It's the Yellow Jackets Football Game 6 Blog...by Lynn Burkhead, exclusively on mySherDenBuzz.com! Each week, Jackets play-by-play voice Lynn Burkhead will have a writeup on the game, breaking down what happened on the field and what it means moving forward. This week, Lynn shares his in-depth analysis of the
Jackets' 27-20 home loss to Texas High and their upcoming game at Royce City. Lynn breaks down the game and what it means moving forward. Special thanks to Katy Country, 93.1 FM.
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YELLOW JACKETS FOOTBALL GAME 6 BLOG...BY DENISON RADIO'S LYNN BURKHEAD
Mixed Reviews at Munson
Several weeks ago, I predicted that the 2010 version of the Denison Yellow Jackets would beat Little Elm.
That would be followed up with at least one "stolen" win against the District 13-4A big boys (Sherman, Sulphur Springs and Texarkana Texas High).
And that would be followed by wins against Royse City, Greenville and Mount Pleasant.
Add it all up and the Jackets would go 5-5 and make the playoffs.
Good ideas, all.
But unfortunately, not grounded in reality.
Yet.
After giving away a win against Little Elm a couple of weeks back, the Jackets were thoroughly outplayed by Sulphur Springs.
But coming into last Friday night's game against Texarkana Texas High at Munson Stadium, I had a strange sense of calmness.
As in this is the week that Denison puts it all together for four quarters, wraps a big black-and-gold bow around the game and presents it to the Jacket Nation as an upset special.
And with the exception of three plays and 0:30 seconds of clock time, the Jackets did just that.
After senior running back Stacy Golston ripped off the 10th longest touchdown run in school history, roaring 89 long yards to paydirt, the Jackets and the Tigers were tied, 7-7.
Moments later, a fumble recovery by linebacker John Cazelle gave Denison great field position on the Tiger's side of the field with precious little time left in the first half.
No problem. A 23-yard touchdown pass from Jackets QB Rian Conrad to WR Zach Daniel posted Denison to a 14-7 lead.
All that was left to do then was to keep Texas High from scoring in the final 21 seconds of the half, take the second half kick-off and score and send out upset alerts all over Texas.
The only problem is that the Jackets D, which played superbly all night long, melted down in those final 21 seconds.
A 48-yard romp by Tigers' running back Kody Sutton and a Hail Mary to the end zone by QB Levi Saxby to WR Brandon Welch stunned the homecoming crowd at Munson Stadium, with the intermission score was tied at 14-14.
Worse yet, a penalty-plagued three-and-out drive by the Jackets' O on the first series of the second half left Conrad with the unenviable job of punting from the shadow of his own goal post.
The Jackets couldn't handle the Tigers' rush, Conrad's punt was a half-second too late and the resulting block gave Texas High the football at the Denison four-yard line.
One play later, it was “Touchdown Time in Texomaland ... for the wrong team.
And while the Jackets would play valiantly the rest of the night and threaten to tie the score late in the game, that three-play series and 30 seconds of game clock time ostensibly decided the outcome of the game, which ended with Texas High on top, 27-20.
But for those three plays, Denison outplayed a much bigger, faster and more physical team.
The Jackets outgained the pre-season district favorite by a fair margin and posted more than 400 yards of total offense on the stat sheet.
But as it had the previous five weeks, victory eluded the Jackets in the end.
Where does this disappointing loss leave Denison?
Barring an upset of Sherman, something that doesn't seem likely at this point, perhaps it leaves the Jackets on the verge of not obtaining a meaningful win this season against a superior opponent.
And at 0-6, tied for its worst start since 1919.
But three wins in the Jackets final four games should be enough to give Denison the fourth place play-off berth out of District 13-4A.
And that would go a long way toward easing the pain of a season that hasn't quite turned out the way that the Yellow Jackets players and coaches had hoped that it would.
Last Friday left a sour taste in the mouths of Jacket Nation.
But better times are coming, starting this Friday night in Royse City.
Bank on it.
I hope.
