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Silsbee vs. Cuero, 4A State Semifinal


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Yes, Silsbee is a cinderella team.  6 - 4 coming out of district.  Unranked and unheralded.  Obviously they are overachievers. 

But I remember another group of overachievers.  French High in 84, my alma mater.  Unranked, unheralded, unknown really.  A group of overachievers 6 - 4 coming out of district as runner ups.  But they just kept finding a way.  And you'd be dead wrong to if you thought that it was all about talent and ability.  Happenstance played a HUGE role.

I remember one game in the Dome.  4th and goal on the 8 yard line.  French QB throws a perfect fade to the corner of the end zone.  WOW!  Crowd goes nuts.  But wait.  Holding.  So now it's 4th and goal on the 18.  What to do?  I know, we'll run the same play from 10 yards further out!  Won't the defense be looking for it?  So they run the same play.  And get the same result, no holding this time and it's a Buffalo's TD.  The same exact play, one of the trickiest plays high school kids can attempt, run twice, back to back, flawlessly, against quality opposition.  Have you ever seen something like that?  I know I hadn't.  And I've never seen it again.  Not ever, not at any level.  If you try to tell me there wasn't something else at work there I'm just going to laugh.

Or how about the 15 yard laser strike down the middle to a crossing receiver.  Oops, to hot, he tipped it up.  Gonna be intercepted.  No the defender tipped it too.......  right into the hands of a different receiver who was just hanging out in the area.  He catches it and runs for a touchdown.  Something else was at work.  

And in the semifinal game a front blows through and Kyle Field is a wind tunnel.  This is back in the day when both ends were open.  They have to take the flags down before the wind tears them up.  The goal posts are swaying back and forth by several feet.  Both teams are thrown completely out of their comfort zones.  Punts are netting 10 yards.  Happenstance?

The Buffalos didn't have enough of whatever it was to win an outright title but they did have enough to manage a tie with the nationally ranked Permian Panthers.  

And I'll tell you exactly what it was.  It was a team that was just good enough and just fast enough to get themselves in a position were fate could lend a hand.

Normally physical ability, talent, hard work, experience, inspiration and excellent coaching are all important.  But from time to time, here and there, destiny rears it's disturbing head.  And when it does those former things, usually the determining factors, simple don't matter.

So, are the Tigers a team of destiny?  I really don't know.  You tell me.  They are pretty good.  They've got speed and they are well coached.  And then a rain storm shows up on just the right day.  It was clear and mild the day before and mild the day after.  But today it's a driving rain with gusty winds, conditions I've never seen a game played in.  But the Tigers seem to be completely comfortable with it.  It's raining?  Okay, fine, better even, let's see how it goes.  The Mustangs?  Normally dashing steads ready to prove all naysayers wrong.  A determined talented team that just the last week sent the No.1 ranked team home and it was no fluke.  And today?  Today they are wet horses; unhappy, uncomfortable and confused.  Happenstance?

Can the Tigers win this game?  Of course they can.  First of all, they may be better than we think.  They may be wildly underrated and truly a match for any team in the state.  But even if they are outmanned by Cuero they can still win.  I know that because I've seen it before.

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1 hour ago, JimThorpe said:

Yes, Silsbee is a cinderella team.  6 - 4 coming out of district.  Unranked and unheralded.  Obviously they are overachievers. 

But I remember another group of overachievers.  Polk High in 84, my alma mater.  Unranked, unheralded, unknown really.  A group of overachievers 6 - 4 coming out of district as runner ups.  But they just kept finding a way.  And you'd be dead wrong to if you thought that it was all about talent and ability.  Happenstance played a HUGE role.

I remember the City Championship Game.  4th and goal on the 8 yard line.  Polk Panther's QB throws a perfect fade to the corner of the end zone.  WOW!  Crowd goes nuts.  But wait.  Holding.  So now it's 4th and goal on the 18.  What to do?  I know, we'll run the same play from 10 yards further out!  Won't the defense be looking for it?  So they run the same play.  And get the same result, no holding this time and it's a Polk Panther's TD.  The same exact play, one of the trickiest plays high school kids can attempt, run twice, back to back, flawlessly, against quality opposition.  Have you ever seen something like that?  I know I hadn't.  And I've never seen it again.  Not ever, not at any level.  If you try to tell me there wasn't something else at work there I'm just going to laugh.

Or how about the 15 yard laser strike down the middle to a crossing receiver.  Oops, to hot, he tipped it up.  Gonna be intercepted.  No the defender Bubba "Spare Tire" Dixon tipped it too.......  right into the hands of a different receiver who was just hanging out in the area.  He catches it and runs for a touchdown.  Something else was at work.  

And in the semifinal game a front blows through and Kyle Field is a wind tunnel.  This is back in the day when both ends were open.  They have to take the flags down before the wind tears them up.  The goal posts are swaying back and forth by several feet.  Both teams are thrown completely out of their comfort zones.  Punts are netting 10 yards.  Happenstance?

The Panthers didn't have enough of whatever it was to win an outright title but they did have enough to manage a tie with the nationally ranked Andrew Johnson HIgh School.  

And I'll tell you exactly what it was.  It was a team that was just good enough and just fast enough to get themselves in a position were fate could lend a hand.

Normally physical ability, talent, hard work, experience, inspiration and excellent coaching are all important.  But from time to time, here and there, destiny rears it's disturbing head.  And when it does those former things, usually the determining factors, simple don't matter.

 

Al Bundy

I knew I'd heard that story somewhere before.

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Cuero has been to the semi’s 17 times counting this game and are 10-6 in those games. These kids grow up knowing what’s expected when they put on that uniform and destiny can be put on this Cuero team just like it can for Silsbee. This game should be a good one with both teams riding winning streaks and bringing a lot of confidence into his one. I think turnovers are going to factor into who wins and my prediction ... homer style Cuero 42- Silsbee 28. 

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3 hours ago, GMGKSA said:

Cuero has been to the semi’s 17 times counting this game and are 10-6 in those games. These kids grow up knowing what’s expected when they put on that uniform and destiny can be put on this Cuero team just like it can for Silsbee. This game should be a good one with both teams riding winning streaks and bringing a lot of confidence into his one. I think turnovers are going to factor into who wins and my prediction ... homer style Cuero 42- Silsbee 28. 

Yeah" that district and bracket must really suck. :)

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9 hours ago, GMGKSA said:

Cuero has been to the semi’s 17 times counting this game and are 10-6 in those games. These kids grow up knowing what’s expected when they put on that uniform and destiny can be put on this Cuero team just like it can for Silsbee. This game should be a good one with both teams riding winning streaks and bringing a lot of confidence into his one. I think turnovers are going to factor into who wins and my prediction ... homer style Cuero 42- Silsbee 28. 

 

 

 

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On 12/9/2018 at 11:37 AM, Kountzer said:

Based on the youtube video of their last win Cuero is loaded with talent. Whittington, rb Love, big db # 3..  The qb can run and pass.  

Silsbee has a lot of big play talent as well.  Ain't no sense in freezing

up now.  It won't be easy.  It never is. but it can be done.

Was wondering if I heard right and If that was the right person. Yes praying..

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