Published: October 06, 2006 10:39 am      

Texans face yet another power

Wimberley — The onslaught of tough pre-district opponents continues tonight as the Texans (4-1) will host perennial power Abilene Wylie (4-1). This marquee match up features the last two schools to claim the Class 3A Division I state championship, and may also be the toughest test for Wimberley’s offense so far this season.

The Wylie Bulldogs come into the contest after knocking off 4A power Wolfforth Frenship 14 -7 last Friday. Frenship, a team that made it to the state semifinals last year, was held to a total of 155 yards by Wylie’s swarming defense.

“They’ve always been noted for being a defense first team,” Wimberley coach Weldon Nelms said. “They’re well coached and they also capitalize a lot on their special teams.”

The Bulldogs smothered Frenship’s passing game all night, which allowed them to load up against the run and force punts and turnovers, which ultimately gave their offense the opportunities they needed to secure their upset win.

When Wylie comes into Texan Stadium, however, they will find that it may not be so easy to bully Wimberley’s explosive offensive unit. The Texans really got things rolling last week against Liberty Hill, and have gotten progressively better each week. The emergence of quarterback Ricky Beaty as a more than able runner and passer has added to the solid play of Michael Buse to make Wimberley a force to be reckoned with.

The most important thing to keep an eye on in tonight’s game may very well be whether or not wide receivers Len Thompson and Richard Samuel can find openings in the Bulldogs’ secondary. Thompson terrorized Liberty Hill last week with over 200 yards receiving and three touchdowns, while Samuel remains the most consistent receiver for Wimberley throughout their first five games. If the Texans have trouble running the football early, the ability to throw it successfully could open up rushing lanes later in the ballgame.

When Wylie is on offense, they will use lots of different personnel to try to keep the Texans’ defense off balance. One constant, however, is quarterback Gary Edwards, who can both run and throw very effectively for the Bulldogs.

“The quarterback is their leader and he’s fast,” Nelms said. “They have 47 different formations on offense, so there’s not any receiver or back that you can really key on.”

A couple of different names will pop up when Wylie decides to run the ball, but the number of attempts that each runner gets may depend on whether or not starter Russell Felts will be able to play. Felts suffered a sprained right knee last week, which means that the bulk of the carries may be given to Edwards and running back Bailey McGee. If Felts can’t go, look for Cameron Rogers to also touch the ball for Wylie.

This game could come down to which coaching staff can make adjustments during the game in order to give their team some type of advantage. As Coach Nelms put it, this game could resemble a “chess match,” as both schools have struggled to get off to a quick start in each game thus far. Overall, both teams appear to be pretty evenly matched, which means that field position and turnovers may play a huge role in deciding the outcome.

Whichever team is able to execute more often than its opponent will possibly gain an early edge, but keep in mind that both teams have shown a knack for turning up their intensity as the game goes on. This one could come down to a big play or two in the final minutes of the game, a situation in which both teams were able to thrive last week.

Game time is set for 7:30 in what promises to be a 48-minute battle.