STRATFORD – All the numbers indicated that it was a hard-fought game between two teams looking to make one final statement before district play started Friday night at E.L. Bass Stadium.
It was visitor Childress, though, who ended up making the happy bus ride home seem much shorter.
Childress visited Stratford in a clash between two traditionally strong foes played on a grass surface which is becoming increasingly rare. What might be even rare is what the visiting Bobcats pulled off, as they won a shootout 41-26 to leave town and head home with a victory.
As far as Childress coach Bo Helm was concerned, there wasn’t a better way to end the non-district schedule.
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“Stratford’s a solid program year in and year out,” Helm said. “Coach (Jon) Murphy does a great job with these guys and they play hard so it was a big win for our program. I’m excited for our kids who work so hard and see some of that come back to them.”
While Childress (4-2) led by as many as 21 points in the second half, it wasn’t advisable for anybody to get too relaxed with how the game was unfolding. The teams finished with fairly identical stats offensively and they both made big plays, but the difference might have been two Childress defensive stops in the first half.
A lot of action was packed into the final three minutes of the half, most of it favoring Childress, as the Bobcats led 27-14 going into halftime.
The teams exchanged scores to open the game as Childress took the opening kickoff and marched for a touchdown, with Koen Galligan hitting Creedan for a 4-yard pass to make it 6-0. Stratford (4-2) answered back with a scoring drive, capped by an Alejandro Casas run from a yard out and Chase Lantetlme’s extra point for a 7-6 lead.
After a defensive stop, Stratford got the ball back, but Lantelme threw a pass which sailed and Bell intercepted, returning it to the Stratford 10-yard line. Jacob Mora scored on a 1-yard run 41 seconds into the second quarter to put the Bobcats up 13-7.
With three minutes left in the half, they extended their lead when Lucian Davis scored on a 6-yard run to make it 20-7. That lasted only 41 seconds, though, as Lantelme hit an astonishingly wide open Darius Jones for a 77-yard scoring pass to cut it to 20-14, one of four big connections between the duo, as Jones finished with four catches for 204 yards and two touchdowns.
“We came off on the right foot and ran the ball extremely well but when you get behind a bit you change tempo,” Murphy said. “That was a consideration, We knew we needed to throw the ball a little more, but we needed to stay on schedule and not make mistakes.”
The Elks got the ball back quickly and had a fourth-and-one on their own 42 and opted to go for it. Lantelme hit Jones over the middle, but Jones couldn’t hold on, giving Childress ideal field position.
Two plays later, Galligan hit Luke Rodriguez for a 28-yard scoring pass to make it 27-14 with 18 seconds left in the half.
That seemed to be all the momentum the Bobcats needed heading into halftime. They went heavier on the ground game in the second half, when they ran for 156 of their 224 yards.
“I feel like we did a pretty good job of staying balanced tonight and we were able to run the ball which we hadn’t been able to do the last few weeks,” Helm said. “Maybe we fixed a few things there with our offensive line and our backs ran hard. With a 13-point lead at half I don’t think you change what you’re doing and that wasn’t our intention, but our run game was working so we stuck with it.”
Midway through the third quarter, Davis broke loose for the second of his three touchdowns, making a nifty cutback from the sideline to complete a 46-yard run and put the Bobcats up 34-14.
Stratford wasn’t discouraged, though, and bounced back with a 39-yard scoring pass from Lantelme to Jones with 50 seconds left in the quarter to cut it to 34-20. On the first play of the fourth quarter, though, Davis broke loose again, this time finding a crease in the left side and outrunning the Stratford defense for a 65-yard score to make it 41-20 pretty much put away the game.
That capped a big night for Davis, who had 166 yards on 19 carries.
“I would say we just all worked together to get the play through and develop it,” Davis said. “That definitely gave us momentum we needed but I feel like we all had it in us and we overachieved today. I feel like we’re good after driving three hours and we’re going to go home happy.”
Galligan had a highly efficient game throwing the ball, as he completed 14-of-19 for 147 yards. The running game was so effective in the second half, though, that he only threw it four times.
Childress now makes another long trip next week, as the Bobcats head to Friona, only this time to open District 1-3A Division II play. At the very least, they’re keeping some momentum on their next long bus ride.
“I think having a big win over a top notch team is big for our kids and their confidence going in,” Helm said. “We’re back on the road again.”
Stratford, meanwhile, is back home again, hosting Gruver in a District 1-2A Division II opener which could go a long way toward deciding a district championship. Win or lose, Murphy felt it was what the Elks needed before next week.
“We talk about trying to get better every week and that’s the ticket,” Murphy said. “We’ve got to develop and we’ve got to grow, so when we play a game against a good opponent and it turns into a dogfight, that’s an opportunity to grow.”