Shiner's Doug Brooks runs the ball during their Class 2A, Division I regional final against Refugio at Memorial Stadium on Thursday, December 2, 2021. all photos by Duy Vu, Victoria Advocate photographer
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SHINER - Shiner is one win away from playing for back-to-back state championships.
But the Comanches know they have business to take care of before they can start thinking about returning to AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
"You can't really think about that one," said senior A.J. Patek. "You've got to get through this one in order to get to that one."
The Comanches (14-0) will look to make their sixth trip to the state final a reality when they take on Timpson (12-0) in a Class 2A, Division I semifinal rematch at 7 p.m. Thursday at Tomball ISD Stadium.
"These kids enjoy being around each other and that's been big," said Shiner coach Daniel Boedeker. "What's really important this time of year is them wanting it more than the other team."
Shiner breezed to a 49-7 win over Timpson in last year's semifinal.
"It helps a little bit having played them before," Boedeker said. "Last year, we had no idea what we were up against. This year, it's a lot of the same kids. Obviously, they're better. You can see that on film."
What Shiner has seen from the Bears is a balanced offense with a tremendous amount of speed.
"They have a lot of speed as usual," said junior Dalton Brooks. "They have a lot of speed and they run hard. We have to tackle in space and watch the film and find out their tendencies and what they do and like to do."
Timpson is led by sophomore quarterback Terry Bussey, who also plays in the secondary.
"Their quarterback is very versatile," Patek said. "We need to make sure and contain him. If we can, we need to make sure and get pressure on him so he doesn't have time to make that decision."
Shiner rushed for 583 yards in last week's 55-14 regional final win over Refugio. Dalton Brooks rushed for 384 yards and six touchdowns to bring his season totals to 2,182 yards and 35 touchdowns. Doug Brooks rushed for 179 yards and two touchdowns to bring his season totals to 1,524 yards and 23 touchdowns.
"It always feels nice to have that win under your belt," said senior Tyler Bishop. "It motivates the team and makes everybody try harder. It puts us one step closer to our goal. and makes everybody play better."
Timpson is coming off a 48-13 regional final win over Centerville. The Bears have not scored less than 42 points in any game this season and their smallest margin of victory has been 21 points.
But Shiner was in a similar position last week against a Refugio team that had not scored less than 54 points in any game and had not won by less than 17 points.
"We're one game away from the state final," Dalton Brooks said. "You've got to keep it in the back of your mind. You've made it this far so why go home now."
NOTES:
For ticket information go to Tomball ISD ... Shiner will be the visiting team.
The winner will advance to the state championship game against the winner of Thursday's Hawley-Marlin game in Weatherford.
The Class 2A, Division 1 State Championship game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 15 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
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Class 2A, Division 1 State Semifinal
Shiner Comanches vs. Timpson Bears When: Thursday, December 9, 2021 @ 7:00pm Where: Tomball ISD Stadium Radio: KYKM, 94.3 FM & KTXM, 99.9 FM Internet Audio: txthunderradio.com Twitter: @mikeforman21 Internet Video: NFHS 
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Refugio's J.R. Moore holds back Shiner's Tyler Bishop during their Class 2A, Division I regional final at Memorial Stadium.
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Shiner's Doug Brooks runs the ball during Shiner's Class 2A, Division I regional final against Refugio at Memorial Stadium.
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Shiner's Dalton Brooks runs the ball in for the touchdown during their Class 2A, Division I regional final against Refugio at Memorial Stadium.
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Mike Forman is the sports editor of the Victoria Advocate. Contact him at 361-580-6588 or mforman@vicad.com |
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Duy Vu is a staff photojournalist at the Victoria Advocate.
Contact him at 361-574-1204 or dvu@vicad.com. |
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