Resurgent Coleman clinches playoff berth

By Paul A. Anthony, Abilene Reporter News

Cinderella is going to the ball, and she's wearing blue.  The Coleman Bluecats will continue their improbable run towad a title, clinching a playoff spot by defeating the Junction Eagles on Friday night, 20-9.  The Bluecats, nine-game losers in consecutive seasons entering 2011, won their seventh this year thanks to a suffocating defense and a relentless running game that wore down the Eagles' own strong defensive effort.

"It's a big change," said junior running back D. J. Terrell, who took 11 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown to lead a multifaceted Bluecat running attack.  Four rushers compiled at least 39 yards, and each of Coleman's three touchdowns was scored by a different player. The defense, meanwhile, held the Eagles to just 99 yards on the ground and snatched a key fourth-quarter interception to kill a Junction rally.

"They did a good job tonight," said Junction head coach Cory Spivey of the Bluecat defense.  "They shut down the run game."

The Coleman defense set the tone when Junction was forced to go four-and-out on the first drive of the game. Coleman, meanwhile, took advantage of good field position to drive 50 yards in six plays and take a 7-0 lead on Dylan Hankins' touchdown run.

The Bluecats didn't have to wait long for the ball, as the Eagles couldn't get past their own 30.  Terrell found a hole on third down and sprinted 55 yards to set up an Anthony Thomas that gave the Bluecats a 14-0 first-quarter lead.

The Eagles mounted a drive of their own in the second, pushing 66 yards from their own 23, using the arm of quarterback Brad Sandlin (five completions, 145 yards for the game) to work downfield. But when the field shortened on the Coleman 11, Junction couldn't push the ball across and settled for a Ramiro Perez field goal.

Coleman didn't have much answer for Sandlin's passing game, but three consecutive incompletions killed Junction's next drive on the Bluecat 23 with 90 seconds left in the first half, and Patrick Mound leapt to pull in an interception on his own 11 with 5:12 left in the game to snuff the Eagles' final comeback attempt.

Junction faces San Saba in a do-or-die contest for both teams, while Coleman goes to Sonora as underdogs - again - in a game to vie for the district title.  "No one gave us a chance at all," said Coleman coach Brad Ballard. "It's so special for these kids."

Photo by Jason Hook

Coleman High School's Draven de la Garza (left) nearly intercepted a pass intended for Junction's Dewayne Stewart (80) during the second quarter Friday. The Bluecats defense held the Eagles to nine points, a key to helping Coleman clinch a victory and playoff spot.