North Garland High School - Marauder Yearbook (Garland, TX)

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Younger Players Gain f EXPERIENCE Down Season Provides Chance For Hands -On Experience fcontinued from page 191 Raiders engaged themselves in a de- fensive battle that wound up in a 7-7 tie. The Owls finished second in the district and earned a spot in the play- offs. After the tie with Garland, the Raiders could manage no more victo- ries. ln order for us to win, we had to play our best and we couldn't win unless we did, said Coley Chappell. junior. After the Garland game we just never played as a team. Greg DeSario claimed that some of the players quit trying after the Garland game. I think some of the players just gave up, said DeSario, senior. After the Garland game, the Raiders lost five consecutive games and were outscored 142-66 over the remainder of the season. Individually, senior tailback Skip Tolbert had five consecutive games in which he gained at least 100 rush- ing yards. That was the second long- est streak of its kind in the Dallasf Fort Worth area. Plano East's Mike Kinney finished one game better than Tolbert. ToIbert's streak ended in the Raid- ers' game against the Mesquite Skeeters. Tolbert suffered a shoulder injury that put him out of the game in the second quarter. After sitting out the remainder of the Mesquite game and the North Mesquite game, Tolbert came back against the Lakeview Patriots and rushed for 199 yards in his high school finale. That game, which was close from start to finish, added a sour note to an otherwise rebuilding year. Chris Sigler. sophomore, one of the youngest players on the squad, feels the experience helped him. I learned a lot this year, said Sigler. Even with the losses, it was a good experience for all of us. -Jay Rex and Mark Murphy ,TN -...al LINING LIP AGAINST THE SOUTH GARLAND SWITCHING DIRECTIONS, senior Skip Tol- DEFENSE, junior Rod Chapman and the of- bert follows a block made by senior Brad fensive line await the snap of the ball. Youngblood and junior Robert McFarlane. Photo by Corey Marr Tolbert was the most frequently used back 20 QSMW this season. Photo by Tina Fine ll-lun

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0 Insult To JURY j V Makes The Most O Lzheup Depleted Of Healthy Players The Junior Varsity football team's training room could have been mis- taken for a hospital emergency room considering the number of players lost to injuries. No less than eight players were lost to mishaps, three to knee surgery. Six players were lost for the season. lt hurt us badly, said Craig Cotten. sophomore. The season could be broken down into two distinct categories: pre-dis- trict and district. The first showed positive signs but the second, marred by the injuries, produced frustration. The pre-district produced victories over two strong programs, Bryan Ad- ams and Plano East. District play, however, was a difa ferent matter. Strains of the arduous practices began to show. l'd say that this program is the toughest in Texas, said Stacy Lay. sophomore. Half the people on the team quit before the season started because of that, said Chris Sudderth. sopho- more. Finishing the district season, the loss of players was felt. The loss of all of us had a big effect on our sea- son, said Cotten. one of the players lost to a knee injury. Another reason offered for the losing season was of- fered by sophomore Brett Coker. ln our freshman year, we were all to- gether and we did great. But this year, we were split up and we couldn't play as well. -Mark Murphy 1 My SOPHOMORE CRAIG COTTEN rests on the bench as Duc Montgomery and Alex Olson. junior, apply a cold pack to his injured knee fsee sideline storyj. photo by Corey Marr TAKING A BREAK from the game against the Colonels, sophomore Jason Turner takes in some water on the sideline. Trainer Chris Dyess administers the aid. photo by Corey Marr far