With a little more than a week to go until the Palestine football team opens its regular season by welcoming in state-ranked La Vega, Wildcat coach Lance Angel was looking for certain things from his team Thursday.
After the Wildcats’ had wrapped their scrimmage with Brownsboro at Wildcat Stadium, some of those questions still remained unanswered, but Angel said he wasn’t going to panic — and told his team not to either.
“To begin the thing, I thought we played good defense,” Angel said. “Offensively, I thought we spread the ball around, got the ball to the playmakers and they made plays.”
Palestine opened the scrimmage strong, holding the Brownsboro offense to a three-and-out during the first session of the controlled play, and never letting the Bears inside the Palestine 30 at any point during the first 15 plays.
The Palestine offense sputtered at first, with the play marred by penalties and bad snaps. One of the penalties negated a big play on a screen pass from Brian Gummelt to Darrius Stephens.
About midway through the first session of offense, Gummelt was replaced by Fabian Clark who, after a shaky start — incompletion and an interception — found Stephens on a short crossing route.
Stephens made the play big by running over a Brownsboro defender and taking the ball inside the Bears’ 15-yard-line.
Not long after, Clark threw on the run and found Paul Barksdale in the end zone for a Wildcat score.
On the next defensive session for the Wildcats, it was even better.
Palestine forced a three-and-out and then Jordan Anthony picked up a long pass for another turnover.
Unfortunately for the Wildcats, the strong showing from the controlled sessions didn’t translate to the live half.
Palestine came out flat for the first quarter, and allowed Brownsboro to jump out to a 12-0 lead before the first ended.
The Wildcat offense opened up the half by running three plays, the final of which was a pass from Gummelt that was tipped into the hands of a Brownsboro defender.
After one first down, Palestine forced the Bears into a fourth-and-11, and appeared to have the quarterback sacked for the turnover on downs.
But, he got the pass away to a running back, and the back scampered all the way to the end zone for a 6-0 Brownsboro lead.
The next offensive set for Palestine again saw an interception — this one from Clark — off of a tipped ball on the third play, and that turnover again led to a Brownsboro touchdown, this one on the first play.
Palestine then went three-and-out, and was forced to punt.
“I think the lack of a scrimmage last Saturday affected us a little bit, and we just kind of went flat for a while,” Angel said. “That’s, obviously, something that can’t happen come next Friday.”
The Wildcats finally came alive as the scrimmage entered its second live quarter.
Palestine gave up only one first down to the Bears on their next drive, and then stopped Brownsboro on a fourth down attempt with a sack to take over on downs.
Ben Luckett finally got the Wildcats on the scoreboard with a 56-yard touchdown run just two plays later.
“You’re going to have your highs and lows in a ball game, but you can’t have a lull as long as we had,” Angel said.
Palestine again held Brownsboro at bay when the Bears took over on offense, and again made a big play defensively when it mattered.
On third-and-9 — after Palestine had just jumped offsides — Juan Trejo found the quarterback for a sack that forced the Bears to punt the ball back to the Wildcats.
Behind Clark, the Wildcats put together a decent drive in the two-minute drill, but Clark’s last-second pass to the end zone was intercepted as time expired.
While many could have seen reasons for concern after the way the Wildcats played Thursday, Angel said he likes where his team is heading into the opener, even though there are things that have to be improved.
“We know, running game-wise, we’re going to be fine. That’s not something we were stressing a lot coming into this thing,” Angel said. “We’ve still got some guys that we’ve got some touches designed for.”
———
Sports editor Justin Rains can be reached via email at jrains@palestineherald.com
Local Sports
H.S. Football: Big plays, miscues litter final Palestine scrimmage
- Local Sports
-
-
H.S. Football: Palestine's Owens leads strong class of area recruits
Palestine junior Jarrell Owens hasn’t ever played a significant down in a game for the Wildcats at linebacker in his football career.
Yet, the position is obviously where his future lies.
Owens is one of a handful of area juniors drawing significant college interest, and the Palestine running back/linebacker already holds an official offer from Texas Tech University. -
H.S. Baseball Playoffs: Harleton shuts down Cayuga in regional quarterfinal
In an as-expected pitcher’s duel, it took only one off inning to cost Cayuga and ace Chantz Holland.
Holland gave up four hits and hit a batter in the top of the third inning, and Harleton turned that into four runs — the only runs of the game — as Harleton topped Cayuga, 4-0, here at the Lindale ISD Baseball and Softball Complex in regional quarterfinal action. -
H.S. Baseball: Patchwork lineup still working for Cayuga
The Cayuga baseball team that will take the field tonight against Harleton in the regional quarterfinals doesn’t look a lot like the Cayuga team that rolled through district play earlier this season.
Injuries have hampered the look of the Wildcat lineup, but Cayuga still finds itself into the playoffs’ third round for yet another season. -
H.S. Softball: Grapeland going strong into regional semifinals
It’s been relatively easy-going so far in the state softball playoffs for the Grapeland softball team.
The Sandiettes have lost only once so far in the playoffs, and that came thanks a forfeit in the area round against Avery, when Grapeland decided not to play rather than play without missing members at the state golf tournament. -
Local Roundup: Cayuga's Hughes named 19-A MVP
After a stellar regular season that saw them capture a district title, then a solid playoff run that ended with a regional quarterfinal loss to Grapeland, the Cayuga softball team showed well on the District 19-A all-district teams.
Cayuga star freshman pitcher Kimberly Hughes capped her stellar year by earning the district’s Most Valuable Player award. Joining Hughes in earning superlative honors was her battery-mate Maci Poland, who was named the league’s Defensive MVP. -
H.S. Golf State Tournament: Grapeland looks to cap impressive season with title
It’s the course on which legendary PGA player Ben Crenshaw — winner of two Master’s Green Jackets — learned the game as a young man.
It’s where legendary Austin-based golf coach Harvey Penick molded players like Crenshaw and Tom Kite into stalwarts on the professional tours.
A year ago, Lions Municipal Golf Course in Austin was the place where, despite improving by 20 strokes as a team on Day 2, the Grapeland girls’ golf team fell short of state title, instead finishing second — for the second-straight season. -
H.S. Baseball: Palestine, Elkhart open playoffs Thursday
After a seven-year absence from postseason play that ended last year, the Palestine baseball team opens up its second-straight playoff campaign Tuesday.
The Wildcats, who captured District 19-3A’s second seed with a defeat of Fairfield Friday, will open the postseason again Diboll in a best-of-three series. -
H.S. Softball Playoffs: Bruner's 2 HRs lead Grapeland past Cross Roads
Grapeland senior Shelby Bruner hadn’t hit a home run all season for the Sandiettes.
She picked a good time to find a power-boost.
Bruner hit not one but two home runs, Baylee Lumbreraz struck out 15 and the Grapeland softball team rolled to a 14-1 victory over Cross Roads to open the playoffs Monday at Palestine High School. -
H.S. Tennis: Neches' Wade ready for more state glory
The spring semester is a busy one for plenty of high school athletes in the area.
The spring has a higher concentration of sports going on, plus there are state tests, prom and other extra-curricular activities in the works.
That has been the case for Neches junior Kelsee Wade, who this semester alone has played basketball, softball and tennis, and thrown the discus, as well as taken tests and worked with her animals for the Anderson County Youth Livestock Show.
Oh, and she’s also the No. 1-ranked student in the Neches’ Class of 2014. -
H.S. Softball: Walk-off hit ends Neches' season
For four solid innings, the Neches softball team looked primed to move on to the area round of the playoffs.
Then, things fell apart in the final three.
With their bi-district playoff game against Lovelady tied 3-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh, Neches allowed a two-out single to Beth Thompson, a hit which scored Baylee Mikes to hand the playoff win to the Lady Lions, 4-3. - More Local Sports Headlines
-
H.S. Football: Palestine's Owens leads strong class of area recruits
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree
Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Officials: Texas Tornado Likely Had 200 Mph Wind
Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting
Raw: School Bus Crash Injures Five Children
Quick Response Saved Baby on Phila. Train Tracks
One Million Evacuated As Cyclone Hits Bangladesh
