Week 9 saw plenty of games making impacts in the district standings involving teams across the Texas Panhandle and South Plains. Check out some of the action that includes Canyon getting its first district win beating Pampa, Hale Center’s overtime win at Sudan and two Texas Panhandle head coaches get milestone victories.
District 2-6A
The Frenship Tigers got back on the winning track in a big way on the road Friday night.
After trading scores with Odessa High to start the game, Frenship scored 34 straight points to finish the game, leading to a 41-6 victory at Ratliff Stadium that kept the Tigers (4-4, 2-1 in district) tied for second place.
Frenship never trailed but Odessa (0-8, 0-3) looked ready to challenge by scoring a touchdown to cut the score to 7-6 early in the first quarter. However, when Braden Dunkerson finished an 11-play, 64-yard drive with a 6-yard scoring run, the race was on.
The Tigers led 19-6 at halftime and the game was still competitive, but Dunkerson scored on two runs in the third quarter to put the game out of reach. Dunkerson ran for 196 yards and five touchdowns on 24 carries.
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District 2-5A Division I
The numbers didn’t lie one bit Thursday night for the Amarillo High Sandies.
Led by the one-man show if Jude Dunivan, the Sandies never gave the Lubbock Coronado Mustangs a chance at Lowrey Field. Dunivan accounted for six touchdowns in the first half, as Amarillo High cruised to a, 79-6 victory to stay in the loftier ranks of the district standings.
The Sandies (6-2, 3-1 in district) did just about whatever they wanted to offensively, rolling up 572 total yards of offense. Dunivan contributed to those totals as a runner and receiver, running for 226 yards and four touchdowns on only eight carries, and catching two passes for 117 yards, both for touchdowns.
By halftime, Dunivan had led the Sandies to a 52-0 lead over Coronado (0-9, 0-5). Amarillo High was able to rest its starters in the second half.
Jett Lopez threw for 225 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. Coronado didn’t get on the board until the final minute of the game.
Caprock got out to an early lead on the road Friday night and didn’t let up, scoring 31 unanswered points to open the scoring and cruising to a 38-7 win over Lubbock High.
With the win Caprock (3-5, 2-2) is tied for the fourth and final playoff spot in the district with two games left in the regular season.
The Longhorns got on the board on Noah Gloria’s 26-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead in the first quarter. They went up 10-0 on Emiliano Castillo’s 4-yard scoring run in the second quarter, which turned out to be all the points they needed.
Ernesto Alvarado led Caprock with 100 yards on 11 carries. Defense was a major for the Longhorns, who held Lubbock (1-7, 0-4) to 178 total yards as the Westerners didn’t score until well after the issue was decided in the fourth quarter.
Caprock’s Adrian Apodaca returned an interception for a touchdown in the third quarter.
District 2-5A Division II
Lubbock-Cooper stayed in the district playoff race by taking a big lead early in the second quarter at Wichita Falls Memorial, then survived a late charge to win 49-42 and claim sole possession of the fourth and final playoff spot.
Cooper (5-4, 2-3) moved the ball successfully all night and appeared to have put the game away on Chamayne Johnson’s 1-yard run with 5:20 left in the game. However, Memorial (5-3, 1-3) connected on three scoring passes for over 45 yards, the last of which of 49 yards from Cole Birkhead to Eric Powell cut the score to 49-42 with 2:04 left in the game.
The Pirates, though, were able to run out the clock and clinch the win.
Johnson ran for a game-high 165 yards and four touchdowns on 29 carries. Cooper’s Ryan Rodriguez threw three touchdown passes and the Pirates piled up 460 yards of offense.
In the district’s other game Thursday night, Abilene Cooper beat Wichita Falls Legacy 53-24 to clinch a playoff berth.
District 2-4A Division I
In a must-win game for both teams, Canyon’s offense got rolling for a 41-6 win at Pampa, giving new head head coach and Canyon alum Matt Lovorn his first win at the school.
Canyon (5-3, 1-2) had a big night offensively, using a balanced attack to rack up 511 total yards. Austin Turner had a breakout game running the ball with 19 carries for 165 yards and three touchdowns.
Quarterback Brox Hacker had an efficient passing game, completing 9-of-12 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown to Bayler Schilling, who had seven catches for 115 yards.
Canyon is now tied for fourth place in district with two games to go. Pampa (1-7, 0-3) is in last place and saw its postseason prospects dim considerably.
Dumas moved into a tie for second place in the district, scoring 28 straight points to open the game to roll to a 38-10 victory over Hereford at home, putting the Demons in a solid position to make the playoffs.
Colton Mills threw a pair of touchdown passes to Blake Robinson in the first quarter to give the Demons (6-2, 2-1) a 21-0 lead. Mills completed 16-of-22 passes for 175 yards, and Robinson had six catches for 116 yards.
ZJ Jara also ran for two touchdowns for Dumas.
Hereford (2-6, 1-2) struggled offensively without quarterback Kalub Ramirez, who was out with an ankle injury. The Whitefaces had only 169 yards of offense.
District 2-4A Division II
Despite a huge game from quarterback Cooper Schilling and wide receiver Gordo Estrada, it wasn’t quite enough for the Perryton Rangers, as Levelland came to town and pulled off a 53-43 win, putting Perryton’s playoff hopes in jeopardy.
Schilling carried the Rangers (3-6, 0-3) by completing 28-of-34 passes for 413 yards and four touchdowns, including three to Estrada. It had to be one of the most prolific receiving performances in Texas Panhandle history for Estrada, who had 19 catches for 297 yards.
The downside for Schilling was that he threw four interceptions, as Levelland improved to 5-3 and 1-1.
Lubbock Estacado not only stayed undefeated atop the district, but the Matadors clinched a playoff berth as well, winning 74-24 at winless Borger.
Estacado (7-2, 3-0) used a balanced offense to compile 512 total yards and punted only once. The Matadors were efficient enough to survive over 100 yards in penalties.
A sliver lining for Borger (0-8, 0-2) was that the Bulldogs had more first downs than Estacado by a 16-15 count.
District 1-3A Division I
It was quite the night for Dalhart head football coach Joey Read who earned his 62nd career win during his Golden Wolves 48-14 victory against River Road in a District 1-3A Division I opener at Wildcats Stadium.
With the win, Read, who is 62-60 at Dalhart in 11 seasons as the head coach, surpasses his predecessor Stephen Young for the most wins in the program.
The Golden Wolves keep on rolling under Read this season moving to an impressive 7-1 overall and are now 1-0 in league play with a trip to Bushland (3-5, 0-1) looming this coming Friday. River Road continues to struggle falling to 1-7 on the year and 0-1 in district.
Following a lengthy rain delay, Dalhart didn’t take much time shaking off the rust going up on the Wildcats 20-0 by the end of the first quarter and taking a commanding 40-7 lead by halftime.
Quarterback Hunter Trusler did his job through the air going 16-of-24 for 313 yards with five touchdown tosses and ran for another score. Talon Garcia and Hudson Siebert were Trusler’s main targets throughout the contest. Siebert snagged three catches for 93 yards with a pair of touchdowns with Garcia making five catches for 94 yards including a 27-yard TD reception.
District 1-3A Division II
The Canadian Wildcats are breezing through the early portion of the district schedule after taming Tulia 65-6 at Younger Field in Tulia on Friday night.
Canadian pushes its overall record to 7-1 on the season and punch a ticket to the postseason with a 2-0 league mark. Tulia (2-7) is still looking for its first district win dropping to 0-3.
The Wildcat defense gave the Hornets fits dominating up front sacking quarterback Jacob Trevino 10 times. Offensively, the Wildcats posted 544 total yards led by running back Slayden Dickinson, who rushed for 112 yards on only six carries with four touchdowns. Quarterbcack Weston Mitchell was solid going 14-of-18 for 205 yards with a pair of touchdown passes and Junior Cervantes caught four balls for 71 yards with a TD.
Due to the threat of inclement weather, Childress moved its home district game with Dimmitt to 7 p.m. Saturday night. Look for a brief recap when this game is completed.
District 2-3A Division II
Muleshoe was unable to hold on to a two-point fourth quarter lead as the Slaton Tigers reeled off 23 unanswered points for a 42-21 victory during a District 2-3A Division II win in Muleshoe on Friday.
The Mules led 21-19 in the fourth quarter, only to see the Tigers take control down the stretch and pull away for the victory. The Tigers (7-1) stay undefeated in district at 2-0. The Mules (3-6) fall to 1-2 in the league.
District 1-2A Division I
Dalhart head coach Joey Read wasn’t the only Texas Panhandle head coach reaching a special milestone Friday night.
Dane Ashley was also honored following his Panhandle Panthers 77-7 rout of Sunray on Friday night at Panthers Stadium.
Ashley won his 92nd career game, all at Panhandle, becoming the all-time winningest coach in Panhandle football history surpassing the legendary Stocky Lamberson. In 11 seasons, Ashley has accumulated an impressive mark of 92-38 at Panhandle.
As for the game, the Panthers cruised from start to finish against the struggling Bobcats. Panhandle scored 20 points to open the first quarter and were up 56-0 by halftime. Quarterback Broxton Robinson went 11-of-13 for 266 yards with five touchdown passes and ran for 60 yards with two more scores. Lucas Purcell chipped in with eight carries for 104 yards rushing and a TD, as Tyler Wood caught three passes for 102 yards with a touchdown.
Panhandle is sitting at 6-2 on the season and are now 2-1 in District 1-2A Division I. Sunray is still looking for its first win on the year dropping to 0-8, 0-3.
West Texas High shook off a slow start following a big win over Panhandle last week to blank Sanford-Fritch 36-0 on Thursday night at Eagles Stadium.
The Comanches continue to be the lone unbeaten 11-man team in the Texas Panhandle at 8-0 while staying in first place of District 1-2A Division I at 3-0. The Eagles, who started the year 2-0, fall to 3-5 overall and 0-3 in district.
The run game was the catalyst to the win against Fritch. WT High quarterback Cayde Winters paced the team with 146 yards rushing and two scores. Running back Kelby Sherwood went for 72 yards on 11 carries with two trips to the end zone and Karson Bauert added 77 yards rushing with a touchdown on eight carries.
Spearman was also a winner in District 1-2A Division I getting a 42-14 road victory at Highland Park.
That’s six straight wins for the Lynx, who are now 6-2 on the year and 3-0 in the district with a big home game against West Texas High this coming Friday. Highland Park falls to 3-5, 1-2.
Quarterback Jailen Vasquez had a huge game for Spearman. Vasquez picked apart the Hornet defense going 11-of-13 for 173 yards with five touchdowns and ran for 86 more yards with another score. Teammate Hudson Swan caught four of those passes for 101 yards with a pair of scores and pulled down two interceptions on defense.
District 2-2A Division I
Even without injured quarterback Dallas Sumner, the New Deal Lions were able to survive and advance holding off Olton 34-28 for a big District 2-2A Division I win at home Friday night.
The Lions continue to roar in district moving to 3-0 and 5-2 overall. The Mustangs slip to 1-2 in district and 3-5 overall.
Without the talented Sumner under center, the Lions relied heavily on the 1-2 punch of Jonas Rodriguez and Dalton Martin. That duo delivered combining for 249 yards on the night against Olton. Martin tallied a game-high 136 yards on 18 carries with a touchdown while Rodriguez followed toting the rock 20 times for 113 yards with two scores.
In two other games out of the district, Post pulled off a huge home win beating New Home 28-27. Post (6-2) and New Home (6-2) are both sitting at 2-1 in the league, and Abernathy cruised by Floydada 55-14.
District 1-2A Division II
The Stratford Elks are hot at the moment and that momentum carried on during a 56-12 thumping at Bovina on Friday night.
The Elks stay in control of District 1-2A Division II at 5-2 overall and are now 2-0 in league play. Bovina is sitting at 2-5, 0-3.
Alejandro Casas had another stellar performance for the Elks on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Casas rushed for 84 yards on 12 carries with a touchdown, but defensively, Casas was a menace racking up a game-high 24 tackles, two of those for a loss. Quarterback Chase Lantelme was efficient going 7-of-11 for 126 yards with three touchdown tosses.
The Gruver Greyhounds went on the road and handled Vega on Friday getting a lopsided 49-6 victory.
Quarterback Briggs Satterfield was his typical self throwing for 240 yards on 8-of-11 passing with four TDs. Brock Butler caught three passes for 58 yards and two scores and linebacker Victor Flores had nine tackles. Teammate Bo Cowan added eight tackles and a sack.
The Greyhounds move to 7-2 overall and 2-1 in district. The Longhorns (3-5) are now 0-2 in the league.
District 2-2A Division II
In a game that lived up to the billing and will more than likely decide the district championship, Hale Center was able to rally back and stun Sudan with a 34-28 double overtime victory on Friday night at Hornets Stadium.
The win gives the Owls (7-1) the outright District 2-2A Division II lead at 3-0. The Hornets (6-2) suffer their first district loss at 2-1.
Sudan led 22-6 in the third quarter before Hale Center started putting together a comeback. The Owls chipped away cutting the deficit at 22-14 in the third and then tying the game with seven minutes to play forcing overtime.
In OT, Hale Center scored on a quarterback Carter Gonzales scramble of three yards, but the Owls missed the extra-point. Sudan was able to answer scoring on its opening overtime drive, but Hale Center came up big blocking the Hornets extra-point kick.
In double overtime, the Owls snagged an interception from Sudan and were able to get a one-yard game-winning touchdown by Ryan Mesquite for the thrilling win.
Gonzales ended his night throwing for 236 yards with three touchdowns and ran for 78 yards with another TD. Dj Hinojosa added 82 yards receiving for the Owls and a score with Mesquite tacking on 62 yards receiving to his rushing touchdown.
In two other district games, Morton blasted Crosbyton 42-6, and Lockney beat up Ralls 48-20.
District 5-2A Division II
There weren’t any surprised Thursday night, as Wellington and Wheeler cruised to setup a district championshp game in Wheeler this coming Friday.
Wellington jumped all over Shamrock for a 65-7 victory at home Thursday night, improving to 7-1 on the year and 3-0 in the league. Callen Kane finished the game 12-of-15 for 212 passing yards and two touchdwons and scored on a 77-yard run. Noah Cantu found the end zone five times tacking on 67 yards rushing on nine carries.
Wheeler had no issues at Clarendon getting a 56-6 victory as the Mustangs move to 7-1 overall and 3-0 in District 5-2A Division II. Quarterback Creed Newkirk tossed four touchdown passes on a 6-of-7 night passing with 89 yards. Chris Gallardo chewed up the Broncos for 137 yards on 13 carries.
In one other game, Quanah handled Memphis 40-13.