CONROE, TEXAS >> Don’t mess with Huntsville, Texas.
Not when it comes to tributes. The statue of Sam Houston, hero of the War of 1812 and only person in U.S. history to serve as governor of two states, stands 77 feet from base to the top of the head, and is visible from I-45 northbound for six miles.
Not when it comes to crime and punishment. The Texas State Penitentiary is the only prison in Texas that performs executions — 589 since 1982, when the death penalty was reinstated in the Lone Star State.
And not when it comes to the Sam Houston football team. After opening with back-to-back road games, the Bearkats will play their first home game against Hawaii at newly renovated Bowers Stadium. Work on the visitors’ locker room finished on Friday. A capacity crowd of 14,000 is expected for Family Day.
With a bye last weekend, the Rainbow Warriors had two weeks to prepare for their first game in Texas since the 2020 New Mexico Bowl, which was relocated to Frisco, Texas, because of the COVID pandemic. The break allowed quarterback Brayden Schager, slotback Pofele Ashlock, middle linebacker Jamih Otis and rush end Tariq Jones to heal from injuries suffered against UCLA on Aug. 31.
The Warriors used the extra time for the first-team units to practice against the scout players simulating Sam Houston’s schemes. The Warriors traveled by chartered flight on Thursday, and practiced for 90 minutes at Caney Creek High School on Friday. As part of their precaution, UH managers covered the field’s video camera near the announcer’s box.
“A lot of great football is played in the state of Texas,” UH coach Timmy Chang said. “It’s a great opportunity in Sam Houston. They’re going to sell out the stadium. It’s Family Day. What a great environment. I think (Sam Houston) Coach KC (Keeler) would agree this is what football is about. We’re excited to play. The two weeks have been beneficial to us to get our bodies ready and go out there and have a physical contest.”
The temperature and humidity index are expected to be in the low 90s at kickoff (6 p.m. Central time, 1 p.m. HT).
“Everything is going to be different,” Chang said. “The smell of the cedar. The air. The humidity. The backdrop. The look. Everything will feel a little different. But that’s all about embracing being uncomfortable. Not being comfortable in every situation is part of it. The football remains the same. That’s what’s good.”
The Bearkats, who are now full-fledged FBS members, had to make adjustments to accommodate the stadium renovations.
“It forced us to practice at Huntsville High School,” linebacker Kavian Gaither said. “We were practicing at night for the first two weeks (of training camp). It was definitely an adjustment because we’re a morning-practice team.”
A week ahead of the Aug. 31 opener against Rice, Keeler selected Hunter Watson as the Bearkats’ starting quarterback. Two years ago, Watson was a third stringer for Division II Arkansas-Monticello. Last year, he helped Iowa Western College win the junior college national championship. He then transferred to Sam Houston, where he won the faceoff against Central Michigan transfer Jase Bauer. The Bearkats beat Rice but then were walloped by UCF last week.
“When the bullets were flying, we did not execute,” Keeler said of losing to the heavily favored Knights. “It was poor execution. End of discussion. You can still run the blitz even though the guys you’re going against are bigger, faster, stronger. … You can still run the right route even though the guy you’re going against is bigger and faster. We played really clean in week one (against Rice). In week two, we didn’t play clean and got exposed.”
