Taking it all in

By Greg Tepper // TexasFootball.com [Editor’s note: This is Tepper’s Take, the weekly column from associate editor Greg Tepper. It’s a blend of football and non-football topics. All opinions are Greg Tepper’s alone. Enjoy.] It’s the Nov. 30 edition of Tepper’s Take, and we can drive it home with one headlight. First Word
Last week was the final edition of Fox Football Friday Powered by DCTF, our television show on Fox Sports Southwest and Fox Sports Houston. And for the last one, I had the opportunity to work in the production truck of Jeff Watts Production, the fine folks who produce the show for us. As a registered and licensed dork, I was amazed at the ins and outs that it took to put on the elaborate four-hour presentation. There’s pages and pages of scripts, lots of yelling (particularly at me, because I didn’t really know what I was doing) and all sorts of scores flying fast and furious. Here, I even took a picture of the inside of the truck: Pretty crazy, right? And all of that is to support the greatness of Texas high school football. So the next time someone tries to tell you that high school football in Texas isn’t as big of a deal as people make it out to be, or that it’s better somewhere else, ask them where a four-hour live television show devoted to high school football would survive outside of Texas. The answer: nowhere. Games I’d TiVo If the UIL Would Let Me (And College Games I Will, In Fact, TiVo)
Cibolo Steele vs. SA Reagan
Oh, this one is rife with drama and storylines! You’ve got Steele, the defending champ, the team that’s been there, done that and expects to do it again. They’ve got the amazing defense and the multi-threat offense led by QB Tommy Armstrong. Then you’ve got Reagan, the upstart, the team that knows what Steele’s got and wants it, badly. They’ve got a better-than-you-think defense and the fiery gunslinger in Trevor Knight that’s good enough to take the Rattlers anywhere they want to go. This is San Antonio football at its finest, and if you’re planning on missing it, you’re planning on failing. Texas at Baylor
What a study in contrasts this game is. Texas is winning almost primarily because of defense, because the Longhorns offense is atrocious right now. Case McCoy is not the answer at quarterback, and with a banged up receiving corps and stable of running backs, it’s almost entirely up to the defense to keep Texas in this one. Meanwhile, Baylor’s got one of the nation’s best offenses…and virtually no defense. It’s been the Robert Griffin III show all season (and he’s expected to be back after being concussed against Texas Tech), but if the defense is ever going to show up, it’s now against an offense that is struggling so much. I think this all depends on which “bad” unit plays the best, if that makes sense. Mount Enterprise vs. Tenaha
Yes, I know it’s a district rematch. And yes, I know the first meeting between these two teams wasn’t particularly close – Tenaha smoked Mount Enterprise, 47-0. But that game was almost two months ago, ancient history in football terms, and if you haven’t noticed, Mount Enterprise is playing some great football right now, particularly on defense. Can that defense do what it couldn’t the first time around: slow down Tenaha QB Reginald Davis? If not, expect history to repeat itself. Apologies to… Everything. It’s the playoffs.Three Bold, Sure-To-Be-Wrong Predictions for This Week
(Oh no! I managed to hit just one of my predictions last week – Tech and Baylor combining for over 80 points – while whiffing on Highland Park over John Tyler and Cy-Fair over FB Hightower. I’m 25-17 on the year.)
-Dallas Skyline continues its tear through Class 5A Division I by taking down The Woodlands. -North Texas ends on a high note by beating Middle Tennessee State at home. -Amazingly – and I can’t believe I’m typing this – Stephenville beats Aledo again. Manster Watch
Every week, I’ll identify one player to watch across the state who could be poised for a breakout game. If he does, in fact, have a breakout game (we’ll define the stakes each week), he’ll get the honorary title of Manster – half-man, half-monster – and a place in this column for the entire season. Also, a copy of “The DCTF Podcast Greatest Hits.” OK, just the title.
Last week, the Manster Watch fell on Lago Vista RB Scott Zufelt. The stakes for Mansterhood were tough but attainable: 100 yards rushing and a win against Blanco. Well, all I have to tell you is that Blanco beat Lago Vista. I’m sorry, Scott. I feel like this is somehow my fault. This week’s Manster Watch falls on Corpus Christi Calallen RB Marcus Price. Price is the most explosive member of an overly explosive Calallen squad, and he was on full display in the win over Dripping Springs last week, busting off 74-yard and 35-yard touchdown runs in the fourth quarter to push Calallen to a win. So here’s the deal, Mr. Price: if you can manage 100 yards and a touchdown in your game against Kerrville Tivy, we’ll name you a Manster. Think you’re up for it? I hope so, because I’m tired of seeing players not attain Mansterhood.  Your 2011 Mansters roster: Austin Anderson RB Devonte Dewitty, Harlingen QB Kevin Ledesma, Corpus Christi King RB Rodolfo Alonzo, Laredo Alexander QB Brian Swain.
Song Sure to Get You Fired Up for Football

</p> <div class="block1" mce_>“The Fire,” by The Roots. You may know The Roots best as the band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, but they’ve been around a lot longer than he has, first forming as a jazzy hip-hop ensemble back in 1987. They call themselves “neo-soul” which makes sense, and is also exceptionally appealing. And they’ve got a drummer – probably the most recognizable member of the group – named ?uestlove. And yes, it’s spelled with a question mark.</div> <div class="block1" mce_><strong>Personal Rankings Apropos of Nothing<br/></strong></div> <div class="block1" mce_>Top Five 5A/4A Results from Last Week That Made Me Say “Whoa!”</div> <div class="block1" mce_>1- La Porte over Katy<br/>2- Arlington Martin over Euless Trinity<br/>3- Hewitt Midway over Denton Ryan<br/>4- Spring Dekaney over Longview<br/>5- Kerrville Tivy over Port Lavaca Calhoun</div> <div class="block1" mce_><strong>Pre-Game Meal of the Week<br/></strong></div> <div class="block1" mce_><img class="leftAlone" src="assets/Greg-Tepper/leftovers.jpg" mce_src="assets/Greg-Tepper/leftovers.jpg" width="300" height="323" alt="" title=""/></div> <div class="block1" mce_>Leftovers. The best part of Thanksgiving dinner is the second – and third, and fourth – meals you get off of the original dinner. My grandmother would make a Thanksgiving leftover meal called Glop, which was basically an amalgamation of all of the Thanksgiving food – stuffing, turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes – into one horribly unhealthy, completely delicious dish. If you don’t like Thanksgiving leftovers, I’m really concerned about your wellbeing.</div> <div class="block1" mce_><strong>Bye Week Distraction<br/></strong></div> <div class="block1" mce_>So your team got knocked out of the playoffs. Big whoop. I’m here for you, buddy.</div> <div class="block1" mce_>Wander on over to <a href="http://theclassical.org/" mce_href="http://theclassical.org/" target="_blank">The Classical</a>, which isn’t exactly active yet, but will be soon. What is it? It’s the brainchild and co-production of a number of my favorite writers on the Internet, including Eric Freeman of “Ball Don’t Lie,” David Roth of The Wall Street Journal’s Daily Fix, editor-at-large of SLAM magazine Lang Whitaker and (to me, the biggest draw) Bethlehem Shoals, the mastermind behind <a href="http://freedarko.blogspot.com/2011/03/cultures-of-basketball-course-diary_13.html " mce_href="http://freedarko.blogspot.com/2011/03/cultures-of-basketball-course-diary_13.html " target="_blank">the now defunct FreeDarko</a>. In short, they’re going to write about sports and pop culture and society and America and everything that is awesome, and they are worthy of your eyeballs.</div> <div class="block1" mce_><strong>Yell At Me<br/></strong></div> <div class="block1" mce_>I’m available <a href="mailto:greg.tepper@imgworld.com" mce_href="mailto:greg.tepper@imgworld.com">via e-mail</a> and <a href="about:blank" mce_href="about:blank">via Twitter</a>. Let me know if you like my column, or if you don’t know what a FreeDarko is, or both.</div> <div class="block1" mce_><strong>Impressive (and True!) Trivia for the Week<br/></strong></div> <div class="block1" mce_>Did you know that 90% of the Vitamin C in Brussel sprouts is lost when they’re cooked? See, Mom? I told you they weren’t good for you!</div> <div class="block1" mce_>Go football!</div>