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Thursday, October 22, 1998
State champion matchup stokes rivalry's fires
By MARK BABINECK Associated Press Writer
TEXAS CITY, Texas (AP) - Rusty Dowling didn't have to look
far for a benchmark when he arrived at the dawn of this decade
to revive the long-dormant Texas City football program.
"Our standard of measurement lives right next to us,"
Dowling said, referring to nearby three-time state champion La
Marque. "That's the team we have to measure up to. It's not
like somebody that's 300 miles across the state. We see these
people all the time.
"I think what that's done - whether by design or coincidentally
- is elevate our game, too."
For the first time in the La Marque Cougars' recent reign over
Class 4A, the Texas City Stingarees splintered the measuring stick,
winning their head-to-head matchup 28-12 last year. The Stings
went on to capture the 4A Division I state title against Corsicana.
La Marque, which had won eight of the previous 10 installments
of the rivalry, eked out third place in district. No matter: The
Cougars beat Denison for the third year in a row in the state
championship game for the 4A Division II crown.
Friday night's installment of the "Battle on the Bay"
between La Marque and Texas City won't need matchup of state champions
to draw a crowd of 12,000-plus to Stingaree Stadium. It just adds
to the spectacle on the Galveston County mainland.
"We wanted to beat La Marque (last year), but our goal
was a state championship," said tight end-defensive end Brian
Abschneider, who admits the game is a crucial rivalry but more
important because both teams are 2-0 in district play.
La Marque safety Paul Edmond admits the rivalry can't be ignored:
"It's their homecoming. It would be a great opportunity to
beat them on their homecoming."
This series carries a geographic quirk. The La Marque school
district includes much of west Texas City, blurring the traditional
civic boundaries delineating most other one-school cities.
Longtime Texas City fans have watched several stars who grew
up and lived in their city go on to punish their school on the
football field. Last year's success salved some of those wounds
and now it's La Marque with the one-game skid in the rivalry.
"It's in the back of their minds they did lose to them,
but the thing we're looking at is it's a big game leading toward
a district championship," La Marque coach Larry Walker said.
"These guys (the Stings) stand in our way of a district championship."
The Cougars, ranked No. 1 all season in The Associated Press'
4A poll, have retained that championship look despite a tumultuous
year that has included:
-The departure of coach Alan Weddell to the Texas A&M staff.
Walker, a longtime Weddell assistant who had left for two seasons,
returned to take over.
-A rainout caused by Tropical Storm Frances falling a week
after an open date created when Laredo Nixon backed out of its
scheduled game. End result was that La Marque went three calendar
weeks between games last month.
-The deaths of new assistant coaches Damon Sartor and Jim Watson
in a one-car wreck near Navasota on Sept. 27. In addition to counseling
grieving players, Walker had to reshuffle his new staff's responsibilities.
Through it all La Marque is 5-0 and rolling behind a balanced
offense and typically stingy defense.
"We're kind of on the move now," Walker said. "We're
getting back into that groove."
Texas City also appears to be heating up. The Stings upset
Friendswood 35-14 last weekend to even their overall record at
3-3 and create a first-place showdown with La Marque.
Dowling has seen his Stings gradually improve each year during
the 1990s. Having won a state championship with one of the best
senior classes in school history, Dowling admits it will be tough
to improve on 1997.
"I feel we'll always be competitive because our program
is to the point now where we'll play hard and compete in every
single game," Dowling said. "We may not win every single
game, but they're going to play hard and they're going to give
great effort."
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