The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: Irion County Leads the Good, Wall Made it Ugly in Week 3

Once again, Friday Night Lights did not disappoint. Central and Wall won big, TLCA started it's first win streak in two years, and the Water Valley Wildcats tallied their first win of the 2017 season. We also saw a few surprising results in week three's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

The Good: Central's hot start, Irion County's defensive masterpiece, and a streaking TLCA Eagles squad.

Behind senior wide-receiver Jesse Scott's 192-yard, three touchdown performance on homecoming, the Central Bobcats defeated Kerrville Tivy and opened up the season 3-0. The 3-0 start marks the fourth time in the last five years that the Bobcats have started their season with that record. While Central's record may not be a surprise to those who follow the team, the way they're beating teams in the early stages of the year is somewhat surprising for a team that only returned six starters this year. Scott has supplemented the Cat's receiving corps nicely, tallying 289 yards receiving. That mark is good for second on the team behind senior Henry Teeter, who has 428 yards through the first three games. Scott and Teeter have combined for seven touchdowns as well. Junior quarterback Maverick McIvor has also proven himself well in his first season as a starter, crossing the 1,000 yard passing mark in just three games. McIvor threw for 353 yards in Central's week three win. A short turnaround faces the Bobcats as they travel to Killeen on Thursday to take on Killeen Shoemaker.

During the preseason, the Irion County Hornets' defense was supposed to be their strongest suit with 10 starters returning and a new, proven defensive scheme. Friday night's surprise 17-6 win over a good Miles Bulldogs team proved just that. Valdo Gomez anchored the Hornets' defense with a fumble recovery, interception, and seven tackles. The win was the third straight time that Irion County defeated Miles and guaranteed a better 2017 record for a Hornets squad that won just one game all of last season. The Hornets will take on the Rocksprings Angoras (2-1) this Friday at home.

Another surprise in the young 2017 season is the TLCA Eagles under the first year direction of Head Coach Brent Rider. TLCA defeated Grape Creek 40-22, a team that blanked TLCA 50-0 a year ago. Last season, the Eagles went 0-10 and scored just 20 points in 2015. The win started the first win streak for the Eagles since their five game win streak to open up the 2015 season. TLCA will play their second home game of the season against Colorado City this Friday.

The Bad: Coleman Bluecats blanked again

The Bluecats lost to Post 41-0 last Friday night. The loss extended Coleman's losing streak to four games, dating back to their loss against state runner-up Canadian in November of last year. The shutout on Friday night also marked the first time in 50 years that Coleman has been shutout three consecutive games. The Bluecats returned seven starters from their 2016 squad that went to the regional semifinals. Coleman will take on Brady (0-3) at home this Friday for homecoming.

The Ugly: Wall's defense makes Homecoming an ugly affair.

The sky is blue, water is wet, and Wall produces a stout defense. I mean, seriously, is there a defense playing better than Wall right now? The Hawks defense absolutely dismantled Lago Vista on Friday night in a 57-7 victory. Wall had 10 tackles for a loss, four sacks, and two interceptions in their Homecoming win. Opponents are averaging a meager seven points against Wall's defense. The Hawks are averaging 6.6 tackles for loss per game, five quarterback hurries and two sacks, as well. I guarantee you won't find a better defense than Wall right now. The Hawks (3-0) will face another tough team on the road with they take on the Eastland Mavericks (3-0) this Friday.