3A/2A Games to Watch: Liberty Hill-Giddings top game in lower classes

Our "Games to Watch" segment is back and better than ever. Published every Friday here on TexasFootball.com, we take as broad a look as possible at the weekend's games. Some of your favorites are back -- like the Name Game, the best matchup between two school mascots -- with some new additions, like Under the Radar -- a great game you may ne thinking about.

THE 3A GAMESGAMES TO WATCH
No. 6 Giddings at No. 13 Liberty Hill: If I couldn't go to either Allen-Longview or Katy-North Shore, this would certainly be pick No. 3. Not only is this a clash of top 15 teams, this is a true head-on battle of similar smash mouth styles -- both Giddings and Liberty Hill run the ball on 90% of their snaps, and at least Liberty Hill has gone through a game without attempting a pass. What's so fascinating about these two teams is that neither ever seems to truly lose talent -- they each just fill-in-the-blank with another prolific runner and bulldoze their way into a regional final. But it may not be that simple for either team in 2009. Giddings looked poised for a potential state semi, but two unexpected offseason losses -- QB Trey Masek and ROV Rush Plumlee, who combined for 1,700 rushing yards last season -- had the Buffaloes scrambling for answers. They found them quickly -- in came ex-Magnolia QB Connor Wehr, who immediately became one of the better passers the school has had in years, and a number of other players were ready to take Plumlee's place. Liberty Hill's problem is less specific; the Panthers return just four total starters and only one on offense. But the one is FB Ryan Fickel, who rushed for 1,400+ yards and 20 TDs a year ago. Expect both of these teams to show little rust in their season opener, as their respective coaches (Derek Fitzhenry at Giddings and Jerry Vance at Liberty Hill) are too much of a perfectionist to field a sloppy team. But whichever one shows the least amount of drop-off from 2008 should be the winner, and that looks like Giddings.
TexasFootball.com pick: Giddings by 7