The bye week couldn’t have come at a better time for the Frenship football program.

It’s not like the Tigers have had a bad non-conference slate, in fact a normal one in going 4-1 losing only to Abilene Wylie, ranked in the top five in Class 3A. But as the Tigers come out of the inflatable tunnel each week they seem to be followed by a M.A.S.H unit due to all the injuries that have been suffered.

That’s why having this week off isn’t so bad to head coach Brad Davis.

“As far as where our team is we’re at a point where we need an open week just to heal up,” Davis said. “We’ve got eight kids on the roster who didn’t suit up for (a 56-28 win against Hobbs, N.M. on Friday). Some are out for the year and others are just banged up and bruised up but we’re hopeful they’ll be back for the Big Spring game (Oct. 9). We’re gonna need them. I think the open week came at a great time.”

Frenship’s injuries have struck key starters. Linebacker Jordan Ellis was lost prior to the season with a torn knee ligament, the same injury that befell starting receiver Asheton Hastings in the season opener against Lubbock High. Starting linebacker Alec Birchfield has played with a bulging disc in his back for two years and it’s reached a point now that it may keep him out for the rest of the year depending on what doctors say this week. He did not dress for the Hobbs game, and neither did starting tailback Bobby Huey (strained MCL) or starting fullback Gabe Guerrero (hyperextended elbow).

Davis said Huey and Guerrero should be able to go against Big Spring and that Hastings continues to rehab his knee in hopes of playing later this year, though his status for the game against the Steers is “doubtful” according to Davis.

But one positive to come out of the injuries is the Tigers have been able to build depth. Roddy Rivas and Xavier Vasquez combined for 172 rushing yards and a touchdown, fullback Xavier Salas has 50 yards and three touchdowns, and quarterback Brandon Hanslik continues to improve, completing 8 of 14 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns and running for a score against Hobbs.

Davis said every bit of that depth will be necessary as District 4-4A appears to have developed into a dogfight.

“I said at the beginning of the year this will be the most competitive district we’ve been involved in in many years,” Davis said. “That has come to fruition, and it may be even better than I thought. Big Spring and Hereford are very good and have great offenses. Abilene Cooper may be the best team in the district but they’ve played teams like Abilene High, Lewsiville Hebron and Garland and that’s their three losses. Saying that this district is tough would be an understatement.”

Big Spring and Hereford currently sit atop the district at 5-0, followed by Frenship (4-1) and Abilene Cooper (2-3) while Plainview and San Angelo Lake View have one win each. Frenship entered the season as the predicted favorite, but now he’s not sure who the favorite should be.

Big Spring has the most high-profile victory when it beat then-state-ranked Denison 27-21 the second week of the season, but the Steers also have had two easy wins against Andrews (49-7) and Sweetwater (48-0), who are a combined 1-9.

Frenship’s non-district schedule hasn’t been too tough, with the Tigers’ four victories coming against teams who are a combined 3-16 while Wylie (4-0) handed the Tigers their only loss. Hereford’s strength of schedule is not much better as the Whitefaces’ opponents are a combined 6-17.

Abilene Cooper, though 2-3, may be the toughest team. The Cougars’ three losses have come all against 5A teams and by scores of 49-35 to rival Abilene High, 34-30 to Garland and 45-42 to Hebron.

Only Frenship is averaging less than 400 yards per game offensively, but the Tigers are the only team playing better than average defense, allowing just 224 yards per game while Big Spring and Cooper are well over 300 and Hereford is just under 300 per game.

“I think Big Spring and Cooper are ahead of the rest of us a little bit but us and Hereford are right there,” Davis said. “It depends on who play the best football when these four teams match up throughout the season. If we have all 11 doing what they’re supposed to do and do it at full speed then I feel we’ll have a great football team.”

Nick of time

For three quarters on Friday, and in truth for several quarters throughout the season, the Idalou offense has grappled with consistency, often finding futility.

So when the Wildcats had two golden scoring opportunities deep in Shallowater’s red zone in the first half and came away with just three points total, it appeared that futility was going to result in a District 3-2A-opening defeat.

“You hate to waste opportunities like that and we’ve got to get better at that,” Idalou head coach Johnny Taylor said. “That part’s our offense being consistent and believing we can make plays.”

Well, just in the nick of time, the Wildcats came up with the play of the game when Jacob Johnson caught an out pass, eluded a trio of Mustang defenders and escaped down the sideline for a 26-yard touchdown with 49 seconds left, which proved to be the difference in a 10-7 Idalou win.

“We made the plays when we needed to,” Taylor said. “I think (sophomore quarterback Alec Estes) grew up a bunch on that last drive and our offense ought to have a lot more confidence now.”

In brief

Smyer is waiting on results of an MRI to determine the severity of a knee injury suffered by standout running back Aaron Martinez in a 38-32 loss to Ralls on Friday. Going into the game, Martinez was the second-leading rushers in the state of Texas according to www.maxpreps.com with 912 yards and 15 touchdowns and had rushed for 710 yards and 12 touchdowns the previous two weeks.

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