Rivalry takes on added dimension in November
Dawson, Friendswood set for Friday night clash at NRG
With Dawson and Friendswood it’s like an amicable breakup where both sides don’t really want to leave each other so they keep finding ways to see each other after the fact.
In the first six years Dawson played varsity football the two schools were in the same district so they played one another every year. It turned into one of the Houston area’s most fun but intense rivalries.
The teams have been so good that the district championship usually came down to one of them. In 2009, the teams were so good they met for a second time in the regional finals.
When the teams moved up from Class 4A for the current realignment, they were sent to different districts. They could have scheduled a non-district game to keep the rivalry going, but the coaches decided against it.
“A lot of emotion always went into that game,” Friendswood coach Robert Koopman said. “We thought, ‘Why do we want to go though that unless it’s in the playoffs?’”
That’s exactly what happened last year and will happen again this year. Despite choosing to go their separate ways, Dawson and Friendswood keep finding themselves in the same place year in and year out.
Now formidable Class 6A foes, they will meet in the second round of the Division II playoffs. They will kick off at 7 p.m. Friday at NRG Stadium.
“The towns butt up against each other so you figure if you’re both fortunate to get in and win you’re going to end up crossing paths,” Dawson coach Eric Wells said.
Wells’ team won last year’s playoff meeting against Friendswood, 2826. Friendswood failed on a two-point converstion in
the waning minutes.
Both teams look fairly different this season because they have a lot of new faces. Dawson’s young offense started slowly but has turned into a formidable unit behind quarterback Zach Smith.
The defense has made the biggest strides. Last week the Eagles shutout La Porte in the second half en route to a 37-10 victory. Coach Eric Wells said much of the credit goes to defensive coordinator Shannon Carter, who is in his first year on that post at Dawson.
“I’m proud of that guy and what he has done this year,” Wells said. “It has been awesome having him on our staff.”
Carter and the Eagles will face a unique challenge this week against Friendswood quarterback Tyler Page. The junior has been running all over opponents for two seasons. His most recent performance included 280 rushing yards and two touchdown passes against previously undefeated Hightower.
Page did not play in last year’s game against Dawson due to injury, but Wells is familiar with what the quarterback can do. His kids are similar in age to Page and grew up playing in the same little league.
“Most of the time they had to take (Page) out or they would score more than they were allowed to,” Wells said. “The coaches got fined if you scored more than a certain amount.”