Winder says Kennedale similar to 2008 Everman Bulldogs

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The Flash Today photo by RUSSELL HUFFMAN

By BRAD KEITH
TheFlashToday.com

STEPHENVILLE (Decmeber 13, 2017) — Remember the Everman Bulldogs from 2008?

Greg Winder does, and anyone else who saw Stephenville play the Bulldogs in a district game and later in a state quarterfinal contest at Waco ISD Stadium surely has not forgotten that talented group. There’s no doubt one of the best Coach Dale Keeling Bulldog teams Everman has ever produced.

Asked who are Stephenvile fans familiar with that most resembles this Kennedale squad.

“They are a lot like that Everman team that we played in district and then in Waco deep in the playoffs (in the Region I-4A final, also a state quarterfinal),” he said. “I mean very similar, down to the offense they run, the way they bring pressure, everything.”

Everman that year beat Stephenville 56-3 in the regular season, largely because of a concussion suffered by Stephenville quarterback Brad Picha. The Yellow Jackets went on to surrender four fumbles that Everman ran back for touchdowns, causing the wide final margin.

But Stephenville, as Stephenville does, regrouped.

Picha returned, and so did the zone-read based offense. The Yellow Jackets were peaking by the time they won a Region I-4A semifinal contest. Brad Picha was the new single-season rushing leader at Stephenville, and Picha was operating smoothly with receivers that included dangerous tight end Josh Graves.

The Yellow Jackets came out on fire offensively and juiced up to stop the Bulldogs defensively, building a 17-0 lead. It could have been more. First-year head coach Joseph Gillespie faced a tough decision when the Yellow Jackets failed to score from the one-yard line on first, second and third down in the second quarter. A field goal would be a 3-possession lead, he said later, was his thought process, so they did not go for it on fourth down, but kicked, and sure enough, were ahead 17-0.

Anyone who knows Yellow Jacket football knows Everman began to take over with the momentum of that defensive stand, and soon enough the Jackets were watching time melt away as the Bulldogs ground out first down and first down, killing the last six minutes of the game with their powerful run offense.

Stephenville lost, 27-24. Everman dropped a high scoring semifinal the following week to eventual state champ Sulphur Springs.

“Yeah, they had a running back and a wing back that could fly, and that’s what we’re going to see again,” said Winder. “And they liked to come and get you with pressure and Kennedale is the same way. They are going to bring five or six every play.”

The Jackets had the blue print that day – play from in front and take care of the ball – but even then, defeating the talent of this Kennedale team will be about as difficult as knocking off Everman in 2008.

“The biggest thing is you have to win in the trenches on the offensive and defensive lines. They have two good guys in the back field, a tail back and a wing back, and their quarterback is a good runner, too, but what makes them go is that offensive line. They’re big, fast and physical,” said the third year head coach.”

When the Yellow Jackets have the ball they will be looking to score like Midlothian Heritage and Kaufman did against the talented, bliz-happy Wildcats.

“First thing is you have to identify and pick up the blitz to have a chance,” he said. “But if you can do that, you should have a hot read open. Those guys have to get turned around quick and be ready for the ball. That, and we’ll try to go over the top of it some, because they’ll get in a lot of man, and we’ve seen some instances where defensively they have been beat that way.”

It’s pretty much the same plan Winder and Gillespie drew up in 2008. And it almost worked.

“It’s an offense you don’t see a lot anymore at our level, and it involved a lot of misdirection run plays and then if they can ever lull you to sleep in the back end, they’ll attack you with a pass. They don’t throw it often, but they have had some big plays when they do.”

The wing trap was Winder’s instant answer when asked if there was anything in particular his team mus stop, or at least contain.

“There are other things, but if we can contain that I think we’ll be taking away what they have broke the most big plays with.”

Winder emphasized Stephenville must avoid getting multiple possessions behind the Wildcats, because like those Bulldogs of nine years ago did in the fourth quarter in the quarterfinals, they can make time go away fast by moving the chains repeatedly.

“We can’t let them have a bunch of long drives where we don’t get a chance to get going, and offensively we can’t just go three and out a lot and expect our defense to withstand them time after time. Both sides of the ball have to perform effectively to help the other side.

And the, of course, there is the kicking game, where the biggest differences have been made the past two weeks as Stephenville beat Argyle and Wichita Falls Hirschi.

“Huge, no doubt about it. Kennedale is great in the kicking game, so we have to be great, too,” Winder said.

Because it’s the final four. No longer are there any questions how good a team is. Carthage, Waco La Vega (the other semifinalists), Kennedale, Stephenville, have all had prolific seasons and have proven to be the best of their region.

But only two can play for the state title.

“I told the guys to seize this moment because it’s something they will remember the rest of their lives,” Winder said. “It’s a special time, and it ought to be another great football game.”

It was a great one in 2008, too.

Stephenville can only hope to re-write the way it ends.

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