11-7-25 Midlothian

This Friday night the playoffs begin. 

   Actually next Friday is when the playoffs officially begin but the Midlothian game this Friday is for the district championship as well as where the Scots will be seeded in the playoffs. If HP beats Midlothian then the Scots are the outright 7-5A champions and top seed in the playoffs. If the Panthers beat the Scots then they will tie HP for the district championship and will be the number one seed in the playoffs.

   Both teams will be motivated to reach their goal of a district title.

   Last year it was the same scenario except that both teams were undefeated in district play, The Scots jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead before holding on to win, 38-21. Amazingly, the Scots and the Panthers both ran the ball 37 times and both picked up 198 yards rushing. Midlothian’s top ground gainer was quarterback Beau Wendel, who churned out 85 yards on 14 carries. He also completed three of six passes for 28 yards

   Wendel is a very good option quarterback and will give the Scots a few scares if the HP defense doesn’t bottle him up. The last time the Scots faced a running quarterback who can also line up as a linebacker, a gentleman named Cade Spradling gave the Scots a black eye in the state championship game last December. Spradling powered Smithson Valley’s offense as he picked up 141 yards on 22 carries. A quarterback who averages 5.42 yards per carry can give a team nightmares. And that’s on top of running back Brad Sowersby’s 152 yards on the ground.

   I’m new to the quarterback/linebacker hybrid but it seems to be a thing. Texas Tech has one of the best linebackers in the nation, Jacob Rodriquez, a transfer from Virginia where he played ... quarterback. 

   The reason I’m hung up on an option quarterback who can beat you with his legs is I grew up watching Lance McIlhenny and Scott Smith punish defenses in junior high (now middle school), high school and college. Lance became the winningest quarterback in Southwest Conference history during the SMU Pony Express days. That record will never be broken because the Southwest Conference doesn’t exist anymore. But watching Lance riding his motor scooter while balancing a saladburger, crispy fries and a drink reminds me of what a great option quarterback he was ... and is.

   Friday’s game against Midlothian will boil down to this: The Panthers need to chew up ground and run down the clock. The Scots are capable of fabulous offensive gymnastics, but only if they have the ball. I’m not giving away any state secrets but with the return of inside linebacker Lee Wagner, keep your binoculars trained on the Scots inside linebackers as Wendel operates his version of the option. Rotating with Wagner will be Graham Rodgers, Bobby Kennedy and Benton Gordon while Beau Jones plugs up his side of the middle. That’s a lot of quality inside linebackers, which means plenty of fresh legs.

   And in keeping with the theme of linebackers who also play quarterback, the Scots should put Beau Jones in at QB in a wildcat offense and let him chew up yards the hard way, right up the middle.

   I’d call it the “one-man tush push”. 

   Beau, go ahead and trademark that name, just in case.