2005 Wise County Football Season in Review
by Scott Hiler, Fever Host
Friday Night Fever was lucky enough to get to come back for an encore in 2005, and the season did nothing less than provide excitement to the fans once again. Following up a 2004 season in which Wise County got to boast a State Champion and a special group of seniors spanning across all county teams, there was no drop off in excitement in 2005. The return of Friday Night Fever brought not only the actual show that came on after the games, but the introduction of the Friday Night Fever Game of the Week. While we were grateful for the opportunity to call a Game of the Week, it was unfortunate that we would not be able to see all of the county football teams in action during the season. This is where our loyal Fever Reporters played a big role, and we’d like to thank all of them, because it would be impossible without them.
With Basketball season upon us already, Friday Night Fever will be making the transition to the hardwood courts starting on January 3rd, 2006. We’ll have two or more Fever Basketball Games every week (generally on Tuesday & Friday) that will be aired on 89.1FM. Be sure to check out the Fever Basketball Schedule that is in this issue of Wise Youth Today. If you are interested in being a basketball reporter for Friday Night Fever, please check out the website at www.FridayNightFever.net or email us at reporters@fridaynightfever.net.
Now, let’s talk some football. Here’s a football season summary for each of the Wise County schools.
Alvord Bulldogs
Once again the Bulldogs provided the Alvord faithful with a thrilling season that provided them an opportunity for a district championship and another trip to the state playoffs. Head Coach Mike Chaney and the Bulldogs got off to a bit of a rough start after opening the season with back-to-back one-point losses to Itasca and Petrolia, both on the road. The Bulldogs returned home with force on September 9th and displayed their true talent in a 50-0 win over the Era Hornets, which was the first in a string of seven consecutive wins.
The Bulldogs set themselves up for another showdown with the Windthorst Trojans that would decide the District 14-A championship. Both teams came to battle with 4-0 district records on November 4th in Windthorst. In a hard fought game, the Trojans came out on top once again, 9-7. Alvord didn’t let the loss affect their play and proceeded to upset Goldthwaite in the first round of the playoffs, before being eliminated in the second round by the Lindsay Knights.
Alvord football continues to thrive under Head Coach Mike Chaney, who won district 14-A honors as Coach of the Year. Other district honors were handed out to Thomas Berry (Offensive Player of the Year), Trey Tow (Defensive Player of the Year), Zac Hale, Terry Scharen, Jordan Hodges, Bart Meek, Kyle Brooks, Chris Griffith, Travis Bruce and Ryan Crutsinger.
Chico Dragons
The 2005 season looked to provide the Chico Dragons with an opportunity to turn things around and get back on the winning track. Early on, the Dragons looked to be off to a great start after big wins on the road over Era (41-0) and at home against Archer City (20-6) that put them at a 2-1 mark. After a tough loss to the cross-county rival Alvord Bulldogs, the Dragons had a tough time getting back on track. With a tough pre-district schedule that included both Aubrey and Argyle, the Dragons entered District 9-2A play with a 2-3 record.
District 9-2A is a very competitive district, hailing the 2004 State Champions and a groups of solid contenders that all expected to make a trip to the 2005 state playoffs. After losing a close game to the Boyd Yellowjackets to open district play, the Dragons needed a win over the Jacksboro Tigers on the road the following week to remain strong contenders. The Dragons gave it their best, but were one point short win the final whistle blew, losing to the Tigers 14-13. The Dragons finished district play with a 1-4 mark.
Head Coach Pete Hart’s Dragons fought hard all year, but found themselves short of the mark to make to the playoffs. The Dragons had a number of players get district recognition for their great play, including Cody Johnson, Nolan Eubanks, Jesse Clark, Aaron Jones, Raleigh Cox, Chris Dethloff, Justin Stewart, Royce Terrell and Brian Hart.
