Game number 770 for the Howe Bulldogs. Howe has a record of 387-358-24 since the first game on Sept. 20, 1935.
This is the second-ever matchup ever between Howe and Emory Rains.
| School Name | *W-L | *Pct. | *PF | *PA | W-L | Pct. | PF | PA | Strk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pottsboro | 1-0 | 1.000 | 63 | 14 | 5-0 | 1.000 | 229 | 76 | 5 W |
| Van Alstyne | 1-0 | 1.000 | 29 | 21 | 2-3 | 0.400 | 103 | 158 | 1 W |
| Howe | 1-0 | 1.000 | 66 | 28 | 2-3 | 0.400 | 146 | 130 | 1 W |
| Rains | 0-1 | 0.000 | 21 | 29 | 2-3 | 0.400 | 98 | 183 | 1 L |
| Commerce | 0-1 | 0.000 | 14 | 63 | 1-4 | 0.200 | 113 | 190 | 3 L |
| Bonham | 0-1 | 0.000 | 28 | 66 | 1-4 | 0.200 | 134 | 257 | 2 L |
| Lone Oak | 0-0 | 0.000 | 0 | 0 | 1-3 | 0.250 | 92 | 170 | 2 L |
Howe stats
Howe is the fifth smallest school in Class 3A, Division I, but are fairing well statistically with the large disadvantage. Howe has scored 146 points and allowed 129 while going 2-3 on the season. A year ago, Howe had scored 125 points and given up 135 in the first five games of the season going 3-2.
Howe had 255 passing yards on the season for 2018 and eclipsed that before the half last Friday night in Bonham en route to 301 yards through the air. The Bulldogs offensive attack remains balanced with 854 yards on the ground and 893 through the air.
Howe’s 594 total yards were the second-most on record in school history. Howe gained 618 yards against Tom Bean on Oct. 17, 2014.
The 343 passing yards were the most for Howe since Oct. 22, 2010 when Chase Fountaine unleashed at Ponder.
The Bulldogs outgained Bonham by 106 yards a week ago. It’s only the fifth time in the 15-game Bill Jehling era that the Bulldogs have outgained their opponent.
Howe vs. Rains 2018
The Rains Wildcats took used their 130 plus student enrollment advantage over Howe to wear out and wear down the Bulldogs to a 41-7 win. Both teams needed wins to hang in the playoff picture and Rains had an outstanding game plan of keeping the ball in the hands of their talented sophomore quarterback Luke Shepperd. The young signal-caller ran for 99 yards on 17 carries with the longest being a 53-yard score late in the second quarter to deflate all of Howe’s momentum. Shepperd also completed 3 of 8 passes for 26 yards. His read-option partner in running back Devin Jacks helped the Wildcats amass 227 rushing yards with Jacks carrying 18 times for 72 yards.
Howe, conversely couldn’t get anything going on offense and were stymied with only 120 offensive yards. Howe rushed for 69 and passed for 51. It was the lowest rushing output for Howe at that point.
Howe brought up Jackson Adkins and Jordan Jones from the junior varsity to make their debuts.
Outlook
Howe’s offense: Howe’s offense has begun to click on all cylinders with all players finally healthy. With Haley starting at quarterback, Howe is averaging 42 points per game. Without him, they average 10 points per game.
Rains defense: Last week, the Wildcats gave up 322 yards rushing to Van Alstyne and another 149 passing. Van Alstyne had been averaging 159 yards rushing and 101 passing prior to Rains.
Rains offense: Led by junior quarterback Luke Sheppard who directs the read-option offense with running back Mason Songer (112 carries for 667 yards) in the backfield. They’ll also run motion with a jet sweep option to further advance their misdirection confusion. Sheppard (36 carries for 156 yards) is also a good thrower, completing 14 of 25 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown. Sheppard’s go-to wide receiver is slot receiver Drake Hurley who’s caught 14 passes for 146 yards.
Howe’s defense: The Bulldog D has struggled against the run by allowing 1,235 yards on the ground (247 average). However, over the last four games, the Howe D is only allowing 220.5 per game rushing. Howe’s passing defense has been the strong point. Howe’s only allowed 421 passing yards all season, however, 243 of that came last week at Bonham.
As always, the game will come down to which defense can stop each other’s high-octane offenses. If Howe’s defense can deliver against the read-option, the Bulldogs have a great chance to be successful tonight. However, if the Bulldogs play the read-option to the tune of allowing 353 rushing yards as they did to Ponder, it could be a rough night at Bulldog Stadium.
Freshman quarterback
Austin Haley is gathering some impressive numbers early in his high school career.
Yards: Last week’s 301 passing yards ranked 3rd since all-time in school history behind Chase Fountaine (343) and Jay Skipworth (302). With three starts under his belt, he’s amassed 664 yards passing and 9 touchdowns. He currently sits at 17th all-time in yardage and with 420 yards will move into the top 10.
Touchdowns: His 9 career touchdowns ranks him 10th all-time. His next touchdown will tie him with Brian Freese who had 553 career attempts compared to Haley’s 62. Skipworth is the all-time leader with 39 followed by Fountaine’s 36, and Rick Hanning’s 24. Jack Gattis of the 1940s had 20.
Jalen Thornton’s game
Jalen Thornton rushed for 216 yards at Bonham a week ago. The total is good for 15th all-time on the single-game rushing list tying Jaden Matthews who had 216 at Caddo Mills in 2016. Howe’s single-game high for rushing is held by Garrette Griffin’s 310 yards at Whitewright in 2012.
This Day in Bulldogs History (5-3)
1940, won at Celina, 45-0
1963, lost at Celina, 18-13
1968, beat Celina, 20-19
1974 lost at Whitewright, 26-9
1985, lost at Springtown, 20-0
1991, won at S&S, 76-0 (set school record for points)
1996, beat Prosper, 34-0
2002, won at Bells, 14-12