Tonight the Anderson Trojans take on the McCallum Knights in Taco Shack Bowl XXII! The annual rivalry is always a big one, regardless of how good either team is that season. Anybody can win a rivalry game on any given night, such is the beauty of high school football.
Last year, the Trojans ran over the Knights 49-3 in a convincing beatdown behind the play of graduated quarterback Fred Dale. He threw for 175 yards and 3 TDs and gained over 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground. But with no Dale, it’s time for likely starter Brady Gephart to step up. He got some late-game action against Mac last year, completing both of his passes for 94 yards, including an 84-yard touchdown to Tristan Waidelich. A big season opener from Gephart would be an encouraging sign for the rest of the season. He brings much of the dual-threat ability that Dale had under center, which bodes well for a game against a smaller McCallum team. I’m looking for Gephart to throw for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns, as well as being a threat on the ground tonight.
A strong game from Gephart and a likely appearance from fellow QB Max Gerlich are important to Anderson’s success tonight, but I expect Coach Hatcher to go with a run-heavy game plan against the Knights. While the Trojans may struggle in the size game against traditional powerhouses like Westlake and Drip, against McCallum, the offensive line shouldn’t have any problem creating holes for Dayden Williams to run through up the middle. Williams showed his effectiveness as a power back in Anderson’s scrimmages and will have a chance to feature tonight in a game that really plays to his strength.
The receiving corps is a strength for the Trojans and I expect them to shine tonight as well. Ed Small is always a threat to defenses and will draw much of McCallum’s attention. I expect them to have a safety over the top on Ed to go along with a cornerback when they’re in man coverage. This won’t slow Small down as much as the Knights hope, but one thing it will do is open up the field for Gephart to find all of his other options. The group of Small, Waidelich, Hatcher, and Sharp provides speed rivaled by few in the state and fewer in Central Texas.
The Trojan defense should also have a strong premier for the ’23 season. Mac Quarterback Luke Dunham is no stranger to the Taco Shack bowl, as he played both ways in last year’s game. He witnessed the bitterness of the rivalry firsthand last season when Fred Dale ran him over en route to one of his rushing touchdowns. Dunham is a solid QB for the Knights, but I doubt his abilities to effectively pick apart the Trojans’ coverages. I expect at least one of the Anderson DBs to jump on a ball for a key interception. Junior corner Colin Haines already has one varsity season under his belt, leading the Trojans in INTs in 2022, and sophomore safety Liam McMillan is a sneaky pick for district newcomer of the year.
The Trojans gave up just 3 points in last year’s Taco Shack Bowl and a big part of that was IV Webb’s 18 tackles and 4 TFLs. While we don’t have IV this year, his younger brother Gage is primed for a huge game tonight. He’s looked good through the scrimmages and I anticipate a possible double-digit tackle game as well as a sack from Webb. Watch for Jack Middleton to provide tons of pressure off the edge as well and overpower McCallum’s offensive tackles. He’s staring an opportunity for multiple sacks dead in the face tonight.
Overall, Anderson needs to come out and show the Knights and the crowd who the better team is. It shouldn’t be close and the Trojans should overpower Mac from start to finish. Coach Hatcher has these guys prepared and there’s no reason to doubt that they’re going to dominate tonight. Give me the Trojans, and give me them by 30.
