I wrote earlier this fall about seeing the crowds turn out for the Blackcats as they started the playoff run in November.
This time the crowds are lining the streets of several Matagorda County communities to send off the Tidehaven Tigers on their playoff tour.
Well, the tour goes to the ultimate destination for Texas high school football teams – AT&T Stadium in Arlington, otherwise known as Jerry’s World.
Including the championship game, there are six playoff games in the UIL Texas high school football playoff structure.
And schools must be in the top 4 in district after 10 regular games before ascending the UIL ladder.
So those reaching the top will have played in at least 16 games and started their journey somewhere in the hot summer weeks of August.
Anyway, Tidehaven is no stranger to climbing the playoff ladder.
And the team the Tigers are playing, Gunter, has made five state title appearances in the past seven years.
Gunter beat Poth – a past thorn in Tidehaven’s playoff journey until this year - in the 2022 title game.
This is my second trip to the finals at AT&T. I covered the Fairfield Eagles in their state title game in 2013.
MaLinda and I were managing the Fairfield Recorder back then.
It’s exciting to cover a game at Jerry’s World to say the least, especially after watching countless Cowboy games and a few Aggie contests there on TV.
Before Fairfield, my last trip to cover a game up there was at Irving Stadium in the 1980s and the ‘Boys were playing the Giants.
I expect lots of Tidehaven boosters to make the 300-plus mile trip and to see the team and its followers show up on the Jumbotron.
Despite its incredible success this year, Tidehaven isn’t getting much respect from football soothsayers in the football media.
But I have confidence in the Tigers, especially knowing they can bounce back from adversity and, trust me, that’s a huge marker in their favor.
David Lucio and his staff have done an exemplary job with this team – one that I might note for those joining the Tigers journey now they’re in the limelight – that is loaded with underclassmen.
Tidehaven alumnus MaLinda was in high school when the Tigers were last in the title hunt in 1980.
She and I are looking forward to the trip and the experience and I’m sure the same could be said of Tidehaven’s faithful.
