St. Paul, Regents meet in battle of state champs
by Jason Chlapek
Friday, September 30, 2011
Gonzales Inquirer Article | St. Paul Cardinal Football | Return to Shiner Home Page
SHINER -- This one could easily be billed as a battle between defending state champions.
The St. Paul and Austin Regents football teams both won state championships a year ago with Regents (3-2) claiming the TAPPS Division III title and St. Paul (4-1) winning the TAPPS Division IV crown. The teams meet at 7 p.m. today at Regents.
"They’re quite a bit bigger than we are," St. Paul coach Paul Johnston said. "They’re good, big and physical. This will be a great test for us, especially being the last nondistrict game."
Both teams started 3-0, but had setbacks in their fourth games. The Cardinals lost to Flatonia, 21-17, in their fourth game of the season, while the Knights lost to Florence, 32-15, in their fourth contest of the year.
Last week, the teams took different directions as St. Paul trounced Bryan St. Joseph, 70-13, but Regents lost to Dallas Christian, 38-10. Despite the Knights’ current two-game skid, Johnston is not taking his team’s opponent lightly.
"They mix the run and pass well," he said. "They have a couple of guys who can make things happen."
Regents went through a quarterback change during its loss to Florence as then-running back Andrew Meynig moved to quarterback.
Meynig still leads the team in rushing with 277 yards and two touchdowns, and has passed for 303 yards and a score.
Meynig replaced Grant Brown, who threw for 495 yards and three touchdowns. But five interceptions against Brown didn’t help his cause.
Another big weapon for the Knights is Dawson Gamble. He is the leading receiver with 22 receptions for 441 yards and two touchdowns, and also has rushed for 227 yards and three scores.
Defensively, Regents operates out of the 3-4. The Knights’ defense is anchored by linemen Will Bowers and Jim Grace.
"Their defensive line is one of the most physical lines I’ve seen in a long time," Johnston said. "We’re going to have our hands full."
After tonight’s contest, St. Paul opens Division IV-District 3 play against Bryan Brazos Christian on Oct. 8.
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