McGregor skill-position players Joe Seward, Qualin Brown, Nic Clark, Larry Smith and Sean Chappell - who all run 40-yard dashes in less than 4.7 seconds - provide plenty of quickness.
The Bulldogs’ swift lineup will be on display tonight in a clash for Class 2A supremacy when District 25-2A favorite Salado travels to battle District 21-2A favorite McGregor at Bulldog Stadium.
Salado coach Jeff Cheatham describes the non-district matchup as an excellent tuneup for what the Eagles expect to see the rest of the season.
“This will be one of the type of teams we need to get ready for,” he said. “Down the road we will face some teams with great speed, too, but this will be a good tester.”
Salado’s defense did an outstanding job in the Eagles’ season-opening victory against West, limiting the Trojans to 28 rushing yards on 27 carries.
How well Salado contains McGregor’s Brown will be an important factor.
Brown has compiled more than 2,300 yards rushing the past two years. His quest for a third consecutive 1,000-yard season began with a 139-yard, two-touchdown effort in the season-opening win at Rosebud-Lott.
Salado held Brown to 59 yards and McGregor to 75 team rushing yards in last season’s 29-12 victory.
With respect to Brown, Cheatham also knows the Bulldogs have other weapons.
“I feel like we’re not only going to have to stop him, but (Joe) Seward is an extremely good thrower,” he said. “He has several kids that can catch the football. We have to do a good job of making sure we get those guys taken care of.”
Salado’s offense is no slouch.
Veteran quarterback David Rosenau connected with six receivers and threw for 101 yards against West, and running back Seth Collins ran for 104 yards.
“They’re going to have a chance to be explosive,” Cheatham said. “We have to minimize that explosiveness. We have to do a good job of containing their speed. Offensively, we can’t have mistakes.”
- Waco Reicher at Rogers -
After just one week, Waco Reicher knows the value of a great special teams unit.
Trailing 13-0 at halftime, the Cougars recovered four consecutive onside kicks that led to points in a 27-13 comeback win over Franklin last week.
Reicher’s heroics forced Rogers coach John Stillwell to spend extra preparation on special teams for the Eagles’ season opener.
“We practice against that stuff anyway - the onside kick, the pop-up kick,” he said. “We’ve used it in the past, but we did give it a bit more attention this week. You’d be foolish not to. No doubt it changed the game.”
Stillwell wouldn’t reveal whom he plans to start at quarterback between Jonathan Bane and Chance Marek. He does know his receiving corps is one of the better groups he’s had in his 10 years at Rogers.
According to Stillwell, Jordan Sebek, Dalton Kuehn, E.J. Larkin and Brent Reynolds are not burners, just quick players.
With Rogers’ status uncertain at QB, Reicher counters with strong-armed junior Kenneth Cluley. He threw for 272 yards and rushed for 100 last week and has the strength to toss the ball 70 yards on a rollout.
Reicher and Rogers have played some close contests in recent years. Reicher rallied from a 28-14 deficit to a 31-28 home victory last year. Two years ago, the Cougars trailed 20-7 before rallying for a 21-20 win. In 2004, Rogers handed Reicher its lone loss, 21-13, as the Cougars eventually won the TAPPS Class 3A state championship.
“If we were a public school, we’d be considered a Class A team, but we play 2A and 3A competition,” Reicher coach Mark Waggoner said. “Rogers is historically a good football program. In that respect, it’s a big game. We just see it as a big rivalry game.”
- Rosebud-Lott at Moody -
The Rosebud-Lott Cougars and Moody Bearcats are seeking not only their first victories of the season but also offensive identities.
Moody suffered a shutout for the third straight game, but Richard Leitz showed some promise by rushing for 72 of the team’s 164 total yards against Thorndale.
Rosebud-Lott managed just 216 yards of total offense against McGregor and scored its lone touchdown when quarterback Adryan Howard connected with tight end Collin Rabroker on a 48-yard touchdown reception. Rabroker caught five passes for 75 yards and should expect more opportunities.
“They’re definitely making progress and we’re in the same boat in a lot of ways,” R-L coach Kyle Maxfield said. “We’re probably a step ahead because this is my second year, but we’re still fighting the same battles.”
Added Moody coach Sam Gillispie: “We’re young and they are, too. Our program is brand-new and they’re putting in a new system. It’s two teams trying to find our identity."
cmeister@temple-telegram.com
