Trojans head to Huffman with 22-AAA Championship in sight.

At The Goal Line (Special Edition)

By Charles Ballard

Trojans head to Huffman with 22-AAA Championship in sight.

Well one thing you can say about this last week the Coldspring Trojans did not win or loose, they had a bye. However: get ready for the game of the district 22-AAA. And what game would that be…? It is the next game on the schedule, Coldspring-Oakhurst VS Huffman-Hargrave.

I feel that this is the game that will decide the fate of the Trojans. If they can contain the Falcons and their aerial attack and keep the score to within a reasonable range then the Trojans will do fine all the way through The State Play-off.

Last year Mr. DeBerry (2010 quarterback for the Falcons) posted great numbers against the Trojans, However; he did not pull off the win Coldspring scored 29 points and Huffman only came up with 20. Mr. DeBerry is no longer the quarterback. Mr. Townley has now assumed the duties of the QB for Huffman. He has thrown 147 completions in 251 attempts with only 11 interceptions, totaling 1978 yards, impressive to say the least. Coldspring on the other had has posted huge rushing yardage. Sherman Gilbert, running back for the Trojans has 1324 yards rushing in 100 attempts, and is rated number 1. Coldspring Trojan, Colton Monroe ranks 3^rd with 889 yards in 79 attempts. So if you want to compare yardage. The total for Coldspring's top rushers is 2213 and the total for Huffman's top aerial attack is 1978. But you just can't compare the two stats and be comfortable with the end results. I will say that in most cases a rushing team like Coldspring has the advantage over a passing game simply by looking at the mechanics of the game. There are so many variables that have to fall into place for a passing attack to work. First you have to have a good QB that can hang in the pocket long enough to find a free receiver down field, that is open. The receiver has to be able to catch that ball and not fumble it on impact. With a rushing attack you have to have a good running back that can hold on to the ball and post good rushing numbers. Huffman does have a house full of good receivers. Look for Hardy, Gray, McCloskey and Harrell of Huffman to be burning up the turf against the Trojans. One other stat that Coldspring has that is very impressive is "TD's” . Gilbert with 29 and Monroe with 15.

Over the last three games the Trojan Defense has held the opponents in check with a big goose egg (0) points. They have not encountered the aerial attack that Huffman is fixing to throw against the Trojans Defense. Tre Cooper is a quarterback's living nightmare. He is the person that will try to put pressure on the quarterback and get him to throw before he is ready, or simply sack the QB. This is something that Cooper is very good at. He has driven many QB's to try different avenues against the Trojans.

If we look at Huffman's record of 8 – 1 and Coldspring's record of 8 – 0, you will see great similar stats. Both have dominating offenses. The big difference is that Coldspring can stop the run and stop the pass, in most cases.

Huffman started out district play with a win over Liberty of 40 -20, Tarkington 56 -0, Shepherd 35 – 14, Splendora 41 – 7 and last week Cleveland 49 – 3. On the other side of the field, Coldspring entered district with a win over Tarkington and a 67 – 8 win followed by Shepherd 59-0, Splendora 67-0, and finally Cleveland 61 -0. So you can see that Huffman has and can be scored on, Coldspring on the other had is tough to score against.

With all this said, what do I expect…? Well, I hold to the last statement from last weeks "At The Goal Line”, if the Trojans play like they did against Cleveland you are looking at the next State Champs. Huffman will offer the best offense and a moderately aggressive defense and will do their best to win the 22-AAA district title. Will it happen I don't think so. But, again only time will tell.

During the bye week I talked to several people that you will recognize and asked how they felt about the Trojans and this years team. I was impressed by all of their comments and statements.

First I talked to Principal Dr. Elizabeth Jarvis. I asked her what she thought about this years team and the athletes. Dr. Jarvis remarked, "I am so proud of these students. They have worked so hard, on the field and in the class room to be the best that they can be. They deserve to win it all.”

Next, I talked with Assistant Superintendent Dr. Chapman. He exclaimed, " I am proud of all these students. They have set a goal and worked hard at achieving the best at what they do. They work very hard in the class room and on the field. They can see that if you work hard and have a purpose you can achieve your goal. "

And last but not least is one of the 1997 Coldspring Cheerleaders, who just happens to be the Superintendent of COCISD. Dr. LaTonya Goffney. I took a few minutes with Dr. Goffney and asked several questions which I am sure that all would like to hear.

The first question that I asked her was. "What do you feel the Team has done for the City of Coldspring?”

DR. Goffney: "The Trojans have brought us together as a community. We had about 1,800 attend Homecoming last week. There is definitely a strong sense of Trojan pride in COCISD.

We are in tough economic times; it has been devastating for individuals and institutions, specifically education. However, on Friday night, we put our worries aside, we have fun, and we are thrilled by the success of our students.”

Next I asked, "What would you like to say to the students as a group.”

Dr. Goffney: "My hope is that they learn,accept, and practice the discipline required of champions. It takes a lot of preparation and commitment to win and to sustain success. The mental and physical preparation required for a winning football season is the same focus and determination necessary for classroom and career success.”

And last but not least, I asked, "Would you like to make a comment about this year's football team?”

Dr. Goffney: "I am proud of our football team, but I would be remiss not to brag on Coach Barbay and our coaches for champions they are.

Because of state budget cuts, I asked all COCISD staff members this year to do more with less. The coaching staff is not letting our students down. We have fewer coaches than many other 3A schools, but COCISD coaches are setting the example of commitment and perseverance. For educational purposes, it is part of the big picture and they are doing whatever it takes to educate.”

Well sports fans, you will not want to miss this next game. I can assure you that it will be a great game. I will be at Huffman Texas. Bring a sack lunch and pack the truck and head south on Hwy 59. and I will see you around 7:30 kickoff.

So I guess that there is just one more thing I need to say. That is the way I see it "At the Goal Line”