Win = Class 3A playoffs
Post-season on line when Silsbee visits
By JIMMY GALVAN Managing Editor

Newsboy photo/Georgia Purdy WHEN A TEAM SCORES 61 points, you might look to the offense as leading the way but Jasper's defensive squad allowed Hardin-Jefferson only 31 total offensive yards during Friday's 61-0 thrashing. A Hardin-Jefferson ball carrier found out the hard way Friday night as he was swamped by an avalanche of Dawg defenders. Leading the way is Kaddarroe Rawls (20), Carlos Carter (75), AJ Bronson (32) and Malcolm Bronson (6).

It all comes down to Friday night at the Bone Yard for Jasper and Silsbee.

Ah, Friday night lights at their finest.

Jasper and Silsbee will meet up Friday, Nov. 9 with the final playoff berth in District 21-3A at stake.

"We have to win the ballgame and that's pretty much the way I am looking at it," said Jasper Head Football Coach Thomas Brooks. "I would rather win and go in on momentum and feeling good on confidence. I would rather win and go in and not worry about the other way."

Here are the different scenarios to the playoff picture:

If Jasper wins, they are in the playoffs;

If Hamshire-Fannett beats Kirbyville and Silsbee beats Jasper, then H-F, Silsbee and Jasper will all be tied for third place with three district losses. The district then turns to the point system of scoring and Jasper holds the advantage over H-F and Silsbee would have to defeat Jasper by more than 17 points to advance to the playoffs;

If Kirbyville beats Hamshire-Fannett, the Longhorns are eliminated and the winner of Silsbee and Jasper advances to the playoffs.

Silsbee will be coming off a devastating defeat at the hands of Kirbyville Nov. 2. The Wildcats scored a late touchdown and added a two-point conversion to defeat the Tigers 29-28.

But Brooks is leery of the talent that Silsbee possesses on both sides of the football.

Sophomore quarterback Jeremy Johnson calls the signals for the Tigers and defensively, Silsbee will hand the Dawgs their biggest challenge up front.

"That will be the biggest defensive line that we have faced," Brooks said. "They are very big. When they come out of tunnel, it looks like you are playing a college team."

JASPER'S KENDRICK FOWLER (21) rides a Hardin- Jefferson runner to the ground during last Friday's contest. Pictured left, Keenan Brooks (13) takes a handoff from Cameron Stubblefield in second-half action. Newsboy photos/Georgia Purdy

Brooks knows Jasper will have to slow Johnson if they intend to keep Silsbee corralled in the game but he also knows the game rests in the hands of Jasper's players as well.

"We will continue to do what we do offensively and keep improving on it and when we get it clicking, I don't think too many people can stop us," Brooks said. "I am expecting us to score some points and defensively we will slow them down enough so that we can win.

"I am expecting a great ballgame. To come down to the last ballgame, that makes it exciting," Brooks said. "You can't get any better than that. We are starting our playoffs a week earlier."