In the pursuit of a championship, however, there is never a moment to rest on one’s laurels.
No. 7 UMHB will try to seize its fourth straight American Southwest Conference title when it takes on Sul Ross State at 1 p.m. today at Jackson Field.
The Crusaders (8-1 overall, 7-0 ASC), who will learn their first-round playoff opponent Sunday afternoon, have clinched at least a share of the conference championship and can claim the outright crown by stretching their ASC winning streak to 29 games.
“If we get to play some other guys against Sul Ross, then that’s well and good. But we’re not going in here with that as a plan,” UMHB coach Pete Fredenburg said. “Our plan is to secure our fourth straight conference championship.”
The Crusaders believe they’re peaking at the right time and hope to maintain their momentum against the Lobos (3-6, 2-5), who have been beaten by a combined score of 385-50 in the teams’ last eight meetings.
“The last two weeks, we have played really well,” Fredenburg said. “I think that it’s fitting to say that we have the personnel set correctly right now.
“In every year there comes a period of time when you have to pull together and identify who the leadership is. We’ve struggled a little bit, but I feel really good right now that we’re on target.”
After a stretch of a few weeks when UMHB looked nothing like a team that advanced to last year’s national semifinals, personnel changes have the Crusaders looking like title contenders again.
Junior Bryson Tucker will make his third start at tailback since moving from weak safety, and sophomore Kyle Noack will get the nod at quarterback for the third straight week.
Tucker is averaging 7.3 yards per carry, and Noack has passed for 220 yards and two touchdowns in the past two games, despite playing a total of just four quarters.
“I’m very pleased with Kyle,” said Fredenburg, who played senior quarterback Josh Saenz in the second half the last two weeks. “I know Josh wants to play, and he’s done a great job. But Kyle has done an incredible job.”
UMHB’s offense averages 406 yards and 38 points per game and will face a Sul Ross defense that yields 360 and 27.
On the other side, the Lobos’ attack leans on freshman running back Jermaine Swearington, an Odessa Permian product who has rushed for 828 yards and nine touchdowns.
Swearington could have a tough go against a Crusaders defense that has surrendered only 669 rushing yards all year, and he likely won’t be aided by SRSU’s passing game. Sophomore quarterback Monte Morales is completing only 44 percent of his passes and has thrown 10 interceptions to just five touchdowns.
“They’re trying to run the ball, and they’re doing a pretty good job,” Fredenburg said. “(First-year coach) Wayne Schroeder has them playing hard.”
NOTES: The only starting change for UMHB is at wide receiver. Junior Pi’Dadro Davis will start in place of sophomore Brian Scott, who is expected to return next week from a wrist injury. . . . The 32-team D-III playoff brackets will be released by the NCAA at 2 p.m. Sunday.
ALPINE - With a fifth consecutive berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs already in the bag for Mary Hardin-Baylor, today’s regular-season finale might seem like an opportune time for the Crusaders to rest up for their postseason run.
In the pursuit of a championship, however, there is never a moment to rest on one’s laurels.
No. 7 UMHB will try to seize its fourth straight American Southwest Conference title when it takes on Sul Ross State at 1 p.m. today at Jackson Field.
The Crusaders (8-1 overall, 7-0 ASC), who will learn their first-round playoff opponent Sunday afternoon, have clinched at least a share of the conference championship and can claim the outright crown by stretching their ASC winning streak to 29 games.
“If we get to play some other guys against Sul Ross, then that’s well and good. But we’re not going in here with that as a plan,” UMHB coach Pete Fredenburg said. “Our plan is to secure our fourth straight conference championship.”
The Crusaders believe they’re peaking at the right time and hope to maintain their momentum against the Lobos (3-6, 2-5), who have been beaten by a combined score of 385-50 in the teams’ last eight meetings.
“The last two weeks, we have played really well,” Fredenburg said. “I think that it’s fitting to say that we have the personnel set correctly right now.
“In every year there comes a period of time when you have to pull together and identify who the leadership is. We’ve struggled a little bit, but I feel really good right now that we’re on target.”
After a stretch of a few weeks when UMHB looked nothing like a team that advanced to last year’s national semifinals, personnel changes have the Crusaders looking like title contenders again.
Junior Bryson Tucker will make his third start at tailback since moving from weak safety, and sophomore Kyle Noack will get the nod at quarterback for the third straight week.
Tucker is averaging 7.3 yards per carry, and Noack has passed for 220 yards and two touchdowns in the past two games, despite playing a total of just four quarters.
“I’m very pleased with Kyle,” said Fredenburg, who played senior quarterback Josh Saenz in the second half the last two weeks. “I know Josh wants to play, and he’s done a great job. But Kyle has done an incredible job.”
UMHB’s offense averages 406 yards and 38 points per game and will face a Sul Ross defense that yields 360 and 27.
On the other side, the Lobos’ attack leans on freshman running back Jermaine Swearington, an Odessa Permian product who has rushed for 828 yards and nine touchdowns.
Swearington could have a tough go against a Crusaders defense that has surrendered only 669 rushing yards all year, and he likely won’t be aided by SRSU’s passing game. Sophomore quarterback Monte Morales is completing only 44 percent of his passes and has thrown 10 interceptions to just five touchdowns.
“They’re trying to run the ball, and they’re doing a pretty good job,” Fredenburg said. “(First-year coach) Wayne Schroeder has them playing hard.”
NOTES: The only starting change for UMHB is at wide receiver. Junior Pi’Dadro Davis will start in place of sophomore Brian Scott, who is expected to return next week from a wrist injury. . . . The 32-team D-III playoff brackets will be released by the NCAA at 2 p.m. Sunday.
edrennan@temple-telegram.com
