Byron Nelson was barely a blip on the radar two weeks ago. Last week, they were the talk of the town after a huge upset over a starting quarterback-less Euless Trinity. This week, they’re making many believe that they can be an actual contender in their district after a solid victory over Lewisville.
Before the Euless Trinity upset, Byron Nelson was 0-5, partially due to some unfortunate circumstances. Their pre-district schedule didn’t do them any favors, they started off the year with an overtime loss to Sachse, then welcomed San Angelo Central to town the next week. After that, they played Justin Northwest (who’s undefeated).
They lost their first district game to Flower Mound, but haven’t lost a district game since then. Byron Nelson is 2-5, but that record is misleading. While they likely wouldn’t have gone undefeated with a little bit easier of a schedule, the caliber of teams on the schedule definitely didn’t do them any favors.
If the Bobcats are going to keep up their winning ways, they’ll need huge plays from their defense and wide receiver Tyler Milliken, who’s snagged 11 touchdowns so far this year. In their wins, Byron Nelson didn’t give up more than 21 points, a mark that they’ll likely need to hit in order to take care of the rest of the teams in their district.
Despite their losing record, Byron Nelson is now in complete control of their postseason destiny. Unfortunately, the road ahead doesn’t get any easier. The Bobcats’ next opponent is the mighty Southlake Carroll Dragons, who have been running roughshod over nearly everyone after a season opening loss to Union from Tulsa, Oklahoma. After the Dragons, they have a date with the tough Flower Mound Marcus Marauders. They’ll cap their season off with a struggling Hurst L.D. Bell team.
Byron Nelson currently sits at 2-2 in their district, and if they can upset either Southlake Carroll or Flower Mound Marcus and then beat Hurst L.D. Bell, there’s a very good chance that they can make it into the playoffs despite losing their first five games. Flower Mound Marcus is the main issue here, they’re sitting in that 4th spot, and it’s hard to see Southlake Carroll, Hebron, or Euless Trinity losing out. They’ll need some help, but if they can keep the momentum they’ve set against Lewisville and Euless Trinity, it’s not completely out of the question.
The uncertainty of making the playoffs or not can be daunting, but it’s a lot better than having certainty that you won’t make the postseason. For Byron Nelson, a chance might be all they need.
