A week after a tough loss at the hands of Schertz Clemens, Smithson Valley has a prime opportunity to bounce back against what looks to be an overmatched Canyon squad. 

Led by a wave of first-year starters, the Cougars have fallen to an 0-4 record on the season, including a -51 point differential. But the final score doesn’t tell the full story.

“You gotta dig deeper than record,” Ranger coach Larry Hill said on Inside Rangers Football. “Somebody may be undefeated but may not be all that, and the other way around.”

After opening the season with two losses – a 24-21 heartbreaker versus Lehman (1-2) and 41-35 thriller at East View (3-0) – the team fell apart. Dripping Springs and New Braunfels beat the Cougars by a combined score of 101-59. No matter how strong the offense is, allowing up 50 points per contest is not a winning strategy. Hill, however, thinks more highly of the defense than the box scores may indicate.

“Their offense is sudden service, so their defense is out there a lot, and I think that’s contributed,” Hill said. “[But they’re] big and strong up front with their TNT. [Does] our style of offense… match up well with their style of defense? I think that’s always an issue, and we’ll have to see about that on Friday night.”

Hill praised the 3-4 defense as being “off-schedule” and difficult to prepare for. But with dumping points on the Cougars becoming a yearly tradition, can it really be that difficult? Hill thinks it could be.

“They are very big and physical up front, and it will be a challenge to block them,” Hill said. “We will have plays where we don’t look so good but hopefully also plays where we can be explosive. The previous four teams they’ve played are not similar to us in style so there’s not a lot to derive from them.”

These three teams have matched up 16 times since 1995, and the Rangers have taken all 16, but positioning these two as Comal district rivals might be going too far.

“We don’t really focus on that too much,” the legendary coach said.

“We don’t see it any different from any other game,” senior Cullen Betsey echoed.

Moving on to the offensive side of the ball, the Cougars are a sight to behold. They opened the season searching for replacements at nearly every position aside from wide receiver, and 115 points later, they seem to have succeeded. Canyon is averaging 28.75 points per game behind big contributions from running back Sayveon Jarrett (62/486/3) and wide receiver Callon Farr (15/275/5).

The departure of quarterback Zavier Perez at first appeared to have hindered this Canyon team. His 1,524 total yards should be more than replaced by junior QB Dallas Gomez (825 yards in four games), but the efficiency isn’t there for Canyon’s new signal caller. Whereas Perez was a pillar of efficiency (57.48 percent completion, one INT), Gomez seems to be more of a risk-taker (38.53 percent completion, five INTs). However, the new starter is just one score away from matching his predecessor’s season touchdown total last year, so it isn’t as if he’s a downgrade – just a different style. He trusts his arm and receivers to pick up chunk plays and score and has been incredibly successful thus far. Betsey, however, doesn’t sound too concerned.

“[We’re] just going to treat him like everyone else,” the cornerback said. “We [have] a good game plan and we just have to execute it.”

Led by Farr, who compiled a 44/734/7 line last season, Gomez has been blessed with bountiful weaponry. Senior Jacob Garcia (16/216/0) covers the other flank, and juniors Luke Greebon and Michael Bassett help fill in the gaps. Gomez loves the 50-50 ball, and so do his favorite targets.

“There will pressure on us to deny the deep ball,” Hill said. “Easier said than done, but it is one of the keys to [winning] the game.”

Even if the Rangers succeed in their efforts to slow down the Cougar passing game, they aren’t out of the woods. Gomez’s197 yards and two scores and Micah Williford’s 97 and three are simply side dishes to Jarrett. The senior averages 7.84 yards per carry and has totaled 486 ground yards and three scores. His presence is a game-changer for the Boys in Blue, and their coach recognizes the difficulty of containing all of Canyon’s weapons.

“[Jarrett] has shown the ability to be a grinder and a player who can score from a long way out,” Hill said. “We will have to focus on stopping the run and yet, at the same time, be aware of the deep ball threats.”

Canyon poses a unique challenge for a tough Smithson Valley team. But considering the Cougars’ weak defense, inefficient quarterback and lack of experience (just 11 returning starters), it shouldn’t be too difficult for the Rangers to put them away. Go ahead and mark down a W in the scorebook. Even if this game is close, the final score will never be in doubt.

PREDICTION: Rangers 38, Cougars 27.