But the Brahmas can’t be anymore grateful about being in the postseason than the Bumble-bees.
East Bernard (7-2) carries a four-game winning streak into the 7:30 game at Merrill Green Stadium, while the Bees (7-3) got the nod on a three-way points-differential tiebreaker for the third spot from District 25-2A.
“We got in on a plus-one, zero and minus-one with Lago Vista and Lexington,” Academy coach Royce McAdams said. “You can’t cut it any closer than that. We’re just glad to be here.”
Of course, the Bees intend to do more than just show up. And they’ll need to.
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Putting points on the board hasn’t been a major issue for Academy this season. With quarterback Chase Gommert directing the charge with athletes such as Chase Reeders, Andrew Sodek and Cody Sultenfuss, the Bees can move the ball and score.
Gommert’s status for the game is uncertain after he suffered a dislocated clavicle last week against Florence. Kyle Kuban performed admirably in Gommert’s place and will step in again if needed.
“Kyle Kuban is so valuable,” McAdams said. “He’s a great linebacker and he’s played running back some. If we needed a defensive tackle he could do it. He’s a smart kid and those great attributes are so valuable. He’ll do whatever needs to be done.”
McAdams said his offensive line has “improved drastically” during the course of the year, particularly so because guard Josh Griffin is the only senior.
Defensively, the Bees are still searching for the right chemistry. Their defense against the rushing-heavy Slot-T offense that East Bernard runs has not been a recipe for success. Academy struggled against Slot-T teams Rogers and Lago Vista. The good news is the Bees have seen it and now are well-versed in it.
“It depends on the matchups,” McAdams said. “Against a more open offense we play real well. We don’t do so well in a telephone booth. But we’re getting better at it.”
That improvement will be tested by Brahmas halfback Lance Crump, who crossed the 1,000-yard mark last week in just his eighth game of the year. He averages 7 yards per carry and 16 of his 19 touchdowns came against district competition.
Brahmas coach Jerry Long knows there’s plenty to be concerned with in dealing with the Bees. But his team will play its style regardless of the opponent. After district losses to No. 6 Altair Rice Consolidated and Weimar, the Brahmas had to win their final four games to secure a playoff spot.
“(Academy) has quite a bit more depth than we have,” said Long, who is in his third year at East Bernard and trying to follow up back-to-back nine-win seasons. “They’ve got good team speed and a little bit of size and explosiveness.
“We see a lot spread offenses in our area,” he added. “It’s not anything we haven’t seen. We just have to raise our level. I tell the players that teams don’t get here because they’re not any good.”
The Brahmas, with quarterback Matt Stelzel, might throw more than Rogers and Lago Vista, but ball control is the name of their game.
“They will come after you,” McAdams said of the Brahmas. “It’s not so much misdirection as it is a power game.”
It might come down to which team plays its style better than its opponent.
“We’ve got to spread them out,” McAdams said. “We’ve got to play the whole field and the defense has got to make stops. Our offense has to take advantage every time they have a chance.
“We’ve got to cut down on our mistakes. We’ve had too many penalties and we can’t have those.”
