Done. This is an after the fact report.
Richland Springs Wins......AGAIN!!!
Richland Springs will one day lose a game. Really? Maybe? I have written their obit at least three times this season. I thought they would lose against Gordon, Jonesboro, and Milford. Guess what? Did not happen.
They have 11 or 12 boys suited out. No, young men. No, men of steel. They are the baddest sons of guns to walk the face of the earth. Cross their path and you go home a loser.
Let's look at the latest example.
MILFORD VS. RICHLAND SPRINGS
The scene was the famed and historic Tiger Stadium in Hico.
What you had going in was two super talented undefeated teams. # 1 Richland Springs Coyotes taking on #2 Milford Bulldogs. To say the least, this was a long anticipated contest.
Richland Springs wasted no time in setting the tone for this one. They kicked off to Milford and one minute and twenty-six seconds into the game,Patrick Phillips intercepted a pass thrown by Jairus Russell and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown. Trevor Tinney converted the PAT and just like that the Coyotes led 8-0. They would never trail.
Make no mistake about it, Milford is a very athletic team. Led by #3 senior Jairus Russell they would make a run at the two time defending state champions. On the ensuing kickoff Mr. Russell took the ball on the 4 yard line and promptly went 76 yards like water rolling down hill. Another tone setter for the night, the PAT failed and it was 8-6 Richland Springs with 8:19 left in the first. Before the first quarter would end, Chance Bush would score on a 15 yard run and the PAT was good and Jacob Essary of Milford would catch a touchdown pass for Milford and the PAT failed. The score at the end of the quarter was Richland Springs 16 Milford 12.
The second quarter saw the best and the worst for Milford. Richland Spring's Patrick Phillips who earlier scored on the interception return burned Milford on a 70 yard pass reception from Chance Bush. Amazingly, the Coyotes PAT failed. The men of steel now had a 10 point lead 22-12 with 7:22 left in the half. Milford came right back with Essary scoring on a 7 yard run but once again the Bulldog PAT failed and Milford trailed 22-18 with 5:47 left in the half. All three missed PAT's by the Bulldogs at this point in the game made would be a tie game. If and buts.......
FRESHMAN Bryan Salinas of Richland Springs would get his first touchdown of the night on a 4 yard run with 2:32 left in the half and again Tinney would convert the PAT and Richand Springs led 30-18. For the first time in the game it appeared the Coyotes were putting the game away. Then, Russell of Milford made a beautiful run that looked effortlessly on his part darting 70 yards for a touchdown and coupled with the PAT of Joseph Salazar Milford was back in the game trailing by just four points, 30-26 and only a minute and twenty-nine seconds left in the half. The question was immediately apparent. Could they hold Richland until half? The answer came quickly. With a mere 18 ticks left on the clock until half time the Coyotes would strike again on a Patrick Phillips pass reception for a touchdown. Tinney converted once again and at the half Richland Springs led 38-26. They went to the locker room with momentum and knowing they would get the ball to begin the second half.
My new found friend Charles Bryce, a newspaper reporter with The Standard Times of San Angelo, was sharing one third of the press box with me. I must mention right here and right now what a fine job his paper does with coverage of Six-Man. I so appreciate it. I told him that I had expected Milford to win this game and that if somehow Milford could get a stop defensively to start the third quarter, they would indeed win the game even though they trailed 12 points at the half.
Viola! Richland starts out the second half with a fumble deep in their own end of the field. Milford is set to score and be right back in the contest. Richland Springs would make their biggest defensive stand of the game here aided by a penalty against Milford and it all lead to a turn over on downs. FRESHMAN Bryan Salinas would strike again, this time on a 64 pass from Bush and a PAT conversion with 5:13 left in the third the score was Coyotes 46 Bulldogs 26. Somewhere in the background of my brain, I could hear TAPS being played exactly as I had heard it at a military funeral for my wife's uncle earlier in the day.
Milford did not quit yet. Essary would score on a 10 yard pass from Russell and Salazar would convert the PAT with 4:00 minutes left in the third to cut the lead to 46-34. A win for Milford at this point was still possible but the men of steel that I have also referred to as sharks knew there was blood in the water. Richland Springs would score at the :33 seconds mark of the third on a pass to Thomas FOWLER, yes there is still a Fowler at Richland Springs, again at the 8:47 mark in the 4th and again at the 6:33 point of the 4th to lead 78-34. TWENTY FOUR STRAIGHT POINTS!!!!
Jarius Russell would finish the scoring for Milford this night on an electrifying run of 43 yards and Salazar would convert the PAT to bring the Bulldogs to trail 70-42. To add an exclamation point on the Coyote victory, FRESHMAN Bryan Salinas would score on a 50 yard run and Tinney would again convert the PAT and your final score Richland Springs 78 Milford 42.
Two week in a row the men of steel have defeated teams that were probably in reality better teams than the Coyotes. So be it. ROLL ON COYOTES! Next up your nemesis, the Strawn Greyhounds.
Don Hardin
Abilene
Richland Springs Wins......AGAIN!!!
Richland Springs will one day lose a game. Really? Maybe? I have written their obit at least three times this season. I thought they would lose against Gordon, Jonesboro, and Milford. Guess what? Did not happen.
They have 11 or 12 boys suited out. No, young men. No, men of steel. They are the baddest sons of guns to walk the face of the earth. Cross their path and you go home a loser.
Let's look at the latest example.
MILFORD VS. RICHLAND SPRINGS
The scene was the famed and historic Tiger Stadium in Hico.
What you had going in was two super talented undefeated teams. # 1 Richland Springs Coyotes taking on #2 Milford Bulldogs. To say the least, this was a long anticipated contest.
Richland Springs wasted no time in setting the tone for this one. They kicked off to Milford and one minute and twenty-six seconds into the game,Patrick Phillips intercepted a pass thrown by Jairus Russell and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown. Trevor Tinney converted the PAT and just like that the Coyotes led 8-0. They would never trail.
Make no mistake about it, Milford is a very athletic team. Led by #3 senior Jairus Russell they would make a run at the two time defending state champions. On the ensuing kickoff Mr. Russell took the ball on the 4 yard line and promptly went 76 yards like water rolling down hill. Another tone setter for the night, the PAT failed and it was 8-6 Richland Springs with 8:19 left in the first. Before the first quarter would end, Chance Bush would score on a 15 yard run and the PAT was good and Jacob Essary of Milford would catch a touchdown pass for Milford and the PAT failed. The score at the end of the quarter was Richland Springs 16 Milford 12.
The second quarter saw the best and the worst for Milford. Richland Spring's Patrick Phillips who earlier scored on the interception return burned Milford on a 70 yard pass reception from Chance Bush. Amazingly, the Coyotes PAT failed. The men of steel now had a 10 point lead 22-12 with 7:22 left in the half. Milford came right back with Essary scoring on a 7 yard run but once again the Bulldog PAT failed and Milford trailed 22-18 with 5:47 left in the half. All three missed PAT's by the Bulldogs at this point in the game made would be a tie game. If and buts.......
FRESHMAN Bryan Salinas of Richland Springs would get his first touchdown of the night on a 4 yard run with 2:32 left in the half and again Tinney would convert the PAT and Richand Springs led 30-18. For the first time in the game it appeared the Coyotes were putting the game away. Then, Russell of Milford made a beautiful run that looked effortlessly on his part darting 70 yards for a touchdown and coupled with the PAT of Joseph Salazar Milford was back in the game trailing by just four points, 30-26 and only a minute and twenty-nine seconds left in the half. The question was immediately apparent. Could they hold Richland until half? The answer came quickly. With a mere 18 ticks left on the clock until half time the Coyotes would strike again on a Patrick Phillips pass reception for a touchdown. Tinney converted once again and at the half Richland Springs led 38-26. They went to the locker room with momentum and knowing they would get the ball to begin the second half.
My new found friend Charles Bryce, a newspaper reporter with The Standard Times of San Angelo, was sharing one third of the press box with me. I must mention right here and right now what a fine job his paper does with coverage of Six-Man. I so appreciate it. I told him that I had expected Milford to win this game and that if somehow Milford could get a stop defensively to start the third quarter, they would indeed win the game even though they trailed 12 points at the half.
Viola! Richland starts out the second half with a fumble deep in their own end of the field. Milford is set to score and be right back in the contest. Richland Springs would make their biggest defensive stand of the game here aided by a penalty against Milford and it all lead to a turn over on downs. FRESHMAN Bryan Salinas would strike again, this time on a 64 pass from Bush and a PAT conversion with 5:13 left in the third the score was Coyotes 46 Bulldogs 26. Somewhere in the background of my brain, I could hear TAPS being played exactly as I had heard it at a military funeral for my wife's uncle earlier in the day.
Milford did not quit yet. Essary would score on a 10 yard pass from Russell and Salazar would convert the PAT with 4:00 minutes left in the third to cut the lead to 46-34. A win for Milford at this point was still possible but the men of steel that I have also referred to as sharks knew there was blood in the water. Richland Springs would score at the :33 seconds mark of the third on a pass to Thomas FOWLER, yes there is still a Fowler at Richland Springs, again at the 8:47 mark in the 4th and again at the 6:33 point of the 4th to lead 78-34. TWENTY FOUR STRAIGHT POINTS!!!!
Jarius Russell would finish the scoring for Milford this night on an electrifying run of 43 yards and Salazar would convert the PAT to bring the Bulldogs to trail 70-42. To add an exclamation point on the Coyote victory, FRESHMAN Bryan Salinas would score on a 50 yard run and Tinney would again convert the PAT and your final score Richland Springs 78 Milford 42.
Two week in a row the men of steel have defeated teams that were probably in reality better teams than the Coyotes. So be it. ROLL ON COYOTES! Next up your nemesis, the Strawn Greyhounds.
Don Hardin
Abilene
