The Facts

Sweeny advances to playoffs with win

From staff reports
The Facts

Published November 05, 2005

SWEENY — When Sweeny coach Tommy Zajicek earned his 100th victory as a head coach last week, the moment was sweet.

No. 101 might have been even sweeter as his Bulldogs defeated Stafford 17-13 Friday night in a District 25-3A contest.

The victory put the Bulldogs in the playoffs for the first time in four seasons. It earned them the right to play Class 3A’s No. 1 team, the Cuero Gobblers, next week.

That game is tentatively scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Victoria Memorial Stadium.

“I’ve been involved in over 20 playoff games in my career,” Zajicek said. “It’s just something I wanted these kids to experience.”

The Bulldogs (6-3, 3-2) had to come from behind for the second straight week to make it happen. Sweeny trailed 13-10 with 6:44 left in the fourth quarter before making one final push to win the game. The Bulldogs also trailed Wharton at halftime before coming from behind to win that game.

“I am so proud of these kids,” Zajicek said. “They worked hard to get to this point and they never quit.”

After Stafford took the lead in the fourth quarter on a 15-yard touchdown pass to Craig Robertson from Adrian Blackmon, the Bulldogs marched right back to regain the lead.

Using a barrage of runs, Sweeny marched down the field on a 59-yard drive that was capped by a three-yard run by fullback Josh Fields with 2:10 remaining in the game. Ricky Carder’s kick gave Sweeny a four-point advantage.

The Spartans still had time to make a run at winning the game. Stafford got as far as the 50-yard line, but Sweeny defensive tackle Eric Fletcher outfought a pile of Bulldogs to recover a fumble by Stafford’s Anthony Weeden to give Sweeny the ball back with 1:45 left in the game.

“That was a very big play for us,” Zajicek said.

Even bigger was a 23-yard pass to Carder from quarterback Blake Williams to give the Bulldogs a first down late in the game that helped ice the victory.

“It was designed to be a bootleg play,” Zajicek said. “Tank was wide open. Had Blake been able to get the ball to him sooner, it would have been a touchdown.”

It was part of a 141-yard passing night for Williams, who completed 9-of-13 passes.

Zajicek said Sweeny had to throw the football in the second half to help loosen up the Stafford defense, which was stacking up the line of scrimmage to stop the run.

Sweeny took the early lead when Carder kicked a 36-yard field goal with 2:49 left in the first quarter.

That lead held up until the third quarter when Stafford took its first lead of the game.

Weeden, who rushed for 140 yards, capped an 85-yard drive with a 28-yard touchdown run with 9:04 left in the third quarter. The kick failed, leaving Stafford with a 6-3 lead.

Sweeny took the lead back with 11:52 left in the game when wide receiver Chris Dickson caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from Williams. The play capped a 94-yard drive.

It was part of a big night for Dickson, who had five catches for 78 yards.

Stafford bounced back again. The Spartans mounted an 89-yard drive that was finished off by a 15-yard touchdown pass to Craig Robertson from Adrian Blackmon with 6:44 left in the game to set up Sweeny’s final drive to the playoffs.