Playoffs tonight: Elkins vs. Clear Springs

IF YOU GO
Who: Fort Bend's Elkins (2 seed, 8-2) vs. Clear Springs (1 seed, 8-2)
When: 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14
Where: CCISD's Veterans Memorial Stadium in League City
Tickets: $7 for both students and adults at the gate
More photos of Friday's Clear Springs pep rally from Kim Christensen:
A LOOK AT THE GAME
By Chronicle correspondent L. Scott Hainline:
You couldn't really blame Clear Springs coach Clint Hartman if he stuck out his tongue and gave the rest of District 24-5A a big na-na-na-na-na!"
But he and his Chargers have better things to do, like preparing for the school's first football playoff game against Elkins at 6 p.m. Saturday at Clear Creek ISD Veterans Memorial Stadium in League City.
We're glad (district play) is over and we can concentrate on the playoffs," Clear Springs quarterback Phillip Miller said. We knew we had (a playoff berth) clinched heading into last week, and it was all about the No. 1 seed, and we got it."
The Chargers, in only their second varsity season, and first with seniors, sewed up the outright 24-5A title with a 33-21 win against Dickinson to fulfill a major preseason prediction.
We knew we were picked to win district (by Texas Football Magazine), but we didn't talk about it all the time or anything like that," Miller said. We lost our first game (23-17 to Dekaney), and that put us back in our place, and when we won the district title last week, we were happy for one day, and it was time to move on."
Hartman always believed his team was capable of taking 24-5A, and that confidence may have led to being targeted as the team to beat.
I like to think we won the district championship with dedication in the offseason and the weight room," Hartman said. We have some great kids and a great community, and this coaching staff is just incredible.
I really want to keep them together, but there's some head coaches on this staff."
It's time to break more new ground against Elkins in a bi-district battle of 8-2 teams.
Elkins is 8-2 for a reason, and they have some outstanding talent," Hartman said, but we feel like we can make some noise in the playoffs.
We want everyone to wear black on Friday night so we can Black It Out' in our stadium."
Hartman won the coin flip to host the event and his enthusiasm is truly contagious.
We couldn't wait to see what the coaches were going to come up with," Miller said of the game plan. Elkins has athletes and a lot of speed all over the place, and it's going to be a challenge, but they haven't played a team that throws the ball a lot, and we may be able to take advantage of it."
The district championship is Clear Springs' first in any sport.
The Chargers are also the only Clear Creek ISD team to advance out of 24-5A along with Dickinson, Ball and Brazoswood.
Ball, picked last by TFM, earned a berth and was the only district team to beat Clear Springs, 24-21 on Sept. 9.
That's how crazy all the preseason stuff is, so really, you forget about it the first day of practice," Miller said. Everybody starts over again this week, and it's 8-2 against 8-2 in our game, and just like most of the season, it's going to be fun."
ON THE WEB
See full playoff schedule
Stats for Clear Springs High School
Stats for Fort Bend's Elkins High School