MASON- It’ll be a clash of two small-school behemoths this Friday when Iraan and Mason meet at 7:30 p.m. at R. Clinton Schulze Stadium (a.k.a. “The Puncher Dome”) in Mason. Both teams are ranked in the Texas High School Football Associated Press Class 2A Poll (Mason No. 3, Iran No. 8) and enter the contest with matching 3-0 records.
Mason has been absolutely dominant, with wins against a trio of 3A schools (Goldthwaite, Johnson City and Comfort) by a combined score of 127-13. Iraan has been equally dazzling on offense, if not more so, with 137 points. But its defense has been more leaky than usual. The Braves have given up 68 points, which is a stark increase from the 15 it gave up against the same three opponents to start 2016.
“We knew it would be a little slower coming along (on defense). We had quite a few people to replace on that side” said Iraan coach Mark Kirchhoff. “But we’ve given up a couple of special teams scores on that also and just given up a few big plays. We gave up two scores against Crane late in the game which wasn’t really on our (starters). Like I said, they’re about where we thought they’d be. We’re just still trying to find an identity with our kids. At our level, it’s not: go in and fit pieces into your scheme. It’s try to fit your scheme to what talents you have that year and at this point we’re still going through that process.”
December 15, 2016 – Texas UIL 2A Div. II State Championship game between Iraan and Bremond at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (Image Credit: Joseph Nguyen/texashsfootball.com)
Kirchhoff said they’ve moved from a bend-not-break philosophy on defense to more of an aggressive approach to better fit their personnel. Offensively, Kirchhoff believes in old-school option football and legendary University of Texas football coach Darrell Royal’s philosophy that only three things can happen when you pass, and two of them are bad.
The Braves have called 144 run plays to just 17 passes. The carries are split almost perfectly even between junior quarterback Brodey Myers (37 carries), and senior running backs Kyle O’Bannon (39) and Camden Chaney (36). O’Bannon is the most dangerous threat with 571 yards and 11 touchdowns. Chaney has 274 yards with one score and Myers has 189 yards with two.
“They are very good at what they do,” said Mason coach Kade Burns. “They are well coached and you can see that on film and Coach Kirchhoff and his staff always have kids that will play hard and hit you. You can see that their kids have a sense of pride in their performance on the field.”
Photo via Mason ISD
Mason also employs a run-centric offense that gets the ball into the hands of multiple backs. Junior running back Jake Cockerham (279 yards, 5 TDs) and sophomore backfield mate Klay Klaerner (274 yards, 5 TDs) lead the way, but defenses must also account for junior quarterback Otto Wofford (130 yards, 1 TD). The Punchers throw the ball slightly more than Iraan. Wofford has completed 27-of-40 passes for 287 yards with two touchdown and two interceptions.
“They’re like they always are,” Kirchhoff said. “They’re physical. They’re more explosive probably than they’ve been sometimes in the past. Their skill people are outstanding. They can grind you up for eight minutes or score from 80 yards… Defensively, some of the numbers have changed but they’re the same old thing there as far as they play great technique and they make you make plays and they’re very opportunistic as far as when you do make a mistake, either putting you in a bad yardage situation and you end up having to punt the ball to them, or forcing and taking the ball away from you.”
Iraan won last year’s matchup 24-21. The Braves took a 10-point lead in the second half on a field goal that bounced off the crossbar and went through the uprights. That kick ended up being the difference as Mason scored a touchdown to cut the deficit to three, but couldn’t overcome the final margin.
“We did not play well at (Iraan) and didn’t deserve the win,” Burns said. “They made plays and give them credit for that and they were the better team. We missed 33 tackles last year and had far too many missed assignments on both sides of the ball. That game was a blessing in disguise for us. We sat our kids down and communicated the concerns we had. They responded well and won the next nine games in a row and reached the quarterfinals.”
Kirchhoff actually graduated from Mason in 1980 and played for Burns’s dad, Melvin, who coached the Punchers for 12 years and accumulated a 101-32-1 record. Kirchhoff said he has known the younger Burns since he was “itty-bitty” and that the two probably share a lot of characteristics because the elder Burns was a tremendous influence on both of them. Kirchhoff loves playing in Mason because it’s a home-coming of sorts, but also because he respects the Punchers as an opponent, and thinks the Puncherdome is one of the most unique settings in Texas high school football.
“Win or lose… that’s a playoff caliber football team that you’re going to see in rounds three, four, five. It just sort of prepares you for what’s coming,” Kirchhoff said. “(The Puncherdome is) a lot of fun. It’s a fun place to play. Both playing as a player and then also to take your kids and play a game there. It’s a unique atmosphere. With their program rolling like it is they have great support there. It’s loud, and like I said, it’s just a fun place to play there. I’m looking forward to that and just get our kids in that kind of experience and hopefully they can draw on that later on down the road if we get the opportunity again to play in some bigger venues.”
Featured Image via TexasHSFootball.com
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