The Eagles rolled to a 34-0 win in the Tigers’ home opener and Belton never recovered, finishing 0-10.
This season, the Tigers head into tonight’s 7:30 game in Georgetown having won their first two games and are relatively healthy - except for likely losing starting quarterback Jacob Phillipe for the season with an injury.
And while the Tigers have improved from last season, the Eagles are supposed to be improved from last year’s 5-5 record, although their season has started identical to 2006 - a close win against San Antonio Alamo Heights (last year’s Class 4A Division I champion) and a close loss to San Antonio Reagan.
So even though the Tigers’ wins are against average 4A team Boerne and rebuilding 5A squad Bastrop, Belton first-year coach Rodney Southern said wins build confidence - regardless of the opponent.
“At a stage like this, you just want to win,” he said. “You don’t really look at who it was against. Our first four games are geared around getting ready to win in district (13-5A). We were fortunate to win the first two, and now the next two will be a good test for us.
“Once you get them,” he added, “nobody remembers who they were.”
This matchup was close to being a battle of unbeatens, but the Eagles blew a 19-7 lead in the fourth quarter of their 29-26 loss to Reagan, which had three fourth-quarter rushing touchdowns in an eight-minute span.
Quarterback Morgan Mickan has supplied most of the offense for the Eagles, completing 18 of 28 passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions. His 120 rushing yards are second to T.J. Standberry (155).
Mickan and Standberry benefit from an offensive line that includes 380-pound Bryan Gray, 315-pound Daniel Morin and 290-pound Chaz Meyer. Third-year coach Phil Blue, who did not return repeated calls to his office, is 9-13 in his stint at Georgetown.
“It’s probably the biggest offensive line we’ll see, including against some of the folks in our district,” Southern said. “They average about 290 pounds across their front, so we’ll have our hands full.”
With the loss of Phillipe, Belton’s offense was run-heavy in last week’s 28-10 win over Bastrop. Khiry Robinson ran for 131 yards and Keith Daniels added two fourth-quarter touchdowns and 65 yards.
“We have to run the football more effectively than we did the last two weeks, and definitely more than last week,” Southern said. “They are physically large on the offensive and defensive lines, plus now they’ve had three years in Coach Blue’s system, so you can see they’re getting a grasp on offense and on defense.”
Junior quarterback Cole Dominguez will make his second start after Phillipe broke a bone in his leg just above the ankle while celebrating a touchdown pass in the Tigers’ 24-23 win over Boerne. In that game, Dominguez led the Tigers’ late drive for the winning touchdown in the final minute.
Against Bastrop, Dominguez completed just four of nine passes for 22 yards after an 8-for-10, 100-yard showing against Boerne. Southern said that almost 20 snaps were “off a little” last week. He credited some of that to the Bears’ linebackers but also said those things happen when a QB makes his first start.
“It was also a meshing-point thing,” Southern said. “It was the first full game with Cole at quarterback. He’s just different than Jacob and that took some getting used to.”
Despite the less-effective showing last week, Southern said the coaches will work with Dominguez so if another game-winning drive is needed tonight - or next week when the Tigers return home to play Round Rock McNeil - he will be ready.
“We’ll prepare him throughout this week for Friday,” Southern said. “Of course, there are going to be some things we’re not prepared for. There are some things they’re going to throw at us we can’t prepare for, just like there are some things we’re going to throw at them that they can’t prepare for. But we’re going to try to get him good protection again, and he’s going to have to make the throws.
“If we do fall behind, he’s going to have to step up and make some plays and put the ball into a better situation.”
ecarifio@temple-telegram.com
