Borden County vs Calvert
Defending 1A Division 1 champion Borden County lost several key players to graduation, but they have obviously reloaded. The Coyotes have outscored their opponents 106-0 so far this season- including a 60-0 domination of private school powerhouse Austin Veritas.
The Calvert Trojans have started the 2017 season off strong. With a 66-36 week one win over San Marcos Hill Country, follwed by a 74-38 win over Coolidge in week two, the Trojans seem to have no problems scoring.
These teams faced off for the first time last year, and the Coyotes suffered their only loss of the 2016 season. Borden County had a 34-point lead late in the 2nd quarter- but Calvert came back to win it 62-60. With both teams running strong again this year, this game has the potential to be a nail-biter.
Coach’s Take
Calvert head coach Chris Bennett: “It’s going to be a slug fest. Anytime you play a defending state champion you have to be ready to play and expect their A game.”
Borden County head coach Trey Richey: “We will compete as hard as we can, give our very best effort and win or lose we will always give God the glory. Playing a team the caliber of Calvert will make us better- They will expose our weaknesses and we will use it to become a better team.”
Happy vs Valley
It’s rare to see rivalry games this early in the season, and even more so when they are ranked in the top two spots. Happy is the favorite in this year’s matchup, but Valley has only lost 11 of the 38 times they faced Happy.
Happy has only played one game this season- a 96-74 shoot-out with six-man juggernaut Richland Springs. The win was enough to put the Cowboys in the #1 spot of the sixmania.com rankings. Their high-powered offense will be hard for Valley to stop.
Valley is the definition of a perennial powerhouse. They have made the playoffs for 18 consecutive years and appear to be ready to make it 19. The Patriots are 2-0 against top-notch opponents this season and their 44-20 win over Follett propelled them to the #2 spot, but they’ll need to play a near-perfect game to dethrone Happy.
Coach’s Take
Happy head coach Tye Keith: “I feel good about our chances, but they’re a very athletic and well coached team that does some things that will give us fits. We’re going to have to play at a top notch level to come out with a win.”
Valley head coach Brandon Smith: “Happy is very physical and we will need to play with aggression and be fundamentally sound.”
