Cuero's Aaron Bell goes up for a reception during a recent 7-on-7 football game at Victoria's Memorial Stadium. The Gobblers concluded their 7-on-7 season with an 8-0 record and now begin preparations for preseason workouts, which will beig ion Aug. 2.
Gobblers finish unbeaten in 7-on-7
(Posted 6/23/2010 09:00 am)
By COY SLAVIK
Record Managing Editor
Rick Owens liked what he saw this month from the Cuero Gobblers’ 7-on-7 football team.
The Gobblers ended their 7-on-7 schedule last Thursday in Yoakum with a 34-12 win over Victoria East and a 26-6 victory over Gonzales to finish with an 8-0 record. On June 15 in Victoria, Cuero defeated Yoakum 42-28 and Victoria West 14-3.
Owens said he was pleased with the performance of quarterback Mason Blaschke, who is expected to replace graduated Tyler Arndt this season.
“Mason started impressing us in the spring during athletic period,” Owens said. “He’s working real hard. He knows he has big shoes to fill. He’s accepting the challenge and becoming a great leader.”
Owens said the 7-on-7 experience helped Blasch-ke and his receivers work on their timing.
“Our receivers did a great job of catching the ball,” Owens said. “Monte Green and Aaron Bell played very well.”
Owens opted not to compete in the state qualifying tournaments so his players could have a rest before beginning preseason workouts on Aug. 2.
Owens’ optimism heading into his first season as the Gobblers’ head coach was also boosted by his team’s ranking in Texas Football Magazine’s Class 3A preseason poll. Cuero, which was 15-1 last season and reached the Division I semifinals, is No. 3, behind only No. 1 Lucas Lovejoy and No. 2 Brownwood.
“The kids are excited, but it’s kind of expected,” Owens said. “The town and community expects to be somewhere up there. They also know that preseason ranking doesn’t mean a whole lot. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.”
Cuero tight end Tanner Hoffman was named to the magazine’s preseason all-state team. Green is listed among the state’s top 300 players and running back Trent Jackson is one of the magazine’s five “money players” in Class 3A.
The Gobblers will face a rugged non-district schedule. Cuero’s first three games will be at home against No. 10 Wimberley on Aug. 27, Liberty Hill on Sept. 3 and Bellville on Sept. 10. Cuero will travel to Port Lavaca on Sept. 17 to face Calhoun before beginning District 28-3A play on Sept. 24 against Pleasanton.
“It will be quite a test for us,” Owens said of his team’s non-district schedule. “It should get us ready for district and the playoffs, hopefully, too. We like to play tough people, but it’s an extraordinarily tough schedule.”
