Big Country Game of the Week: Jim Ned battles Breckenridge in district clash
There was time this season when Matt Fanning had to wince whenever he saw a trainer headed his way.
How bad was it for Jim Ned earlier this season?
Fanning’s team played without 10 starters in the season-opener against state-ranked Hawley.
You can bet Fanning was wondering what else could happen to his team as the injuries mounted.
“Oh, yeah, the first three games of the season we were thinking about it the whole time,” Fanning said. “But we’ve come through that at the other end. The kids are doing good.”
Fanning’s kids actually are doing better than good. After opening the season 0-3, Jim Ned has reeled off four consecutive wins.
Now, Jim Ned gets a chance to find out just how good it is when it plays Breckenridge at 7 p.m. Friday in a District 3-3A Division I game at Buckaroo Stadium. The Bucks have been one of the surprise Big Country teams this season.
It’s our Big Country Game of the Week, and it not only has playoff implications, it could impact the district title.
Jim Ned is tied with Vernon for the district lead at 2-0, while Breckenridge (6-1, 1-1) is trying to bounce back from its first loss of the season - to Vernon. Jim Ned hasn’t lost a district game since 2019, going 12-0 in league play since 2020.
The Buckaroos still can get a piece of the district title or win it outright if they win their final three games while Vernon and Jim Ned falter.
Jim Ned, which plays the Lions next week in Tuscola, clinches at least a share of the title and the No. 1 seed with wins over Breck and Vernon.
Tuscola tribulations
Jim Ned lost impressive talent from last year’s 12-1 team, including quarterback Tate Yardley and running back Xavier Wishert.
Both were key players in the Tuscola team’s state championship in 2020. Yardley threw for 3,585 yards and 39 TDs in his final two seasons, while Wishert ran for 4,830 yards and 65 TDs in that span.
Little wonder Jim Ned was 26-2 across their final two seasons.
But Fanning had a good core coming back, including five starters on offense and seven on defense. Yet, the best laid plans fell apart at the beginning of the season as the injuries mounted.
“We played some of those games with guys who are the JV now,” Fanning said. “Those first three games were rough with going through some things and dealing with some inexperienced guys having to grow up.
“I’m proud of our kids. We kind of fought back from all that and put ourselves in a position to go compete. I feel like we’re in a pretty good place.”
Fanning still has four two-way starters out, including senior running back/linebacker Sergio Hernandez, who Fanning said is his best two-way player.
And some of the players that Fanning puts on the field aren’t quite 100%, but they’re doing the best they can.
“We’ve got kids right now who are playing through injuries who are doing a really good job – tough kids,” Fanning said.
Jim Ned appears to have found a winning formula with the players it has healthy.
Keep in mind, Jim Ned began the season with losses to three state-ranked teams who have a combined 20-1 record. Hawley (7-0) is No. 2 in Class 2A DI, while Holliday (7-0) is No. 2 in 3A DI, and Wall (6-1) is No. 10 in 3A DI.
Troy Doran (30-56-4, 414 yards, 8 TDs), a senior, has been playing quarterback, after the team began the year with junior Grant Glidewell (22-33-3, 215, 2 TDs).
Junior running back Brayden Shipman (106-539, 3 TDs in six games) leads the team rushing, followed by Doran (54-443, 8 TDs).
Just to give you an idea what a crazy season it has been for Jim Ned, Doran also is the team’s leading receiver (10-111, 1 TD) followed by junior Carter Wood (8-107, 1 TD)
Sophomore linebacker Trey Hicks (58 tackles, 34 solo), junior linebacker Davis Soben (44, 17 solo) and senior linebacker Tanner Hussman (43, 27 solo, only five games) are the leading tacklers.
Breckenridge coach Casey Pearce has been impressed with how Jim Ned has managed to win despite all the injuries.
“Defensively, they’re finding ways to put people in the best spot to produce for them,” Pearce said. “Even in the current configuration this year, they’re plugging and playing with the guys they’ve got, and they’re good at executing their scheme.”
Jim Ned, which had wins over Rockdale (22-21), Eastland (48-17), before opening district with a 48-18 victory over Bowie, is coming off a 28-21 win over Clyde (4-3, 0-2).
Doran ran for 190 yards and three TDs, while also throwing a TD pass.
“I was proud of the grit our kids showed in the game,” Fanning said. “I think we’re a lot better football team than we put out there. We gave them the ball back for several opportunities with just bonehead decisions and things like that. When they’ve got receivers like that and the quarterback is throwing the ball that well, you can’t put them in those situations. They’ll take advantage of it, and they did.”
Bounce-back Bucks?
Breckenridge is off to its best start since going 5-2 in 2010.
The Bucks, who hadn’t won more than five games in a season since going 7-5 in 2015, winning three total from 2019-20, were unbeaten until Vernon took a 28-21 win last week in Vernon.
Until then, the few teams had played the Bucks even close, other than No. 8 2A D1 Cisco, which nearly overcame a 30-7 fourth-quarter deficit to lose 30-27 in Breckenridge in Week 3.
“No. 1, we didn’t possess the football but about 30 snaps,” Pearce said about the Vernon game. “They had it 80 snaps. That cut into our offensive production. But the first three possessions ended in punts. We never got anything going offensively early.
“We came back and were able to expose some things they showed in the first half and got points on the board. We had a punt blocked in the third quarter, and I think that kind of flipped the ballgame, allowed them to steal a possession and keep it away from us.”
At least it was a regular season game, and Breckenridge is in good shape to make the playoffs. And Pearce gets a chance to see how his team answers after a loss.
“After you’ve seen some success and see some things kind of go in your favor, then you get slapped, how do you answer?” Pearce said. “We’ll see what this group is made of and how they respond.”
Senior quarterback Chase Lehr (64-99-7, 1,039 yards, 13 TDs) leads an offense that’s averaging 363.7 yards and 41.1 points per game.
Jerry Lawson (77-554 7 TDs) and Anson Rodgers (61-403, 10 TDs), both senior running backs, are the top rushers, followed by Lehr (44-225, 4 TDs).
Senior Adrian Ruiz (12-227, 3 TDs), Rodgers (15-219, 5 TDs) and junior Alexis Franco (10-179, 2 TDs) are the top receivers.
Senior defensive back Zeke Castillo (79 tackles, 19 solo) and junior linebacker Caiden Marin (70 tackles, 22 solo, 9 TFL) lead a defense that’s giving up just 15 points a game.
“Man, they’re a good football team,” Fanning said. “Coach Pearce has done a really good job over there. They have a lot of speed.”
Lehr was a state champion in the 800 meters last spring, while Ruiz, Sean Cooksey (RB/DB) and Sawyer Wimberley (RB/LB) were part of the second-place 800-relay team. The Bucks finished second as a team behind Brock at the state track meet.
“(They have) a really good football player in Jerry Lawson. A really experienced quarterback in the Lehr kid. They’ve got a lot of good athletes, a lot of good football players, and they’ve had a lot of success of late.”
The matchup
As well as Jim Ned has been playing lately, it still will be tough to beat the Buckaroos on their home turf.
“We’ve just got to focus on us,” Fanning said. “We’ve got to execute better than we did against Clyde and eliminate dumb penalties – bonehead mistakes, that type of stuff. We always subscribe to the mantra that they we’ve got to do our job better than they do their job. There’s no magic bullet to any of this. You’ve just got to execute better than they do.”
Ironically, Jim Ned’s struggle to keep starters on the field might work to its advantage. Pearce and his staff must do the best they can to guess who does or doesn’t play for Jim Ned this week.
“The biggest deal is we’ve got to worry about us,” Pearce said. “We kind of know what their framework is, how they’re going to try plug and play people that they get back in a sense.
“We’ll just prepare the best we can for what we see on video. You’ve got to anticipate that they’re going to get somebody else back and plug them in. We better be able to answer what they can do.”
One thing is for sure, the Bucks can’t start slowly like they did last week, trailing 14-0 at halftime.
“We’re going to have to execute early and try to get something going offensively,” Pearce said. “We’re going to have to be a little better on defense, be able to get off the field. I don’t think our effort or our toughness or any of that is in question. I think it comes down to execution snap after snap early in the ballgame.”
Jim Ned and Breckenridge have played nine times since 2006, with the Bucks holding a 5-4 advantage, not counting a forfeit to the Tuscola team in 2020 because of COVID.
Breckenridge’s last win was a 68-19 decision in 2013 in Breckenridge. It was their fourth straight win in the series.
Jim Ned has won the last three meetings, including 35-12 last year in Tuscola.
The Bucks had the ball inside the 5-yard line three times in last year’s game and didn’t score.
“It’ll be interesting,” Pearce said. “It always has some flavor to it, because those guys will get after us.”
The pick: Breckenridge 34, Jim Ned 28
BEST OF THE REST
Stephenville (7-0, 1-0) at China Spring (6-1, 2-0)
It's a shame this game is far outside the Big Country. It promises to be a great one as two defending state champions – ranked Nos. 1 and 2 Class 4A Division I – clash in a District 5-4A DI game.
Stephenville, ranked No. 1 in the state, won the Class 4A DI state title last year with a 38-21 win over Austin Johnson. It was the Yellow Jackets sixth state championship and second since 2012.
China Spring won the Class 4A DII title, beating Gilmer 31-7. China Spring, which moved up to DI this year, was in Region III last year.
China Spring, which is outscoring opponents 45-19, hasn't lost since a 24-16 loss to Dallas Parish Episcopal – a TAPPS Division I state champion last season.
Stephenville, which got starting quarterback Ryder Lambert back last week, has played some wild, offensive shootouts that have been decided late – some on the last play of the game.
Regardless of the outcome, both could meet again in the region final.
Albany (5-2, 2-0) at Roscoe (4-2, 2-0)
This one should determine the District 6-2A DII title.
Albany got running back Coy Lefevre back a few weeks ago, and the No. 9 Lions have won despite waiting for QB Cole Chapman to return, too. London Fuentes has done a good job in his place, while running back Adam Hill (112-938, 12 TDs) has been a beast.
Albany’s two losses have been to No. 2 Class 2A DI Hawley and 6-1 Comanche.
Roscoe has won two straight since losses to New Home and Sunray, and the Plowboys can be tough at home.
BIG COUNTRY POWER RANKINGS
Class 4A/3A
1. Stephenville (7-0) – beat Life Waxahachie 63-20; at China Spring (7-1)
2. Breckenridge (6-1) – lost to Vernon 28-21; Jim Ned (4-3)
3. Brownwood (6-2) – beat San Angelo Lake View 60-13; Lubbock Estacado (4-3)
4. Comanche (6-1) – beat Jacksboro 53-33; Dublin (2-5)
5. Jim Ned (4-3) – beat Clyde 28-21; at Breckenridge (6-1)
Class 2A
1. Hawley (7-0) – beat Winters 60-6; Olney (5-2)
2. Cisco (7-1) – beat Stamford 47-14; Bye
3. Coleman (5-2) – beat Hamilton 42-7; De Leon (4-4)
4. Albany (5-2) – beat Cross Plains 56-0; at Roscoe (4-2)
5. Stamford (6-1) – lost to Cisco 60-6; at Anson (2-6)
Class 1A
1. Benjamin (6-0) – Bye; Harrold (0-6)
2. May (7-0) – beat Lometa 54-6; Santa Anna (3-4)
3. Westbrook (6-1) – beat Roby 86-36; at Hermleigh (6-1)
4. Loraine (6-1) – Bye; Blackwell (4-3)
5. Gordon (7-0) – beat Bryson 58-0; Lingleville (4-3)
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Jim Ned, Breckenridge clash in Big Country Game of the Week
