CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Texas high school football regular season ends this Friday in week 11. Playoffs kickoff next week, and the district championship is on the line in UIL 5A-DII once again in our Game of the Week between Gregory-Portland (8-1, 4-0) and Flour Bluff (6-2, 4-0).
"Well I mean this is what high school football is all about," Brent Davis, Gregory-Portland football head coach, said. "Two great teams in this area."
For fans who come up here and sit in the stands during the games this matchup has been stressful over the past two years.
"When we step on the field our kids know 'hey it's G-P' and we got to be ready to play," Chris Steinbruck, Flour Bluff football head coach, said. "They've got a great team."
Gregory-Portland won two years ago 37-27. Then in playoffs Flour Bluff won 47-44, and then last year the Hornets came out on top 36-34.
"It's a competitive matchup," Gabriel Juarez, Gregory-Portland senior linebacker and running back, said. "My freshman and sophomore year it wasn't for the district, but now it is so it makes it more exciting for us. Driving us to win. This is the game we've been waiting for all season."
Gabriel Juarez, Gregory-Portland senior linebacker and running back
"Thing I like about the defense is like everybody flies to the ball and get to it," Jacoby Vance, Gregory-Portland senior cornerback, said. "They play hard and they got good chemistry around the ball and all that."
Both teams have an athletic secondary, but one area Flour Bluff has strengthened throughout the season is their front seven.
"I really feel like we've improved on the defensive side," Cameron Johnson, Flour Bluff junior running back and linebacker, said. "We've gotten more turnovers the past few weeks. We've been able to stop the run a lot better, and we've just been a lot more physical team than week one."
The Hornets will have a tough task slowing down G-P's run game led by Gabriel Juarez
"Then on our defensive line we've got Cristian Arriaga and Kairee Tomlinson at defensive end that have really been working their butts off and getting us those tackles that's stopping us," Sean Roberts, Flour Bluff senior safety and cornerback, said.
When it comes to the passing game both teams have experienced junior quarterbacks, Reed Dooms and J.J. Paluseo, that are surrounded by talented receivers.
"What (Colton) Harrison and Cameran (Dickson) being able to, I think we have some of top guys on both teams in the area," Steinbruck said. "Being able to challenge yourself and go against the best is exciting.
"It's a big challenge for us," Davis said. "You know this is why you want to be part of something special here and part of that is beating Flour Bluff."
Kickoff is set for Friday at 7 p.m. at Hornet Stadium.
