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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

Game number 769 for the Howe Bulldogs.  Howe has a record of 386-358-24 since the first game on Sept. 20, 1935.

The Opponent

Bonham graduated their star quarterback and all-around athlete Tyler Rodriguez who is now a wide receiver at Hendrix College with former Bulldog Tanner Hartsfield.

The Warriors have not found their groove in 2019 as they are 1-3 on the season scoring 106 and allowing 191. Bonham was 3-1 at this point a year ago scoring 178 and allowing 103. They finished 8-3 a year ago with their only district loss being a 78-63 shootout with Van Alstyne. They lost in the first round of the playoffs a week later to Eustace, 59-34.

The 2019 Warriors have 15 sophomores and freshman on their varsity roster with three sophomores one freshman starting on offense and three sophomores and one freshman starting on defense.

Howe vs. Bonham, 2018

The Howe Bulldogs came wobbling into last year’s game after suffering their first loss a week prior and facing the trials and tribulations of learning hard lessons that have nothing to do with football. They accumulated 400 yards of offense against the Warriors, but allowed 438 and lost the game, 49-26. Howe was led by Cameron Blesi’s 172 yards rushing. Elijah Campbell scored Howe’s first points on a 32-yard catch from Bryce Krantz. Quarterback Layton Elvington scored on a 12-yard run, Blesi ran a 77-yard score to the north endzone, and Elvington rounded out the score on a 2-yard plunge.

Howe vs. 2018

At this time a year ago, Howe was 3-1 and had scored 99 points and given up 86. Currently, Howe has scored 80 and allowed 102. Howe’s offensive yardage to this point a year ago was 1,076 total yards of which 1,022 on the ground and 54 passing. Currently, Howe has gained 1,153 total yards which include 561 rushing yards and 592 passing yards.

Defensively, at this point in 2018, Howe had allowed 1,169 yards (644 rushing, 525 passing). Currently, Howe has allowed 1,168 yards (990 rushing, 178 passing).

District 5-3A-1 Standings

School Name	W-L	Pct.	PF	PA	Strk
Pottsboro	4-0	1.000	166	62	4 W
Rains	2-2	0.500	77	154	2 W
Howe	1-3	0.250	80	102	2 L
Commerce	1-3	0.250	99	127	2 L
Van Alstyne	1-3	0.250	74	137	3 L
Lone Oak	1-3	0.250	92	170	2 L
Bonham	1-3	0.250	106	191	1 L

September 7 games in Bulldogs History

1940, Howe beat Tioga at Bulldog Stadium, 24-0

1968, lost at Leonard, 25-7

1974, lost at home to Allen, 35-0

1985, beat Valley View at home, 15-0

1991, lost at home to Pilot Point, 7-3

1996, lost at Pilot Point, 35-7

2002, won at home 23-0 against Leonard

2013, lost to Pottsboro at home, 28-0

Game number 768 for the Howe Bulldogs.  Howe has a record of 386-357-24 since the first game on Sept. 20, 1935.

Offensive Attack

Howe accumulated 110 rushing yards a week ago and 97 through the air.  For the season, Howe is about as balanced as one can get with 493 on the ground and 490 in the air. 

Last season vs. Boyd

The season changed in Boyd a year ago.  Howe came into the game with a 3-0 record and was facing a 1-2 Boyd team.  Because of rain, the game was moved up to Thursday night which saw rain happen anyway. 

Howe had their least amount of yards at that point in the season and was outgained by 311 yards – the most since 2014 to eventual state champion Waskom.  Howe had a 65-yard Cameron Blesi touchdown early called back due to a facemask.  The Dogs were never in the game after that.  Howe lost, 33-7 at Boyd.  Off the field issues following the game resulted in turmoil that lurked the entire season.

Howe vs. Boyd History

Howe is 1-3 overall vs. the Boyd Yellowjackets.  Howe’s win came Oct. 10, 2010, in a 47-20 shootout at Bulldog Stadium.  The first game between the two teams was in the area championship round on Nov. 19, 1998, at Pennington Field in Bedford.  Boyd advanced past Howe, 28-13.    This is the second-ever game at Bulldog Stadium between the two schools.

On this day in Bulldog History (4-5)

Howe’s first-ever game was played on Sept. 20, 1935 at Tioga.  Howe lost their first game, 12-0.

1940, beat Sherman B Team, 12-0

1963, beat Allen, 20-6

1968, lost to Whitewright, 32-13

1985, lost to Celina, 18-7

1991, beat Little Elm, 32-7

1996, beat Honey Grove, 7-0

2013, lost to Gunter, 19-0

2018, lost to Boyd, 33-7

Game number 767 for the Howe Bulldogs.  Howe has a record of 386-356-24 since the first game on Sept. 20, 1935.

Howe is 1-1 on the season for the first time since 2016. Howe started 0-2 in 2017 and 2-0 in 2018.

Balanced Offensive Attack

After two games, Howe has 383 rushing yards and 393 passing yards for a total of 776 on 116 snaps for a 6.69-yard average per snap. At this point a year ago, Howe had 681 yards on 101 snaps which were 6.74 yards per snap. The Bulldogs are averaging 30 points per game in the first two with 60 overall points scored. A year ago, the Dogs had put up 61 in the first two games. While the totals are nearly identical, the process of accumulation is completely different as in 2018 Howe had rushed for 652 yards and passed for 29 yards.

Defensive Yardage

While the offensive numbers are similar, the defensive numbers are not. Howe has given up 607 yards in the first two games, whereas, 513 after the first two games in 2018. The ball-hawking Bulldogs style of offense in 2018 kept the opposing team’s defense from acquiring as many snaps as they have in 2019.

Howe vs. Bells History

This is the 49th meeting overall between Howe and Bells.  Howe owns a 35-8-5 record in the series that dates back to Nov. 20, 1936.  Howe won that first matchup at Bulldog Stadium, 19-6.  The Bulldogs won seven games in a row over Bells from 1945-1962.  Howe then won eight games in a row from 1979-1994.  Bells has only beaten Howe in back-to-back games once (1964 and 1965).

Howe hasn’t played at Bells since 2009 when they lost, 12-6. That game was the first loss at Bells since 1995. Overall, Howe is 13-4 at Bells with the four losses coming in 1964, 1972, 1995, and 2009.

11/20/1936	19	Bells	6	1	0	0
11/5/1937	6	at Bells	6	0	0	1
11/11/1938	1	Bells	0	1	0	0
11/10/1939	20	Bells	25	0	1	0
11/15/1940	47	Bells	6	1	0	0
10/17/1941	0	Bells	24	0	1	0
10/30/1942	33	at Bells	13	1	0	0
11/12/1943	0	Bells	0	0	0	1
10/27/1944	7	at Bells	7	0	0	1
10/19/1945	39	Bells	0	1	0	0
10/11/1946	33	at Bells	0	1	0	0
10/10/1947	35	Bells	0	1	0	0
9/30/1948	24	Bells	0	1	0	0
9/29/1960	38	at Bells	6	1	0	0
10/13/1961	20	Bells	8	1	0	0
11/16/1962	38	Bells	0	1	0	0
11/15/1963	0	at Bells	0	0	0	1
9/18/1964	8	at Bells	21	0	1	0
09/17/65	0	Bells	18	0	1	0
9/16/1966	6	at Bells	2	1	0	0
9/8/1967	32	Bells	14	1	0	0
9/13/1968	28	at Bells	6	1	0	0
9/12/1969	46	Bells	12	1	0	0
10/27/1972	15	at Bells	22	0	1	0
10/26/1973	38	Bells	6	1	0	0
11/10/1978	0	at Bells	0	0	0	1
11/9/1979	12	Bells	6	1	0	0
11/7/1980	18	Bells	6	1	0	0
11/6/1981	21	at Bells	0	1	0	0
10/31/1986	49	Bells	0	1	0	0
10/30/1987	38	at Bells	0	1	0	0
11/9/1990	12	Bells	11	1	0	0
11/8/1991	12	at Bells	7	1	0	0
9/23/1994	20	Bells	14	1	0	0
9/29/1995	6	at Bells	35	0	1	0
10/23/1998	21	at Bells	0	1	0	0
10/28/1999	42	Bells	7	1	0	0
9/29/2000	34	at Bells	14	1	0	0
9/28/2001	20	Bells	10	1	0	0
10/4/2002	14	at Bells	12	1	0	0
10/3/2003	21	Bells	6	1	0	0
10/29/2004	13	Bells	22	0	1	0
10/28/2005	43	at Bells	7	1	0	0
10/6/2006	28	at Bells	6	1	0	0
10/5/2007	42	Bells	16	1	0	0
10/10/2008	44	Bells	0	1	0	0
10/9/2009	6	at Bells	12	0	1	0
9/14/2018	30	Bells	15	1	0	0
9/13/2019		at Bells		0	0	0
	1079		408	35	8	5

On This Day in Bulldog History – Sept. 13

1963, lost to S&S, 16-0 at home

1968, won at Bells, 28-6

1974, lost at Princeton, 14-13

1980, lost at Frisco, 18-0

1985, won at S&S, 17-6

1991, lost at home to Van Alstyne, 13-3 (snapped a 12-game home winning streak)

1996, beat Pottsboro, 7-6

2002, lost at Van Alstyne, 28-7

2013, beat Whitewright, 31-0