Rival night takes over Apache Field

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GONZALES — Months ago when Texas high school football fanatics were predicting how the UIL would realign schools, not very many people in south Texas could have predicted the Gonzales Apaches would be moved to Region III, let alone split up with their rivals in Cuero.

“[I was] extremely shocked,” Apaches’ head coach Kodi Crane said of the realignment. “I don’t think it’s ever happen in the history of the school and if it has I’m unaware of it, I’ve tried to research it.”

Crane did note the obvious that when the Apaches and the Cuero Gobblers were in different classifications, they were separated just like the last two years when Gonzales was in Class 4ADI and Cuero was in Class 4ADII.

“But every time we were in the same classification we’ve been in the same district,” Crane said, “it was a huge shock.”

Despite this game being a non-district one, the Gonzales Apaches (2-1) are ready to take on their rivals Cuero (3-0), another tough, state-ranked team that they hope to overcome.

Cuero is ranked sixth in the AP Texas High School poll for all of Class 4A. In other polls, like the Padilla poll and Harris poll, Cuero is ranked fourth. Either way for the Apaches, they’re another top team that the Apaches haven’t been able to beat in recent history.

Cuero’s biggest strength tonight will be their athleticism. The Gobblers will play four athletes under center to not only try to figure out during this non-district portion what works but also take advantage of the amount of athletes they have on the team.

“They play four quarterbacks, they play multiple running backs, they play multiple receivers,” Crane listed. “They have three really good tight ends. Every play they rotate and get a new group of people.”

“Cuero has a plethora of skill position kids and they are trying to rotate those guys in and get them touches with the ball because they all can go anytime.”

For quarterback, #4 Drew Riemenschneider will start but #2 Bralen Taylor will also take snaps. However, #11 Trey Miles and #3 Jordan Whittington are two athletes that will take snaps as a wildcat quarterback.

In order to counteract Cuero’s dynamic offense, Crane believes it’s up to his secondary, specifically his safeties, to limit the Gobblers’ receivers.

“Part of the battle this Friday night is getting lined up correctly,” he said. “We’ve got to have great communication with our coaches in the press box down to our coaches on the sidelines and our coaches down the sidelines to have great communication with our kids.”

“We have got to play with leverage this week,” Crane continued. “We got to understand where our leverage and we got to play with it. As soon as we lose it, they are good enough to go the distance at any point in time.”

Those same athletes that play on offense will make an appearance on special teams, meaning the Apaches have to take extra care not to let any of the Gobblers run off a punt or kickoff return.

Defensively, the Cuero Gobblers are a 4-2-5 team with cornerbacks Jordan Whittington and Keiran Grant playing press throughout the game to limit outside receivers.

“Up front they’re extremely good,” Crane scouted. “Phillip Taylor and Caevon Patton are phenomenal defensive linemen. Big, strong, fast, physical. Tyler Edwards is an exception linebacker; he gets to the ball very well.”

What the Apaches will have to do tonight to take on this defense is something Crane admitted that they failed to do last week, which is take shots to “loosen up their defense.”

“We’ve got to find a way to loosen them up, whether it’s through misdirection run game, whether it’s through screen game or whether it’s through vertical shots down the field.”

The onus is now on the offensive line again to make plays and “create leverage and seems” for the Apaches’ running backs, Crane explained, to have some success on offense.

It’s going to take a huge effort from all facets of the team (special teams, offense and defense) to take down a state-ranked rival.

Tonight’s game is at Apache Field, with kickoff set at 7:30 p.m.

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