Stratford set the tone on the opening play of the game then used that momentum to jump all over Bovina and never looked back for a dominating 48-14 beating of Bovina during a UIL Class 2A Division II regional semifinal Friday night at Dick Bivins Stadium.
With the win, the Elks (11-2) are off to the state quarterfinals for an incredible 14th time since 1999.
“I think this tradition is well built,” Stratford head coach Jonathan Murphy said. “This program has been built by a bunch of coaches and kids and done the right way. It’s been decades in the making, and a foundation that is steady. That is a tribute to everyone that came before us and a community that embraces it and loves Stratford football.”
The Elks now get a showdown with District 1-2A Division II rival Gruver (11-2), at 7 p.m. this coming Friday at Happy State Bank Stadium. Stratford got the better of the Greyhounds in the first meeting 40-27 on Oct. 10, to win the district crown.
“This is the game we wanted,” Murphy said. “We know how good Gruver is, and we can’t wait to play these guys again. It will be an awesome atmosphere.”
Bovina, which had set the state on fire with two playoff wins the past two weeks, end a strong year at 5-6.
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The score looked extremely similar to the 56-12 win the Elks had over the Mustangs during a district clash on Oct. 24, it was a much different start for Stratford.
Facing a Mustang team with a ton of confidence after two playoff wins, the Elks quickly showed that blue-blood tradition, scoring on the opening play of the game when quarterback Chase Lantelme hit Hunter Lee on a 54-yard strike. Following a two-point conversion, Stratford was up 8-0 before anyone could blink with 11:41 to play.
That was just the start for Stratford. On the ensuing possession, Lantelme was back at it leading a quick three-play drive that resulted in an eight-yard toss to Alex Romero, pushing the advantage 14-0. On the next Elk drive, Lantelme hit another TD shot to Ranger Carroll for 59 yards as Stratford scored 21 points on its first six plays and it was all she wrote from there.
“This was exactly what we wanted to come out and do,” Murphy said. “We came out slow against Bovina in the district game, and we wanted to fix that. We had a great week of practice and preparation. We worked on tempo during the week and the guys did a tremendous job of executing that.”
Stratford built a 41-0 halftime lead and were able to rest the starters in the second half. In a quick night of work, Lantelme and the Stratford offense posted 359 yards. Lantelme picked apart the Bovina defense, going 6-of-11 through the air for 152 yards with four touchdowns, and carried the ball only two times for 50 yards.
Carroll had a huge night with three catches for 124 yards with a pair of TDs, and Lee caught four balls for 70 yards with a score. Receiver Darius Jones added an 18-yard touchdown reception and Abe Goss went for 41 yards on three carries with a trip to paydirt.
“The goal was to come out fast,” Lantelme said. “We did that. We had a great week of practice and we all played together as a team. Now, we get a rematch with Gruver. There is no one else we’d rather play.”
The Stratford defense did its job, especially in the first half. Bovina ended the game with 273 yards with most of those coming in the final two quarters.
“We keyed on the right things,” Murphy said. “The scout team, to the coaching staff, everyone did a great job against a complicated offense. I loved how we got after the ball, that was big.”
Playing in his final high school game, Bovina running back Angel Lara did have 177 yards on 29 carries with two touchdowns.