CL it is finally time to face up to The Bully (Wimberley).
Wimberley week will always be a little different than other schools for Canyon Lake.
Why? Distance, The ReSporter would only travel an extra five miles in going to Wimberley high school versus Hawk Country.
Wimberley has also taken Canyon Lake’s lunch money the past four years, leaving the Hawks without anything to eat for lunch. (They are our bully…)
Could this be the year for Canyon Lake to kick sand into the Texans face? Possibly, now all CL needs to find out is if Wimberley will come back and does CL have the fortitude to stand up to Wimberley’s advances and land some punches.
“Wimberley is the third game of our five round heavy weight fight,” Head Coach Charley Drum said. “The stakes get higher with each game.”
Well, when schedules were drawn up for this two year alignment, District 27-3A moved games around and so this year it so happens to be a couple of 2-0 teams playing.
Not odd for Wimberley to be undefeated in district, but this will be just the first time CL has had a 2-0 district record when facing the Texans. The Hawks have faced Wimberley four out of five years with an unblemished mark going into a game with our ‘Devil’s Backbone’ counterpart.
Yes, all the other years Canyon Lake had won their one game against Ingram Moore (twice) and Navarro last season.
Canyon Lake will have their hands full once again with a very mature program.
“They are the best in our district on defense,” Coach Drum continued. “They are fast and aggressive…This team (Wimberley) still has seven starters from their Championship year on defense. Their defense carries them.”
That could not of been more apparent, than last week’s game with Navarro. Wimberley was almost doubled up offensively, but their defense rose to the occasion by holding the Panthers under 300 yards on the ground.
Navarro was averaging 412 yards per game rushing until their game with this Texan team.
The most yards surrendered by Wimberley’s pass defense has been 211 yards of real estate to Dripping Springs. The Texans average giving up 122 yards per game through the air.
Bandera was the only team in Wimberley’s past four games to top the 100 yard mark passing. Bandera had that mark late in the third quarter on an 84 yard screen play, after the game was well in hand.
Canyon Lake would like to finally climb that hill on the playground with Wimberley. So far, those previous Texan teams have pushed your Hawks back off that stage and have been crowned victors each year these two teams have played.
“We have practiced well,” Coach Drum finished. “They (Hawks) have some extra energy this week.”
Canyon Lake has been dilapidated by turnovers in previous games with Wimberley and penalties have been plentiful for your Hawks this year also.
Those two areas will need to be rectified when these two teams lock horns this Friday.
Canyon Lake has almost given up more penalty yardage in any previous year and CL has three more regular season games left to go. An average of 71 yards by penalty per game will always make your defense and offense have to work harder to overcome those mistakes.
“This year’s games seem to be called tighter,” Coach Drum flagged. “They are aggressive penalties and it takes more experience in knowing when to lay off.”
Friday is right around the corner and Canyon Lake is hoping for ‘The Devil’s Backbone’ to be finally straitened out when the Comal Bus comes back home.
Hopefully this will be the year Canyon Lake will kick some sand in a Texan’s face and can tell the other District 27-3A teams about how it transpired.