FB: Tigers set for title matchup vs. Munday
receiver on the Tiger squad this year, hauling in 27 passes for 528
yards, averaging 19.6-yards per catch. (Photo by John Krueger)
TENAHA, Tx -- Since they played pee wee football, many of the players on the Tenaha Tigers football team have dreamed of what is about to happen Thursday. You might say, they've been waiting for this day for their entire lives.
The 10 seniors of the 2011 Tenaha Tiger football team were not even in school yet when the 1998 version of the Tiger football team captured the state crown. Now it's time for this team to take its place in history.
And they couldn't be more ready.
Tenaha will travel to Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington on Thursday, where they will meet their toughest opponent of the season for the Class 1A D-II State Championship when they face the Munday Moguls at 4 p.m.
The game, along with all high school state championships this weekend, will be televised on Fox Sports Southwest TV stations, will be webcasted on www.foxsportssouthwest.com and www.foxsportshouston.com. The Tenaha-Munday game will also be broadcast on the radio by KGAS Radio (104.3 FM) out of Carthage and KQBB (100.5 FM) from Center.
All tickets at the gate will be $15. All tickets are general admission and will be good for all three games which will be played on Thursday. The other games include the Class 1A D-I championship between Stamford (13-2) and Mason (14-0) at 12-noon and the Class 2A D-I matchup between Melissa (12-1) and Hempstead (14-0) at 8 p.m.
There will be three championship games on Friday at Cowboys Stadium and three more on Saturday. Ticket prices are $15 at the gate or online through Ticketmaster.com and are also good for the three games each day.
There's definitely a lot of hype for this title matchup between these two schools of the state's smallest classification. But Tenaha third-year head coach Terry Ward says when it comes down to it, it's all about his team playing excellent football like it has all year long.
"I'm going to continue to do the things I do everything to get these kids ready to play Thursday," Ward said earlier this week. "I'm going to coach my kids hard, I'm going to expect them to do everything right. Yeah, we're playing for a state championship and the whole community is excited, but out here on the football field we've still got to play; we've still got to do the same things we've been doing.
"We're going to go up there early Thursday and let them get some of the 'big eyes' moments out of their system and we're going to watch some of the first game to show them that it's still about playing football. When it comes down to it, after the jitters are gone, the field is the same size that we play on every week. We just have to go out and take care of business."
Although the Tigers may be the football version of the Hoosiers basketball team in some ways, many of the players have already experienced overcoming the odds. Last spring the Tiger basketball team that had no seniors on it overcame huge deficits at the regional tournament and advanced to the state tournament in Austin, and then went on to play in the championship game.
That accomplishment may come in to play and be the key to a state title on Thursday, said Ward, who owns an impressive 33-5 (.868) record as a head coach.
"It's helped us all year already," Ward said. "Our maturity level is so much better now. Our kids are focused and they understand what we want them to do.
"Our trip to Austin has had a huge impact on this team now. If we hadn't made that run and overcome the adversity we did, I'm not sure if we'd be here now. But our kids have confidence because they've done it. And so we're building from it and hopefully we have one more win in us."
Many of the key players in that run a year ago share the lime light for the Tigers football team this fall. Reginald Davis, who was the leading scorer of the Tiger basketball team and has already verbally committed to play Division I college football at Texas Tech, is the leader of the Tigers grid squad. He has completed 91-of-148 (61.5%) of his passes for 1,773 yards, 22 touchdowns and just five interceptions this season.
Davis is Tenaha's 'X' factor, one that opposing defensive coordinators hate to see step on the field. Not only can he throw the ball effectively, but his scrambling ability is second-to-none. He is also the leading runner on the Tiger squad with 1,689 yards and 32 touchdowns.
And if Davis isn't scary enough, there is a punishing sophomore runner in Chavis Gregory, who 'only' has 1,329 yards and 17 touchdowns, giving the Tigers a potent 1-2 punch. Gregory had a lot of minutes on the basketball court in Austin last year as a freshman and he's stepped up the THS running attack this fall.
When it comes to receivers on the Tenaha squad, there is the 'flasher' and 'dasher'. Shaquille Mitchell, who had some bright moments at the state tournament, has grabbed a lot of attention because of his 13 touchdown receptions on 25 receptions on the season. Scoring a touchdown with every two catches, Mitchell is averaging 21.6-yards per reception and has a team-high 541 yards on the year.
The leading receiver on the Tenaha squad was a 'shining star' at the state tournament in March. He's gone about his job quietly this fall, but certainly can't be overlooked. Octavius Griffith leads Tenaha with 27 receptions on the year, rolling up 528 yards, four touchdowns and averaging 19.6-yards per catch. The Moguls definitely had been not overlook him.
Then there is Demon Horton with 16 catches for 270 yards (20.8-yards per catch) and three TDs and Darius Hill with 14 grabs for 234 yards and a touchdown.
Together, these four give Davis plenty of options when he drops back to pass.
The Tigers have certainly rolled up some offensive production this year with 131.3 yards passing and 278.8 more rushing per game this year. And the 48.8-points per game is staggering, but what could be the deciding factor in Thursday's title game could be defense and special teams.
Ward said his defense, which is allowing 11 points per game and has given up six points or less seven times, and the special teams play will be the deciding factor.
"Munday has excellent special teams. they have 16 or 17 kickoff or punt returns for touchdowns this season," he said. "They scored 25 points on Windthorst a couple of weeks ago, but 21 of those points came on kickoff returns. We've got to really be on the top of our game on special teams.
"Then it'll come down to mental toughness and a lack of turnovers and which team can overcome adversity when it comes up against them. It may come down to the fourth quarter. But I have confidence in my players that they'll make the plays when the game is on the line."
This will be Tenaha's third state championship appearance. The 1997 team was runner-up, before the 1998 Tigers captured the state crown.
Munday will be looking for its third state championship in school history. The Moguls have titles in 1984 and 2007. they were runner-up in 1990.
MUNDAY MOGULS (13-2)
2011 Season Results
Regular Season
Stamford Lost, 21-47
Olney Won, 63-15
Tuscola Jim Ned Won, 26-6
Haskell Won, 53-14
Roscoe Collegiate Won, 55-6
Quanah Won, 63-0
Electra Won, 58-12
Perrin-Whitt Won, 59-0
Windthorst Lost, 34-56
Archer City Won, 58-0
Playoffs
Ralls Won, 61-13
McCamey Won, 60-39
Crosbyton Won, 63-14
Windthorst Won, 35-28
Wellington Won, 62-22
Quick Facts:
State Championships: 2 - 1984, 2007
Trips to State Finals: 3 - 1984, 1990, 2007
District: 8-1A D-II
District Finish: Second
Mascot: Moguls
Colors: Purple / Gold
Head Coach: Patrick Corcoran
Assist. Coaches: Ronny Lowrance, Greg Clark, Larry Welch, Cory Stephenson, Jeffery Toliver.
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TENAHA TIGERS (13-0)
2011 Season Results
Regular Season
Joaquin Won, 57-22
Timpson Won, 47-14
Alto Won, 54-6
Garrison Won, 21-20
West Rusk Won, 45-0
Harleton Won, 28-0
Mount Enterprise Won, 47-0
Beckville Won, 54-13
Union Hill Won, 65-0
Playoffs
Bremond Won, 51-6
Hubbard Won, 62-28
Mount Enterprise Won, 55-6
Burton Won, 63-28
Quick Facts:
State Championships: 1 - 1998
Trips to State Finals: 2 - (1997, 1998)
District: 12-1A D-II
District Finish: First
Mascot: Tigers
Colors: Maroon / White
Head Coach: Terry Ward (33-5)
Assist. Coaches: Ian White, Scott Tyner, Mike Barber, Kevin Cates, Todd Bodden, Patrick Armstrong, Antonio Holmes, Josh Campbell
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TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, DEC. 15
(All Games at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington)
Class 1A D-I: Stamford (13-2) vs. Mason (14-0), 12-noon
Class 1A D-II: Munday (13-2) vs. Tenaha (13-0), 4 p.m.
Class 2A D-I: Melissa (12-1) vs. Hempstead (14-0), 8 p.m.
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FRIDAY, DEC. 16
(All Games at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington)
Class 2A D-II: Cisco (14-0) vs. Refugio (14-0), 12-noon
Class 3A D-II: Argyle (14-1) vs. Wimberley (14-0), 4 p.m.
Class 4A D-I: Waco Midway (13-2) vs. Austin Lake Travis (15-0), 8 p.m.
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SATURDAY, DEC. 17
(All Games at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington)
Class 4A D-II: Aledo (13-2) vs. Manvel (15-0), 12-noon
Class 5A D-I: Southland Carroll (15-0) vs. Fort Bend Hightower (13-2)
Class 5A D-II: Spring Dekaney (13-2) vs. Cibolo Steele (15-0)