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THURSDAY AUGUST 19 |
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| Mexico's Texas High School Football Two Step to make headlines, strides in 2010 |
By Christopher Lyke
Texas HS Football Chief Editor
If you have noticed an increased scheduling of games featuring Prepa Tech de Monterrey involving Texas teams then you are not alone. The Mexican based school has a total of six games scheduled against Texas competition with three of the games coming in high profile environments and high profile powers in the state. Over the last couple years, the school has played the Allen Eagles, with a very competitive 35-21 result coming last season before Allen stormed to a late scoring surge.
This year there is a second Mexican based school making waves into the Texas schedule. This one is coming from the Tigres of Nuevo Leon, who are also from the city of Monterrey. Both Nuevo Leon and Prepa Tech will be facing the Stony Point Tigers in the 2010 season with Nuevo Leon getting the Tigers in week zero and Prepa Tech getting them in week two.
For both Prepa Tech and Nuevo Leon, stepping into Texas was certainly no accident and it not only helped secure games for teams like Stony Point and Highland Park, who have difficulty trying to find teams that would step up to the plate and play them. "Prepa Tech contacted me and I said yes." noted Stony Point coach Craig Chessher.
"We were considering getting out of the Tom Landry Classic because we needed five home games each year," states Highland Park coach Randy Allen. "When we play in the Tom Landry Classic it means we have four home games every other year. I discussed this problem with Chris Cumnock of the Tom Landry Classic and he said would it help if I could get a team to come to HP each year. I said yes. He said he thought Prepa Tech would come to HP for two years in a row which would give us five home games for 2010 and 2011. I approved the idea."
"With Nuevo Leon it was somewhat different," Chessher stated. "We were scheduled to play SA Madison and they had to back out at the last minute and I got a call from a Mexican gentleman on the day of realignment. I thought that maybe the call was from Prepa Tech and I then found out that it was from Nuevo Leon and they wanted to play zero week, which was the week I had open." SA Madison as a result will face Cibolo Steele in front of a nationally televised ESPN audience in zero week.
"The only other teams I had to chose from were DeSoto or Abilene," Chessher noted. "I picked DeSoto. Finding games these days is very difficult and I appreciate SA Wagner for agreeing to play us as well."
The two Mexican schools have been playing American football for several decades and are cross-town arch rivals. The two schools have been in different leagues the last few years and have not played against one another since the 2008 season when Nuevo Leon came away with a four point victory. The Tigres are the reigning two-time Mexican national champions and often play games against the best Mexico City has to offer for that national title.
For all the bickering with public versus private schools in the United States in regards to high school athletics, it is no different in Mexico. These two Mexican schools have a similar distaste and competitive spirit to one up the other one just as it is in Florida with St. Thomas Aquinas and the rest of Broward County or the public and privates in Texas and California. Nuevo Leon is a public school that serves as a feeder to the University attached with the school while Prepa Tech is a private institution with the same purpose. But as it is with any state versus state match up, a sense of pride comes with both schools coming to Texas to prove themselves worthy of playing on the same field.
"We are using these three football games as our preseason for our national tournament," said Nuevo Leon assistant coach Alfredo Hernandez. "but the buzz around them has made them huge for our community. I have tried to communicate to my kids and staff the impact of Stony Point, Copperas Cove and Hanna in Texas football last year."
Nuevo Leon and Copperas Cove, which meet on September 10, will be entering a two year slate of games against one another with both games in Copperas Cove. "The players and fans will get a unique experience in this game," noted Copperas Cove coach Jack Welch. "Hopefully, they (Nuevo Leon) will experience American football at its best. Excitement from the band, crowd and quality football play."
Preparation for both Mexican schools have a great deal of adjustment as the scheduling between Texas and Mexico is different on the calendar by a few weeks in terms of competitive competition and like most of the major powers such as Abilene, Stony Point and DeSoto, finding someone to play is a chore in itself. "Preparing has been difficult because we cannot find that kind of level around our town. As a result, we have been working and scrimmaging between ourselves," stated Hernandez. "We have tried to emulate times from the UIL calendar and set our two a days and practice hours to the same to keep our players in good shape."
"I think they (Prepa Tech) are trying to improve the level of play of Mexican football," Allen noted. "They study Texas high school and college football teams. I have seen the coaches at clinics and spring trainings in Texas. The game will be like a bowl game for their team. Staying in a nice hotel and playing in a nice stadium with a good crowd."
Both Copperas Cove coach Jack Welch and Stony Point coach Craig Chessher echoed similar sentiments about the roster of both Mexican schools. "They are much bigger than our players," noted Welch. "We expect an older, mature team that has the size advantage."
"I think that both Mexican teams will be a good opponent with Prepa Tech getting the edge with experience," stated Chessher.
"I've heard Prepa Tech has large and strong players," Allen states. "I understand they are very aggressive on defense and have a physical running game on offense."
"Our running back last year was national high school player of the year and we are big on our offensive line," noted Hernandez. "Our starters for those games will be around an average of six feet two and 320 pounds, so we think that we can get in rhythm to their speed." |
Texas Schedule for Mexico's Super Powers |
Prepa Tech de Monterrey |
Tigres de Nuevo Leon |
Week 0 - at The Woodlands (Thurs)
Week 1 - at Highland Park
Week 2 - at RR Stony Point
Week 4 - at Gregory-Portland
Week 6 - at CC Ray
Week 7 - at Alice |
Week 0 - at RR Stony Point
Week 1 - at Brownsville Hanna
Week 2 - at Copperas Cove |
All Games played Friday 7:30pm unless noted |
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