     |
Hays-Lehman footballPosted October 5, 2007, 11:10 a.m.
|
Hays Highway Editor
BUDA – It figures that Hays would carve its identity on offense right about now, with a week to go before entering the teeth of their District 26-4A schedule. It figures that it would be good news for Hays and bad news for Lehman.
Hays and Lehman hook up again this evening in the second annual football meeting of the two high schools in the Hays CISD. Following last year's 56-0 Hays victory, and considering that Hays is 3-1 and Lehman is 1-3, the Rebels once again are prohibitively favored.
The game uncovers the contrasts within one school district feeling rapid change after decades of unity under one high school.
Hays is the established program that expects playoff football in its ordinary course under Bob Shelton, the school's only head coach in 40 years of existence. The families, generally, are better off, the kids are socialized almost from kindergarten to work towards that senior year when they'll wear the mighty blue and, when their moment arrives, they go at it as if they've invested their entire lives.
Lehman is playing its second year of varsity football under Steve Davis, the former Westlake offensive coordinator and Austin High head coach who is trying to build a constructive workshop. The road has not been smooth. The community tradition so essential to Hays football is not in place. Many of his players grew up dreaming of the Hays blue, and now they're not.
For Hays, the goal is a deep playoff run and the state championship that's always alive in its players' dreams. For Lehman, the goal is to learn the more homely lessons of football in a less glorious context with hopes that, someday, a little success will seed days of victory.
In view of Hays' aspirations for this season, of course, the big picture is secondary. After struggling defensively in their games this year against Cedar Park and Lockhart, the Rebels need to tighten up their game before taking on offensive powerhouses from New Braunfels and Del Valle in the next two weeks.
And it's homecoming at Hays, which plays differently with each coach. It's a constant source of irritation for Davis that the Lobos are frequently scheduled as the opponent's homecoming. He expects a hostile situation at Bob Shelton Stadium, which also is Lehman's home field. For Shelton, homecoming means the football team loses its routine.
"We expect (Lehman) to play very hard against us because we're us and they're them," Shelton said. "With homecoming, you always worry about distractions. We hope our guys will be smart enough to avoid distractions and focus on the ball game. It's a different kind of a week where you have a lot of things that are off schedule."
Another potential concern to Hays is that the Lobos can bring their defense from time to time, witness strong performances in their 18-14 win against Johnston and their 7-0 loss to San Antonio Edison. But the Lobos took a 61-6 beating last week against Del Valle, which packs the experience, speed and athletic skill to make a deep playoff run, if it should survive District 26-4A.
"When they've got guys who can run 4.5s (in the 40-yard dash) and your fastest guy runs a 4.8, that makes it tough," Davis said.
The Rebels not only bring a 4.5 runner in quarterback Clayton Rogers, who has picked up his rushing game in the last two weeks, but they've also got a power running game to make their speed a little bit speedier.
The Rebels average 297 pounds from guard to guard, issuing numerous easy gains through the middle last Friday night in a 43-32 win at Lockhart. Rogers ran for 277 yards in that game, usually going straight up the gut. The quarterback now has rushed for 383 yards in the last two games. Hays fullback Nikki DeSantiago is a battering ram behind that interior offensive line, rushing for 244 yards in the last two games and crossing 100 yards each time.
For the Hays defense, tonight's game figures to be a training exercise. The Rebels have allowed five fourth-quarter touchdowns in the last two games, though Shelton discounts some of that because substitutes played in some cases. However, Shelton doesn't discount that Lockhart moved the ball well throughout last week's game.
"We had trouble stopping Lockhart all night, truthfully," Shelton said. "In the first half, we did a good job keeping the ball out of their hands. The second half, they had the ball a little bit more. They got momentum more than us wearing down."
While Lehman often plays a spirited, competitive defense, it has struggled to develop a consistent offensive presence. It their last three games, the Lobos have scored a total of six points. Mistakes by the offense are often as responsible as defensive breakdowns when opponents score touchdowns.
"We definitely want to go out and execute, eliminate our mistakes, be aggressive, fly around, have fun and hit somebody," Davis said. "We want to play hard and let the scoreboard take care of itself."
It could go without saying that Hays needs a win tonight for any chance of playoff worthiness in a district with at least six teams in the mix for three spots. Hays, New Braunfels and Schertz Clemens won the positions last year, New Braunfels Canyon barely missed, many believe this is Del Valle's big chance and, after last week, Shelton said he's not counting out Lockhart. The Rebels are 1-0 in District 26-4A and they'll just keep trying to add wins.
"You have to play your best every week and see where you stand," Shelton said.
For Lehman, it's a big step just to enter that conversation. At this point, Davis is trying to keep his kids focused on fighting through tough times. The Lobos are 0-1 in District 26-4A and it's not getting any easier.
"It's a challenge," Davis said. "We keep trying to make them understand that as long as you're trying, you're not a loser. Nobody's going to feel sorry for you. They're not going to stop scheduling you for homecoming and they're not going to stop trying to score. When you get cut up a little bit, you have to get back up. You have to focus and win the battle at your position. When they start seeing some success from that hard work ..."
A Lehman win tonight would be the kind of success that could change everything. But Hays is playing for the higher competitive stakes and the tradition, to say nothing of the expectation that, at this point in history, it should beat Lehman on the field they share.
The Hays Highway privacy policy
The Hays Highway disclaimer and terms of use]
.
