Happy manhandled by Klondike
Mental mistakes and turnovers are never a good recipe for victory and Happy found that out in a big way at the Jayton Gridiron Classic Saturday.
In a game that registered a kickoff temp of 102 degrees, endured a five-minute downpour in the third and relentless humidity in the fourth, the Cowboys never found their footing against a Cougars team that played efficient, mistake free ball in a 50-26 win over Happy.
Happy’s Cutter Hodges coughed the ball up on their first possession in what turned out to be an omen of things to come. Klondike then scored on the ensuing possession to take the early lead, but Hodges atoned for his fumble on a 2-yard run to tie things back up in the first.
With just over three minutes to go in the second the Cowboys defense held on a fourth and goal play and looked poised to regain the lead, but Noe Juarez was unable to handle the snap and Klondike recovered at the Cowboys 4-yard line.
Creed Warren for the Cougars took the next play into the endzone for his second score of the half and Klondike never looked back from there. Although Happy held the Cougars to 40 yards on the ground it was an opportunistic passing offense that torched the Cowboys on the back end.
The Cougars Luke Smith finished with eight catches for 172 yards and two scores while Juarez paced the passing attack for Happy going 8-of-10 for 127 yards and a score.
Booker beats Anton
Making their first foray into Six-Man football since 1959, Booker happily welcomed the change with a 38-12 road victory over Anton on Thursday night.
Jesus Jimenez picked up the first touchdown for the Kiowas on the season then put them ahead to stay with a 19-yard scoring run to give Booker the 14-12 lead and one they wouldn’t relinquish.
Using a punishing ground game, they racked up 186 yards rushing and 230 total yards on the night. The defense used relentless pursuit to force the Bulldogs into four turnovers, including a 46-yard scoop and score in the final stanza, to make their return to Six-Man ball a victorious bus ride home.
Balance the key to Tigers victory
Under the scorching heat in Jayton Saturday, the McLean Tigers used a balanced offense to down Van Horn 40-21.
The temperature at kickoff was 103 degrees but that didn’t bother McLean’s offense as Kaleb Steward helped the rushing attack gain 176 yards while effective passing netted 188 yards to keep the Eagles off balance most of the day.
Defensively, Jack McGee was the star of the show as he was in on seemingly every tackle for the Tigers and picked off a key pass early in the fourth quarter as McLean picked up a solid win under the unbearable heat of the Texas sun.
Woodard runs wild for the Mustangs
Eye-popping stats and wild scores are part of the allure of Six-Man football and the game between Wildorado and Lefors lived up to that.
Behind Aden Woodard’s 346 yards rushing, the Mustangs crashed the Pirate party ship with a 72-70 victory Friday night. The senior running back finished with six touchdowns to go along with his 346 yards and added a 75-yard kickoff return score to his name.
Ryan Cox was effective through the air finishing 9-of-12 for 164 yards a score with Riley McElroy hauling one in for 60 yards. Defensively, it was Woodard who led the way as well with 12 tackles, four assists and an interception as head coach Rance Barnett’s squad started the season with a hard-fought victory.
News and notes
Silverton made a statement with a 74-61 win at home against a solid Petersburg team. The Owls are considered the best Amarillo-area team in Division II and they strengthened that argument Thursday night.
Evan Kelley and Preston Thelen led a Miami defense that held Hedley to (-) 43 yards rushing. The pair combined for 11 tackles, nine of those for loss and four sacks on the way to a 60-6 Warrior victory.
Nazareth ran up against a buzzsaw in Whiteface on Friday night as the Panthers ran away from the Swifts for a 58-12 victory. Follett went toe to toe with defending Division II champion Benjamin, but two-time UIL Class 1A State MVP Grayson Rigdon was too much for Follett to overcome as the Panthers fell 80-33.
Claude and Groom both picked up victories as the Mustangs downed Roby on Thursday afternoon, 56-6, while the Tigers held off White Deer for a 42-26 win.
Down go the champs
Happy’s surprising loss was the last game of the three-day football bonanza known as the Jayton Gridiron Classic. In the first game of the classic, now in its 20th year, it was Knox City making a statement by downing the two-time defending UIL Class 1A Division I state champion Westbrook, 34-24.
The Greyhound defense held the Wildcats to only six first downs while Cameron Hernandez finished with 94 yards on the ground and a score as Knox City made a statement as the best team in Region I and possibly the state.
In other games in Jayton, Borden County blitzed Lubbock Kingdom Prep, 61-14, Jayton registered an impressive 68-20 win over Garden City, Valley impressed with a 74-48 win against Motley County and Crowell outscored Strawn, 100-55, in a game where defense was apparently optional.
The preseason No. 2-ranked team in Division II took it on the chin as Highland shocked most with a 72-48 victory over Loraine. Cooper Bowen rushed for 174 yards and six touchdowns to help the Hornets make a statement as a team to watch for in Region II.