82R3167 JBA-D

By: Craddick H.C.R. No. 26

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Midland High School Bulldogs enjoyed an outstanding season in 2010, playing some of the best football in the school's long history; and

WHEREAS, Before the year began, not many expected the Bulldogs to be serious contenders for the state playoffs, but under the outstanding leadership of head coach Craig Yenzer, they won their first seven games and went 4-1 in district play to finish in a three-way tie for the District 3-5A title, their first since 1988; the team's only regular season loss came at the hands of Abilene High, the defending Class 5A Division II state champion; and

WHEREAS, Midland's memorable season opened with tough defensive showings against Amarillo and El Paso Del Valle, which resulted in 20-6 and 21-13 victories; the team then began a streak of five straight games in which it scored at least 40 points, including especially productive outings in back-to-back games against Lubbock Coronado and Lubbock Monterey; against Coronado, Tyler Middleton set the school single-game record by scoring six touchdowns, and he crossed the goal line five more times against Monterey; Mr. Middleton would eventually set the single-season school record by tallying a total of 33 touchdowns; and

WHEREAS, After their hard-fought loss to Abilene, the Bulldogs got back to their winning ways by storming to a 29-0 halftime lead against Lee High School and then fighting off a determined comeback by the Rebels to notch a 43-36 victory; in the regular season finale, Midland came up against the high-scoring and undefeated team from Abilene Cooper; the Dawgs rolled up 383 yards in rushing, more than half of which were gained by Mr. Middleton, who also scored four touchdowns, including the tiebreaker with less than four minutes remaining in the game; this dramatic 42-35 victory allowed Midland to clinch a share of the district title; and

WHEREAS, The first round of the playoffs produced another unforgettable contest; the Bulldogs were trailing by nine heading into the final quarter only to explode for 20 points and eliminate Arlington Bowie by a score of 39-35; Midland's defense was back to the fore in the second playoff game as the team soundly defeated El Paso El Dorado 31-7; in the ensuing regional round of the playoffs, the Bulldogs suffered only their second defeat of the season, being beaten by Coppell High, the fifth-ranked team in the state; and

WHEREAS, The 2010 Midland High team finished with an .846 winning percentage, the third best in school history, trailing only the 1938 and 1939 teams that both went 9-1; the success of the 2010 squad was keyed by a deep roster filled with talented players; Mr. Middleton's record-breaking season would not have been possible without the help of the offensive line, where Mike Leonard, Jared Mosely, Ross Montgomery, Zach Byers, Tim Nwangwu, and Turner Ingle all performed yeoman work in the trenches; quarterbacks Jake Holifield and Kierre Woods provided excellent on-field leadership, and running back Jacoby Webster and wide receiver Michael Christiani also contributed to the offensive firepower; on the defensive side, Blaze Wooten was the first player to rack up 100 tackles this season, and he anchored the secondary along with Oeasha Shoclet and Colton Edmundson; the defensive line was manned by such standouts as Tyler Tatum, Isaac Dearing, Dutton Watson, and Christian Vargas, while Ryan Evans made many big plays from his middle linebacker position and Donavon Anders was twice named special teams player of the week; and

WHEREAS, Winning with a true team effort, the Bulldogs also received valuable contributions from the other members of the roster: Tanner Neal, Blair Beck, Jamaal Sanders, Brady Bradshaw, Tanner Culp, Chris Babcock, Chase Jones, Brandon Williams, Blake Bynum, Erick Callier, Marquise Clater, Andrew Alvarado, Travis Bledsoe, Andy Allen, Jesus Ramirez, Cesar Chaveez, Colton Perry, Derek Turner, Emilio Cano, Anthony Rubio, Jose Torres, Efrain Vasquez, Cesar Santos, Brandon Wright, Patrick Butler, Malcon Anders, Clint Hixson, Adrian Ramirez, Jake Taylor, Jeff Cook, Garrett Brunson, Quade Huckaba, Kelton Woodard, Ryan Hopkins, Grant Canis, Rene Lujan, Keaton Castillo, Josh Sierman, Gabe Estrada, Saul Dunn, Henry Gutierrez, Drake Vliem, Tyler Abney, Sam Carrasco, Chad Cowdrey, Evan Brunson, John David Bertleson, Jake Forrester, Donovan Lee, and Stevie Rhodes; and

WHEREAS, Head coach Yenzer was ably assisted by offensive coordinator Jim Conger, defensive coordinator Shane Fletcher, and coaches Chris Moralez, Bobby Alvarez, Cal Neatherlin, Jeff Streun, Bryan Sledge, Ector Lopez, Tim Anuskiewicz, Chad Leonard, and Don Goode; and

WHEREAS, These talented and dedicated student-athletes are a source of great pride to their many supporters in the local community, and their outstanding performance on the gridiron is indeed deserving of special recognition; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas hereby congratulate the Midland High School Bulldogs football team on its successful 2010 season and extend sincere best wishes to the players, coaches, and staff for continued success; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for the team as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives and Senate.