Friday, April 19, 2024
The Granbury Pirates entered this year believing they were a playoff team, even if few others did.
Dave Campbell’s Texas Football pegged the Pirates at the No. 8 spot in District 3-5A Division 1. Granbury was 2-8 last season and lost key starters like record-setting wide receiver Zach Mc-Creight and stalwart defensive lineman Kody Krause.
So much for the predictions. Granbury entered Friday night’s game against Brewer with a chance to clinch a playoff berth, and the Pirates already have five wins this season.
But belief alone didn’t get them there. The Pirates have made improvements in all three phases of the game.
Let’s take a look at how Granbury has managed to flip from a cellar-dweller in 2018 to a team that will most likely play in the postseason in 2019.
SPREAD IT AROUND
Granbury features a passing game that is more balanced in recent years.
Senior Kyler Gibson is in his second year as the starting quarterback, and he’s matured as a signal-caller from his debut campaign. Gibson is completing over half his passes and has 1,132 yards and 10 touchdowns to his name. Both of those marks are already higher than his total from last season.
He’s averaging 12.3 yards per completion, which highlights the coaching staff’s trust in Gibson to throw the ball at mid-range to deep levels. He’s only thrown five interceptions through eight games, two fewer than he threw last year in seven total games.
And when Gibson does throw the ball, the Pirates have a bevy of receivers available. Pete Brown is the leading receiver with 27 catches, 310 yards and a touchdown. He’s the go-to guy when Granbury needs a completion.
Tristan Morris is a standout on both sides of the ball. At wideout, he has 15 catches, 253 yards and two touchdowns. Zach Watson is a capable pair of hands out of the backfield, and has a 71-yard touchdown catch to his name.
Bryan Williams has six catches, but three have gone for touchdowns. Dalton Lot-er and Cordel Gibson both have double-digit catches.
BALANCED BACKS
Schematically, Granbury is a spread team, using the run to set up the pass. The Pirates aren’t afraid to use multiple running backs in the same formation.
Watson leads Granbury with 130 carries for 807 yards and 13 touchdowns, an average of 6.21 yards per carry. The speedy junior is battling an ankle injury right now, but should return before the playoffs.
Clayton Kracy averages 6.5 yards per carry, the most on the team, and has seven touchdowns. Gibson has carried the ball 82 times, only eight fewer than Kracy, and has five touchdowns to his name.
Nick Buckler is expected to step up while Watson recovers, but the Pirates won’t lose a step with him in the game. Buckler is averaging 5.36 yards per carry and has scored twice.
So far this year, 40 percent of Granbury’s yardage comes from passing plays, with the other 60 coming on the ground. The Pirates favor the run in the red zone, with 27 rushing TDs against 11 passing.
PLAYMAKERS ON DEFENSE
Granbury’s success on defense has been the subject of much discussion this year.
It’s hard to highlight one individual player, but Keeton Derouen leads Granbury in tackles (59), sacks (5), tackles for loss (18) and forced fumbles (3). He’s been a one-man wrecking crew from his spot at defensive end.
Riley McGee has two interceptions and two forced fumbles to go along with 51 total tackles. Morris has picked off three passes, returning one for a score. Williams has forced two fumbles and two interceptions.
Brandon Morris and Mateo Tort both have 47 tackles, Blake Rodriguez has 46, Ayres Harris has 44 ... you get the picture. Granbury’s defense is loaded with players that fly to the ball.
Because of that, the Pirates have been able to get teams off the field early. Granbury is allowing a 29.29 percent conversion rate on third downs, which is a very low rate. For reference, the defending NCAA national champion Clemson Tigers currently rank 7th in college football at 27.4 percent.
CONSISTENT SPECIAL TEAMS
Senior Logan Moore has been a revelation for the Pirates this year at punter and kicker. He’s converted 33 of 34 extra points and 5-7 field goals, with his longest coming from 38 yards.
Moore has also averaged 38.32 yards on 31 punts. He’s pinned opponents inside the 20 eight times, and he’s booted a 67-yard punt this year.
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
The Pirates haven’t let any teams sneak up on them. Granbury’s average margin of victory in its five wins is 28.8 points.
These are teams that the Pirates should’ve beaten, and they did.
Add all of this up, and you get a Pirate team that is living up to the expectations set before the beginning of the year.
And as for the expectations from the experts, well, the Pirates surpassed those long ago.
grant@hcnews.com | 817-573-7066, ext. 254
