I won't promise daily updates of course, there is only SO much you can write about in the off-season! But I promise By-weekly ones, even if I write about small stuff. Sometimes small stuff turns into the best stuff anyway!
Let me begin this post by talking about the 2010 Playoffs!
As you know, we had 4 teams make the playoffs and all 4 teams made it to the 2nd Round.
Marble Falls and Vista Ridge both lost out in the second round, while Cedar Park and Lake Travis went on to continue to play until they met each other in 4th Round.
And yes, we went to watch all games. Josh and I split up several times, he went to some of the Lake Travis games, while I chose to go sit with my friends at Cedar Park.
The only game we missed was the 3rd Round, because we were in Wichita Falls, but we were loyal and true fans and listened to both teams on the radio!
That week leading up to the game I was a bundle of nerves- and MY husband doesn't even coach at CPHS anymore!! We also have friends are Lake Travis, so we didn't have any bad wishes towards them either. WE were just hoping for a fun, entertaining football game. And fun and entertaining is definitely what we got!!
(Author Note: Because I am lazy and in sort of a hurry, I am going to copy and paste the LT/ CP post from my family blog and just use that, so when you read it, it may seem like its in present tense, when it really happened almost exactly a month ago!)
We headed to the game and made it to the VERY top of the stadium to sit. THEN we all decided to move. Josh took the boys to the end zone and I made my way over to the coaches wives to sit with them. Its hard not to think of myself as a Timberwolve. I am a Raider through and through, but I do miss that staff and those wives. Ours are great and I wouldn't trade any of them, but I do miss the other girls too. I don't know if that's normal, but we left CP with nothing but great memories and our situation was a very unique one. Not too many coaches leave on great terms, unless they are leaving to move up, which was our case. But most coaches leaving- leave the area- not stay in the same district. Josh's very first job was with Coach Ross, he stayed with him for 8 years, and he has never coached under any other coach. He was the first and will hopefully be the last coach Josh is ever employed under.
I miss Josh being a coordinator. I miss watching him COACH. Being a head coach is much different than being an assistant or a coordinator. Anyhow, I have been in the best of both worlds, I am not complaining, just stating what an amazing situation we left and went straight into another amazing situation!
So, anyhow, we go to our seats, it was PACKED! I was seriously sore the next day from having to climb and push and jump my way to the wives, but it was worth it! Jack Ingram sang the National Anthem! How cool is that?!
The game was phenominal. I LOVE the Quarterfinals, you get to watch GREAT games at that point!
Its always haunting to play a team you have previously beaten. The first time they played, CP stunned Lake Travis by winning 35-21.
Lake Travis barely beat Cedar Park. 21-20. I am posting a video, basically because of it showing Jack Ingram- I am not crazy about the video because it is from the Cavaliers standpoint and doesn't reflect anything that Cedar Park did. Hands down, Cedar Park was the better team and deserved to win it too. I hate to say that because we have friends at Lake Travis and I don't want anyone to take that personal, but it is true. Cedar Park had over 300 yards and their defense held Lake Travis to 197. Cedar Park completed 18 first downs and Lake Travis only had 7.
Cedar Parks defense played lights out. For the first quarter, Lake Travis didn't make it past their own 30 yard line. BUT I have to say that in the first 4 plays, I expected a Cedar Park blowout and that didn't happen. Lake Travis calmed down and they made some big plays and came back from a 10-0 CP lead and made it
14-10 at the half.
The battle began in the 3rd quarter. In the end, Lake Travis won 21-20. I felt that loss like those wives did. I KNOW how hard HS coaches work- but more important is I know how hard the CP staff works. But on the otherhand, I don't feel too sorry for them- they went 13-1. Not too many teams do that. We didn't get a win all season, so 13-1 sounds pretty dang good right now!
I wish the Lake Travis Cavaliers all the luck this week as they battle Friendswood, who are also 13-1.
We will be traveling to Kyle Field to support our friends and District 25-4A!!!
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(Author Note: this next part was written today:)
We did not go watch Lake Travis play Friendswood- we had the coaches Ugly Sweater Christmas party that night: and just because I am feeling particularly mean, I am going to post a picture of me and Josh. By the way, these Sweaters are compliments of my Grandma who received these as gifts in the 1980's and yes, Josh is wearing not only a woman's sweater, but yes, he does have glitter in his hair. BUT the kicker is that as ugly as our sweaters were, Josh lost the contest to Coach Knight. I am sorry, my camera died, so I do not have a picture of his sweater, but trust me, it was atrocious.
Anyhow, we did not go see the game, but we listened to it on the radio. Let me just say that I am sure that game was a knife in the heart to the CP coaches and players because CP could have easily beat Friendswood. EASY, and they would be moving on to the State Championship.
The next weekend, we decided it would be fun to go support Lake Travis and to see the new Cowboy Stadium. (which by the way, is UNBELIEVABLE!!). So we trucked it up to DFW, endured all sorts of bad traffic, and made it to the game.
It is pretty surreal to be in that stadium, watching a team that YOU have played, play for a State Title. I have been to several State Championships, but never ones of a team we have played. Its a different feeling to say the least. I think its awesome that we are in a district with the 4th time State Champions.
Lake Travis (13-2) vs. Denton Ryan (15-0)
Game 1: 11am at Cowboys Stadium
The Cavaliers Takes the Win over the Raiders 27-7
Congrats to Hank Carter and all of the Cavalier Coaching Staff.
Congrats to Hank Carter and all of the Cavalier Coaching Staff.
I took this picture (and all the video's) by aiming my camera at the jumbo tron. Let me just tell you that this jumbo tron is the biggest thing I have ever seen. It is amazing. And my worst nightmare came true: Next Christmas Jace say's he's asking Santa for a jumbo tron. Poor guy may be learning some secretive Christmas things a BIT earlier than I had planned.
Lake Travis went on to become only the 3rd team in football history to be State Champions 4 years consecutively, beating Denton Ryan 27-7. Suddenly our 62-7 loss doesn't seem so bad. Not only that, but even Denton Ryan- didn't score 14 on them!!
This was taken as the clock was counting down
and this one was taken during the awards. There is a pretty cool highlight of the game towards the end. It starts at 5:32 if you want to skip the other stuff.
The touchdown run by Micheal Brewer at 5:45 is un-believable and is definitely worth watching. That kid is beautiful to watch and he is definitely not scared.
What more exciting to me, is the next game:
Denton Guyer Wildcats (13-2) vs. Cibolo Steel Knights (13-2)
Game 2: 4pm @ Cowboys Stadium
The Knights go on to defeat the Wildcats 21-24
I really can only think of one word to describe this introduction- but I can't write it.
I really hope that one day in the next few years we can be as confident to be able to WALK out of our tunnel, one of our guys holding a Raider Sword and then proceed to chunk it across the way and run out with our team. When they day comes, I will be be there with chills running down my spine at the thrill of what is to come for the next 48 minutes. Holy Moses, that was some introduction.
First I am going to start out by saying that both teams are13-2 going into the game and that BOTH schools have only been open for 5 seasons. So BOTH of these teams are ones that we need to look up to. In just 5 seasons, these teams battled other great teams and they are both playing in the State Championship game.
Some of you may have heard of Cibolo Steel's: Malcom Brown- well, he is as good as they say. He got hurt and was out for a quarter or so, but came back to finish the game and they beat Denton Guyer 21-24
I can imagine it was a sad day in Denton as both Denton Ryan and Denton Guyer lost in the State Championship game. But on the otherhand, only 4 teams make it to State in each classification, and out of the 2500 schools in Texas, and you are one of them, I can safely say that I really don't feel TOO sorry for them!
With that in mind, I would like to say, WHY Denton Guyer is an inspiration to us Rouse Raiders:
Denton Guyer opened in 2005 just as we did, with Freshmen only. They MAY have had Sophomores, but I am not certain on that.
In 2006- their first Varsity year, they got put into 4A and went 0-10, adding up their scores, they got 96 points on the year, and the other teams scored 486. The CLOSEST game they played was against Saginaw and they were only within 24 points, the score was 7-31. The worst game they played was against Wichita Falls Rider (MY ALMA MATER!) and my Rider Raiders beat them 6-69 (63 point difference)
In 2007- their second Varisty season in 4a, they went 1-9, but their score ratio got just a little better with combined scoring of 173 points to the opponents combined scored of 387. Making some great improvements, they were able to win one game against rival school Denton High, winning 31-14.
Their TWO closest games were against FW Boswell and Wichita Falls High School (where Josh, Cooper, Walker and Abbousie all used to coach at) within 14. Their worst game was again- against WF Rider where they were within 35 points
In 2008- this is where they showed great stride and turned around their entire program. While still in 4a, this team that had only won 1 game out of 20, they ended the season with a record of 12-3 and made the playoffs and going all the way to the Semi finals before losing to Longview. (and one of their losses was AGAIN to my Rider Raiders:) ha
In 2009- they went 13-2 and ended their season once again to Longview in the Semi-finals, but they had redemption in 2010, where they beat them on the road to the State Championship, however this time, instead of them playing each other in the 4A State Semi- Finals, they instead played each other in the 5A State Semi's!
By the way- Guyer has had the same coach since the school opened:)
Again, During the second game- one of the teams makes a crucial play and the crowd gets loud. Judson barely stirs. This kid can sleep anywhere and in any position.
As much as I was begging to stay to watch Trinity at 7pm, the boys just couldn't do it, they were wiped out and truthfully, we ate breakfast and lunch at the stadium, not to mention all the drinks, and I couldn't hack another item from the concession stand, I wanted something real. Plus, I wasn't willing to spend another $14 on ONE PERSONAL size pizza for the boys. Holy smokes, if if you go to Jerry's World, be prepared to spend some money! ha
It was ALL worth it, we had a great time!!
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