Game-by-Game Narratives
2005

Week Eight: Pflugerville
Friday, October 21st

Timberwolves 27, Panthers 38

Avenging a stinging defeat in what amounted to 2004’s district championship game, the Pflugerville Panthers overcame a resurgent Cedar Park to dampen the Timberwolves’ Homecoming spirits with a 38-27 win at Bible Stadium in week eight.

But somehow, this one didn’t much feel like a loss. After two straight painful defeats to Stony Point and Round Rock, games where several components malfunctioned against generally unimpressive teams, the Timberwolves were in this game until the very end, even holding a 14-10 lead with just 16:22 left in the game, and playing perhaps their finest overall game since the season-opening win over Harker Heights. The difference here was that, at this poitn in the season, Pflugerville might very well have ended up being the best team in 15-5A – maybe even the best team Cedar Park faced all year – and the Panthers pulled out and used some weapons to make a great case for it.

Timberwolves Trey Hawkins (72) and Steve Tello (29) prior to the start of the Pflugerville game.

Despite some record superlatives for Pflugerville, the Timberwolves never quit, and in the end that's all you can really ask. In fact, the last play of the game was a defeat-defying touchdown pass from Travis Watson to Tyler Smith. But the Panther offense racked up some season-record numbers against our tough Gang Green defense, proving Pflugerville is one of central Texas’ elite teams. It takes a powerful opponent to move the Cedar Park D, which is still one of the best around.

Cedar Park team captains during the Pflugerville coin flip. Brandon Haug (40), Trey Hawkins (72), Daniel Dilworth (21), and Tim Knicky (16).

The T'wolves played a fine game overall, but there were some sour notes to digest. The Panthers’ 486 total yards was the fourth-highest total ever surrendered by Cedar Park. Their 20 first downs were the most allowed by CP this season. The 21 Pflugerville points in the final period were the most a Timberwolf team has ever allowed in the fourth quarter. The Panthers’ five touchdown runs were the most surrendered in one game since mid-2003, and were more than the Gang Green had allowed all season to date. P’ville’s Antwan Cobb broke free for a 97-yard touchdown in that fourth quarter that was simultaneously the longest play and the longest “drive” ever registered against Cedar Park. Cobb’s 191 rushing yards were the fifth-most ever against a Cedar Park team.

The Timberwolf D puts the clamp down on the Panthers' running back Calvert (1).

But there was far more to smile about.

Despite Cobb’s impressive total, over half the amount came courtesy of the one long run. Add in another for 38 yards on his third carry of the night and the balance of Cobb’s evening could certainly be considered unproductive: just 56 other yards on the 14 remaining carries for a mere 4 yards per tote.

In fact, on eight of Cobb’s sixteen carries – half his runs – the Gang Green limited this future collegiate DI back to less than three yards. Five of those were for one yard or less. The defense was just two tackles (the two long runs) away from holding Cobb to his worst night of the season.

By the numbers, Antwan Cobb had a record night. But his figures were balooned by a 97-yard run. Outside of that one play, the Timberwolf defense did a fine job against this future collegiate Dvision I back, District 15-5A's leading rusher.

Despite the loss, the Timberwolves actually gained more first downs than P’ville. Actually, this was the first time ever that a Cedar Park team achieved more first downs than a victorious opponent. In fact, the 21 first downs were the third-most in school history.

The game saw the T’wolves run up the most rushing yardage (277), third-most passing yardage (109), and most total yardage (386) of the entire season. It was also the most rushing and total yardage allowed by Pflugerville since the T’wolves laid 485 on the Panthers in that memorable Cedar Park win last season.

Cedar Park QB Travis Watson (7) executes the give option to fullback Brandon Haug (40). Austin Wilson (52) and Andrew Fox (53) can be seen paving the way up front.

Only defending state runner-up Smithson Valley scored more points in 2005 on Pflugerville (28) than the Timberwolves did, and the Rangers only accomplished that by the gift of seven Panther turnovers. Smithson Valley, a top ten team destined for another deep playoff run, only had about 150 total yards on the Panthers compared to Cedar Park’s eye-popping 386.

Despite the yardage the Panthers themselves racked up, there were five key plays that, if stopped for average gain, may well have meant the difference in the ball game. These five plays totaled 251 of the Panthers’ 486 total. Thus, well over half the Pflugerville yardage came on just five of their 52 plays. 163 of their total came on three big scoring runs.

Not to be left behind in the long drive department, the 96-yard touchdown drive that gave Cedar Park a late-game 14-10 lead was the third-longest in school history.

And while the Panther rushing total was high, their 125 passing yards was the third fewest allowed all season by the Gang Green, as they continued to correct an early season aerial vulnerability.

Timberwolf running back Tyler Smith makes a cut downfield. The T's 168 yards were his most of the season to date, and he also logged his third multiple-touchdown performance of the year.

Tyler Smith – “The T” – is maturing into a bona-fide superback. Lost in the headlines, scores, and stats this season is the fact that, in games in which Cedar Park has faced four of central Texas’ leading eight runners, Smith’s rushing yardage total eclipsed the totals of Hays’ Amadeus Waters, McNeil’s Cameron Rogers, Stony’s Cameron Bell, and Pville’s Antwan Cobb 462 to 443. In fact, were it not for Cobb’s 97-yard dash, The T would have been Friday night’s leading rusher with a career-best 168 yards on 20 carries with two TDs, and a scoring catch on top of that. (For you stat-hungry fans, here are those other three comparisons: Smith 91, Waters 31; Smith 130, Bell 117; Smith 73, Rogers 104). And when you add in the receiving yards for each of these players in these head-to-head in-game comparisons, he pulls well away from these other backs in total utility.

Although the game started out with a five-yard illegal substitution penalty on Cedar Park, that was the last penalty assessed on the Timberwolves for the entire game; a school record for fewest penalties and fewest yards ever.

After suffering through a terrible four-game passing slump in which he went just 13-for-46 for 118 yards, two picks and no scores, quarterback Travis Watson has found the throwing groove these last two games. Over that time, Watson is 18-for-33 for 223 yards, two picks and two touchdowns. This translates to an improvement from a 2.56 yards-per-attempt figure to 7.15. Against P’ville, Watson misfired on his first three passing attempts, but then exploded to go 7-for-9 the rest of the evening for 109 yards, one pick and a touchdown.

And Wes Wagener’s incredible streak of consecutive extra points is still alive at 58.

So much for the analysis. Now for the action….

Despite his numbers, Cobb was caught by the Gang Green D far more often than he was not. Here Tim Knicky (16), Andrew Cretini (42) and a difficult-to-identify Timberwolf a the 48-yard-line put the stop to a Cobb run.

After opening the game with a short drive to a missed field goal, Pflugerville forced the T’wolves to a three-and-out, then marshaled a nice 88-yard touchdown drive sparked by a 38-yard Antwan Cobb run through the midfield area, taking a 7-0 lead on Cobb’s six-yard scoring run and Garrett Lindholm’s kick.

Cedar Park responded immediately. Lindholm’s kick went out of the end zone – the first of four such kicks on the night – and the T’wolves started at their own twenty. Impressively, they carved up one of the best defenses in central Texas to the tune of eighty yards in just six plays, the final one a terrific 35-yard touchdown run by Tyler Smith. Wes Wagener’s kick tied the game at 7-7 with 10:19 left in the half.

The Panthers recaptured the momentum with a 77-yard drive that was stopped by the Gang Green at the three, forcing a short Lindholm field goal to make the score 10-7 P’ville with 5:54 left in the half.

The Timberwolves looked to be ready to respond again, moving sharply 23 yards in four plays, but a lost fumble own 43 stopped them, even if only temporarily. The Gang Green stuffed the Panthers to minus three yards, forcing them to try a fourth-down conversion which failed and gave the ball back to Cedar Park at the Timberwolf 36.

"The T" breaks into the open on the way to a 35-yard touchdown that tied the game at 7-7 in the second quarter. That's an All-Centex linebacker (Marlon Williams) chasing him.

In essence, the previous T’wolf drive resumed, moving another 21 yards in five plays before Cedar Park also failed to convert a fourth-down try at the Panther 43. With seconds left in the half, P’ville quarterback Tyler Beatty threw to wideout Tremond Calvert for 27 yards down the sideline to pad the Panthers’ offensive stats before the clock ran out.

The night’s Homecoming festivities were conducted before the largest crowd of the season (estimated at just under 8,000), the home side of which felt very good about their squad’s play against what was clearly one of the best teams around, down just 10-3 with perhaps just a fumble in the way of being tied or even in the lead.

It would be an inauspicious start to the third quarter. A misplayed kickoff fell at the four yard line as a live ball, and a mad scramble for the pigskin was finally untangled and Cedar Park had managed to cover it and avoid a disaster.

Quickly putting that behind them, the Timberwolf offense churned away at the Panthers in what is one of the most impressive drives ever seen at Cedar Park. Ten plays and just over five minutes later, the T’wolves had marched 96 yards, Smith taking it over from the one to give Cedar Park the lead. At this point in the game, CP actually had more total yards, more first downs, more time-of-possession, and a 14-10 lead over an excellent football team!

Unfortunately, a game-ending lightning storm didn’t start at that moment despite the requests we immediately filed.

Contiuing to gradually dial in more of Coach Ross' complete attack package, the Cedar Park offense showed a wishbone formation for the first time this season. The backfield in this shot shows Watson at QB, Brandon Haug at fullback, Matt Raesz at right halfback nearest the camera, with Tyler Smith at left halfback.

As championship-level teams do, the Panthers answered with three quick touchdowns in a span of just five minutes on the clock to take a 31-14 fourth-quarter lead. In that time span, Cedar Park had just two possessions for 27 yards on 6 plays, and suffered a critical interception.

With Cobb mainly bottled up through this point in the game, fullback (and all-centex linebacker) Marlon Williams began to shoulder the brunt of the running game once Cedar Park took their 14-10 lead. Williams answered that call over the next two Panther possessions, producing several key carries for first downs and two punishing touchdown runs of 42 and 24 yards, the latter on the first play of the fourth quarter to stake the Panthers to a 24-14 lead. Williams would end up with 95 yards on eight carries.

Cedar Park began to move again, going 26 yards on the first three plays of their next possession. Then Watson went deep over the middle with a pass that could put the Timberwolves in a position to cut the lead to 24-21 late in the game. Unfortunately, the Panthers came down from the leaping conflagration with a huge interception at the three. The next play was Cobb’s incredible 97-yard touchdown run, and Pflugerville was up 31-14 instead.

But, as stated, Cedar Park never gave up. The offense came right back out and with a deft combination of running and passing, moved 62 yards in nine plays before being stopped by the P’ville defense on third down. A slipped kick by Wagener missed, and the Panthers took over.

Pflugerville QB Tyler Beattylets fly a dart in the third quarter. Beatty only copmleted five passes all night, but those five went for 125 yards. Still, this would be the third-fewest passing yards allowed by Cedar Park so far in 2005.

From the shotgun on first down from the twenty, Beatty watched the snap sail over his head. Instead of falling on the ball and preventing a team disaster, Beatty stumbled along trying to pick it up. A pack of wolves devoured him and the ball as they all came together at the goal line. When the stack of players was unpiled in the end zone, Cedar Park’s Tim Knicky had the ball and a spectacular Timberwolf touchdown. (Important note- we incorrectly announced this play a recovery by Justin Allen at the time. Apologies to both Tim and Justin.) Wagener’s record 58th consecutive extra point made the score 31-21 and with just 4:21 left in the game, Cedar Park still had a chance.

But that chance would soon fade. Pflugerville covered the onside kick and went 51 yards in eight plays, ending with a one-yard touchdown run by little-used Zuy Do. Lindholm’s kick made it 38-21 Panthers with just seventy seconds left in the game.

In a very promising and inspiring show of heart, Cedar Park would not give in. Daniel Dilworth returned the ensuing kickoff 36 yards out to the Timberwolf 41. The offense knifed 59 yards in just nine plays, deftly working the clock. As time ran out, Watson rolled right from the seven yard line and hit Smith for a touchdown. With nothing to lose, a two-point conversion attempt was an automatic choice, but the Panthers batted the pass away or Cedar Park would have totaled the most points scored on P’ville this season.

One more odd little record set in this game was that Pflugerville used nine different rushers- the most ever against a Cedar Park team.

Thus, several players had big games against the best team they’d seen all year- a very, very good sign of progress. We’ve already mentioned Smith’s fantastic, career-best night, as well as Watson’s passing numbers and he also ran four times for six yards per carry, two of those key first downs.

Despite the defeat, Cedar Park fans felt pretty good about the game. Their T'wolves played perhaps their best game since the season opener, and it came against a team getting Texas Top Ten votes. Things were definitely looking up!

And defensive end / tight end Tim Knicky had a wonderful night. A sack, a 41-yard reception that sparked a key scoring drive, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. He could only have topped it off by being named Homecoming King. Or, as he would undoubtedly more likely wish for, with a win.

So the T’wolves are now 3-5 on the season, 1-4 in district action. But most importantly, they played at a level that puts them in a position where wins in their final two games are certainly within their grasp.

Next up would be Georgetown, a team Cedar Park had never lost to. Could the T'wolves keep that string alive?