State Aspirations
State Championship Preview: Can Cy-Fair beat Midway for 1st football title?
Thomas Bingham
Dec 21, 2017, 7:31 am
Kennedy has been a key piece in Cy-Fair’s run. Vype
Originally appeared on Vype.com.
Saturday’s UIL 6A Division 2 state championship game features two programs that have never won a football state title. Cy-Fair hadn’t even reached the season’s final game until this year’s run, and its counterpart, Waco Midway, has one appearance from the 2011 season.
The matchup to watch is Fair’s dominant defense against Midway’s high-flying attack. This is probably the Bobcats’ toughest test to date, but their unit is well-prepared. It slowed down seven offenses that averaged at least 28 points a game this season, including Austin Westlake (45.1 ppg), Langham Creek (36.1 ppg) and Friendswood (28 ppg) the last three rounds. The tough competition hasn’t startled cornerback Erick Hallett, linebacker Patrick Atkinson, or other boys in maroon because opponents have averaged 9.6 points against them in the postseason, and 11.9 during the regular season.
Midway not only scores a lot (45.7 ppg), but also has a trio of offensive talents. Oklahoma-commit Tanner Mordecai, who’s thrown for nearly 4,000 yards this season, and rushed for 1,100, is joined by 1,800-yard rusher James Fullbright, and 1500-yard receiver Clayton Williams.
If Fair allows over 14 points for the first time this postseason, expect its offense to pick up some of the slack. Trenton Kennedy is the latest in a long line of great Cy-Fair running backs, and the Cam Arnold-to-Christian Richmond connections will keep the Midway defense (21.3 points allowed per game) on its toes.
If you’re looking for more state championship coverage, follow Thomas (@Texan8thGen) and VYPE (@VYPEnwHTX) on Twitter.
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The Houston Astros will look to even their season series against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night as they return to Daikin Park for what promises to be a tightly contested matchup. First pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. ET, with two left-handers taking the mound—Framber Valdez for Houston and Kris Bubic for Kansas City.
The Royals come into the game riding a three-game road winning streak and holding a 3-1 edge in the season series. Winners of eight of their last ten games, Kansas City has been one of the hottest teams in baseball lately, thanks in large part to their league-best 3.01 ERA. Bubic has been a key part of that success, boasting a 4-2 record and an impressive 1.69 ERA over 47 strikeouts this season.
Meanwhile, the Astros are trying to find some consistency. At 20-20 overall, Houston has been streaky to start the year, but they’ve been strong at home with a 13-9 record. When they out-hit their opponents, they’re a formidable 16-8, and they’ll be hoping the bats show up again Tuesday.
Framber Valdez will get the ball for the Astros. While his 2-4 record doesn’t reflect it, he’s been steady with a 3.94 ERA and 44 strikeouts. He’ll face a Kansas City lineup that’s been clicking—especially Maikel Garcia, who’s hitting .295 with 10 doubles and 17 RBIs on the year, and Vinnie Pasquantino, who’s batting .349 over his last ten games.
Houston’s lineup has some heat of its own. Jeremy Peña leads the team with five home runs, and Yainer Díaz has been scorching over the past ten games, going 16-for-43 with two homers and nine RBIs.
The Royals have outscored opponents by 16 runs over their last ten games, while the Astros have managed a +6 differential in that span despite going 4-6. With two talented pitchers on the mound and both offenses showing signs of life, Tuesday’s game could come down to which team capitalizes on the small moments.
The Astros are slight favorites according to BetMGM (-141), but with the way Kansas City has been playing, this one feels like it could go either way.
*ChatGPT assisted.
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