OVERTON vs. GRAPELAND | Our preview of tonight’s 6 p.m. game in Athens
The last time Overton High School football played this deep into the football playoffs, Bill Clinton was the President, “Seinfeld” and “Home Improvement” were the top programs on TV, the original “Toy Story” and “Batman Forever” were in the theatres, and “Waterfalls” by TLC was a huge hit.
That was 1995. In short, it’s been a while. But the Mustangs are back.
Overton (10-2) takes on a district rival, Grapeland (9-3) today in the University Interscholastic League’s Class 2A-Division II playoffs, the third round, or the regional semifinals. The game kicks off at 6 p.m., at Bruce Field in Athens (at 480 Royal St, Athens, TX, 75751, for those of you who need to program it into your phone).
Hear the game on KWRD (98.5-FM) or online streaming at kwrd985.com and on Network1Sports.com, or for a subscription fee, see the live streaming video broadcast on NFHSNetwork.com (2024 UIL Football Playoffs Overton High School vs. Grapeland High School ).
The winner of the game moves on to the Region 3 finals to face either Bremond (10-2) or Mount Enterprise (9-3) next week, at a time and place to be announced. Overton fans, if you’d like to see that game, Crockett ISD plans to stream it here: Bremond Tigers Vs. Mount Enterprise Wildcats | UIL Football Playoffs 2024.
Overton defeated Grapeland’s Sandies on the field once already this season, a 41-36 game back on Sept. 27.
In that one, Overton quarterback Bryce Still and receiver Jayden Edwards each came up big: 24-of-37 for 401 yards passing and five touchdowns, and 42 yards rushing and a score on nine carries for Still, and Edwards caught 10 passes for 277 yards and four of the five touchdowns (Jacob Osburn had six catches for 66 yards and the other TD).
Justin Weir had nine tackles, Eathen Oates had eight, and the Mustangs’ defense collectively had four tackles for loss. Gabriel Miller had two hurries, Kash Holleman, one, and Edwards had two interceptions.
Overton is 6-1 since that game, the only loss a defeat at Lovelady on Oct. 11. The Mustangs have won five straight games, including crushing Evadale, 68-0, in the first round of the playoffs, and of course, last week’s upset of Mart, 31-30, on a field goal in the final seconds by Jackson Furlow.
That upset took Mart, a participant in the last six state title games, out of the playoffs, and got Overton here, a rematch with Grapeland. Overton didn’t play Bremond in the regular season, but did play Mount Enterprise, a game the Mustangs won on the road, 45-44, in overtime – and it was Furlow who kicked the game-winning extra point to finish it.
Some numbers for the season for coach Scotty Laymance’s Mustangs:
- Still has completed 212-of-314 passes for 3,226 yards, 40 touchdowns and six interceptions, and has ran for 678 yards and 16 touchdowns on 95 carries, an average of 7.1 yards a carry, and 56.5 a game.
- Weir is the leading rusher, yards-wise, with 728 yards on 88 carries, and has scored eight rushing touchdowns. Miller has 366 yards and six TDs on 40 carries, and averages a ridiculous 9.2 yards a carry.
- Edwards, of course, needs little introduction. The senior receiver has 71 catches this season for 1,415 yards and 22 touchdowns, and averages 19.9 yards a catch and 129 yards a game.
- Look out also for Bryson Bobbitt (47 catches, 749 yards and eight touchdowns), Rylan Holleman (25 catches, 335 yards and three touchdowns) and Osburn (373 yards and four scores on 24 catches).
- Weir leads in total tackles (123) and Miller leads in tackles for loss (17) and in sacks (four this season).
- Osburn and Mason Rowe each have three interceptions, and Kash Holleman and Braxton Harper each have two fumble recoveries. The Mustangs have caused 16 fumbles this season, and Kason Hawkins leads in that department (three).
Grapeland lost to Bremond (44-32) this season, but routed Mount Enterprise (44-0) – the caveat in the game against Mount Enterprise is that the Wildcats didn’t have all-everything running back Kaegan Ash.
Grapeland dropped the regular season finale to Lovelady (13-12) but beat West Sabine (42-20) in the first round of the playoffs, then took out Goldthwaite (39-29) last week.
