Highs, Lows, and Advancers
Texas football is unique and dearly loved by the citizens of this state. Large schools to small schools they have their followers that are there for their team from early days of August going forward. In November, there is even a more feverish pitch for all the fans following their beloved team into the state playoffs. When the teams are still playing in December it becomes even more special. It also becomes more difficult to advance to the next round. The good, the bad, and the ugly are all present this time of the year.
How is it possible to have such beautiful weather December the 1st in Snyder, Texas? Then add to that a fantastic matchup between the Rankin Red Devils and the Throckmorton Greyhounds with a combined record of 22 wins and 2 losses and of course the “playoff atmosphere” and a beautiful stadium like you find at the Snyder Tiger field and you have all the ingredients a Texas football fan can handle.
Rankin vs. Throckmorton
Last week the defending state champions of Throckmorton soundly defeated a very good and respected Water Valley team 62 to 16 to send the message they are looking to get back to Abilene for another title shot. Rankin on the other side of this equation last week defeated the tough and previously undefeated Ira Bulldogs 58 to 38 to set the stage for this game.
Many folks were saying going into this game that it would be a game centered on Rankin’s Dalton Mitchum and Throckmorton’s Gary Farquhar. That was a fair assessment of the situation but make no mistake about it there were two teams on the field. Both of the players mentioned above had an impact in the game. Mitchum finished with a 300 yard rushing game and also caught passes for over 100 yards and scored 6 touchdowns. Farquhar made his presence known as usual on both sides of the ball. He caught six passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns and was all over the field on defense.
The First Quarter was pretty even with Throckmorton striking 1st on a 6 yard pass to Gary Farquhar from Bryson Oliver and Nathan Riley converted the PAT as the score was 8-0 8:50 left in the period.
With 6:36 left in the 1st, Dalton Michum would get Rankin on the board when he ran it in 27 yards for a touchdown and Michael Rodriguez would make good on the PAT. Score tied 8-8. G Farquhar would haul in a 47 yard pass play from Oliver for their second touchdown connection of the night with 4:47 left and Riley again converts the PAT and Throckmorton is up 16-8. Michum on a 1 yard run and Rodriguez with his kick closed out the scoring in the 1st with 1:17 seconds left. The game would see the Quarter end with the teams knotted up 16-16.
Throckmorton would begin the 2nd Quarter avalanche that saw a combined 44 points scored by both teams. Levi Taylor had a 14 yard scoring run and Riley was good again on the PAT with 9:51 left until half. Score Throckmorton 24-16. At the 7:09 point Hayden Farquhar would catch a touchdown pass from Oliver and Riley would make the PAT and Throckmorton stretched the lead to 32-16. Michum would score again for Rankin this time on a two yard pass reception from Josh Post. The PAT failed and Throckmorton now led 32-22 with 5:50 left in the half. Throckmorton scored with 3:06 left on a two yard run by Trinity Haggard and the successful PAT by Riley had the Greyhound lead at 18 points, 40-22. Rankin did what they had to do and that was score before the half to stay in the game. With just :35 seconds left Michum ran it in from 3 yards for a touchdown and again the PAT failed but Rankin had cut the score to 40-28 and also established some momentum as well.
Disaster struck with 27 seconds left on the clock after Levi Taylor returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown and a Riley PAT made it 48-28 and killed any momentum the Red Devils might have had going into halftime.
The third quarter saw Throckmorton outscore Rankin 32-8. With 6:38 left in the third, Hayden Farquhar would catch an 8 yard pass from Oliver for a touchdown and yet another PAT by Riley and your score became Throckmorton 56 Rankin 28. The game is on the line at this point for Rankin. The Red Devils would respond on a scoring play that had Josh Post catching a 19 yard pass from Michum and this time Rodriguez converted the PAT. 56-36 Throckmorton but a glimmer of hope for Rankin with 4:07 left in the third.
Lightning, deadly lightning, not from the sky but the Greyhound return team struck for the second time. Trinity Haggard would return the kickoff 50 yards for a touchdown. Riley would again split the uprights and Throckmorton led 64-36 with 3:55 left in the third. Bad for Rankin was about to get worse as Throckmorton would score with 2:24 left when Rawlin Morrel would catch a 40 pass from Oliver and another Riley PAT made the score 72 -36. But wait, there is more! Twenty two seconds later Trinity Haggard would run it in from 3 yards out and another Riley PAT the Greyhounds led 80-36 with 2:02 left in the Third Quarter. That was also the score as the 3rd came to an end.
Do the Red Devils quit? Nope. They score on a 17 yard run by Michum with 9:51 left in the game. The PAT failed. They trail 80-42. Do the Red Devils quit now? No. Aaron Castillo would score from 5 yards out and the Rodriguez PAT is good with 5:39 left in the game. The score is now 80-50 Throckmorton.
With 4:58 left Trinity Haggard would score his fourth touchdown of the night for Throckmorton and Riley would again add the PAT for an 88-to 50 lead. Still no quit on the Rankin Red Devil side as Aaron Castillo would score from 13 yards out and Rodriguez would nail the PAT and the score which would be the final was Throckmorton 88 Rankin 58.
Overall, the Throckmorton Defense was physical. Very physical. The Greyhound ball carriers ran very hard all night dragging or running over the Rankin defenders. Rankin was defeated but never quit.
Throckmorton will return to Snyder next Saturday at 6:00 PM as they take on the Valley Patriots to determine who goes on to the state championship game in Abilene on December 15th.
Don Hardin
Abilene
Texas football is unique and dearly loved by the citizens of this state. Large schools to small schools they have their followers that are there for their team from early days of August going forward. In November, there is even a more feverish pitch for all the fans following their beloved team into the state playoffs. When the teams are still playing in December it becomes even more special. It also becomes more difficult to advance to the next round. The good, the bad, and the ugly are all present this time of the year.
How is it possible to have such beautiful weather December the 1st in Snyder, Texas? Then add to that a fantastic matchup between the Rankin Red Devils and the Throckmorton Greyhounds with a combined record of 22 wins and 2 losses and of course the “playoff atmosphere” and a beautiful stadium like you find at the Snyder Tiger field and you have all the ingredients a Texas football fan can handle.
Rankin vs. Throckmorton
Last week the defending state champions of Throckmorton soundly defeated a very good and respected Water Valley team 62 to 16 to send the message they are looking to get back to Abilene for another title shot. Rankin on the other side of this equation last week defeated the tough and previously undefeated Ira Bulldogs 58 to 38 to set the stage for this game.
Many folks were saying going into this game that it would be a game centered on Rankin’s Dalton Mitchum and Throckmorton’s Gary Farquhar. That was a fair assessment of the situation but make no mistake about it there were two teams on the field. Both of the players mentioned above had an impact in the game. Mitchum finished with a 300 yard rushing game and also caught passes for over 100 yards and scored 6 touchdowns. Farquhar made his presence known as usual on both sides of the ball. He caught six passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns and was all over the field on defense.
The First Quarter was pretty even with Throckmorton striking 1st on a 6 yard pass to Gary Farquhar from Bryson Oliver and Nathan Riley converted the PAT as the score was 8-0 8:50 left in the period.
With 6:36 left in the 1st, Dalton Michum would get Rankin on the board when he ran it in 27 yards for a touchdown and Michael Rodriguez would make good on the PAT. Score tied 8-8. G Farquhar would haul in a 47 yard pass play from Oliver for their second touchdown connection of the night with 4:47 left and Riley again converts the PAT and Throckmorton is up 16-8. Michum on a 1 yard run and Rodriguez with his kick closed out the scoring in the 1st with 1:17 seconds left. The game would see the Quarter end with the teams knotted up 16-16.
Throckmorton would begin the 2nd Quarter avalanche that saw a combined 44 points scored by both teams. Levi Taylor had a 14 yard scoring run and Riley was good again on the PAT with 9:51 left until half. Score Throckmorton 24-16. At the 7:09 point Hayden Farquhar would catch a touchdown pass from Oliver and Riley would make the PAT and Throckmorton stretched the lead to 32-16. Michum would score again for Rankin this time on a two yard pass reception from Josh Post. The PAT failed and Throckmorton now led 32-22 with 5:50 left in the half. Throckmorton scored with 3:06 left on a two yard run by Trinity Haggard and the successful PAT by Riley had the Greyhound lead at 18 points, 40-22. Rankin did what they had to do and that was score before the half to stay in the game. With just :35 seconds left Michum ran it in from 3 yards for a touchdown and again the PAT failed but Rankin had cut the score to 40-28 and also established some momentum as well.
Disaster struck with 27 seconds left on the clock after Levi Taylor returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown and a Riley PAT made it 48-28 and killed any momentum the Red Devils might have had going into halftime.
The third quarter saw Throckmorton outscore Rankin 32-8. With 6:38 left in the third, Hayden Farquhar would catch an 8 yard pass from Oliver for a touchdown and yet another PAT by Riley and your score became Throckmorton 56 Rankin 28. The game is on the line at this point for Rankin. The Red Devils would respond on a scoring play that had Josh Post catching a 19 yard pass from Michum and this time Rodriguez converted the PAT. 56-36 Throckmorton but a glimmer of hope for Rankin with 4:07 left in the third.
Lightning, deadly lightning, not from the sky but the Greyhound return team struck for the second time. Trinity Haggard would return the kickoff 50 yards for a touchdown. Riley would again split the uprights and Throckmorton led 64-36 with 3:55 left in the third. Bad for Rankin was about to get worse as Throckmorton would score with 2:24 left when Rawlin Morrel would catch a 40 pass from Oliver and another Riley PAT made the score 72 -36. But wait, there is more! Twenty two seconds later Trinity Haggard would run it in from 3 yards out and another Riley PAT the Greyhounds led 80-36 with 2:02 left in the Third Quarter. That was also the score as the 3rd came to an end.
Do the Red Devils quit? Nope. They score on a 17 yard run by Michum with 9:51 left in the game. The PAT failed. They trail 80-42. Do the Red Devils quit now? No. Aaron Castillo would score from 5 yards out and the Rodriguez PAT is good with 5:39 left in the game. The score is now 80-50 Throckmorton.
With 4:58 left Trinity Haggard would score his fourth touchdown of the night for Throckmorton and Riley would again add the PAT for an 88-to 50 lead. Still no quit on the Rankin Red Devil side as Aaron Castillo would score from 13 yards out and Rodriguez would nail the PAT and the score which would be the final was Throckmorton 88 Rankin 58.
Overall, the Throckmorton Defense was physical. Very physical. The Greyhound ball carriers ran very hard all night dragging or running over the Rankin defenders. Rankin was defeated but never quit.
Throckmorton will return to Snyder next Saturday at 6:00 PM as they take on the Valley Patriots to determine who goes on to the state championship game in Abilene on December 15th.
Don Hardin
Abilene
