Up in smoke

By David Smoak // Special to TexasFootball.com

East and Central Texas Summary:

One of the longest district win streaks ended last week when Gilmer lost to Carthage and the next week, Longview's 36-game district winning streak ended against North Mesquite, 24-14.

Interesting things going on in 11-5A, with two Mesquite programs, North Mesquite and Mesquite Horn stepping up and playing head-up with the likes of Tyler Lee and Longview.

Who would've thought this before the season started, but Tyler Lee @ Longview is basically a survival game for the winner. The loser might not be eliminated, but they'll need a lot of help from others.

Quick note in 3-A where I spoke with Carthage head coach Scott Surratt following the Bulldogs 43-33 comeback win against Henderson. The two-time defending state champions are back on track after wins against the Lions on Friday and last week against Gilmer. Carthage was being shredded on defense and that just doesn't happen…but it was and the Bulldogs are getting healthy at just the right time.

Surratt and his coaching staff won't get enough credit for grinding through the injuries because, "they are loaded with talent," well---that bullseye alone is tough to deal with no matter what talent you have around you.

And, I'd like to bring up a couple of other coaches in Central Texas for a variety of reasons.

Ray Biles at Lorena somehow took his team to the quarterfinals a year ago before losing to Surratt and Carthage, and that deep run came after losing their starting quarterback. They had the stud running back, Evan Ward, but that program overcame adversity.

Fast forward to this season and Lorena is 7-1 and unbeaten (3-0) in District 19-3A after a nailbiting 14-13 win against China Spring last Friday, and the Leopards are rolling towards another district championship…and they've lost both their starting quarterback and tailback this season.

China Spring head coach Mark Bell has been well-known for his passing offense and piling up silly stats and points with former quarterbacks Shawn Bell, Dustin Eskew and Brian Bell. But, those days are long gone and the Cougars are now a throwback team. A sign of a good coach is knowing what you have to work with---and the Cougars have been pounding the rock to a tune of nearly 300-yards rushing a game. Lorena dropped the Cougars to 5-3 and 2-1 in 19-3A, but their style will give them a chance against most everyone, well, except that lopsided loss on the road against unbeaten and top-ranked Brownwood.

Special congratulations to the following programs:

Shelbyville is 7-1 under head coach Jim Bradford and just beat Alto, yes---Alto, and although the Yellowjackets have three losses this season, beating Alto for any team is an accomplishment and especially one who is a combined 14-64-1 since 2002. Shelbyville went 9-3 in 2001, but not much success since---until now.

Fairfield is 8-0 and blowing out a lot of their opponents. This is Darrell Piske's third-year as head coach and considering the Fighting Eagles won a TOTAL of nine games over the past five years, you can understand why Fairfield is feeling very good right now. It wasn't that long ago when Fairfield had a nice run, including 11-2 in 2002 and three consecutive playoff appearances, but this 8-0 appears to be something special.

Piske's former program, Valley Mills, has been rejuvenated by first-year head coach David Wells. After an 0-10 in 2008 and 2-8 last year, the Eagles are 8-0 and what appears to be flying under the radar. 

Mineola dropped from Class 3-A to 2-A during the most recent realignment and the Yellowjackets are enjoying the new neighborhood. Joe Drennon is in his third-year and after back-to-back 4-6's, his team is 6-2 and 3-0 and leading District 7-2A, and that includes a huge 36-35 overtime win against Melissa. Mineola has some history, but it's back during "old school" days, with unbeaten teams in 1930, 1934, 1935, 1965 and 1966, but let's put everything into perspective. 'Jackets are a win away from their 7th-win this season and the last time a Mineola football team won 7-games was in 1986, last time to win 8-games, 1985. 

David Smoak

smoaky@1660espn.com

smoaky@smoaky.com

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Smoaky.com's Top 10's (Week 8 Result/Week 9 Opponent)

Class 5-A:

1. The Woodlands (8-0)(Beat Humble Kingwood 41-35)(@ College Park)
2. Klein Collins (8-0)(Beat Klein Forest 38-12)(vs. Spring Westfield)
3. Lufkin (7-1)(Beat Conroe Oak Ridge 49-28)(@ Humble Kingwood)
4. DeSoto (7-1)(Beat Mesquite Horn 61-47)(@ Mesquite)
5. A&M Consolidated (7-1)(Beat Copperas Cove 24-10)(@ Harker Heights)
6. Klein (7-1)(Beat Spring DeKaney 17-13)(@ Tomball)
7. Copperas Cove (7-1)(Lost to A&M Consolidated 24-10)(@ Shoemaker)
8. North Mesquite (5-3)(Beat Longview 24-14)(vs. Mesquite Horn)
9. Klein Oak (5-3)(Beat Tomball 24-17)(vs. Spring)
10. Tomball (6-2)(Lost to Klein Oak 24-17)(vs. Klein)

Class 4-A:

1. John Tyler (7-1)(Beat Marshall 45-17)(vs. Kilgore)
2. Waco Midway (8-0)(Beat Waco University 45-14)(vs. Stephenville)
3. Whitehouse (6-2)(Beat Pine Tree 55-7)(vs. Marshall)
4. Sherman (7-1)(Beat Denison 39-0)(Bye Week)
5. Sulphur Springs (6-2)(Did Not Play)(vs. Texas High)
6. Jacksonville (6-2)(Beat Hallsville 24-23)(@ Nacogdoches)
7. Stephenville (4-4)(Beat Killeen 42-28)(@ Waco Midway)
8. Killeen (7-1)(Lost to Stephenville 42-28)(@ San Angelo Lake View)
9. Texas High (6-3)(Beat Mount Pleasant 45-14)(@ S. Springs)
10. Corsicana (6-3)(Beat Red Oak 24-13)(@ Forney)

Class 3-A:

1. Kirbyville (8-0)(Beat Jasper 63-8)(@ Diboll)
2. Chapel Hill (7-1)(Beat Rusk 55-0)(Bye Week)
3. Carthage (6-2)(Beat Henderson 43-33)(vs. Gladewater)
4. Henderson (7-1)(Lost to Carthage 43-33)(vs. Gilmer)
5. Fairfield (8-0)(Beat Palestine 42-7)(@ Groesbeck)
6. Gilmer (5-3)(Beat Spring Hill 76-0)(@ Henderson)
7. Lorena (7-1)(Beat China Spring 14-13)(vs. Waco Robinson)
8. Canton (8-0)(Beat Quinlan Ford 40-7)(@ Lindale)
9. Liberty-Eylau (6-2)(Beat Atlanta 40-0)(@ North Lamar)
10. Athens (7-1)(Beat Brownsboro 63-21)(@ Rusk)

Class 2-A:

1. Tatum (8-0)(Beat New Diana 58-14)(vs. Jefferson)
2. Daingerfield (7-1)(Beat Redwater 47-0)(@ New Boston)
3. Cameron Yoe (9-0)(Beat Florence 49-0)(Bye Week)
4. West Rusk (8-0)(Beat Winona 63-6)(@ Joaquin)
5. Rogers (8-0)(Beat Jarrell 63-7)(@ Rosebud-Lott)
6. Linden-Kildare (7-1)(Beat Harleton 47-14)(vs. Elysian Fields)
7. Crockett (7-1)(Beat Elkhart 48-0)(@ Trinity)
8. Malakoff (8-0)(Beat Teague 21-20)(vs. Elkhart)
9. Crawford (8-0)(Beat Millsap 42-7)(@ Rio Vista)
10. New Boston (7-1)(Beat Queen City 60-6)(vs. Daingerfield)

Class 1-A:

1. Cayuga (8-0)(Beat Cross Roads 48-6)(@ Kerens)
2. Garrison (8-0)(Beat Grapeland 29-22)(@ Shelbyville)
3. Mart (6-2)(Beat Riesel 47-0)(vs. Cross Roads)
4. Kerens (6-2)(Beat Rice 61-6)(vs. Cayuga)
5. Simms Bowie (7-1)(Beat Hawkins 42-14)(vs. Maud)
6. Shelbyville (7-1)(Beat Alto 47-36)(vs. Garrison)
7. Bremond (6-2)(Beat Chilton 29-14)(vs. Wortham)
8. Tenaha (5-3)(Beat Beckville 50-8)(@ Union Hill)
9. Alto (5-3)(Lost to Shelbyville)(vs. Timpson)
10. Valley Mills (8-0)(Beat Itasca 38-6)(vs. DeLeon)

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East Texas "Game of the Week" Nominations:

Tyler Lee @ Longview 

Texas High @ Sulphur Springs 

Jacksonville @ Nacogdoches 

Hallsville @ Pine Tree 

Marshall @ Whitehouse 

Kilgore @ John Tyler 

Canton @ Lindale 

Van @ Wills Point 

Gilmer @ Henderson 

Spring Hill @ Pittsburg 

Gladewater @ Carthage 

Liberty-Eylau @ North Lamar

Daingerfield @ New Boston 

Redwater @ Prairiland 

Jefferson @ Tatum 

Mineola @ Caddo Mills 

Cayuga @ Kerens 

Big Sandy @ Hawkins 

Garrison @ Shelbyville 

Mt Enterprise @ Beckville

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Central Texas "Game of the Week" Nominations:

Aquilla @ Abbott 

Italy @ Axtell 

McGregor @ Marlin 

Fairfield @ Groesbeck 

La Vega @ Gatesville 

Robinson @ Lorena 

West @ Alvarado 

Bryan @ Belton 

Stephenville @ Midway 

University @ Waco High (PICK THE SCORE)

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East Texas "Player of the Week" Nominations: