in the area.
 In that story about Garland Naaman Forest's Jonathon Miller and Demario Broadnax, I didn't have space to talk about QB Derrick Osborn. So I'll give him some credit, too. He was a receiver the last two years and is doing a good job in the move to quarterback. He gives Naaman Forest a nice triple running threat in the backfield, and his passing will improve as the season progresses.
Having said all that, I think Naaman Forest will have a much tougher time running the ball this week, so the Mesquite-Naaman Forest game is a tough one to pick (and my early-season picks haven't been stellar). I think it's a tossup game, and I went with Naaman because the game is in Garland. But I'm sure some of my colleagues will go with the Skeeters.
Another interesting game this week is Coppell at Highland Park. If the game was at Coppell, I would be tempted to take the Cowboys because they've played well in the first two games. It still should be a good test for the Scots.
It's a good week for football if Hurricane Ike doesn't mess with us too much. Euless Trinity vs. Cedar Hill, Arlington Bowie vs. Skyline, Richardson Berkner vs. DeSoto, Allen vs. Rockwall, Plano vs. Hebron, Garland vs. Lake Highlands ...
I wrote about Garland Naaman Forest's running back tandem of Jonathon Miller and Demario Broadnax earlier this week, and one reader responded by asking me to give the offensive line some credit for the success.
Of course, the O-line deserves a lot of credit. Any offense, heavy on the pass or rush, will fail miserably without the big boys up front. So kudos to the Naaman Forest line, as well as the other offensive linemen out there toiling in obscurity.
If someone wants to comment on the offensive linemen in the area who they think are the best, go for it. I've seen Cedar Hill's Thomas Ashcraft and Hebron's Joel Gray at work, and they are tough to get past. And Denton Guyer, a young program growing up fast, is growing 'em big on the offensive line with Kyle Clark (6-5, 267) and Jesse Coffey (6-7, 270).
 Celina and Dangerfield will play at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Celina. The game was originally scheduled for Saturday at Royse City. The game was moved because of some have forecast that Hurricane Ike might track upward toward North Texas by Saturday.
UPDATE: Colleyville Covenant Christian Academy coach Joel Berry informs us that Savoy has forfeited its game with CCCA that was scheduled for Saturday.
UPDATE: Colleyville Heritage at Plano East has been moved to Friday at Clark Stadium 7:30 p.m.
UPDATE: The Houston Chronicle reported on its high school blog that Bellaire will not travel to the Metroplex to play Southlake Carroll on Friday night. But Carroll coach Hal Wasson said no decision has been made on whether the game will be played. Wasson said a decision will be made Thursday.
Several games have already been moved to Thursday in the Rio Grande Valley (where my Edinburg Bobcats are going to whip Sharyland) and Houston area. I imagine schools along Coastal Bend (the Corpus Christi area for all you non-South Texan natives) will do the same.
The University Interscholastic League, in conjunction with the Texas Education Agency, has allowed schools affected by Hurricane Ike to use exceptions to current rules to reschedule football and volleyball games.
In volleyball, they can play on more than one school night a week to get games in that might otherwise be cancelled. This applies to district games only. In football, they don't have to wait five days between games. None of the exceptions will apply to sub-varsity and junior high games.
The entire UIL release:
Thursday's games (Sept. 11)
--San Antonio Madison at New Braunfels, 7 p.m. (FSNSW)
--W.T. White vs. Garland Lakeview, 7 p.m. (KXEZ-FM 92.1)
--Wichita Falls Rider at Sulphur Springs, 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
Friday's games (Sept. 12)
--Bastrop (La.) vs. Dollarway Senior (Ark.), 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
--Allen at Rockwall, 7:30 p.m. (KFCD-AM 990, KXEZ-FM 92.1)
--Bridgeport at Prosper, 7:30 p.m. (KSKY-FM 89.1)
--Burleson at Hurst L.D. Bell, 7:30 p.m. (KHFX-AM 1460)
--Callisburg at Whitewright, 7:30 p.m. (KPFC-FM 91.9/89.1)
--Clarksville at Bonham, 7:30 p.m. (KFYN-AM 1420)
--Coppell at Highland Park, 7:30 p.m. (KFXR-AM 1190)
--Copperas Cove vs. McKinney Boyd, 7:30 p.m. (KLAK-FM 97.5)
--Denison vs. Wichita Falls, 7:30 p.m. (KMKT-FM 93.1)
--Granbury at Cleburne, 7:30 p.m. (KCLE-FM 90.5)
--Greenville at Paris, 7:30 p.m. (KGVL-AM 1400)
--Gunter at Commerce, 7:30 p.m. (KETR-FM 88.9)
--Houston Bellaire vs. Southlake Carroll, 7:30 p.m. (KKGM-AM 1630)
--Little Elm at Sherman, 7:30 p.m. (KMAD-FM 102.5)
--McKinney vs. Denton Ryan, 7:30 p.m. (KNTU-FM 88.1)
--Plano at Hebron, 7:30 p.m. (KVCE-AM 1160)
--Seagoville at Terrell, 7:30 p.m. (KPYK-AM 1570)
--South Garland at Jesuit, 7:30 p.m. (KAAM-AM 770)
--Weatherford at Aledo, 7:30 p.m. (KYQX-FM 89.5, KTFW-FM 92.1)
--Whitehouse at Corsicana, 7:30 p.m. (KAND-AM 1340)
--Wylie at Mesquite Horn, 7:30 p.m. (KHYI-FM 95.3, KEOM-FM 88.5)
--Skyline vs. Arlington Bowie (same-day tape), 11 p.m. (Ch. 21)
Saturday's game (Sept. 12)
--Plano East vs. Colleyville Heritage, 6 p.m. (KVCE-AM 1160)
Not sure how I feel about national high school football rankings, but it's worth noting that five area schools cracked Rivals.com's top 50 list this week.
No surprise at the top - Euless Trinity continues to camp out at No. 1.
Plano stayed steady at No. 9, but three other schools made big moves.
No surprise that Trinity remains No.1 in the National Prep Poll, since the Trojans haven't played since Labor Day.
Here's a look at the national and regional rankings:
A couple of readers alerted me to some good performances by players in unfamiliar roles last week:
At Lake Highlands, an injury forced sophomore David Green into the lineup at kicker against Mesquite Horn. Green had never kicked a field goal before, but he came up big with five PATs and a 37-yard FG that provided the winning margin. Green also played cornerback.
At South Grand Prairie, Will "Biscuit" Adams was moved from WR to safety for the Arlington Martin game. With just one day of practice in the secondary, Adams made six tackles and had two pass break-ups. He also blocked a punt.
And while this isn't really a pinch-hit performance, I just wanted to point out that Mesquite kicker Bradley Baladez was phenomenal against Hebron. He made the Player of the Week honorable mentions list, but there wasn't enough space to do justice to his performance: He nailed field goals of 44, 41 and 28 yards. He punted four times for a 44-yard average - including two that died inside the opponent's 3 yard line. He also boomed four kickoffs out of the end zone.
Emptying my notebook from Week 1...
Skyline coach Reginald Samples seemed happy about the team's 27-0 win over Kimball, but he couldn't hide his frustration with one thing: penalties. The Raiders were penalized 12 times for 100 yards, including one miscue that negated a third-down stand to keep Kimball's drive alive.
Samples said the team relaxed after taking the lead early. Skyline can get away with that against Kimball, but not against this week's opponent, Arlington Bowie. The Volunteers have outscored their opponents 83-6 in the first two games of the year.
"We've got to work on our mental preparation," Samples said.
Plano coach Jaydon McCullough still seemed relieved at escaping with a 28-20 win against DeSoto when I talked to him today.
"I can't say enough about (DeSoto) and the way they played and performed," he said. "Neither team really deserved to lose that game. We're very excited about being able to get a win because at halftime, we had the wind knocked out of our sails. I'm real proud of my team and fact that we had of adversity there and had leaders step up."
Those leaders? McCullough pointed to defensive back Laron Kelly's two interceptions, running back Rex Burkhead's two touchdown rushes and quarterback Carson Meger's poise to convert a key third down late in the game.
The ballots are in. Here are the updated area rankings as voted on by our staff writers:
CLASS 5A
ON THE RISE:
No. 14 Mesquite rose six spots following its 23-14 win over then-No. 16 Hebron. Through two games the Mesquite offense is averaging 295.5 passing yards per game.
Rk. Team W-L Pts Pvs.
1. Euless Trinity (7) 1-0 140 1
2. Plano 2-0 130 2
3. SL Carroll 2-0 128 3
4. Arl. Bowie 2-0 120 4
5. Allen 2-0 110 5
6. Skyline 1-0 105 6
7. Cedar Hill 2-0 100 7
8. Gar. N. Forest 2-0 89 8
9. DeSoto 1-1 81 9
10. Wylie 2-0 80 11
11. Coll. Heritage 2-0 67 12
12. Garland 2-0 61 13
13. Flower Mound 2-0 58 14
14. Mesquite 2-0 45 20
15. Rowlett 2-0 41 15
16. Rich. Berkner 2-0 35 17
17. Arl. Lamar 2-0 25 19
18. FM Marcus 1-1 17 10
19. Coppell 2-0 14 NR
20. Plano West 1-1 9 NR
Dropped out: No. 16 Hebron, No. 18 Duncanville
CLASS 4A
ON THE RISE:
No. 14 Lake Dallas returns to the area rankings after beating then-No. 13 Red Oak 35-28. Lake Dallas is averaging 44.5 points and 558.4 yards per game to lead all area 4A schools.
Rk. Team W-L Pts Pvs.
1. Highland Park (7) 2-0 140 1
2. Everman 2-0 133 2
3. Carter 2-0 124 3
4. Denton Ryan 2-0 120 5
5. S. Oak Cliff 2-0 105 6
6. Rockwall-Heath 1-0 103 7
7. Lincoln 1-0 95 8
8. Rockwall 1-1 93 4
9. Ennis 2-0 90 10
10. FW Southwest 2-0 76 11
11. Waxahachie 1-1 73 14
12. Corsicana 2-0 61 17
13. Royse City 1-0 50 19
14. Lake Dallas 1-1 41 NR
15. Mans. Timberview 0-2 39 9
16. Frisco Centennial 1-1 28 15
17. McKinney 0-1 24 12
18. Denton Guyer 2-0 19 NR
19. Red Oak 0-2 16 13
20. Lancaster 0-2 13 18
Dropped out: No. 16 West Mesquite, No. 20 Kimball
CLASS 3A-OTHERS
Rk. Team W-L Pts Pvs.
1. Celina (7) 2-0 70 1
2. Prosper 2-0 63 3
3. Pilot Point 2-0 54 4
4. Kennedale 2-0 50 5
5. Argyle 1-1 39 2
6. Melissa 2-0 33 9
7. Madison 0-2 23 6
8. Crandall 2-0 18 NR
9. Farmersville 0-2 10 7
10. Kaufman 0-2 8 10
Dropped out: No. 8 Roosevelt
LARGE PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Rk. Team W-L Pts Pvs.
1. FW Nolan (7) 2-0 35 1
2. TCA-Addison 1-1 28 2
3. Parish Episcopal 2-0 18 5
4. St. Mark's 1-1 11 3
5. Dallas Christian 2-0 10 4
SMALL PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Rk. Team W-L Pts Pvs.
1. FW All Saints (7) 2-0 35 1
2. Cistercian 2-0 20 NR
3. FW Trinity Valley 1-1 19 NR
4. Rockwall Chr. 2-0 13 NR
5. Coll. Covenant 0-2 8 4
Dropped out: No. 2 Arl. Pantego Chr., No. 3 Episcopal Dallas, No. 4 Carr. Am. Heritage
Impressed with a couple of 4A results this week: Frisco Wakeland's win over Saginaw and Denton Guyer's victory at Stephenville (especially the latter). Both winners are in my poll now.
I also found a spot for Hillcrest after that four-TD passing performance by Jake Sherrington, son of our esteemed columnist.
Real jumble in the small private school rankings. Four of our five lost on Friday. I already had Fort Worth All Saints and Cedar Hill Trinity Christian on my list. I'm adding Arlington Oakridge and Fort Worth Trinity Valley.
Only minor changes in my top seven in 5A - but I'm sure there will be some shakeups next week. I'm excited to see how Arlington Bowie takes on Skyline's defense. The Raiders looked strong Friday night, but they still suffered from too many mistakes and penalties. If they do that again against Bowie, they're in trouble.
Wylie jumped a few spots in my rankings, as did Arlington Lamar. I don't care who you play - putting up 72 points is pretty impressive. Hebron and FM Marcus took big hits.
In 4A, Waxahachie jumped a couple spots after its 42-7 win over West Mesquite. Kimball dropped out until it finds some offense.
Melissa was a big mover in 3A. I didn't penalize Farmersville or Madison for their losses against ranked teams.
My thoughts on the area polls:
5A
Moving up: Mesquite, Flower Mound, Arlington Lamar. I gave a vote to Coppell as well.
Moving down: Hebron, FM Marcus.
4A
Moving up: Waxahachie, Corsicana.
Moving down: A whole lot of people - not much depth in 4A again this year. Lancaster, Kimball. I've dropped Kimball from my ballot until they show me something. West Mesquite also needs to restore my confidence.
3A-Others
Moving up: Prosper! (I just like saying, "Prosper!") Melissa. I'm throwing some love to Crandall, too.
Moving down: Farmersville and Roosevelt are going to have to work their way back on my ballot.
Large Private Schools
Moving up: FW Nolan can't get any higher. Parish Episcopal
Moving down: St. Mark's passing attack was grounded against No. 1 FW Nolan. Dallas Christian beat A+ Academy by forfeit. Not necessarily a negative for Dallas Christian, but in a beauty contest you at least want to walk out on the stage.
Small Private Schools
Moving up: Cistercian is 2-0 including a big win over Greenhill, the team that took ESD to the woodshed. Also impressed by FW Trinity Valley's big win over Arlington Pantego.
Moving down: ESD, Carr. American Heritage. I'm not penalizing Colleyville Covenant too much for a shootout loss, 55-46, to First Baptist.
As always, we welcome your thoughts and comments.
Here is a list of last week's rankings. My big winner this week is Mesquite.
The team started the season out of the rankings (I don't know why) and worked its way up with dramatic wins over Lake Highlands and Hebron. But how Mesquite will perform in the next two weeks against Garland Naaman Forest and Southlake Carroll?
Other teams who I think will suffer in the rankings: Flower Mound Marcus (5A), West Mesquite (4A), Red Oak (4A) and Kimball (4A). On the other hand, I believe Lake Dallas and Forney deserve to be included in the the 4A rankings.
By the way, I will be part of tonight's WFAA's Dodge High School Sports Special.
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