Sutter set for 'Shoot-out', Texas style

It was all handshakes and hugs at Friday evening's rally in Ferris, Texas, where the Ferris High Yellowjackets welcomed Sutter High's football team, and the entourage that came with it.

The hospitality was exactly what one would expect coming from a small town of 2,000 outside of Dallas, Texas.

Example: How often does a football coach allow an opposing coach and his family to stay overnight at his house?

"Scott and myself have become pretty good friends throughout this whole thing," said Ferris football coach and athletics director Randy Barnes.

"This whole thing" was a late pick-up at the airport, stand-still traffic from Dallas to Mesquite, where the team is staying, and a pressure-packed build-up for one of the biggest games in Ferris' and Sutter's history.

"This is the biggest thing to happen to this community in a long time," Barnes said.

Sutter coach Scott Turner also felt the game was historic.

"This is huge," Turner said. "I've always wanted to do this. Just look around, just the looks on the kids' faces says it all."

But today, the smiles, courtesy and laughter will all come to an end — it's all business.

"Randy is no different than I. When it's battle time, it's battle time. There's no doubt about it," Turner said. "My kids are going to play as hard as they can, his kids are going to play as hard as they can, and we're going to try to win. I'll shake his hand afterwards, but we want to win."

Sutter will face off against Ferris at E.H. Hanby Stadium in Mesquite, Texas, a stadium that has recently been renovated and now seats more than 12,000 people; in Texas, that's small.

Some Texas high school stadiums can seat more than 65,000 people.

But while the stadiums, churches, roads and pastures are larger, Ferris is really no different from Sutter.

Old factories, flat orchards and the genuine, quaint feel make up most of the land in both towns.

Even Sutter linebacker Brandon Coughlin's cowboy hat peeked the curiosity of Ferris' Trey Moore, who sported a similar hat.

"I don't think they realize we got some cowboys on our team, too," Turner said. "And they're real just the same."

However, when kickoff begins this evening, the two teams will clash.

Ferris brings a speedy 3-4 defense to the table and a quick backfield that runs the option on offense.

Meanwhile, Sutter will run a 4-3 defense and a fly offense led by quarterback John Garcia, tailback Dane Turner and wideout Brian Southers.

But coach Turner admits, most of the adjustments will have to made on the fly.

"This game is going to be different in that we just don't know who is good," Turner said. "We're going to just have to play our game and focus on us."

Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. PDT.

Contact Appeal-Democrat sports editor Bryan DeMain at 743-0512 or bdemain@appeal-democrat.com.