Friday, November 6, 1998

Picks and nominations for all-state team

By Bill Hart

The high school football regular season comes to an end tonight, but the playoffs are not the only thing left.

Coaches have until next Friday (Nov. 13) to nominate their most deserving athletes for the Associated Press' all-state football team. The actual teams will be released during the week of the state championship games.

Sometimes coaches hurt their athletes' chances of making the team. When two are nominated at the same position, usually the votes are split and neither make it or one barely makes it.

In the past, some have nominated more than six athletes. If a team has that many potential all-staters, it should be playing for the state championship next month.

This is not to discourage nominations, but only the best players need to be recognized.

Coaches may mail their nominations to me at P.O. Box 30, Abilene 79604, fax them to (915) 670-5242 or e-mail them to me at sports@abinews.com as soon as possible. The athlete has a better chance if a lot of statistics are turned in, but only regular-season stats are accepted. Be sure to include height, weight, position and grade classification.

The Texas Sports Writers Association's all-state chairmen will accept nominations by the middle of December. Area 11-Man and Six-Man coaches may start sending in nominations for the Abilene Reporter-News' all-Big Country team as soon as their season is over.

I predict there will be a lot of all-state candidates from this area. Now the rest of the picks:

- Cooper 26, Abilene High 19 - Cougars earn bragging rights again.

- Sweetwater 22, Big Spring 20 - But it depends on which Mustangs team shows up.

- Snyder 17, San Angelo Lake View 14 - Tigers get a boot out of close games.

- Brownwood 33, Burleson 20 - Lions still give up a lot of points.

- Stephenville 35, Granbury 13 - Yellow Jackets can still score a lot of points.

- Colorado City 32, Slaton 14 - Wolves howl their way into the playoffs.

- Ballinger 21, Clyde 20 - Bulldogs give Bearcats a scare.

- Brady 36, Merkel 14 - A Bulldog is faster than a Badger.

- Wylie 43, Grape Creek 15 - A lot of Bulldogs get into this one.

- Breckenridge 27, Eastland 13 - Buckaroos to lasso the Mavericks.

- Comanche 22, Dublin 8 - Indians advance to the happy playoff ground.

- Plains 21, Coahoma 15 - Plainly speaking, that is.

- Albany 33, Hamlin 29 - A battle to the finish.

- Stamford 22, Anson 19 - And it's a win for Hamlin as well.

- Jim Ned 28, Hawley 12 - Indians heading back to the playoffs.

- Electra 22, Haskell 15 - Both are just finishing the season.

- Godley 31, Cisco 20 - It has been an un-Godley year for the Loboes.

- De Leon 27, Millsap 14 - Bearcats have the right Mix now.

- Early 21, Bangs 20 - Longhorns finally make it to the playoffs.

- Winters 28, Coleman 27 - Blizzards to hang on for dear life.

- Goldthwaite 33, Hamilton 15 - Eagles are putting it all together now.

- Aspermont 23, Munday 22 - What? No Moguls in the playoffs?

- Throckmorton 35, Crowell 13 - Greyhounds get off to a fast start.

- Paducah 24, Knox City 14 - Dragons breathing new life now.

- Robert Lee 12, Water Valley 7 - Steers wreck Wildcats' playoff plans.

- Rotan 15, Roby 14 - The Yellowhammers beak at the right time.

- Roscoe 20, Sterling City 8 - Plowboys don't win big, but win.

- Cross Plains 21, Baird 13 - Bears may not be playing with a full deck.

- Bronte 28, Miles 7 - Longhorns nail down a crown.

- Eden 14, Santa Anna 6 - The end of a long year for both teams.

- Rising Star 26, Evant 20 - Wildcats finally break into the win column.

- Gorman 29, Tolar 22 - Rattlers to scream like a Panther after the loss.

- May 28, Lometa 24 - Now bring on the coin toss.

- Ranger 22, Santo 17 - Bulldogs get a late bite to handle Wildcats.

- Six-Man - El Paso Jesus Chapel 48, Abilene Christian High Schoool 36 (Saturday); Rule 34, Guthrie 32; Rochester 54, Patton Springs 20; Jayton 54, Benjamin 40; Westbrook 36, Ira 26; Borden County 44, Hermleigh 26; Highland 42, Trent 37; Loraine 48, Veribest 26; Woodson 36, Paint Creek 29; Newcastle 47, Lueders-Avoca 44; Gordon 62, Iredell 35; Strawn 49, Walnut Springs 22; Star 32, Sidney 30; Mullin 49, Gustine 24; Blanket 46, Zephyr 42; Panther Creek 36, Cherokee 28; Brookesmith 33, Lohn 30.

- Others: Midland Lee 28, Midland High 20; Odessa Permian 34, Odessa High 20; Andrews 44, Fort Stockton 16; Cleburne 38, Joshua 14; Crowley 20, Everman 14; Denver City 41, Brownfield 14; Seminole 20, Lamesa 17; Glen Rose 27, Clifton 16; Seagraves 20, Post 15; Stanton 33, Tahoka 14; Olney 22, Archer City 13; Holliday 26, Seymour 19; Rio Vista 27, Hico 26; Mason 29, San Saba 14; Sands 38, Grady 30; Blum 40, Morgan 22; Richland Springs 48, Rochelle 31.

- Last week: 51 right, 16 wrong, 77 percent. Season: 489 right, 162 wrong, 75 percent.