Clear Lake Repeats?

[LakeFan06]

Ok so erybody didn't give lake a chance this year, "too many seniors lossed and no scott oswald" was the reply most people said when talking about this year's up and coming team.....and they couldn't be any more wrong. Friday night, Lake scrimmaged Hightower....ranked in the top 20 teams in the state according to Dave Campbell Magazine, and displayed a totally different picture. To tell the truth, they look ALOT like the great team they had last year that went all the way to the semi-state finals, finishing 3rd in state. On the first play, the starting offense scored a td on the option as well as their second string offense by both Qbs. At the end of the game Lake ended up scoring 6 touchdowns! The lake defense dominated Hightower with EASE. You know it's sad when Lake, an option team, had more passing yards than a passing team. Lake defense had 2 interecptions, and somewhere around 5 sacks. They made the Hightower offense look silly, 1st and 2nd string. There was no hope for Hightower who realized they were getting beat and resulted in trying to start a fight after every down. The fans sitting on the hightower side left the stands after an hour of gameplay realizing this would be a blowout.....HOW EMBARRASING! With that said, I think every one should stop underestimating the 05-06 Clear Lake football team, they're here to make a statement that they WILL NOT just lay down this year, all of this critisizm of a young team is all the more motivation.....look out for Clear Lake.....GO FALCONS!

P.S. 2 years ago, lake was in the same situation, a team full of juniors, but still a great team that won district champs with a 9-2 record, they went to the playoffs but unfortunately faced the state champs in the first round of playoffs.....the 03 northshore team...haha, this year will be different...

[KT2000]

I think Clear Lake can be a threat again if the new QB plays as smart as Oswald did. Oswald made very few mistakes which is tough to avoid when you run a triple option. The quick handoffs and pitches usually result in turnovers if the players running it can't execute it very well.

Hightower returns a pretty good group of experienced players, mostly on defense, but it'll be interesting to see what they do with a new coach leading them. Coach O'Keefe led them to six playoff appearances in a row. I've never known Hightower to be a passing team, so if they've officially gone that route that's news to me.

Back to your Falcons...defensively, I would expect the team to better than last year because the defense was pretty inexperienced overall. One of the things that allowed Clear Lake to get as far as they did was having a home run hitter like Elrick Jones as one of the pitch men. I think you absolutely have to have speed if you are going to be successful running the option this day and age. Geno Blow certainly fits that bill at FB, but you need a tailback or two with Jones-type speed in my opinion.

I'm assuming Jonathan Gilmer (back-up last year) will start at QB this season. Again, execution is the key word. Clear Lake was successful against Katy last year because they executed their offense perfectly. The scheme alone didn't do it because it wasn't Katy's first game against a team with fast players or an option team. Katy actually shut down two option teams over the season that had more overall speed than Lake did (Elsik and Jersey Village). Clear Lake won because they executed better than the Tigers, and didn't make mistakes. It is amazing what a team can accomplish when they eliminate the big mistakes and execute.

[LakeFan06]

lake has two backs with good speed as pitch man this year as well, not elrick jones speed, but sufficient enough :D

[svhorns]

elrick jones man that guy put everyone in aw last year on the SV side he was def. one of the fastest players we've ever played with Ladanian Tomlinson and Jerrell Wilkerson

[Mad Hatter]

dont forget kyle fox :)

he burned yall to .

[svhorns]

yes kyle fox :mad: too but i mean if would have seen jones his explosion of speed was rediculous

[Mad Hatter]

yea the fastest player i have ever seen play was probably Jordan Walker he or a running back from killen ellison like a decade ago man he was something special.

[Lakelover]

Lakefan,

Appreciate the run down on the Hightower scrimmage. I was in Baton Rouge moving my daughter into LSU or I would have made the game. Although only a scrimmage, I am encouraged by the Falcons' performance and it should build confidence. I was very curious how we would show against a pretty good Hightower team and it looks like we carried some momemtum over from last year in spite of losing a ton of talented players. Next thursday is the real deal...let's take them one game at a time. Will be harder this time around b/c we won't be flying under the radar like last year. Go Lake!!!

[Oiler1]

Wow...what a post for Clear Lake, however I think it really needs to be brought up that this is not the Hightower of last year by any means. It was a new coach and the top athletes graduated last year leaving them over rated in the picks (Marshall is the best in that district imho). This showed up in the scrimage and yes Lake did well. But Jonathan Gilmer is NO Oswald by any stretch of the imagination. Without Jones at the Half Back, Lake has no speed to take the corner on the pitch. You can't rely on Gino Blow up the middle every play and the offense will struggle. Gilmer couldn't beat a Deer Park, South Houston, Clear Creek or Sam Rayburn in seven on seven passing during the summer so if the pass is what Lake is going to do out of the option its going to be a long season. The lack of Lake speed (no competition in 24-5A track last year) and the Gilmer inexperience will show up soon....like Tomball. If I'm wrong then we will know tomorrow!
Oswald was the heart and soul of that offense and Jones was the wings that gave the Falcon flight! They earned and deserved the respect given and until Gilmer does the same it is just a wait and see.
Galveston Ball, Pearland and Clear Brook will be more than capable of stopping the Lake repeat. Lake doesn't have the defensive speed to stop Fozzie Whitaker (Pearland), Carlos Frank (Clear Brook) or Avery Curry (Galveston Ball). Losing your defensive coordinator is also another bump in the road. Good luck and maybe you'll get the respect that Oswald and company earned.