Friday Night Lights at Texan Stadium were delayed due to lights in the skies in the area Friday evening. Lightning pushed the original 7:30 p.m. start back fifty minutes, but once started, the Texans froze out Austin Achieve’s Polar Bears to complete the regular season as undefeated champions of 4A Division II District 14.
“We finished the season as district champions, which is always the goal, and was a huge feat for these guys,” Head Football Coach Doug Warren said. “There’s not a plan to finish undefeated. It’s hard to do but these guys have answered the challenge each week. Being undefeated is icing on the cake.”
What can a team learn from a 66-0 win? Next up. A recurring theme of this Texan squad has been that no one player is above another. If someone steps out or is injured, who will be the next up? In a blowout win with starters taking to the sidelines in the second quarter, some less familiar names received significant playing time and experience.
“A lot of those kids that stepped in this year were names people didn’t know, because they replaced last year’s graduating seniors,” Warren said. “But now they do. For some of those who played against Achieve that a casual fan might not have heard of, we see these guys every day in practice working on scout defense or offense. They’re a vital part of this team. They make their mark and put in the work to be ready when their number is called. Seeing them out there making plays in this big win is no surprise to me. It’s no surprise to these coaches, and it’s not a surprise to their teammates. They’ll be ready when they’re next up.”
“We’re excited as we head off into the playoffs, and we really like the makeup of this team,” Warren continued. “What has made this team as good as they are is their brotherhood. I can’t put I can’t put my finger on it or tell you why it’s that way. There’s probably multiple reasons why this happened, but these guys have that bond. To me, when you’re willing to put it all on the line for that guy beside you, that’s when you truly can achieve your best. I believe this team deeply cares for each other. They enjoy coming out to practice and getting out there and working with each other,” Warren added. “You know, not all teams are like that. This one is, and that’s part of the reason they’re so special and what makes them successful as well. That’s a huge ingredient of our team.”
The teams’ statistics from this game were otherworldly. Quarterback Cody Stoever completed his only two passes for 51 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter. Dane Hennessee relieved Stoever in the second quarter, finishing the game with seven pass attempts, completing three for 119 yards. Each of Hennessee’s completions went for a touchdown.
Appropriately, all five receptions were made by seniors. Jack Boyle led all receivers in yardage with a single catch for a 61-yard touchdown. Tru Couch caught one pass for 50 yards followed closely by Wyatt Franchione with one catch for 47 yards and a touchdown. Ben Cabler scored an 11-yard touchdown on his one reception and Eli Dubuisson snagged a 1-yard touchdown pass.
The rush game averaged nearly 22-yards per carry, accumulating 259 yards on twelve carries. Johnny Ball split the center of the field on the first play of the game for a 70 yard score on his only carry. Cayden Heatley took one handoff for 31 yards and a touchdown. Noah Birdsong carried once for 10 yards and Jack Boyle picked up 37 yards on his single rush. Cody Overall ran twice for 44 yards matched in attempts by Cabler for 37 yards and Hennessee with 6 yards and a score. Ty Thames carried the ball twice for 22 yards and one touchdown.
The Code Red defense recorded nine sacks between seven players, Kason Pritchard, Brady Barbee, Owen O’Neal and Callan Drum each notched one sack while Franchione and Troy Heugly both dropped Polar Bear quarterbacks twice. Lane Patek intercepted one pass and Wynston Burttschell had a 37 yard pick returned for a touchdown.
The busiest player for the Texans might have been kicker Gage Tumlinson. Tumlinson completed nine extra points, adding one 27-yard field goal late in the contest, not to mention his multiple kickoffs.
There was a moment of clarity in the chaos of senior night and the festivities. After Senior Walk, Cayden Heatly quietly strolled back to the middle of the playing surface and laid down, looking up into the night sky alone. One or two at a time, the remainder of the seniors made their way back to his side, sometimes embracing, other times just showing appreciation by a slap across shoulder pads or a nod. They had accumulated into a mass when Wynston Burttschell ran out and delivered the Golden Ball District trophy to them then stepped away. It was a powerful moment for Warren’s team. “Some of these kiddos started playing football out here in third or fourth grade. We’ve been out here a long time, working out on this field, countless times and hours. I think it (Senior Night) is one of the first times they start realizing the formality of it, like ‘this is going by really fast. I didn’t think this would ever get here and now - all of a sudden - you look up and here it is.’” Warren continued, “I think the other thing is that it’s really about relationships. You can’t tell me those kids are gonna miss athletics. It’s hard and those workouts are not fun but the relationships that are formed between each other, and between those kids and coaches, is what makes it all special. To me, that’s the toughest part for them, because they know that will be missing.”
The Texans face former district foe Young Men’s Leadership Academy at Alamo Stadium also known as “The Rock Pile” - in bi-district play Thursday evening, 7:30 p.m. “YMLA is a young program that is still growing. I know Coach Green and his coaches do a great job with those kiddos. Some of the kids they had last year were younger so they’ll be back with experience. He had some nice players last year, some very dynamic athletes,” admired the Texan coach. “We’ll take a look at them on video to get a game plan out there. But like I tell the kids, this time of the year it’s not about your opponent - it really should never be about an opponent - but it’s just about us. That’s the way we’ll approach this week. All we are guaranteed is this one week.”
“What we try to do is get them to focus on the task at hand. Don’t look forward. Get at the task at hand and go try to guarantee yourself one more week,” stated Warren. “We’re having fun. This group is really fun to coach and they don’t want it to end. I don’t want it to end either. So let’s go down there prepared to ensure that we add another week to it.”
Warren’s advice for Texan fans this week? “Go down to San Antonio early, find you a good place to eat, then come watch a good football game this Thursday night.”
