CANYON LAKE — The Mid-Tex Youth Football League finished off its 2009 season Saturday crowning champions in three different age brackets at Canyon Lake High School. The 2009 championship games featured teams from Dripping Springs, Wimberley, and Spring Branch.
The games had all the pomp and flare of a high school state championship game complete with cheerleaders, run-through tunnels and banners, named jerseys, a live radio broadcast, and Gatorade dumped from behind on victorious coaches.
Some might think that the Mid-Tex Championship festivities are a bit overkill. But past president Kevin Zaiontz, who continues to volunteer with the league, doesn't see it that way.
“We know a lot of these kids will never get a chance to play at the next level so we want to give them as good of an experience as we can,” Zaiontz said.
“For some of them, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
The Spring Branch association celebrated being represented in each of the three championship games. The freshman, junior varsity, and varsity teams from Spring Branch were all competing for titles in their respective divisions. It was the first time in league history that an area was represented in all three championship matchups.
The freshman game started the day off with Spring Branch and Dripping Springs competing for the championship trophy. The Tigers of Dripping Springs finished off an undefeated season beating the Spring Branch Rangers 26-6.
Jake Cox accounted for three of Dripping Springs' scores — two rushing as well as a kick return on special teams. Curtis Cox punched in the Tiger's final touchdown on the ground.
The Spring Branch Freshman team's lone score came from a touchdown run by Nicholas Akin.
In the junior varsity game, Spring Branch went toe-to-toe with Wimberley. Spring Branch's Zoyg scored the lone touchdown of the game on a 22-yard scamper giving the Rangers a 6-0 victory. Matt Wesp contributed an interception to seal the deal for the Spring Branch JV.
The main event for the Mid-Tex Championships is always the Varsity game. Like in the JV game, it was the Wimberley and Spring Branch squads that earned the right to compete in the final game of the year.
Spring Branch running back Bailey Hahn set the tone for the game with a 51-yard sprint to pay dirt on the first play from scrimmage. The Rangers never looked back, scoring 28 unanswered points to win in a shutout.
Hahn accounted for three Ranger touchdowns on the day. In addition to his opening score he added a 65-yard sprint for another touchdown on the ground and a 74-yard pass thrown to Curtis Medlin.
Jerrett McKenzie also scored a rushing touchdown, powering it in from three yards out in the third quarter.
The Rangers added a defensive score when Zach Wolfe stopped a Wimberley running back in the end zone for a safety.
Ranger Coach Tony Vizzone had trouble containing his enthusiasm after the game.
“We've never even made it to the playoffs,” said Vizzone.
“To come here and be able to shut out a great team like Wimberley and win a championship is just a great feeling for us.”
The Varsity Rangers might be new to the playoffs and winning championships, but they aren't newcomers to the game. The team has been largely intact and playing together since the players were five years old. The coaching staff has worked with them from the flag football level up to the top level of Mid-Tex Youth Football.
“It's been wonderful watching these kids growing up,” Vizzone said as he watched his team celebrate together.
“When they were five it was like herding cats. To watch them today and see them maturing as boys and as players where they're calling audibles and making plays, it is just incredible,” he added.
For Mid-Tex Football Director Brent Hallum, that is at the heart of what this league is designed to do.
“At the core, we're an instructional football league,” Hallum said.
“It is competitive, but our job is to give these kids a good football foundation so that by the time they move into junior high and high school the coaches have the fundamentals in order.”
League President Daniel Kershner agrees.
“We want to give the kids a positive football experience,” said Kershner standing on the sidelines of the championship game.
“We're trying to teach them some basic skills to get them ready to go to the next level. If they walk away from us with the ability to hit, tackle, kick, throw, and catch a ball, that's what we're looking for.”
The Mid-Tex Varsity championship game might be the last time some of these students will suit up as football players. Others will continue to develop their football skills at the middle school level and beyond. Regardless of where they go from here, Spring Branch standout Bailey Hahn might have said it best.
“It was fun,” Hahn said of his time playing Mid-Tex football.
“I just tried my best and learned a lot and it was fun.”
You can learn more about the Mid-Tex Youth Football league by visiting their website at www.midtexfootball.com.
