Texas School for the Deaf fields powerhouse football team
By: ROSE YBARRA, The Enterprise
11/18/2007
When the Texas School for the Deaf football team comes to town today
to face Legacy Christian, the Warriors should be ready for a fight.
Because the players from TSD can’t hear, some opposing teams might
take it easy on them. But San Marcos Baptist Academy athletic
director Toby Wade is quick to point out that would be a huge
mistake.
“Any team that goes in letting up on them is going to get the tar
knocked out of them,” said Wade, whose San Marcos Baptist Academy
football team lost to TSD 58-20 on Nov. 8.
Austin-based TSD takes on Legacy Christian at 7 p.m. today at
Zaharias Stadium in the first round of the TAPPS Division III
playoffs.
TSD is a publicly funded school that serves deaf and hard-of-hearing
students from infancy to 22 from all over the state. Half of the
school’s 470 students live on campus in dormitories while the rest
commute from nearby cities, said school spokeswoman Keena Miller.
Legacy coach Bel Cobbs said he told his crew they have to look past
the opponents’ handicap and go for the win.
“I told them, ‘We love all people, but if someone is breaking into
your house or standing in the way of something you want, you have
every right to fight for it and this team is standing in your way for
a state championship,'” Cobbs said.
Cobbs reminded his team that he’s reviewed film of the Texas School
for the Deaf team and that players are “extremely good” – and fast.
TSD (9-2) has a powerful running game and two of the biggest threats
are junior Delvin Furlough, who racked up 1,634 rushing yards
including 23 touchdowns; and senior Justin Perez with 1,179 yards and
21 touchdowns so far this season.
“They have Beaumont Central-type speed,” Cobbs said. “They see cuts
and holes very well. We’re going to have to take advantage of this
being a home game, and our kids are going to have to be at their
very, very, best.”
Another of TSD’s strengths is putting points on the board. The
Rangers average 48 points per game, including a season-high 78
points. They also shut out two opponents by margins of 62-0 and 56-0.
Rangers head football coach Matt Thompson, who also is deaf, said
most teams in the Austin area aren’t fazed by playing against a deaf
school.
Thompson’s first language is American Sign Language, but he
communicated via e-mail for this story.
Wade, whose San Marcos Baptist Academy football team plays the deaf
team every season, said there are just a few differences in a game
against TSD versus opponents from mainstream schools, and Thompson
admits there are a few disadvantages to using sign language instead
of audibles.
“The head referee usually knows sign language and on occasion,
there’ll be a late hit because the player didn’t hear the whistle,”
Wade said. “From the stands, it will look like every other high
school football game.”
Surprisingly TSD has received very few penalties for late hits or
jumping offsides over the years, said Ed Burleson, director of TAPPS.
“If they make a late hit, they have to accept the penalty, but it
very rarely happens,” Burleson said. “They have their timing down
better than most hearing teams.”
On the field, it will be a lot quieter than usual. They’ll be little
or no chatter among the TSD players. The TSD quarterback won’t call
any audibles and there will be no trash talking from the Rangers.
The deaf community has a long football history and it is a deaf
university, Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., that’s been
credited for one of the game of football’s most important
contributions – the huddle.
The football huddle was first used at Gallaudet, coach Thompson’s
alma mater, in the 1890s when the football team discovered opponents
were reading their signed messages and adjusting their play.
Today, the huddle is used by virtually all teams, hearing or deaf.
Provisions can and have been made at mainstream schools to
accommodate deaf players but Thompson said the opportunities are
greater at TSD and other deaf schools.
He said the boys receive much more playing time and individual
attention at TSD.
“Most hearing coaches tend to look at deaf players negatively,”
Thompson said. “They don’t know how to communicate with him, they
don’t know what to do with him and frankly, don’t usually want to
bother with him. And believe me, some coaches around the state are
realizing now that they blew it.”
The Rangers may be silent on the football field, but they can still
be typical rowdy teenage boys. During spirit week, leading into their
homecoming game against the California School for the Deaf-Riverside,
several of the boys got Mohawks.
“We let it go for spirit week, but then we made them shave them off
because it goes against our dress code,” Miller said with a chuckle.
Legacy is riding a five-game winning streak into the playoffs, a
major turnaround from an 0-5 start. It finished in second place in
TAPPS Division III District 4 play.
It’s the best finish to date for Legacy, Cobbs said.
TSD made the playoffs last season but lost in the first round to Bay
Area Christian of League City.
And Thompson said his team isn’t ready to hang it up for the season
today.
“This is the best team we’ve had this millennium,” he said. “We are
still hungry to play more games.”
Updated 11/18/2007
©The Beaumont Enterprise 2007
IF YOU GO
What: Legacy Christian vs. Texas School for the Deaf
When: 7 p.m. today
Where: Zaharias Stadium off Interstate 10 near Martin Luther King
Boulevard
Tickets: $7 adults, $5 students
Info: (409) 924-0500
Link:
http://www.southeasttexaslive.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19029546&BRD=2287&PAG=461&dept_id=512588&rfi=6
—
BETTER IP RELAY – EVERYWHERE! i711.com makes all your relay calls better.
Better web calls. Better wireless calls. Better AIM calls. Why settle for
ordinary IP relay? Go beyond! Try http://www.i711.com for free today!
NEW! Try out our Deaf Network of Texas Calendar! Go to
http://calendar.deafnetwork.com
NOTE: deafnetwork.com does not endorse any of the products, vendors,
consultants, or documentation referenced in this message or. Any mention of
vendors, products, or services is for informational purposes only.
Powered by http://www.CrazyWebHosting.com
If you do not want to receive any more newsletters,
http://deafnetwork.com/list/?p=unsubscribe&uid=23e6b0ac27edebd2b6f52f1354859234
To update your preferences and to unsubscribe visit
http://deafnetwork.com/list/?p=preferences&uid=23e6b0ac27edebd2b6f52f1354859234
Forward a Message to Someone
http://deafnetwork.com/list/?p=forward&uid=23e6b0ac27edebd2b6f52f1354859234&mid=604
—
Powered by PHPlist, www.phplist.com —