Texas Football

By Al Pickett // Special to TexasFootball.com

KWCK 1340 AM Abilene

The first win of a new season is always gratifying, but especially so for a new coach trying to rebuild a previously struggling program.

That is why the season opener was especially meaningful at Breckenridge and Baird. Breckenridge has won just one game in each of the last two years, but the Buckaroos dropped to Class 2A this season, a move that Breckenridge fans hope will make the team more competitive. The Bucks converted four Jim Ned turnovers into 28 fourth-quarter points for a 35-13 come-from-behind victory in Steve Freeman’s debut as the new coach at Breckenridge.

And Baird, which won only three games a year ago, picked up a victory in Quinn Conley’s first game back in Baird (he coached at Baird previously from 1973-90). Quarterback Will Russell and receiver Cody Hunter hooked up on TD passes of 45 and 54 yards to lead the Bears to a 24-13 win over Rotan.

Fast start: Ballinger quarterback A.J. Keesee may get credit for the fastest start to the 2010 campaign. His first pass attempt of the new season went for a 50-yard touchdown to Spencer Ryan as the Bearcats’ whipped San Saba 39-7. Keesee completed 11 of 14 passes for 265 yards .

Best games: The two most exciting finishes in the season openers in the Big Country had to be Monahans’ 43-42 victory over Snyder and Early’s 27-26 comeback win over Cisco. Snyder tried to overcome a 22-0 first-quarter deficit but came up one-point short. Meanwhile, Austin Baugh ran for 237 yards and three touchdowns, including a 6-yard scoring play with 1:02 remaining as Early rallied for 13 unanswered points in the final 10 minutes to grab the upset win over Cisco. Blanton Bowen kicked the game-winning PAT.

New quarterback: Abilene Cooper junior quarterback Clayton Nicholas hasn’t started a game since the eighth grade, but he threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns in his debut in the Cougars’ 40-21 win over Wichita Falls Rider.

Returning to the scene: Just eight months after winning the Class 5A Division II state championship in the Alamodome, Abilene High was back in San Antonio Friday night to open a new season with a 36-27 win over Belton in the Texas Football Classic. All-state running back Herschel Sims rushed for 186 yards and a touchdown to earn game MVP honors. Quarterback Ronnell Simms and running backs Tony Curtis and Paxton Grayer added one touchdown apiece as the Eagles totaled 375 yards rushing in winning their 16^th consecutive game.

Abilene High won despite a record-setting performance by Belton quarterback David Ash, who completed 31 of 47 passes for 374 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. AHS coach Steve Warren said Ash, who has committed to the University of Texas, may be the best quarterback the Eagles have faced in his 15 years as head coach. That is saying something when you consider that Abilene High has faced the likes of Chase Daniel, Greg McElroy and Riley Dodge, among others, in the past five or six years alone.

Other top performances: Joe Nasser had 162 combined yards rushing and receiving, scored two touchdowns and anchored Abilene Wylie’s defense from his linebacker position as the Bulldogs beat LaVernia 21-7… Brownwood wide receiver Jaxon Shipley, who will follow his older brother Jordan Shipley to the University of Texas next week, caught only three passes for 51 yards in the Lions’ 56-19 win over Gatesville, but he returned two punts for 57 and 89 yards for a pair of touchdowns…. Hamlin quarterback Tyler Lucas threw for 174 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score in the Pied Pipers’ 45-7 romp over Anson…. Colorado City’s Jason Rodriguez returned an interception 75 yards for a touchdown in the Wolves’ 21-13 win over Merkel.

Champions Classic: Abilene will be the place to be for high school football fans this weekend. The sixth annual Action Sports Medicine Sports Classic will be held at Shotwell Stadium. For the first time in the history of the Classic, which raises scholarships for graduating seniors at Abilene’s four high schools, the event will kick off with a six-man game between Abilene Christian High School and Newcastle at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

Abilene Cooper will face defending Class 5A Division I state runner-up Austin Westlake at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Defending Class 5A Division state champion Abilene High will take on Franklinton, La., the Class 2A state runner-up in that state a year ago, at 11 a.m. Saturday. Franklinton set a Louisiana state scoring record last season. The final game will feature Hamlin and Quanah at 7 p.m. Saturday.