12/10/1992, Thursday

Gainesville Daily Register, Sports Editor: Mike Pender

          Now down to Valley View, where the Eagles get to see what they’re made of as they tangle with the No. 1 ranked Bartlett Bulldogs Friday night in Burleson.

          I got some bad information last week when I called Tenaha the state’s No. 1 ranked Class A club, but this week I’m certain that Bartlett holds the top spot.

          The Bulldogs (12-0-1), are coming off of an ugly 13-13 tie over Runge last week in San Marcos.  People at the contest told me that neither team looked that impressive, but nonetheless, it’s hard to look impressive when No. 1 and No. 2 are playing each other.  [Bartlett won the game on penetrations, NLN]

          Seems as if Bartlett is a lot like our Valley View club, meaning basically run-oriented.

          The Bulldogs have a slew of capable athletes that came back from an 11-2-1 quarterfinal squad.  Running backs Claude Mathis, Charles Crathers and Ralph Smith should see time in the backfield, along with quarterback Plez Atkings.

          The most impressive thing about Bartlett, who is representing District 26-A, may be the fact that they have nine starters returning both ways from last year’s club.

          If you’re like me, it’s tough to describe the Valley View attack.  Seems as if the offensive and defensive line play has been exceptional, along with the running game.

          I guess what I’m trying to say is that the Eagles are playing pretty well all the way around.  But they will face their toughest test of yet when they tangle with the Bulldogs.

          A friend of mine from Valley View called the other day and asked why I never give the V-men any credit and pick them to win.   [Derrick Mills …. Might as well call his name, Mike Pender. NLN]

          I plead the Fifth … until a later date.

          Harris slowly is getting on the Valley View bandwagon.  And rightfully so.   Personally, I think this one may be one of the best games played all weekend, but I think the Bulldogs will go for two at the end for the win ….. BARTLETT 21, VALLEY VIEW 20.

          Valley View spoiled me again last week as the overall record falls to 70-25-1 on the year.  What do you say we keep this going… Hopefully we’ll end up around the 72-27-1 mark.

[I want to know what the Harris rating was…. +/- or even?  NLN]

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12/13/1992, Sunday

Valley View ends up short

 By TOM CURTIS
Register Correspondent

          BURLESON – On one critical play, the Valley View Eagles were giving the Bartlett Bulldogs a dose of their own medicine.  And it looked like it might propel Valley View into the state championship.

          Instead, it ended the season and any comeback hopes for the Eagles, who appeared to overcome a 19-7 deficit with a fourth quarter rally.

          Just after scoring to pull to within 19-14, the Eagle offense was poised to do so again in the waning minutes.  But tailback Tommy Elvington lost the ball into the end zone when he looked like he was about to score the go-ahead touchdown.

          Running the sweep on third and four at the Bartlett 5-yard line, Elvington eyed a pursuing defender just beyond the goal line.  As he made his cut at about the 2, the ball inexplicably came loose.  The Bulldogs Jason Cargill pounced on it in the end zone, just behind the flag for a touchback before it went out of bounds.  [Ball came out to the twenty yard line. NLN]

          The Bulldogs (13-0-1) ran out the final 1:06 to preserve the 19-14 finale.  They will meet the winner of Saturday’s Sudan/Riesel matchup to decide the state champion in Class A at a time, date and site yet to be determined.  [Sudan wins that game and will play Bartlett for the state championship.  NLN]

          It was a disappointing finish to a season that saw the Eagles rebound from a 2-2 start (the two losses were to larger 2A and 3A schools) at the beginning of the season before district play kicked in and carried them all the way to the state semifinals.

          Valley View finished at 11-3-1.  The last time the Eagles made it to the semifinals was in 1980 when they went all the way to the state title.

          “We’ll go home and just appreciate the job the kids did,” Eagles head coach Mark Davidson said.  “I’m just proud of the kids.  They came up a little short, but still had an outstanding season.”

          For a while, it looked as though the Eagles were going to be sent home a lot earlier.  The contingent from central Texas between Temple and Austin scored all of their 19 points in the second quarter, enroute  to what looked like an easy win.

          But in the second half, the Eagle defense began to stop the Bulldog running game, particularly that of their leading rusher, Claude Mathis.  After running for 150 yards on 10 carries in the first half, he was held to 88 on 13 carries in the second half.

          “We made some mistakes,” Davidson said about the first half. “We were over pursuing on the sweep and not getting in the cutback and pursuit lanes.”

          Defensive ends Jesse Newton and Ethan Graves compensated for that, keeping Mathis better contained in the second half.

          But the Eagles were also having trouble moving the ball.  On fourth down and inches at the Bartlett 38, Michael White was stuffed up the middle for no gain with 1:06 left in the third period.  The Bulldogs took over, and from there, Mathis had a touchdown negated by a holding penalty.

          Nevertheless the Bulldogs moved to the Valley View 10, thanks to Mathis only two big gainers in the second half, before Ralph Smith fumbled.

          The penalty and turnover seriously damaged the Bulldogs returning momentum and may have been a turning point in Bartlett coach Terry Cron’s view.

          “I don’t want to make excuses, but those were real critical,” Cron said.

          The Eagles took over and likewise engineered their first major drive in the second half, getting their initial second half first down with 10:46 left in the game.  Jeremy Tipps began scrambling and making first downs with passes or runs on broken plays.  On one instance, he rolled right and found Elvington down the right sideline for a 22-yard completion.

          That set up the touchdown, an 18-yard pass to Newton, who turned around and pulled in a high throw over the middle in the end zone with 7:36 left.  Newton had only caught seven passes during the season, one for a touchdown, in the Eagles run oriented wishbone and I-bone offenses.

          After forcing Bartlett to punt, the Eagles were again on the march with Tipps again going to the air.  Beginning at the Bartlett 48-yard line, he hit Troy Slover for 13 and 16 yards to convert on two third and long situations.  Slover’s first catch was a diving grab that he pulled in with one hand.  This surprised and impressed Cron.

          “They don’t throw that much,” Cron said.  “That and throwing against the wind.  They made some great catches.”

          Then came the fumble.  The tailback had lost only one pigskin when hit during the season, his coach had observed earlier, although it appeared in this case that he just lost it.  Ironically the previous week against Tenaha, The Eagles recovered a fumble at their 13 in the closing minutes to save a 21-14 win.

          On its initial possession of the first half, Valley View converted on fourth and inches twice, only to miss on a 37-yard field goal attempt.

          Thus the first quarter ended scoreless.  But on the first play of the second quarter and facing third and 12, the Bulldogs Charles Crathers went off left tackle for a 31-yard score.

          Moments later, the Eagles answered when Lance Morris busted up the middle for a 4-yard touchdown.  The key play was a 52-yard run.  The drive began when the Bulldogs fumbled at the Valley View 24, Linebacker Jason Moon recovered.

          But on the ensuing possession, Mathis got untracked when he scored his first touchdown from 35-yards out on a play similar to teammate Crather’s off left tackle.  The play was set up by Mathis big kick off  return to the Valley View 44.  But Tim Thaler, whose PAT tied the previous week’s game against Runge and whose 23-yard field goal best D’Hanis, kicked into the line.  The score remained 13-7 in favor of Bartlett.

          Mathis made it 19-7 moments later in the eventful second quarter when he scored from 24-yards out to culminate a 59-yard drive.

          After a botched punt for minus seven yards with the punter under pressure, a 30-yard field goal by Thaler hit the left upright just before halftime.

          The offensive yardage for both teams was nearly equal.  Bartlett finished with 320, all on the ground and Valley View had 298.  Bartlett attempted only one pass.  It was on the Bulldogs first possession.

          Morris and Tipps paced the Eagles running game with 84 and 80 yards, respectively.  Tipps completed 5-of-8 passes for 81 yards.