Canyon Lake Broadcasting & Looking at La Grange Football Game
Canyon Lake High School Strong End / Defensive End Kolton Ramey (#88) and Center / Defensive Tackle Brayden Hodge (#64) rushes the Lampasas offensive line. rr[Photo Credit: Mark Robinson / MJR Photography / www.mjrphotog.com]
As promised, here is a look into the 2020 football season schedule and the opponents the Hawks will face……
Week two, Sept 4th (Home) vs the La Grange Leopards.
Hawks all-time record vs the Leopards – 0-3.
The last time Canyon Lake and La Grange met was on Nov. 22nd 2013 at the Georgetown Football Complex for an Area playoff game where the Leopards walloped the Hawks 50-8 on a 40 degree night with wind and rain coming in all directions.
The Leopards made short work of the Hawks on their way to a State Championship game that season with a, 14-1 season losing to Carthage 51-22.
However it wasn’t the first time CL had seen the Purple & Gold that year, in 2013. The Hawks went on the road to La Grange earlier that year on Sept. 27th as La Grange beat the Hawks, 48-28 and just over powered Canyon Lake with a weapon in almost every position.
Prior to those two games and meeting the Leopards twice in one season, Canyon Lake hosted La Grange in 2012 and lost, 34-9. That following year in 2014 La Grange made it to the Quarterfinals round with a 14-1 season. So as far as this La Grange psyche is concerned, there is another winning cycle coming forward for this Leopard Squad in 2020 so they can get back deep in those play-offs again as their tradition would dictate.
These folks in La Grange have high expectations this year according to some contacts in town as well as some strategically placed family cousins. Canyon Lake has played La Grange three times and have yet to tame the Leopards.
So is this the year….?
This coming year the Leopards appear to be a pretty solid ball club at least on paper and video’s. Last season they were, 8-4 making post-season and winning Bi-District before losing in an Area game vs West Orange Stark 42-14.
Let’s Go Go Hawks!!
As with all ball clubs looking to regain their glory of a vaunted winning high school tradition like La Grande, Head Coach Matt Kates will have size, speed and a returning starters that knows how to make that dream a reality moving into this season.
Those skilled positions are full of Juniors and sophomores, all with experience against what was a pretty jaded schedule in 2019 especially into district play for this Leopard team. They had an offense and defense that will be stout with a Senior squad on both sides of the line with an ability to win on any given Friday night. That should be favored going into most games.
Since the realignment this past February has had CL beefing up on their non-district schedule with this addition of La Grange, to say the least.
Since La Grange is now on CL’s schedule the Hawks will to look for any edge possible to use against the Leopards.
If there might be something Canyon Lake can use, it just might be this Slot T offense, that has been run over these last seven years. The Hawks had just started running this Slot T offense when Head Coach Charlie Drum brought in Offensive Coordinator, Troy Moses to the Lake and after beating a (9-1) Pleasanton as an underdog in Bi-District, the Hawks ran into La Grange.
Let’s Go Hawks!!
However, La Grange lost four games last season (2019), one was in post-season to a state quarter finalist team in West Orange Stark and of those other three losses- two were against Slot T running teams, Navarro and Bellville. I can assure you a Hawk Coaching staff are well aware of those two games.
Here are the stats in those 2 Slot-T contests:
2019 (L) 55-22 Navarro had: No passes! All rushing on 48 carries for 422yds. With an 8.8 yd avg. with a longest run of 45yds and had two rushers over 100+ yds. each with a team total of 7 TD’s.
2019 52-27 (L) Bellville had: was 7of 2 for 6 yds. – Rushing 46 carries for 416 yds. With an 9.0 yd. avg. with the longest run of 78yds/ and had two rusher over 100+ yds. each with a team total of 7 TD’s.
If these stats seem eerie to you, then your Jedi powers are spot on. These stats are almost exactly the same and are almost identical to some of a Hawk offensive outputs through the years in their, big win, games. So if there is a possible good spot for these Hawks to look to and take aim when they take on these Leopards, it could be rushing @ 3 yards per carry and a cloud of dust, which is what a Slot T offense does.
In prior year’s vs the same type of teams here are their outcomes as well with their results for the Leopards.
Navarro 2017 (L) 42 – 7 (L) 2016 42-14
Bellville 2017 (L) 23-14 (L) 2018 14 – 6
This Leopard team will look to put an end to that Slot T win drought as they return their 2020 QB Sr. Matthew Johnson who can get it done on the ground as well as any QB.
Signature Homes says, Go Hawks!
This QB has wheels even though they don’t pass much he is about a 50/50 passer and in crunch time just enough to loosen up a defense.
I would say after watching Hudl and Max Peps he likes to take off and run…… alla the Bi-District game vs Needville from then Sr. QB Hncir from Needville during our 2018 campaign. Here is Matthews videos from 2019…..https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/matthew-johnson/078TcpwREeiAxKkkK9HIDg/default.htm.
This is match up with La Grange will definitely be a brut of a game. Canyon Lake will return a several players in skilled positions on both side of the ball. The Hawk D will have a linebacker core with speed and an ability to at least find a rhythm in keeping up with Matthews, as the Dos Mas Defensive-Ends can not only pass rush but can run QB’s down. CL Hawks are the host this year but alas are 0-3 vs La Grange. In the 2021 season, it will be the Hawks making a long drive for the “Cinco Matchup”.
Offensively, The Lake has a horse stall full of running backs this season and three returning Offensive-Lineman to help some of those up and coming JV lineman familiarize in breaking open running lanes.
We can talk about the Hawks another day – which we will, when August draws near, so stay tuned for that analysis.
So hang tight Hawk football fanatics and stay healthy as Canyon Lake Broadcasting will take a look at their third game September 11th @Georgetown East View next.
Keep your lights on and stay Hawk Strong -2007
Cory Martelli
