Blitz Picks December 16-18

If we are lucky, this will not be the final week of the Big Country high school football season.

Jim Ned and May will be done win or lose in their respective state championship contests, and an Abilene High win will extend us deeper in December.

I put the May/Sterling City preview and picks up last week and, honestly, should have waited until this week. So I’ll post it again.

Week 16: 3 for 4 (75%)
Week 15: 4 for 5 (80%)
Week 14: 9 for 11 (81.8%)
Week 13: 15 for 17 (88.2%)
Week 12: 19 for 21 (90.5%)
Week 11: 19 for 21 (90.5%)
Week 10: 25 for 28 (89.3%)
Week 9: 23 for 25 (92.0%)
Week 8: 22 for 24 (91.7%)
Week 7: 26 for 27 (96.3%)
Week 6: 20 for 25 (80.0%)
Week 5: 21 for 28 (75.0 %)
Week 4: 22 for 26 (84.6%)
Week 3: 22 for 29 (75.9%)
Week 2: 22 for 30 (73.3%)
Week 1: 25 for 30 (83.3%)
Season: 297 for 351 (84.6%)

Xavier Wishert runs against Mount Vernon - Big Country Blitz photo

3A DIVISION I STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Jim Ned (13-1) vs Hallettsville (13-2) - Thursday, 7 p.m. - AT&T Stadium, Arlington

A state title game rematch doesn’t happen very often, but in the crazy COVID year of 2020 we actually have two in the Big Country alone as both Jim Ned and May face a team they played in the regular season.

The Indians met Hallettsville in Llano back on October2, thanks to a cancellation of their scheduled game against Snyder, and handed the Brahmas a 24-21 defeat. That was the last loss this year for Hallettsville (the first was a 44-34 loss to 2A Division I state finalist Shiner), who has won ten in a row. Jim Ned brings a 13-game winning streak into Jerry World — their only loss was at home to Ballinger in the season opener.

Each team has a great running back that is expected to carry the load: Xavier Wishert for Jim Ned and Jonathon Brooks for Hallettsville. Wishert has been special for the Indians this season, racking up over 2,000 yards and 30 touchdowns on the ground, going for 829 yards and 11 touchdowns in the playoffs alone. Brooks has been even more amazing in the statistics department. The Texas Longhorn-to-be has more than 3,000 yards and 60 touchdowns this season, and ran for 304 yards and six touchdowns in the Brahmas semifinal victory of Llano. He also picked off a pair of passes on defense, taking one back for his seventh touchdown of the night in a 53-28 win.

This one will come down to much more than Wishert vs. Brooks, however, and the Indians can also rely on the arm of Tate Yardley and a defense that has allowed an opponent to score 20 or more points in a game in just one of their last nine outings. Hallettsville’s defense has allowed at least 21 points in five of their last six games, including 48 to Lorena in the third round of the playoffs.

Look for the Indians to do what they usually do: slow the game down, make some big plays on defense and put just enough points on the board to win.

History

Jim Ned is in the state title game for the first time since a 28-7 loss to San Augustine in the 2003 2A Division I state championship game against San Augustine at Ennis High School. No offense to Ennis, but that is quite the facilities upgrade for the Indians this time around.

Hallettsville is in their first state championship game, and had only advanced to the semifinals once before — falling to Rockdale 9-0 in 1976. The Brahmas have had plenty of recent success, reaching the quarterfinals in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2019.

Points per game: Jim Ned: 36.1 — Hallettsville: 44.9
Points allowed per game: Jim Ned: 15.3 — Hallettsville: 20.3
Playoff points per game: Jim Ned: 28 — Hallettsville: 45
Playoff points allowed per game: Jim Ned: 18.6— Hallettsville: 24.6
Blitz Pick: Jim Ned

Rory Bustamante - Dency McClure/Texas 1A Fa

1A DIVISION I STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

May (13-1) vs Sterling City (14-0) - Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2 p.m. - AT&T Stadium, Arlington

We thought the May/Sterling City matchup way back on September 4 had the potential to be a state title game preview, and that thought proved correct after both teams picked up exciting semifinal wins to punch their tickets to Jerry World.

Sterling City won at May 44-40 in that early season game, rallying from a 22-16 halftime deficit to hand the Tigers their only loss of the season.

May bounced back in a big way, ripping of a dozen wins in a row — with only the last two against Leakey and Blum not ending early due to the 45-point mercy rule.

Sterling City has some very impressive victories on their 2020 resume: they beat Borden County twice and Westbrook twice to go along with wins over Happy, Hermleigh and Rankin. Ten of their 14 victories this season are against playoff teams.

History

May is playing in the sixth state championship game in school history and their first since falling to Crowell in back-to-back seasons in 2013 and 2014.

Sterling City is thought of as a tradition rich program, but this is only their second trip to the finals. The first was a 46-0 loss to Richland Springs in the 2010 Division II title tilt.

Points per game: May: 60.6 — Sterling City: 60.9
Points allowed per game: May: 21.7 — Sterling City: 28.1
Playoff points per game: May: 68 — Sterling City: 68.3
Playoff points allowed per game: May: 35 — Sterling City: 43
Blitz Pick: May

6A DIVISION II AREA

Abilene High (5-4) vs North Crowley (6-3) - Friday, 7 p.m. - Tarleton State, Stephenville

Winner vs Denton Guyer (8-2)/Arlington (5-5) - Saturday, 3:15 p.m. - Globe Life Park, Arlington

The Eagles are on to the second round and draw a North Crowley team that is coming off its first playoff victory since winning the 2003 5A Division I state championship. The Panthers have only played four playoff games since then, one a 45-21 loss to Abilene High in 2004. North Crowley finished third behind Euless Trinity and Haltom in District 3-6A. They beat Haltom 36-24 but lost to Trinity 42-13. Their other losses this season were to L.D. Bell and The Colony.

Abilene High enters the matchup on a four-game winning streak, the latest a 42-35 victory over El Paso Eastwood in Fort Stockton on Saturday afternoon. The Warbird offense has been clicking of late, as their highest two scoring outputs of the season have come in the last two weeks. They will need the defense that played the first half Saturday, and limited Eastwood to seven points, to show up in Stephenville Friday night and not the second half defense that gave up 28.

Points per game: Abilene: 31.8 — North Crowley: 23.8
Points allowed per game: Abilene: 27.5 — North Crowley: 17.3
Blitz Pick: Abilene High