Cardinals face familiar playoff opponents

SHINER — This football season for the Shiner St. Paul Cardinals has been different than last season. Just taking a look at their records (where last year the Cardinals were unbeaten district champions) can show you the effects of the turnover with seniors leaving and underclassmen taking up new roles.

But tonight, Shiner St. Paul have found themselves against a familiar opponent as they take on the Beaumont Legacy Christian Academy Warriors in the quarterfinals of the playoffs. Last season, the Cardinals took on Beaumont Legacy in the semifinals, beating them 56-20 to get to the state championship game.

“They’re a lot like they were last year,” St. Paul head coach Jake Wachsmuth said. “They got some speed. They make a lot of big plays. They just have some good skill kids.”

“They were good last year and they’re good this year.”

The Warriors will predominately want to throw the ball and have found success doing so, averaging 31.7 points per game. They’ve been on a role lately, averaging 43 points per game in the last four tilts.

Wachsmuth has noted that his team, specifically his secondary, will need to keep everything in front of them and not let people get behind, similar to what their strategy was last season.

“We need great pursuit to the ball, all 11 players,” Wachsmuth said. “We’re just going to have to be in that frame of mind and keep things in front and be physical when we get [to the ball].”

Defensively, the Warriors have shown an eight-man front, something St. Paul has seen all season. For Wachsmuth, the game plan is to control the football and grind out yards to eat up the clock. Last year, St. Paul busted out big plays, which was a bit contrary to what their original game plan.

Last season, the Cardinals first two touchdowns came on two big offensive plays, one an 11-yard run by then-senior running back T.J. Bell and another score off a 77-yard rush by quarterback Austin Barton. At the time, Wachsmuth said he’d “take that” though he wanted the team to grind it out then and this year that’s no different.

“We’ll take the points,” he said, “but it’ll be nice to grind it out. We’d like to control the ball.”

Tonight’s rematch is at The Woodlands Christian Academy, with kickoff set at 7:30 p.m.