By Randy Stevens
Brownwood — Every football fan knows offense scores points and defense wins games.
Put them both together, and you’re in pretty good shape.
That’s what the Wimberley Texans proved Friday night, cruising past Iowa Park for a 31-14 Class 3A, Division II area playoff win at Brownwood’s Gordon Wood Stadium.
The victory places the Texans in the regional semifinals against Brownwood Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. in Copperas Cove. Brownwood is coming off a 41-28 win over Seminole.
“They’re going to be a good team, but everyone is god this time of the year,” WHS head coach Weldon Nelms said. “It just feels good to win again and keep the season going.”
While Wimberley’s offense posted 31 points, it was the defense that put its stamp on the game. The Texans forced Iowa Park to punt four times, and made the Hawks turn the ball over on downs twice in both halves.
“We came out and played well from the start by scoring on our first drive, but then the defense really set the tone,” Nelms said. “The defense did an outstanding job against an offense that can be tough to stop.”
The Texans’ “Code Red” defense set the tone in the first half, forcing the Hawks to punt and turn the ball over on downs twice, as the Texan offense posted three first-half scores to enjoy a 21-6 lead at the break.
Wimberley scored on the first possession of the game when Dennis Smith followed the left side of his offensive line for a 24-yard touchdown, capping a 12-play, 73-yard drive.
Drew Kutz’ kick gave WHS a 7-0 lead with 7:06 left in the first quarter.
Iowa Park countered two possessions later when Richard Smoak scored on a 15-yard sweep play, but the extra point was off the mark, allowing the Texans to hold a 7-6 lead.
Wimberley answered seven plays later as Smith scored his second touchdown of the night on a 9-yard run to give the Texans a 14-6 advantage.
After the Hawks were forced to punt on their next series, WHS wasted little time getting back into the end zone. This time it was senior quarterback Brooks Blakemore hooking up with his younger brother Brennen, who caught the ball at the 20-yard line before cutting inside for a 42-yard score. Kutz’ kick was on the mark, giving the Texans a 21-6 going into halftime.
The Texans increased their lead to 28-6 with 1:13 left in the third quarter when Brooks Blakemore rolled to his right and connected with Chase Brown for an18-yard score.
Kutz added Wimberley’s final points with a 45-yard field goal.
Iowa Park made the score look closer than it was with a 95-yard kickoff return from Lee Clubb and a two-point conversion from Smoak with 1:38 remaining in the game.
For Nelms, it was a bittersweet victory, considering he spent more than 10 years coaching at Iowa Park.
“In the end it’s all the same. A win is a win, no matter who we play,” Nelms said. “I have a lot of friends on the other sideline and they are still going to be close friends after this game, had we won or not.”
WHS used a balanced attack on offense, passing for 137 yards and rushing for 142. Brooks Blakemore completed 8-of-14 passes with a touchdown and no interceptions. Smith paced the Texan ground game with 103 yards on 25 attempts.
With the win, the Texans upped their record to 8-4 on the season, while Iowa Park’s season ends with a 5-6 record.
