Waco-Lake Ridge, UTSA-Kansas State highlight Slovacek’s I-35 Showdowns of the Week

Slovacek's logoTo honor the loyal football fans that travel great distances to support their favorite team, DCTF and our friends from Slovacek’s in West, Texas are proud to present The Slovacek’s I-35 Showdowns of the Week: Kansas State (1-0) at UTSA (0-1) 11:00 a.m. Saturday at the Alamodome in San Antonio Coming off of a disappointing 4-8 mark in 2014, UTSA didn’t have the luxury to warm up against a cupcake opponent like so many college football programs do. No, Larry Coker and the Roadrunners flew out to Tucson to take on #22 Arizona – a team that rallied in the second half of last year to reach the Fiesta Bowl. At halftime in the desert, the Roadrunners trailed the Wildcats by just one point. In the end, they left their mark in a 42-32 defeat in which they outgained their Pac 12 opposition by more than 100 total yards. The pass-catch combo of quarterback Blake Bogenschutz and tight end David Morgan led the way, but the entire offense was impressive in racking up more than 500 total yards. After nearly slaying one major conference Wildcat squad on the road, the Roadrunners will welcome another to their home this weekend- and Kansas State will arrive at the Alamodome wounded. Starting quarterback Jesse Ertz was hurt in Kansas State’s win over South Dakota last week, and Joe Hubener is most likely to take his place in San Antonio. Defensive backs Dante Barnett (shoulder) and Danzel McDaniel (suspension) both missed time last week and are questionable to return this weekend. Waco High (2-0) at Mansfield Lake Ridge (2-0) 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Vernon Newsome Stadium in Mansfield So far this season, Mansfield’s Newsome Stadium has hosted some incredibly entertaining football. A season-opening doubleheader at the facility saw Arlington Martin upend DeSoto and Euless Trinity upset national #1 De La Salle out of California. Last week, the game showcased in this very column produced a 45-44 thriller in which Mansfield High outlasted Hewitt Midway. This Thursday, we expect more great football in a battle of unbeaten squads that come from very different places in the history of Texas High School Football as Mansfield Lake Ridge plays host to Waco High. At Lake Ridge, the newest high school in the Mansfield district, the Eagles are looking to blaze new trails after reaching the playoffs under coach Kirk Thor last year in the program’s third year of varsity competition. The Eagles began this season ranked 19^th in DCTF’s preseason 5A poll, and have cruised to a 2-0 start. Senior quarterback Jett Duffey, a Texas Tech pledge, leads the team in both passing and rushing- but running backs Duke Carter and Joseph Rowe have also proven dangerous. The Lake Ridge defense stifled Keller Fossil Ridge last week, allowing just 14 points and 7 first downs- mostly in the 4^th quarter. Two weeks into the 2015 season, the Lions from Waco High have already matched their win total from a 2014 campaign they’re working hard to forget. This will be their first road trip of the fall, having taken down Harker Heights and College Station in hard-fought battles at home. The defense, led by the highly-recruited corner/safety Eric Cuffee, has yet to give up more than 23 points in a game.