Steers battle Breckenridge
by By Clay Stewart
(Posted 11/3/2009 12:46 pm)
sports@grahamleader.com
Many may think the Graham Steers can’t lose this week. After all, the Steers are playing a team that is 1-8.
After playing Brownwood and Abilene Wylie in the last two weeks, winning one, the Steers look like heavy favorites over Breckenridge in Friday’s game.
“There’s lots of ways we could lose this game,” said coach Brad McCoy. “This is the hardest coaching week of the year. After playing the two games we’ve played – the star power, the TV coverage, the high-powered teams we’ve had, and now we have to go and play a team that’s 1-8. It’s harder to get the kids to focus.”
With the playoffs already clinched, McCoy admitted there isn’t much on the line. But the Steers want to go into the playoffs on a winning note, and Breckenridge would like nothing better than to go out with a bang.
Beating Graham would provide quite a spark, so it stands to reason the Steers will see the Bucks’ very best at Buckaroo Stadium on Friday.
“They’ve got a big running back who really runs hard,” McCoy said. “They’ll play very hard against us.”
The Steers will have to shut down the Bucks running game to force them to pass.
The Buckaroos have moved the ball well for a good portion of the season but haven’t been able to put points on the board to win.
“They’ll try to run it down our throat,” McCoy said. “That’s what they do. Abilene Wylie only had two possessions in the entire second half against them.”
The Steers played takeaway last week with eight turnovers against Wylie and may have to do the same this week.
“They’ve got talent,” McCoy said. “If you look at it, teams have outscored Sweetwater much more than they’ve outscored Breckenridge.”
The Steers will face a 4-3 defense that will blitz to stay in Case McCoy’s face all night. McCoy has had good luck beating the blitz for most of the season and will look at beating both a man and zone defense on Friday.
Doubtless the Buckaroos will watch the Abilene Wylie game film from Friday and try to employ some of the same tactics the Bulldogs did to keep McCoy from a full sprintout.
By bringing guys off the edge, the Bulldogs cut off the Steers and forced McCoy to throw early.
The Buckaroos can pass it, but don’t much. So the Steers have to look for trickery.
“We have to be careful because they can beat you that way,” the coach said. “It will be a good game with a good gate.”
As always with rival games, McCoy urges caution to each town about going too far with rivalry shenanigans.
“Usually, at least in the recent past, it’s been our people doing something here to make everyone think it’s Breckenridge and Breckenridge fans doing things there to make it look like Graham. That’s the way it’s been recently with our two schools.”
THIS WEEK
Who: Graham (8-1) at Breckenridge (1-8)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday at Breckenridge
Last year: Graham beat the Bucks 30-13 to close out the season for both teams.
Last week: Graham upset Abilene Wylie 13-10. Breckenridge fell to Snyder 35-0.
Radio/TV: “KOOL” 94.7 FM; 93.5 FM KLXK.
by By Clay Stewart
(Posted 11/3/2009 12:46 pm)
sports@grahamleader.com
Many may think the Graham Steers can’t lose this week. After all, the Steers are playing a team that is 1-8.
After playing Brownwood and Abilene Wylie in the last two weeks, winning one, the Steers look like heavy favorites over Breckenridge in Friday’s game.
“There’s lots of ways we could lose this game,” said coach Brad McCoy. “This is the hardest coaching week of the year. After playing the two games we’ve played – the star power, the TV coverage, the high-powered teams we’ve had, and now we have to go and play a team that’s 1-8. It’s harder to get the kids to focus.”
With the playoffs already clinched, McCoy admitted there isn’t much on the line. But the Steers want to go into the playoffs on a winning note, and Breckenridge would like nothing better than to go out with a bang.
Beating Graham would provide quite a spark, so it stands to reason the Steers will see the Bucks’ very best at Buckaroo Stadium on Friday.
“They’ve got a big running back who really runs hard,” McCoy said. “They’ll play very hard against us.”
The Steers will have to shut down the Bucks running game to force them to pass.
The Buckaroos have moved the ball well for a good portion of the season but haven’t been able to put points on the board to win.
“They’ll try to run it down our throat,” McCoy said. “That’s what they do. Abilene Wylie only had two possessions in the entire second half against them.”
The Steers played takeaway last week with eight turnovers against Wylie and may have to do the same this week.
“They’ve got talent,” McCoy said. “If you look at it, teams have outscored Sweetwater much more than they’ve outscored Breckenridge.”
The Steers will face a 4-3 defense that will blitz to stay in Case McCoy’s face all night. McCoy has had good luck beating the blitz for most of the season and will look at beating both a man and zone defense on Friday.
Doubtless the Buckaroos will watch the Abilene Wylie game film from Friday and try to employ some of the same tactics the Bulldogs did to keep McCoy from a full sprintout.
By bringing guys off the edge, the Bulldogs cut off the Steers and forced McCoy to throw early.
The Buckaroos can pass it, but don’t much. So the Steers have to look for trickery.
“We have to be careful because they can beat you that way,” the coach said. “It will be a good game with a good gate.”
As always with rival games, McCoy urges caution to each town about going too far with rivalry shenanigans.
“Usually, at least in the recent past, it’s been our people doing something here to make everyone think it’s Breckenridge and Breckenridge fans doing things there to make it look like Graham. That’s the way it’s been recently with our two schools.”
THIS WEEK
Who: Graham (8-1) at Breckenridge (1-8)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday at Breckenridge
Last year: Graham beat the Bucks 30-13 to close out the season for both teams.
Last week: Graham upset Abilene Wylie 13-10. Breckenridge fell to Snyder 35-0.
Radio/TV: “KOOL” 94.7 FM; 93.5 FM KLXK.
