Unbeaten teams play bonus game
Theonly high school football game between undefeated teams in the Houston area this week is meaningless.
But ask supporters of CyFair and Bridgeland, and they would consider Friday’s game at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium a gift from a wacky 2020 schedule.
Thefinal twoweeksof the regular season for many University Interscholastic League districts are open dates built into the schedule to guard against COVID-19 interruptions.
It’s perfect for district games that have to be rescheduled, but the open dates also can be used for nondistrict games, somebetween teams hoping to avoid a long layoff ahead of the postseason.
Foster and Travis meet at noon Friday in a nondistrict game rescheduled game from Oct. 1. What originally was intendedtobe aninconsequential test before district play now acts as a warm-up for a pair of playoff teams.
Stratford and Clear Brook won’t make the playoffs but meet in a nondistrict game Friday for a chance to end 2020 on a high note. Clear Brook has another nondistrict game scheduled next week against Morton Ranch.
Some games are not being played this week if they don’t have to be. In south Dallas, a highly anticipated date between Duncanville and DeSoto in District 11-6A is nowruled no contestwith the teams canceling the game over safety reasons. The Dallas Morning News reported DeSoto coach Claude Mathis wouldn’t distinguish if the cancellation was over a COVID-19 case or not. The game is unnecessary, though. Both teams’ playoff seeding already is set.
Cy-Fair (9-0) is ranked sixthinthe state and theDistrict 17-6A champions. Bridgeland (9-0) is eighth and the District 16-6A champions. The two Cypress-Fairbanks ISD teams don’t even have to go through each other to win a state championship with Bridgeland in the Class 6A Division II playoff bracket and Cy-Fair in 6A-I.
No one envisioned an unofficial Cy-Fair ISD championship game as a playoff appetizer, though. Regional semifinals usually takeplace Thanksgiving weekend. Thismatchup is only possible in 2020with the start of the season was delayed because of the pandemic.
“I’vehadseveral peoplea little bit confused on why we’re even playing it,” CyFair coach Jeff Miller said. “Just because in the scheme of playoffs and so forth, it’s basically a meaningless game. To our fans and our communities, it’s anything but meaningless.
“In reality, this is all about us needing a football game to stay sharp.”
The challenge is exciting alone, but both coaches are just as excited to avoid the layoff.
State power Refugio in District 15-2A Division I had three weeks off before playing its area round playoff game last week. Like many others, Refugio’s district had two openweeks built in at the end of the regular season, but teams in the district did not have any COVID-19 issues and didn’t need to use the open dates.
Positive caseswithin Riviera Kaufer’s program, however, forced a forfeiture in the bi-district playoffs against Refugio, which left the latter laboring for another week.
It didn’t matter. Refugio ousted Flatonia 55-6 in the area round. Still, Refugio coach Jason Herring said having too much time off — like many teams have had because of COVID-19 disruptions — can be difficult to get through.
Both Cy-Fair and Bridgeland are off next week.
“Kids like routine,” Bridgeland coach David Raffield said. “So playing everyweek is important. Staying on schedule is important for kids. One week (off) is good because you can heal up a little bit if you’re banged up like most people are this time of year, but two or three weeks, that’s a long time.”
Bridgeland, led by one of the state’s top junior quarterbacks in Conner Weigman, is fast rising in Year 3 of varsity play.
Miller, a 1986 alumnus and former quarterback of Cy-Fair, is in his first season leading the program. Reaching 9-0 is no surprise. He credits the culture that’s long been in place for the program, whichwon a state title in 2017.
Miller ultimately wants players to keep Friday in perspective, win or lose. But it’s a top10 showdown, after all.
“I’m just like the next fan,” Miller said. “I’m looking forward to this matchup.”