Category: Bulldogs Sports

Howe at Pottsboro full broadcast

Photos by Michelle Carney

Howe vs. Pottsboro Pregame Notes

Howe (4-0) is ranked #8 in the state in Class 3A, Div II (MaxPreps).
Pottsboro (4-0) is ranked #1 in the state in Class 3A, Div I (MaxPreps).

Howe’s offense is scoring 39.25 points per game, which is better than any Howe team has ever finished.  The closest is 1998’s Bulldogs, who finished the season at 33.83.

Howe’s defense is giving up 7.00 points per game in 2015 which is the best since 1991 (6.91).  The defense right now is on pace to rank 9th in school history for points allowed per game.

Howe is outscoring their opponents by 32.25 points per game in 2015.  That is on pace to be the best in school history ahead of the 1940 Howe Bulldogs who outscored their opponents by an average of 27.2 points per contest.

Pottsboro’s offense and defense are even more impressive by scoring 186 points (46.5 points per game) and allowing 22 points (5.5 points per game).  They are outscoring their opponents by an average score of 41.  They say this is their best team they’ve ever had in Pottsboro.

Pottsboro hasn’t lost a district game since 2010, when Howe beat them, 20-13 at Bulldog Stadium.

The Bulldogs are 4-0 for the first time since 2010.

1940, 9-0
1946, 8-0
1945, 8-0
1939, 7-0
1987, 6-0
1966, 5-0
2010, 4-0
1941, 4-0
*2015, 4-0

Series History

Howe is 10-16-1 vs. Pottsboro since the first game played back on 11/3/1972.  Pottsboro has won 4 in a row and 7 of the last 8 meetings.  The last time the Bulldogs won at Pottsboro was on 10/14/1988, 21-14.  Howe has since gone 0-4 in the 27 years since 1988.  Howe is 4-8-1 in Pottsboro overall.

Prior to Matt Poe becoming the Cardinals’ head coach, Howe and Pottsboro were nearly identical vs. each other.  Before Poe, Pottsboro led the series 10-9-1 with Howe outscoring Pottsboro, 294-293.  Since Poe, Pottsboro is 4-0 and have outscored Howe, 262-79.

All-time coaching wins

Norman Dickey, 51 (1964-75)
Jim Fryar, 41 (1985-89)
Davey DuBose, 34 (1996-2000)
Buck Smith, 29 (1980-1984)
Leslie Walden, 18 (1938-39)
Joey McQueen, 16 (1990-92)
Blackie Wade, 16 (1976-79)
*Zack Hudson, 14 (2013 -)

All-time coaches .500 or better

Leslie Walden, .900, 18-2 (1938-39)
Wesley Cox, .900, 9-1 (1940)
John B. Lair, .889, 8-1 (1945)
Jack Osborn, .842, 16-3-1 (1946-47)
Cory Crane, .818, 9-2, (2010)
L.B. Morris, .765, 13-4-2 (1936-37)
Self Coached, .750, 3-1-1 (1942)
Jim Fryar, .719, 41-16-1 (1985-89)
Alfred Clayton, .692, 9-4-2 (1943-44)
H.A. McDonald, .667, 6-3 (1941)
Davey DuBose, .630, 34-20 (1996-2000)
Curtis Christian, .600, 12-8 (1960-61)
Barnes Milam, .600, 6-4 (1935)
Buck Smith, .580, 29-21-1 (1980-84)
Arthur Boyle, .529, 9-8 (1958-59)
*Zack Hudson, .519, 14-13 (2013-)
Joey McQueen, .500, 16-16-2 (1990-92)

On This Day in Bulldog History (4-3)

9/25/1970, Howe lost to Crandall, 12-7
9/25/1976, Howe lost at Frisco, 40-0
9/25/1981, Howe lost at Whitewright, 21-0
9/25/1987, Howe won at Anna, 34-14
9/25/1992, Howe won at Valley View, 18-12
9/25/1998, Howe beat Wolfe City, 52-20
9/25/2009, Howe won at Tom Bean, 46-20

 

Homecoming court photos by Michelle Carney

Howe vs. Ponder Pregame Notes

Howe is 1-2 vs. Ponder in the three previous meetings.  Last year’s 27-20 loss in Ponder marked the second loss in a row to the Lions.

The Bulldogs have outscored Ponder, 69-59 in the three games:

10/22/2010 Howe won at Ponder, 43-10

10/21/2011 Ponder won at Howe, 22-6

9/19/2014 Ponder beat Howe, 27-20

Howe is 3-0 for the first time since 2010

Howe teams that started the season at 3-0 or better:

1940, 9-0

1946, 8-0

1945, 8-0

1939, 7-0

1987, 6-0

1966, 5-0

2010, 4-0

1941, 4-0

*2015, 3-0

1996, 3-0

1984, 3-0

1948, 3-0

Howe had 421 rushing yards last week vs. Lindsay.  That makes the 6^th time in the last two years that Howe has amassed over 400 yards rushing in a game.

589, 2014 vs. Tom Bean

472, 2014 vs. Hughes Springs

446, 2015 vs. Bonham

435, 2014 vs. Muenster Sacred Heart

*421, 2015 vs. Lindsay

413, 2014 vs. Whitewright

Howe averaged 12.03 yards per carry vs. Lindsay last week.  That’s the most in a game in the last two years.

*12.03, 2015 vs. Lindsay

11.78, 2014 vs. Tom Bean

9.39, 2014 vs. Whitewright

8.53, 2014 vs. Muenster Sacred Heart

8.11, 2015 vs. Bonham

7.06, 2014 vs. S&S

On this day in Bulldogs history:

Howe is 6-4 on games played on September 18th

9/18/1948 Howe beat Denison B, 7-6

9/18/1958 Howe beat Collinsville, 42-0

9/18/1964 Bells beat Howe, 21-8

9/18/1970 Whitewright beat Howe, 24-0

9/18/1976 Howe beat Whitesboro, 37-0

9/18/1981 Pilot Point beat Howe, 45-0

9/18/1987 Howe beat Celina, 12-6

9/18/1992 Farmersville beat Howe, 21-0

9/18/1998 Howe beat Quinlan, 42-6

9/18/2009 Howe beat Valley View, 7-6

Something special is taking place in Howe. People that follow the Howe Bulldogs year after year are understanding that this year’s version of the ‘Dogs are on a different level than most of the ones that have worn the black and white. Howe stuffed, stomped and stripped Lindsay to a yawning 40-14 romp.

While the defense dominated Lindsay, the offense averaged 12.03 yards per carry, which is the most since they moved to the slot-T offense last season. They also rushed for 421 yards, which ranks fifth since in the two year period.

The school has had at times great offenses and great defenses, but rarely do they come together at the same time. When they do, it means that the end of the season is usually played in the cold November chill.  Generally regarded as the best Howe Bulldog team ever, the 1940, the District Champion Howe Bulldogs outscored their opponents by 27.2 points per game. This year’s ‘Dogs after three games are at 26.67, which is second of the 72 teams that have ever suited up in the black and white. There is a long way to go and stat stompers such as Pottsboro loom on the horizon, but for a moment in time, Howe looks to be on pace for something everyone can be proud of.

The game actually started out a bit slow with both teams trading punts before Cooper Akins scored his third touchdown on the young season with a 21-yard scamper. With a new holder on PAT’s, the kicking game looked a bit shaky all night long and Brice Honaker’s first PAT was blocked. That left Howe with the 6-0 lead with 4:28 left in the first quarter.

The Knights of Lindsay answered back with a 53-yard drive that took 7:13 off the clock and Knight quarterback Brandon Cragie plunged over from the 2-yard line. The PAT by Tanner Debord was successful and Howe trailed 7-6 with 9:14 left in the second quarter.

Things got a bit scary when Howe quarterback Brandon Wall was pressured and threw a pass off of his back foot that was intercepted by Knight freshman Skyler Neu, but the defense held and Lindsay punted it right back and pinned Howe deep at their own 5 yard line. Moments later junior running back Tyler Grisham broke several tackles and stiff-armed a man down as he raced for a 74-yard touchdown. After Stratton Carroll scored the 2-point conversion, Howe led 14-7 with 4:41 left in the second quarter.

After another Lindsay punt, Jaden Matthews capped off a 70-yard drive with a 46-yard touchdown and with 2:46 left before half, Howe led 20-7.

The defense dominated from the second quarter on and in most impressive fashion, sophomore Andrew Griffin took the ball away from Logan Wann and ran 34 yards for a defensive touchdown. Howe’s lead was extended to 26-7 with 2:13 left before half.

Yet another Lindsay fumble would give Howe one more shot to score before the half and fancy clock management and broken tackles nearly allowed Jaden Matthews to score, but he was tackled inside the 5 yard line as time expired. Howe took the 26-7 lead into the half.

Howe wasted no time jump starting the second half. On the very first play, Carroll, coming off an ACL surgery flashed his renewed quickness on a 63-yard touchdown. A successful PAT by Honaker gave Howe a 33-7 lead with 11:38 left in the third.

Lindsay was forced to punt again and Howe took the ball at their own 46 yard line. Just over two minutes later, Grisham added his second touchdown of the night, this one from 28 yards. The PAT gave Howe a 40-7 lead with 6:29 left in the third.

Howe forced yet another Knight fumble at the Howe 14 yard line, but the drive resulted in a 57-yard Nick Wilson punt.

Lindsay would control the clock and the damage in the fourth quarter by sustaining a 77-yard, 6:16 drive that was finished off with a 3-yard Aaron Flightman touchdown.

Howe got the ball back with 2:23 left to go in the game and would work the clock to punt on the last play of the game to finish off the 40-14 Bulldogs win.

Howe moves to 3-0 on the season and are only the twelfth Bulldog team to accomplish that. The 1940 Howe Bulldogs went 9-0 before they finally lost to Lewisville in the bi-district championship. The last Howe team to reach the 3-0 mark to start the season was back in 2010 when they started 4-0 under Head Coach Cory Crane.

Current Head Coach Zack Hudson improves his record to 13-13 which is quite an accomplishment after going 3-7 in his first year rebuilding the program in 2013. With the win, Hudson passes Stony Coffman (12-28) and Curtis Christian (12-8) on the all-time wins list. He’s now currently tied with L.B. Morris who went 13-4-2 in 1936-37.

Howe had three different rushers go over the 100-yard mark. Grisham led the charge with 114 yards on 7 carries. Jaden Matthews added 109 yards on 9 carries and Carroll hit the 100-yard mark for the first time since he had 151 yards vs. Whitewright a year ago when he suffered the torn ACL. He had 108 yards on 8 carries on Friday night. Other ball carriers were Akins, who carried 5-39, Dylan Moreau 2-26, Wall 2-13 and Brent Masters 2-11. Brandon Wall was 0-2 passing.

Jaden Matthews leads all rushers on the season with 315 yards on 40 carries. Grisham has 285 yards on 23 carries. Akins has 162 yards on 22 carries Carroll’s big night gives him 127 yards on 12 carries. Brent Masters also is at the 100-yard mark with 108 on 13 carries. Dylan Moreau has 91 yards on 12 carries.

The ‘Dogs will face Ponder on Friday night for homecoming. Last season, Ponder beat Howe 27-20.

 

Photos by Michelle Carney