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| Morning practice at Plowboy Field on Monday. |
They’ll be playing in the toughest district in the region this year, but Head Coach Jake Freeman and his assistants will have them ready to compete for another playoff run.
It won’t be easy, though. Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, the state’s premier publication for high school football, is picking the Plowboys to finish third in District 7-2A DII behind Albany and Hamlin. Here is their predicted finish:
1. Albany
2. Hamlin
3. Roscoe Collegiate
4. Cross Plains
5. Haskell
6. Baird
(Roby was initially in the district but has since dropped varsity football for the year for lack of players.)
The Plowboys return 18 lettermen and 8 starters on both offense and defense. Texas Football lists the following as players to watch: WR/DB Jose Ortega, WR/DB Brandon Lavalais, QB Jayden Gonzales, LB Nick Limones, OL Rey Martinez, WR/DB Junior Martinez, WR/DB Ryan Highsmith, QB/WR Barrett Beal, LB Jacob Rainey, OL/DL Coltin Watts, OL John Herrera, OL/DL Adrian Lomas, WR/DB Tristan Baker, WR/DB Jaythan Coale, LB Jordan Blain, and OL Roman Garza.
The article also notes that Roscoe is led by WR/DB Jose Ortega (398 yards, 5 TDs rushing and 783 yards, 11TDs receiving, 104 tackles, 5 INTs).
Keeping with his philosophy of scheduling tough pre-district games, Coach Freeman has lined up another group of strong opponents to test the Plowboys’ mettle and hone their skills before beginning district play. Here’s the 2018 varsity schedule:
Date Opponent Site Start Time
Aug. 18 Ozona** San Angelo 10:00am
Aug. 23 Forsan** Roscoe 5:00pm
Aug. 31 Hawley Hawley 7:30pm
Sept. 7 Stamford Roscoe 7:30pm
Sept. 14 Miles Roscoe 7:30pm
Sept. 21 Munday Munday 7:30pm
Sept. 28 OPEN
Oct. 5 Gruver Plainview 7:00pm
Oct. 12 Hamlin* Roscoe 7:00pm
Oct. 19 Albany* Albany 7:00pm
Oct. 26 Haskell* Haskell 7:00pm
Nov. 2 Baird* Roscoe 7:00pm
Nov. 9 Cross Plains* Cross Plains 7:00pm
** = Scrimmage
* = District Game
The September 14 game with Miles is Mum Night.
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GREAT ROSCOE FOOTBALL TEAMS: THE 1982 PLOWBOYS
This is the third in a review of four of the great Roscoe Plowboy football teams of the last century. The first was the 1922 team two weeks ago and the 1945 team in last week’s Roscoe Hard Times. Next week will feature the 1995 Plowboys.
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| Greg Althof (78) tackles Union Hill ball carrier in 1982 State Finals. |
No one knew at the beginning of the season just what kind of team they would be. The 1981 Plowboys had finished with an 11-1 record, going undefeated the entire season until losing their bi-district game to Aspermont. But that team had been led by quarterback Mark Denman and a solid offensive front made up mostly of seniors like Danny Hunter, Todd Bollinger, Greg Hernandez, Zahn Aljoe and Simon Aguilar. Their graduation left several holes to fill. The 1982 Plowboys had six returning starters on offense and five on defense, but they lacked an experienced quarterback and many of the players were playing in new positions.
The pre-season pick to win the District 7A North Zone was Forsan, followed by Roscoe, Klondike, Sands, Roby and Loraine in that order. Although Roscoe was a 1A school, Head Coach Troy Kennedy, whose Assistant Coaches were Johnny Martin and Frankie Young, had decided to toughen up his team with a pre-district schedule of all 2A opponents.
The Plowboys opened the season at home with a shutout win over Rotan, 18-0. In that game, Britt Pieper threw for one TD, while Russell Graham and Rudy Guzman ran for the other two. The defense stood out the entire game, and a lineman, Greg Althof, was named the outstanding player of the week.
The following week they lost their first game to Jim Ned 14-12, a game they could have won. The Plowboys played well on both offense and defense, totaling 310 yards to Jim Ned’s 218, but they committed five turnovers, four fumbles and one interception, to Jim Ned’s one lost fumble. Even so, they were ahead 12-6 with less than three minutes left in the game, but a blocked Plowboy punt rolled out the back of the end zone, giving the Indians a safety to cut the lead to 12-8. After a 5-yard penalty for illegal procedure, the Plowboys had to kick from their 15-yard line with the Indians starting their final drive on the Plowboy 42. With time running out they drove inside the Plowboy 10 and with only 14 seconds left, they completed a touchdown pass to win the game 14-12.
The defense was impressive the following week in shutting out Hawley, which made only six first downs the entire game. The score was 0-0 at halftime, but Rudy Guzman scored twice in the third quarter, Wes Williams kicked both extra points, and the Plowboys came away with a 14-0 victory.
The Plowboys then lost their second game 16-0 to undefeated Bangs. Once again, the halftime score was 0-0 with both defenses dominating, but in the third quarter, the Dragons sacked Pieper in the end zone for a safety and moved ahead 2-0. Then in the fourth quarter Bangs got two touchdowns, the second one coming shortly before the end of the game.
Guzman was injured in the Bangs game and was unable to start against Spur, so Coach Kennedy moved Pieper to halfback and put freshman Matt Denman in at quarterback. The move turned out to be a good one for the Plowboy offense, and when Guzman returned, Denman remained the quarterback and Pieper a halfback. Denman showed his ability in the first quarter with a 46-yard touchdown pass to Craig Raughton, but then Spur scored twice in the second quarter to lead at halftime 12-6. In the third quarter, the Plowboys regained the lead 13-12 on a 15-yard Guzman run and a Williams extra point, and then iced the game in the fourth on a Denman run and another Williams kick to win 20-12. Despite his injury, Guzman got extensive playing time and led all rushers with 131 yards in 18 carries. Roscoe finished its pre-district games at 3-2, but the team was getting better with each game as it gained experience.
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| Matt Denman (11) carries the ball as Ruben Herrera (67) blocks. |
Their second district game was a different matter. Forsan was 3-1-1, and the game was in Forsan. Whoever won would likely be zone champion and in good shape for the playoffs. As expected, the game was a thriller for all four quarters with the lead changing hands six times. Forsan jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first quarter, but the Plowboys took the lead 7-6 on their next possession. It didn’t last, though, and Forsan was up at halftime 12-7. The second half was no different as the two teams continued to exchange the lead. Late in the fourth quarter, the Plowboys were ahead 22-18, and in desperation, Forsan tried a trick play, but safety Craig Raughton wasn’t fooled and made an interception that killed the threat. The offensive line had its best game of the year, opening holes all evening, and Rudy Guzman rushed for 233 yards and 3 TDs on 31 carries.
The next game was with Sands in Sands. The Mustangs came into the game with a record of 7-1 with their only loss to Forsan, so the Plowboys couldn’t take them lightly. When the Sands coaches saw the film of Roscoe’s win over Forsan, they decided that the way to beat the Plowboys was to stop Guzman—and that they did. But with Guzman stopped, the Plowboys gave the ball to Pieper, who scored both touchdowns in a 14-0 Roscoe win. In blanking the Mustangs, the Plowboy defense started a string of six shutouts that wouldn’t be broken until the state quarterfinals seven weeks later.
The Plowboys also expected a tough game with Klondike, but on the Plowboys’ first possession, Pieper ran 47 yards to put Roscoe up 7-0. Then on their next possession, he went in from the six and the Plowboys were ahead 14-0 before the first quarter was half over. Klondike never recovered from that quick start, and Roscoe went on to win the game in a rout, 34-0. Pieper scored four touchdowns and Williams the other on a 36-yard pass from Denman. Outstanding players for the game were Nathan Richburg, Britt Pieper, and Wes Williams.
The following week the Plowboys took care of Roby as expected, winning 45-0. The game was the last on the regular schedule, which the Plowboys finished with a record of 8-2 overall and 5-0 in zone play. The team probably set a record by never allowing a point to be scored against them in any of their five home games.
The zone playoff the following week was with Sterling City in a game played at Colorado City. Like Roscoe, the Eagles were 8-2 on the year with losses only to Rankin and Eden. They had a 6’4” 230-pound running back and a strong defense, and in the week leading up to the game, sportswriters considered the two teams evenly matched. However, that’s not the way the game turned out, as the Plowboys destroyed them in a laugher 39-0.
The bi-district game in Clyde against Gorman turned out pretty much the same way. It was also a shutout and a rout with a final score of 47-0.
The next game was with Iraan for the Regional Championship. Both teams seemed a lot alike. Both had big lines and strong defenses, and both had only two losses on the year. Both were also coming off a bi-district game in which they had shut out their opponents and easily won, as Iraan had defeated Fort Hancock 27-0. Iraan had three straight shutouts, and the Plowboys five.
The game was played in Andrews on a cold day with a strong north wind. Roscoe jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, the first TD on a 31-yard pass from Denman to Russell Cravey and the second on a 5-yard Denman run after a pass interference call on Iraan. In the third quarter, Iraan put together a long drive and was threatening to score, but Pieper recovered a Brave fumble at the Plowboy 31. Roscoe then moved down the field with Denman running the ball over from the 20. Williams kicked the extra point, his third of the day, and the Plowboys were up 21-0, an insurmountable lead with the way the defense was playing. Neither side scored in the fourth quarter, and the defense came away with another shutout. After the game, Coach Kennedy’s greatest praise was for his linemen, both on defense and offense, who were essentially the same players on both sides of the ball: Wes Williams, Nathan Richburg, Darren Kight, Ruben Herrera, Allen McIntire, Greg Althof, and Danny Richburg.
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| Rudy Guzman (25) runs past two Wink Wildcats. |
The contest, played in Colorado City, turned out to be a tight, defensive struggle that wasn’t over until the game’s final play. In the first quarter, Wink went up 6-0 on a 5-yard Rasco run, breaking the Plowboys’ shutout string. However, when they lined up to kick the extra point, the center moved the ball slightly forward before snapping it, and Russell Graham hit him. Wink was penalized five yards for illegal procedure. On the next play, the center did it again, Graham hit him again, and Wink was penalized another five yards. They then gave up on kicking the point and instead tried a pass that fell incomplete, so the score remained 6-0.
In the second quarter, the Plowboys recovered a Rasco fumble at the Wink 2-yard line, and on the next play, Pieper ran the ball into the end zone, Williams kicked the extra point, and the Plowboys took the lead 7-6. At the time, no one imagined that that would end the scoring for the game, but it did, as both sides mounted drives in the second half, but neither could make it to the end zone. Turnovers hampered both teams in the hard-hitting contest, as the Plowboys lost 4 fumbles, and Wink lost 3, along with a critical interception late in the fourth quarter, which saved the victory for the Plowboys. Wink was at the Plowboy 29 and driving when one of their receivers broke into the open with a clear path to the end zone. Rasco threw him a pass, but Craig Raughton made a spectacular interception and returned the ball to midfield. By the time Wink got the ball back, time had almost run out, and, after four desperation passes fell incomplete, the game was over. Wink went home, and the Plowboys moved on.
The State Semi-Final was played in Stamford with Knox City, who beat Follett 20-6 in their quarterfinal game. The game was another defensive struggle as the Plowboys racked up another shutout while scoring enough points to win the game. Late in the game with Roscoe ahead 6-0, the Plowboys drove deep into Knox City territory before being stopped. Rather than try for a first down, Coach Kennedy called for a field goal, something the Plowboys hadn’t tried all year. Wes Williams obliged, though, the kick was good, and the score went to 9-0, putting the game out of reach for the Greyhounds.
The Plowboys had now made it to the State Finals. Their opponent was Union Hill, an east Texas team that had just defeated Bremond 20-6 in the semi-finals, breaking Bremond’s 29-game winning streak in the process. Bremond had won state the year before and had been ranked number one in the state all season, so Union Hill, still undefeated, came into the finals confident that they could win it all. Like Roscoe, they relied heavily on their defense.
In the game played at Weatherford, Union Hill scored in the first quarter when their defensive end intercepted a pass and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead. The game then continued as another defensive struggle, as neither team could complete a drive. Roscoe’s line opened holes and their backs raced through but could never break any long runs because of the speed of the Union Hill secondary. The Union Hill offense had no better luck with the Plowboys, and the 7-0 score stood until late in the fourth quarter. The Plowboys had just held Union Hill once again, but time was running out, and Coach Kennedy called for an all-out attempt to block the punt. The attempt was unsuccessful, and, worse, the Plowboys were called for roughing the punter, which gave Union Hill a first down and allowed them to keep the ball. They continued their drive, and with two minutes left in the game their quarterback scored on an 8-yard run to put them up 13-0, the game’s final score.
Roscoe won the battle of statistics with 153 total yards to Union Hill’s 116 and 9 first downs to Union Hill’s 8, but the Plowboys’ four turnovers were a deciding factor in the outcome.
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| The '82 defensive Plowboy line against an unidentified opponent. |
Greg Althof and Craig Raughton were first-team all-state, Greg as an offensive tackle and Craig as a defensive back, and Britt Pieper made the second team as a defensive back. All three were also all-area, with honorable mention going to Ruben Herrera and Nathan Richburg as offensive linemen.
Several of the team members went on to play college ball. Nathan Richburg started for three years at Texas Tech, and Greg Althof, Jeff Althof, and Darren Kight all played at Angelo State, while Matt Denman played at McMurry.
Even more remarkable and a tribute to Troy Kennedy is the number of players who went on to coach at one time or another. These include Wes Williams, Greg Althof, Darren Kight, Jeff Althof, Craig Raughton, Nathan Richburg, Matt Denman, Leroy Morales, Kevin Reed, and Kevin Loranc.
Next: The 1995 Plowboys
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PLOWBOY PREVIEW NEXT THURSDAY AT PLOWBOY FIELD
ROSCOE SCHOOLS START NEW SCHOOL YEAR TOMORROW
RCISD starts the 2018-19 school year tomorrow, Thursday, August 9.
This includes the high school, elementary school, and Early Childhood
Center, except for 3-year-olds, who start on August 20.
Drivers
are urged to drive with care, especially just before school starts and
after it lets out, since many town kids walk to and from school.
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| Cheer Pals entertain crowd at previous Plowboy Preview. |
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WEATHER REPORT: DRY HEAT CONTINUES BUT COOL, WET DAYS IN FORECAST
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| Summer clouds in a hot August sky. |
Starting tomorrow, the forecast high is 90°, followed by steadily cooling weather—a high of 87° on Friday, 83° on Saturday, and only 81° on Sunday and Monday. And all those days come with good chances of rain as the jet stream dips all the way down to the Gulf. The forecasters are giving us a 30% chance of precipitation tomorrow and 40% Friday, followed by 60% for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Surely, out of all that we should get something!
Here’s to cooler, wetter weather in our near future!
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