Concho Valley Capstone: An old rivalry still burns between the two best teams in Class 3A
With Week 2 of Concho Valley High School football finished, the next slate of games is right around the corner starting this Thursday with Paint Roack hosting Ranger at 6 p.m.
With more than 40 teams in the Standard-Times coverage area set to hit the Friday night lights again this week, the newest edition of the Concho Valley Capstone series where we look at the Concho Valley's best teams and games will also hit the ground running again for the second week.
Game of the Week
Wall at Jim Ned
The Wall Hawks got revenge on Cisco last week beating the Lobos 27-10 on the road. Cisco beat Wall last year 18-14, however, it would be the Hawks' last loss before they embarked on an 11-game winning streak carrying them into the regional final. The first victory in their winning streak came against rival Jim Ned. The reason Jim Ned is still considered a rival, despite Wall moving down a division, is because they are still in the same district as Wall in every other sport besides football. Before last year's district realignment, Jim Ned consistently beat the Hawks, which often meant Wall would be the runners-up in the district.
"I think (the rivalry) was kind of the reason we kept them on the schedule because the competition factor is so good for both teams," Wall coach Houston Guy said.
Wall football: Wall high school football aims to run over opponents in 2023 with throw back offense
After two games, the Hawks have 512 yards rushing led by senior fullback/running back Nathan Pepper, while the improvement of junior quarterback Gunnar Dillard paid dividends in the first two games to help expand the Hawks' run-heavy flexbone offense.
Wall enters the matchup as the No. 4 ranked team in Class 3A Division II in the state, while Jim Ned is ranked No. 9 among Division I teams.
"I do think it will be a statement win for whichever team comes away with the win, Guy said. "... I think it's one of those games where I think it will come down to who can handle the line of scrimmage."
Last year the Hawks beat Jim Ned 3-0 at home, but Guy expects this game will be a lot different from last year's outcome.
"They're a lot better than they were and we're a lot better than we were," Guy said. "...I don't think either one of us left that game very happy with the way (last year's game) went."
Prediction: Wall 21, Jim Ned 17.
San Angelo Schools
Week 1: Christian English tosses 2 INTs as Central football drops home opener to Killeen Shoemaker
Central vs. Abilene Cooper
In 2022, the Bobcats traveled to Abilene Cooper and fell in overtime 41-38 after coming back from a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
This year, the Cougars travel to San Angelo to take on the Bobcats in the same position record-wise as last season starting off 0-2 with losses to Keller and Abilene. The Bobcats also enter the matchup in the same position as in 2022 after a loss to Killeen Shoemaker and a win against El Paso Montwood.
Both teams, though, are also very different from last year. Cooper returns six starters on offense and defense from last season, while Central returns three players on offense and two players on defense. The biggest difference is at quarterback. Both teams come into this season with new quarterbacks in junior Christian English for the Bobcats and Cooper with junior quarterback Austin Cummins.
Cooper will come into this game desperate for a win. Despite lopsided losses in the first two games, Cooper is still a good defensive team. The Bobcats will need to find a way to consistently run the football to come away with a win against their toughest opponent to date.
Prediction: Central 28, Cooper 21.
Lake View at Vernon
Lake View suffered a double-digit loss to Sweetwater 62-35 in their home opener last week. In the Chiefs' home opener, they beat Lamesa 49-8, which makes it difficult to assess where they stand coming into their matchup against Vernon. The Lions, meanwhile, are 2-0 and coming off a 21-20 win over Gainesville.
Last year, the Lions faced off against the Chiefs in San Angelo and beat Lake View 23-12. This year, however, the Chiefs are a more established offense that can move the ball on the ground and can find explosive plays in the passing game. If Lake View wants to come away with a win, they need to be more stout on defense than they were against Sweetwater.
Prediction: Lake View 35, Vernon 31.
Last week: Lake View high school football falls to Sweetwater after struggling to limit big plays
Best of the Rest
Sonora at Eldorado
Sonora is ranked as the No. 10 Class 2A Division I team in Texas after coming off two wins against Coahoma and Ballinger. The Broncos' run-first offense is spearheaded by Edgar DeLuna who has 447 yards and eight touchdowns rushing. While quarterback Jaime Buitron is sidelined with an injury, junior quarterback Juan Castillo has 261 yards passing with 108 yards rushing.
Eldorado is also undefeated and coming off a 28-point win over Winters. Last year, the Eagles lost 18-14 to the Bilzzards in overtime and also lost their matchup against Sonora 27-7 the following week. This year, the Eagles are primed to compete against the Broncos with a better-established offense behind quarterback Omar Barajas and a veteran-led defense.
Prediction: Sonora 27, Eldorado 17.
Coleman at Brady
Coleman is coming off a dominant 40-0 victory over Ballinger on the road. Bluecat's running back Brent Bouldin finished the game tallying 15 carries for 159 yards and three touchdowns rushing. While quarterback Jaidin Jackson did not post a big stat line against Ballinger, he still had a 72-yard touchdown throw to wide receiver Blaze Hronek. Coleman's offense is predicated on running the football, which they will most likely continue against Brady.
Brady faces another tough opponent this week at home against the Bluecats after a 41-7 loss to Mason last week and a 37-8 loss to Comanche in Week 1. Brady's offense has yet to get going this season with sophomore quarterback Sean Jacoby at the helm. If the Bulldogs aim to compete for a playoff spot in the district later this season, they need the offense to gather their footing this week and show signs of improvement. With running back Zeke Jones healthy this season, their best bet is to lean on the running game more often.
Prediction: Coleman 31, Brady 14.
Mason at Ozona
Mason remains undefeated through two weeks with a 29-20 win over Coleman and a 41-7 win over Brady. The Punchers rushing attack continues to thrive with running backs Ryne Todd and Sutton Silerio splitting carries in the backfield. If Mason continues to dominate the line of scrimmage, they could be on their way to a 13th straight district title in 2023.
Ozona started the season with a bang beating TLCA San Angelo 62-14 in Week 1. Last week, they fought in a back-and-forth affair against Wink but ultimately fell 48-36. If Ozona aims to compete in a tough District 3-2A Division I later in the season, a matchup against Mason will be a good test to see where they stand.
Prediction: Mason 35, Ozona 28.
Run the ball: What we learned from Week 2 of high school football in the Concho Valley
Six-man game of the week
Irion County at Roby
After a Week 1 loss to Buena Vista — where the Hornets blew a fourth-quarter lead — Irion County bounced back with a 46-0 win against Spur in Blackwell. Irion County was ranked as the No. 11 six-man team coming into the season, but after the Week 1 loss, the Hornets fell out of the rankings. If they can grab a win against a tough Roby team on the road, the Hornets could be back in the conversation as one of the top teams in the state.
Concho Valley Power Five
Here are the best five teams regardless of class in the Concho Valley entering Week 3, along with each team's record.
Wall (2-0)
Brownwood (2-0)
Sonora (2-0)
Mason (2-0)
Sterling City (2-0)
Week 3 Schedule
Friday, Sept. 8
Non-District
Class 6A
Abilene Cooper at San Angelo Central, 7 p.m.
Class 4A
Burnet at Brownwood, 7:30 p.m.
Lake View at Vernon, 7 p.m.
Class 3A
Wall at Jim Ned, 7 p.m.
Grape Creek at Bangs, 7 p.m.
Coleman at Brady, 7 p.m.
Ballinger at Stamford, 7:30 p.m.
Comanche at Early, 7:30 p.m.
San Angelo TLCA at Winters, 7 p.m.
Class 2A
Sonora at Eldorado, 7 p.m.
Reagan County at Crane, 7:30 p.m.
Colorado City at Christoval, 7 p.m.
Forsan at Stanton, 7:30 p.m.
Mason at Ozona, 7 p.m.
Johnson City at San Saba, 7:30 p.m.
Rosebud-Lott at Goldthwaite, 7:30 p.m.
D’Hanis at Junction, 7 p.m.
Sterling City at Abilene TLCA, 7 p.m.
Miles at Water Valley, 7:30 p.m.
Class 1A
Midland Trinity at Garden City, 7:30 p.m.
Blanket at Eden, 7:30 p.m.
Menard at Leakey, 7:30 p.m.
Irion County at Roby, 7:30 p.m.
Robert Lee at Baird, 7:30 p.m.
Bronte at Veribest, 7:30 p.m.
Lohn at Paint Creek, 7:30 p.m.
Rochelle at Cedar Park Summit, 7:30 p.m.
Highland at Blackwell, 7:30 p.m.
Priddy at Panther Creek, 7:30 p.m.
Lometa at Richland Springs, 7:30 p.m.
This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: Concho Valley Capstone: Jim Ned, Wall football rivalry still strong
