Top 13 Games Since 2010 - Part II

My series on the top Yoemen games since 2010 kicked off last week with Malakoff (2015), Wall (2013) and Mineola (2014), and I’m sure this got the blood flowing in many readers. I will say this list is highly subjective and if you asked 10 different people, you would probably get 10 totally different responses.

When ranking these games, I look at several different components. A few of those include the quality of the opponent, how well both teams played throughout the entire game, and how big the game was to the program as a whole. Now, let's move on to the next three games up on my list.

10. Malakoff (2016)

Yes, not every game on this list was a win. Rounding out the top 10 was Cameron’s 37-34 overtime quarterfinal loss to the Malakoff Tigers from a season ago. Many would say the 2015 game should be ahead of this, but in general this was a much cleaner game all around. Additionally, I believe the 2016 Malakoff team was much more well-rounded as a whole.

Heading into this contest, Malakoff was 13-0 and had only one game (Teague, W 40-36) stay within single digits the entire year.

In what was a back-and-forth affair all night long, four quarters was just not enough to decide who would win the region III title. Cameron had their first crack at it in overtime, but failed to convert a first down and could not generate any points.

With any score being enough for the win, Malakoff drove down to the Yoe 12-yard line before setting up Everardo Garcia’s game-winning field goal.

Cameron trailed at the half 20-13, but seemed to have momentum in the third quarter when quarterback Zack Andress found Iverson Westbrook for a 25-yard score to put Cameron on top by a score.

The turning point in the game came shortly thereafter on Malakoff's next possession. The Yoe defense had forced the Tigers into a 3rd and 17 from their own 5-yard line. That is when QB Judd Miller snuck a pass just over the Yoe secondary to receiver Jaquaylan Hart, who went untouched for a 95-yard score. The extra point attempt failed to keep Cameron up by one point, 27-26.

Cameron responded, capping off a 67-yard drive with a 30-yard screen pass from Andress to Sicory Smith, followed up by an Eddie Luna extra point to extend the Yoemen lead to eight at 34-26.

With five minutes remaining in the game, Malakoff struck again with a 12-yard receiver screen from Miller to Tyler Russell. Miller found Russell again on the 2-point conversion to tie the game before the overtime session.

9. Teague (2015)

If you’re ever looking for quality playoff football, just show up to a Cameron and Teague game. These two have squared off in the playoffs the past three years and each has turned out to be excellent ball games.

Down 21-7 in the third quarter, things were not looking good for the Yoemen. However, as we knew from their comeback win over Malakoff (down 32-7) in the area round of the playoffs, “quit” was not in this team’s vocabulary. Cameron proceeded to close the game on a 21-0 run to punch their ticket to the state semifinals.

The game started off nicely for Cameron, with Garrett Roeder punching in the game’s opening score on a 36-yard pass from QB Jacob Smitherman. The only other score in the half would be from Teague, as Tayvis Coleman ran one in from two yards out to tie things up at the break.

Teague came out hot in the 2nd half, as QB Mikkail Sheppard broke through with a 68-yard score, followed up by a 1-yard TD run to move the score to 21-7. However, Cameron would regroup and take control from that point on. To close out the quarter, Sicory Smith took the reverse in for a 6-yard score to bring the game to 21-13.

In the 4th, Iverson Westbrook was able to spark even more momentum with a 78-yard punt return for a touchdown.

Smitherman hit Smith on the 2-point conversion, and just like that the game was tied at 21 with 10:22 remaining in the 4th. After the Yoe defense forced another stop, Smitherman and the offense stuck quick as Smith hauled in a 61-yard pass to take the lead for good.

The Yoe defense would put the game away late as Jaylon Bryant hauled in an interception near the Teague sideline.
 

8. Daingerfield (2012)

In 1981, the Cameron Yoemen won their first ever state championship over the Gilmer Buckeyes, 26-3. Fast forward 31 years later and Cameron was back on top again, this time over the Daingerfield Tigers, 38-20.

It’s hard to argue that any other win actually meant more than this one. After suffering a heartbreaking 33-27 loss to this same Daingerfield team during the 2010 state championship, this team’s goal was to take care of “unfinished business”. It just so happened that this same Tigers team was waiting in the wings. You could not have asked for better scenario.

Now to the reason this game was not even higher on the list - well, it was pretty much dominated by the Yoemen. The 7,000 plus that made the trip up from Cameron were treated to plenty of stress-relief early on with a 21-0 lead in the first quarter, which eventually ballooned to 28-0 early in the second.

After the Yoe stalled on their opening drive of the game, Yoe LB Zach Riola ensured the ensuing possession was not going anywhere by intercepting the first play from scrimmage at the Tiger 8-yard line. Three plays later, Yoe QB Jason Kopriva threaded the needle to Zach Felts for the first score.

The Yoe defense continued to dominate on the next series, forcing Daingerfield backwards. A sack by Randle Lane and Tralund Webber set up a punting situation out of the end zone. The punt was muffed then whiffed, and all-state defensive lineman Edgar Luna was there to fall on it to put his team up by two scores.

Later, with the ball at the Daingerfield 31, Yoe running-back Keaton Denio busted up the middle untouched to go up 21-0 after just one quarter.

To add on the fourth score, the passing game got involved, as a 56-yard ball to Aaron Sims followed by a 14-yard strike to Colton Shuffield put the game out of reach in the first half.

With the game at 28-7 in the third and the Tigers driving, a stop was needed to shift momentum. That came in the form of Justin Pratt and Jalen White. The two combined to strip the Daingerfield ball carrier, with the ball rolling into the end zone where Tyler Sapp fell on it for the touchback.

Felts later put the game on ice on the patented reverse run over the right side. Daingerfield added on a few late scores to make the score respectable, but the title was secured and on its way back to Cameron.