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
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