Hornets must take care of ball, dictate tempo vs. Pirates

By Jayson Larson Sports Editor

The Athens Hornets don’t seem to be letting the resume of the Waco LaVega Pirates intimidate them.

Yes, a year ago LaVega’s season didn’t end until a loss to Prosper in the Class 3A state championship game. LaVega led that game by a touchdown at the half.

And it’s the same LaVega team that’s known for running, running and running some more all over teams across the region.

But if you get to know Athens Head Coach Paul Essary, you realize these are the types of situations he likes, the kind that leads him to start sentences with “What a great opportunity ...”

As in, what a great opportunity it is for the Hornets — a team many had written off a month ago — to surpass expectations once again and upset a team that played for a state title just one year ago.

“We’ve got a chance to win this one,” Essary said. “I think we match up well.”

The Hornets (4-6) get their chance Saturday at 2 p.m. when they meet the Pirates (6-4) in a Region III-3A bi-district contest at Mesquite’s Hanby Stadium.

Teams that make the fewest mistakes often win football games, and Essary says this week will be no different. But the Hornets will have to find a way to keep the Pirates’ ball hog, run-happy offense off the field.

“LaVega’s the type of team that likes to get out on top and then grind that clock,” Essary said. “So it’s very important that we dictate the tempo of this football game.”

That’s something the Hornets didn’t have the ability to do early on this season. They headed into the 2009 campaign with a new coach and expectations (from Texas Football magazine) to win a district championship. A 1-5 start, including a loss in the 20-3A opener, dampened those hopes.

But the Hornets ripped off three straight wins, including an upset over Palestine, to make the playoffs. Last week, they had a chance to clinch a co-district championship but lost to rival Brownsboro by six points.

An offensive switch to the “I” — which sometimes shifts into the spread — seemed to best utilize the personnel available to the coaching staff. In the last four district games, Athens averaged nearly 25 points per game. That was after averaging only 13 points over the previous six games.

Why the change?

The Hornets saw three different quarterbacks start games early, but coaches eventually settled on senior Jack Barkley. Barkley has thrown for 847 yards with nine touchdowns and four interceptions this season. His favorite target, Courtney Whitehead, has 50 catches for 690 yards and a team-leading six touchdowns.

The Hornets’ running game may be the biggest reason for the improvement. Randall Gamble and Justin Hofstetter, who only began having success in the running game toward district play, have been an effective 1-2 punch. Hosfstetter has four rushing touchdowns and Gamble has two, and they’ve combined for 961 yards rushing.

Last week, the Hornets displayed the kind of grind-it-out offensive march they’re going to need to control the ball and the clock against LaVega. Their first drive went 11 plays and 75 yards, eating nearly four minutes of clock, and ending with Whitehead’s sixth TD catch of the season.

Their second drive was better, going 14 plays and 85 yards and ending with a six-yard Hofstetter run. That drive chewed more than nine minutes of game time.

But to give credit for Athens wins without talking about the defense would be off-target. The defensive unit, which has 29 sacks on the season, have been the heart and soul of the team, led by the likes of senior Matt Jordan, Hofstetter and C.J. Tatum, juniors, and sophomore Kendall Sanders.

Essary said he’s proud to say all the Hornets will be eligible Saturday, which he said is a direction reflection of the hard work of his players in the classroom and the outstanding teachers at Athens High School.

Essary also called on fans to come out in force to support the Hornets in Mesquite Saturday.

“We’re real excited about the community support,” he said. “Our kids feed off that when it’s a very exciting atmosphere. We need all those fans to show up in Mesquite Saturday.”

Athens vs. LaVega

Saturday, Nov. 14

2 p.m. at Mesquite Hanby

Tickets: $5 adult and $3 student in advance

$6 at the gate

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Take Hwy. 175 to 635 North

Exit Military and Scyene to the right

Stay straight through Old Mesquite – you will cross Belt Line

Stadium behind Mesquite High School

Field at 300 East Davis

Root on the Hornets!

A communitywide pep rally is set for tonight at Bruce Field.

The pep rally is sponsored by

Brookshire’s, Steve Grant Real Estate, Citizens National Bank and McAlister’s.

Food will be served at 6:30 p.m. The pep rally will start at 7:15p.m.

Playoff shirts will be available for 10.