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A sigh of relief from Harper
Published November 19, 2007
By Bill Begley
Times Assistant Managing Editor
Standing on the field at Dripping Springs afterward, Cody White was physically relieved.
“This feels so great,” the Harper coach said after the Longhorns rallied to edge Thorndale 7-6 in the Region IV-A (Division II) bi-district game on Friday. “You have no idea how good it feels.”
The win was Harper’s first in five trips to the postseason — a streak of which White was painfully cognizant.
“I kept hearing about the streak — the streak, the streak, the streak,” White said. “I’ve heard so much about the streak, I could puke.”
He wasn’t alone. White’s players were, too, aware of the program’s 0-fer in the playoffs, and wanted the postseason win as bad as their coach.
“It feels like a three-ton ape just jumped off my back,” senior quarterback Cutter Bernhard said. “We talked about the streak and about wanting to end it.
We worked so hard to get here and we wanted to get this first win so badly, you wouldn’t believe it.”
Afterward, Bernhard joined seniors Sammy Winters and Christian Herring at midfield — that pair reluctant to leave the field after a win they had been waiting four long years to enjoy.
“Speechless,” said four-year starter Winters — something of an upset, in its own right. “It’s been a long four years, long and frustrating. I don’t think anything — college, anything — could be this hard.”
More importantly, the win was just a first step. Harper (10-1) advanced to face Chilton (4-6) in Friday’s 7:30 p.m. area round game at Pflugerville Hendrickson.
“You know what that means?” White said. “Thanksgiving Day practice. That’s a good thing. Dadgummit, that’s a great thing. It’s been a goal around here a long time.”
And one that felt pretty dadgum-good to reach on Friday.
Contact Bill Begley at bill.begley(at)dailytimes.com
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