Stratford quarterback Trevor Bell runs upfield against Clarendon during a Class 2A Division II bidistrict game Thursday in Borger. [Tucker Stroud/ Press Pass Sports]
Stratford knows how to win in November and it showed Thursday.
In the game of the night across the Texas Panhandle, the The Elks came back from an 11-point halftime deficit by scoring the games final 13 points to rally past Clarendon for a thrilling 20-18 win in a Class 2A Division II bidistrict showdown at Bulldogs Stadium in Borger.
The Broncos built an 18-7 hafltime lead scoring 18 unanswered points. Bryce Hatley threw two touchdown passes, one to Lyric Smith of 8-yards, and another to Koyt Tucek for 5-yards. Jmaury Davis added a 4-yard touchdown run for the Broncos advantage. However, Clarendon was 0-for-3 on 2-point conversion chances.
In the second half the Elks woke up on offense. Luke Braden punched in his second score on a 2-yard run, cutting the lead at 18–14 in the early stages of the third quarter. Later in the third, Stratford took over for good when quarterback Trevor Bell delivered a 21-yard scoring pass to Dru Jones for the 20-18 advantage.
Clarendon had one last chance in the fourth quarter getting the ball with seven minutes to play. The Broncos took the clock down all the way to the 1:16 mark. Facing a fourth down at the Stratford 16-yard line, the Elks secured the victory when Jones knocked a Hatley pass away. The Elks were able to kneel the ball and run out the clock. Bell was 9-of-19 for 153 yards and a score. Zane Burr led Stratford with 57 yards on 16 carries.
Clarendon had three costly turnovers in the loss. Running back Jordan Herndon finished with a game-high 25 carries for 208 yards. Davis took the ball 19 for 107 and 1 td.
Stratford (6-5) moves on to the area to play Friday’s winner of Smyer-Seagraves.
Stratford 20, Clarendon 18
Clarendon 6 12 0 — 18
Stratford 7 13 — 20
Wellington blanks Gruver
For the second time this season the No. 3 Wellington Skyrockets handled the Gruver Greyhounds with a 30-0 shutout during a Class 2A Division II bidistrict matchup at Happy State Bank Stadium in Canyon.
Wellington remains unbeaten on the year at 10-0 overall and will advance to face Wink (10-1) in an area round contest at 7 p.m. Friday at the Mustang Bowl at Sweetwater.
Gruver’s season ends at 3-8.
The Skyrockets ate up 349 yards to the Greyhounds 89 yards in the victory. Wellington’s Marc Ramirez continues his tear grinding out 166 yards on 18 carries with two scores. Fullback Mason Folk added another touchdown on 25 yards rushing, and John Ramirez returned a kickoff 55-yards for a TD.
Wellington 30, Gruver 0
Wellington 6 14 8 — 30
Gruver —
Wheeler running back Hesston Marshall (8) sprints past a Sunray defender during a Class 2A Division II game in Panhandle on Thursday. [Ben Jenkins/ Press Pass Sports]
Wheeler runs over Sunray
The Wheeler Mustangs chewed up yards by the bunches early and often to gallup their way past the Bobcats 45-7 in a Class 2A Division II bidistrict clash Thursday night in Panhandle.
This second meeting between didn’t mirror the nondistirct matchup from earlier in the season where Wheeler held off Sunray, 19-9.
The Mustangs ground game was far more potent against the Bobcats. Behind a superb effort from the offensive line, the Mustangs dynamic duo of Hesston Marshall and Daniel Rascon tallied 471 of Wheeler’s 547 total yards on the ground.
Sunray didn’t have an answer for Marshall. The senior broke loose on the games opening drive sprinting down the sideline for a 25-yard score giving the Mustangs a 7-0 advantage.
In the second quarter, Marshall’s speed was at it again finding pay dirt on touchdown runs of 50 and 64 yards. The reigning Class 2A All-State running back, now playing more of a Wildcat position, ended his stellar night carrying the ball only 16 times for 338 yards, averaging, 21.1 yards a carry, with five touchdowns. Rascon tacked on 96 yards on 12 carries and two scores.
Wheeler (9-2) advances to play either McCamey or Ropes in the area round. Sunray ends a solid season at 6-5.
Wheeler 45, Sunray 7
Sunray 7 — 7
Wheeler 13 20 12 — 45
Class 2A Division I
Sundown sinks Farwell
A big second half saw Sundown pull away from the Farwell Steers for a 34-6 victory during a Class 2A Division I bidistrict clash at Lobos Stadium in Levelland on Thursday night.
The Roughnecks knock off the Steers for the second time this season. Sundown (9-2 overall) advances to face Hawley in an area round matchup at a time and place to be determined. Farwell sees a successful season come to an end at 7-4.
Farwell was in this contest in the first half. Quarterback Leefe Atkinson found Kolter Henderson for the Steers only score, cutting a Roughneck lead, 7-6. From that point forward Sundown we to score 27 unanswered points with 21 of those coming in the second half. Running back E.J. Hernandez scored a pair of touchdown runs, totaling 124 yards on 25 carries. Sundown teammate and QB Carson Holson completed 9-of-17 passing for 104 yards, ran for 67 with two passing scores and a rushing TD.
Atkinson led Farwell with 152 yards passing.
Sundown 34, Farwell 6
Farwell 6 — 6
Sundown 7 6 14 7 — 34
Class 3A Division II
Canadian kicker Edgar Salazar (29) is celebrated by his teammates after setting the new state record for extra-points in a career Thursday night in Tulia. [Trevor Fleeman/ Press Pass Sports]
Canadian blows out Coahoma
Canadian picked up where if left off from district play by steam rolling over Coahoma 62-14 during a Class 3A Division II bidistrict contest at Younger Field in Tulia on Thursday night.
The No. 1-ranked Wildcats have now scored at least 60 points in their last six games. Canadian improves to 10-1 on the season and will now meet Bangs (9-1) in the area round at 7 p.m. Friday at Leo Brittain Field Lions Stadium in Vernon.
Coahoma ends its year at 6-4.
Though the game wasn’t much to speak of history was made at Younger Field. On his fourth extra-point attempt at the 10:55 mark the second quarter, Canadian kicker Edgar Salazar set a University Interscholastic League Texas High School Football record for extra-points in a career with 305. That broke Aledo’s Chance Nevarez previous record of 304 from 2010-2013. Salazar was 8-of-9 on extra-points against the Bulldogs giving him 310 for his four-year career.
Wildcats running back Hayze Hufstedler did what he does best. The senior bulldozer touched the ball 13 times for 189 yards with three touchdowns. Quarterback Joshua Culwell spread the ball around going 13-of-24 for 173 yards with four TD tosses.
Canadian 62, Coahoma 14
Coahoma 0 7 7 — 14
Canadian 20 35 7 — 62
Class 3A Division I
Bushland routs Slaton
It was a quick night of work for a fast moving Bushland squad putting up points by the bunches on the way to a 70-14 rout of Slaton in a Class 3A Division I bidistrict meeting at Lubbock-Cooper on Thursday evening.
Bushland (8-2 overall) is red hot winners of seven straight, and will get a meeting with Wall (8-3) in the area round at a time and place to be determined.
Falcons quarterback had an efficient night against the Tigers (3-8) missing only one pass, going 8-of-9 for 106 yards with two touchdowns. Kash Bradley made two of those catches for a score on 62 yards, and Ethan Fuentes rushed for 46 yards and two touchdowns of his own.
Bushland 70, Slaton 14
Slaton 14 — 14
Bushland 35 14 14 7 — 70
Shallowater handles River Road
A fast start was too much for River Road to overcome as Shallowater rolled to a 58-7 victory in a Class 3A Division I bidistrict game on Thursday night at Todd Field in Shallowater.
The Mustangs were able to establish momentum behind dual-threat quarterback Bax Townsend. Townsend torched threw the Wildcats defense piling up 222 yards rushing with five touchdowns, adding 102 through the air. When it was all said and done Townsend had accounted for 334 of the Mustangs 514 total yards.
River Road (4-7 overall) was led by senior Lance Welps who played his final game in a Wildcat uniform. The senior quarterback and defensive back has been one of the top players in the Texas Panhandle since his freshman season. In the loss he ran for 68 yards with a touchdown.
Shallowater (9-0) is headed to the area round to play the Pilot Point-Clyde winner. Those two teams square off at 7 p.m. Friday night.
Shallowater 58, River Road 7
River Road 7 — 7
Shallowater 20 16 14 8 — 58