After much consternation, construction has begun on the new Tiger football complex and it is expected to be completed by the first of September—they hope.
The defending Class 3A state champions season opener is Aug. 31 against old friend Giddings.
Now, RISD athletic director and head football coach Jeff Miller had to do some shuffling to his schedule to accommodate the construction.
The Giddings contest was originally set to count as the home opener, but a quick phone call to brand new Giddings head coach Wade Griffin—problem solved.
The Tigers will also play both their scrimmages away from home.
Big Blue will hit the road six times in 2018 with the defacto home opener Sept. 19 against neighbor Lexington, but even that is not set in stone
“Lexington is the swing game,” Miller said. “If there are any delays, we will play them somewhere else and like last year, they may be the best team on our schedule.”
If the stadium is not complete, the two schools could face each other at a neutral site, like a playoff game.
Miller made it clear that no sub-varsity games will be played on the field that week, because he wants the first action on the new turf to be the varsity.
Of course the flip side to all of this is that the Tigers will feature six games at home at the new facility in 2019.
Miller is excited to see some old friends back on the sked in Giddings and Caldwell.
Rockdale was previously in district alliances with Giddings and Caldwell and of course Rockdale and Caldwell have faced each other 61 times over the years, the first time in 1922.
The two schools last faced each other in 2015 after Caldwell moved up to Class 4A.
Rockdale last faced Giddings in 2010.
Of course the glaring omission is Taylor which chose not to continue the rivalry contest with Rock-dale which has been staged 85 times.
The last time the Ducks weren’t on the schedule was 2010-11 when then-Taylor coach Rick Cobia halted the series.
Taylor coach Rusty Purser is interested in playing schools Taylor’s size or larger.
Taylor is almost three times larger than Rock-dale, with 1,024 students to Rockdale’s 427.
One anomaly in the schedule is that the Tigers will have to travel to Cameron for the second straight season.
Miller always likes to take on teams that are strangers to the Tigers and this year he gets his wish with Austin Hyde Park and a school that is participating at the varsity level, Manor New Tech.
Manor New Tech is a part of the new District 10-3A-I
The 5ive
Right here in the middle of horse racing season, here are the five most unusual race horse names:
1. Nosupeforuou
2. Goofahead
3. Whykickamoocow
4. My Wife Knows Everything
5. The Wife Doesn’t Know
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