Happy running back Stetson Jameson (4) leaps a White Deer defender during a District 1-1A Division I showdown Friday night at the Cowboy Corral. [Trevor Fleeman/ Press Pass Sports]
1. Happy wins a good one
Back in August many Six-man fans had penciled in White Deer as not only the District 1-1A Division I champion, but also the Region I favorite. Eight weeks later many have now changed their tone after a 59-44 loss to upstart and No. 6-ranked Happy at the Cowboy Corral on Friday. The game was as good as advertised with nine lead changes, however, it was the Cowboys defense that closed it out creating turnovers and stops when needed.
The Happy offense was fueled by spread back, Stetson Jameson. As he’s done all year, the senior thrives with the ball in his hands popping off 236 yards rushing on 26 carries with seven touchdowns. His biggest play of the night came on the defensive side. With five minutes remaining and the Cowboys leading by eight, Jameson jumped the snap perfectly and stole the ball right out of White Deer’s hands before they could make the handoff.
Hunter Warminski played extremely well for the Bucks despite the loss. The senior running back chewed up 276 yards with three touchdowns.
White Deer falls to 4-3 overall and 1-1 in district. Happy is now 6-1, 1-0.
2. Valley dominates
In the other District 1-1A Division I game, Valley was dominant against Claude for a 69-12 mercy-rule win. Jaxon Edwards turned in his cleats for some rockets as the back ran for 236 yards with touchdowns on only 10 carries.
All season the Patriots defense has been dominant, and now the offense is starting to follow suit. This is a scary Valley (7-0, 2-0) team that seems to be hitting its stride.
3. Happy-Valley showdown
It’s been a few seasons since we’ve seen traditional powers Happy and Valley back in the mix when it comes to the top teams in Six-man.
Now in the same district, these two foes are set to clash for first place supremacy at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Valley.
The winner will be on the fast track to a district championship, while a loss for the unbeaten Patriots (7-0, 2-0) could be devastating. Valley still has a date with White Deer on its schedule, and remember in Six-man football only two teams qualify for the playoffs.
4. Petersburg remains atop 2-1A DI
Petersburg earned a big win last week as they started District 2-1A Division I play off with a W against Nazareth. The Buffaloes carried their momentum into Friday night as they pulled away from a much improved Kress team for an 88-44 victory, moving to 2-0 in district and 5-3 overall. Petersburg’s offense is scary, and its defense does enough to get the job done. Watch out for this dark horse come playoff time.
5. Miami stakes its claim
The Hedley Owls have been getting some much deserved publicity, but it was Miami stealing headlines with a 56-6 rout of the Owls in a key District 1-1A Division II matchup Friday. First-year head coach Clint Linman has his team believing at 4-3 overall and 1-0 in district. There is a lot of positives going on in Miami, and this could be a sleeper team come playoff time.
6. Undefeated
It’s been eight weeks week, and two of the five unbeaten team in the Texas Panhandle remain in Six-man. In Division I, Valley is 7-0 overall followed by Follett which is also 7-0. Each team will be back in action this week. The Panthers will face winless Darrouzett in Week 9. The Patriots showed just why they’re undefeated in their 69-12 win over Claude, but will be put to the test this week in a top 10 matchup.