Pre/Game: Canyon Lake @ Navarro
Hawks (5-0) Panthers (3-2)
Game Time: 7:30 pm October 7th
History: Navarro leads the series 1-0
‘10 Canyon Lake 26 Panthers 38
This Year:
Navarro Panthers 43 Luling 22
Navarro Panthers 8 SACS 10
Navarro Panthers 42 Antonio Prep 00
Navarro Panthers 18 Lexington 19
Navarro Panthers 48 Shiner 21
CLHS Hawks 14 Blanco 07
CLHS Hawks 34 La Vernia 23
CLHS Hawks 38 Sealy 34
CLHS Hawks 52 Aus-Travis 21
CLHS Hawks 56 Luling 28
Navarro Panthers will entertain Canyon Lake this Friday night as the Hawks revisit a team that ran over and over again in their victory last year.
Revisiting some statistics from that game. ***Warning*** please protect people from the following frightening numbers!!!
Rushing Yards 533
Number of runs 76
Total # of plays 81
No Turnovers
Canyon Lake had 63 yards rushing
Navarro had six drives with 10 or more plays
Three players finished the game rushing for over 100 yards
Simply put, the Hawks defense could not get the Navarro offense off the field.
The good news? Navarro lost their do everything quarterback last season. The result has been very little run production from this years quarterbacks position.
The Panthers will still pass on average nine times per game, while completing four. They average 23 yards per completion, so selling out for the run every play will allow Navarro to make the defense pay.
Running back Eric Schleier is averaging 164 yards per game and Lj Anderson pitches in with 70 yards. The team has averaged 317 per contest.
Navarro has turned in 18 touchdowns via the run.
By now you will understand that Navarro likes to run.
Good news? The teams the Panthers have played have not been from larger classifications.
Two TAPPS and two Class A schools. The other team was Luling with AA by their name.
Luling Eagles will be the main game to compare in this instance.
Panthers controlled the game and had 16 points scored in the last quarter. While the Hawks made Luling pay for stopping the run by passing over the low flying Eagles.
Navarro also sold out by stopping the run last season. Zach Henshaw finished with 63 yards.
You will see that same strategy this time too. The difference will be how well the Hawks can control the game by passing.
However, everyone will have their eyes fixed on the defense, hoping to stop the advancement on the ground and getting the Panther offense off the field.
Canyon Lake is 9-1 over the last ten games and have been averaging 45 points in the last four games.
The Hawks depth will be better than last year’s team and hopefully that will translate to a more dominating game for the good guys as the contest continues in the late quarters.
Canyon Lake did not force any turnovers last year and that will need to improve for the game to give the Hawks an advantage.
The Hawks have gone against the grain on several items that had not been accomplished before this season.
One road win per season….this year CL has two.
Four game winning streak…this year five and counting
Never broke the 50 point barrier….this year, 52 and 56 points
There are two notes, Canyon Lake will need to hope for:
- Win the flip and take the ball.
- Navarro has won/lost/won/lost/won/????, so far this year.
By winning the flip, the Hawk offense will have first crack at scoring and staying ahead of the offense that likes to suck the air out of the ball.
Navarro has won every other game and this week is the time to lose a game.
More than anything else, Canyon Lake has more depth and Navarro has lost a lot of rushing yards and Touchdowns from last year’s squad.
The Panther defense has not allowed more than 22 points and Canyon Lake has been a scoring machine.
Stay away from turnovers and drive killing penalties and CLHS will have more than enough time to wear down the Panthers, and win the game.
The team needs to practice calling heads or tails to put this game in the Hawks favor.
Good Luck!!
