The state championship dreams of three local teams remain alive heading into the second round of the playoffs as the May Tigers, Richland Springs Coyotes and San Saba Armadillos keep their eyes focused on Arlington.
The following are brief glimpses at their Friday night, second-round playoff contests:
Class A Division I Region IV Semifinals
#4 May (10-1) vs. #12 Jonesboro (10-1)
6:30 p.m. Friday at Dublin
The Class A Division I No. 4 May Tigers continue their pursuit of their first state championship game appearance since 2014, but the No. 12 Jonesboro Eagles – state finalists in 2016 and 2017 – stand in the way.
The two teams met in the lone preseason scrimmage for each squad and have since faced three similar foes. Both teams have defeated reigning state champion Blum (May, 74-28; Jonesboro, 53-18), Bryson (May, 70-14; Jonesboro, 60-14) and Nueces Canyon (May 48-0; Jonesboro, 54-8).
May’s only loss this season came at the hands of No. 1 Sterling City, 44-40, while Jonesboro dropped a 77-31 contest to No. 2 Borden County.
The Tigers enter the second-round playoff contest averaging 57 points and 312 yards per game – 220 rushing and 92 passing.
The ground attack is led by Rory Bustamante (565 rushing yards, 11 TDs), Isidro Salinas (501 rushing yards, 10 TDs), Kaden Halk (447 rushing yards, 11 TDs), Damian Salinas (277 rushing yards, 6 TDs), and Aaron McGinn (255 yards, 4 TDs).
Through the air, Bustamante has thrown for 566 yards with 10 touchdowns and one interception while Blake Harrell has added 422 yards with eight scoring tosses and one pick.
Leading receivers include Chris Flenniken (12-267, 5 TDs), Halk (9-216, 3 TDs), Hayden King (8-252, 5 TDs), and Isidro Salinas (5-117, 2 TDs).
Defensively, May is surrendering 15 points per game with 27 takeaways – 12 interceptions and 15 fumble recoveries – with seven returned for touchdowns.
Standouts include King (91 tackles, 26.5 for loss, 3 FRs), Isidro Salinas (75 tackles, 12.5 for loss, 1 INT), Flenniken (61 tackles, 15 for loss, 2 FRs, 1 INT), Bustamante (46 tackles, 2.5 for loss, 3 INTs, 2 FRs), Halk (43 tackles, 1 for loss, 5 INTs), Damian Salinas (34 tackles, 2.5 for loss, 1 FR, 1 INT), Harrell (32 tackles, 2 for loss, 1 FR), and McGinn (25 tackles, 1 for loss, 1 INT, 1 FR).
Jonesboro generates 63 points and 325 yards – 244 rushing and 81 passing – per game, while giving up 24 points on average.
Sean Hernandez has thrown for 728 passing yards with 16 touchdowns and three interceptions, while leading rushers are Brandon Nemelka (1,224 yards, 24 TDs), Tyler Wilson (492 yards, 10 TDs), and Ian Shoaf (429 yards, 9 TDs). Primary receiving threats include Kaleb Sanders (12-225, 8 TDs), Nat Hilliker (10-293, 7 TDs), and Wade Foote (8-117, 4 TDs).
Standouts for the Jonesboro defense – which has tallied 10 sacks and 37 takeaways – are Foote (72 tackles, 6 for loss, 2 INTs, 6 fumble recoveries ), William Wheeless (54 tackles, 12 for loss), Nemelka (42 tackles, 1 for loss), and Shoaf (41 tackles, 3 for loss, 5 INTs, 2 fumble recoveries)
Friday’s winner will face either District 16 champion Leakey (16-1) or District 14 champion Water Valley (6-2) for the Region IV championship next week.
According to sixmanfootball.com, May is a 37-point favorite.
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Class A Division II Region IV Semifinals
#6 Richland Springs (9-0) vs. #23 Oglesby (10-1)
7 p.m. Friday at Hico
The Class A Division II reigning state champion and sixth-ranked Richland Springs Coyotes continue their quest for a 10th state title as they battle the upstart Oglesby Tigers, champions of District 14.
Richland Springs rallied from a halftime deficit to defeat Blanket, 56-30, last week, while Oglesby upended Oakwood – a team the Coyotes have become extremely familiar with in recent years – by a 62-52 count.
The lone loss for Oglesby came in Week 2, a 27-6 setback to Morgan which has also advanced to the second round of the playoffs. Since that loss, the Tigers have outscored their eight foes an average of 62-33.
Richland Springs is averaging 59 points and 323 yards – 205 rushing and 118 passing – per game, with seven turnovers.
The Coyotes’ ground game is led by Landon Burkhart (943 yards, 20 TDs), Jadeyn Bryant (488 yards, 15 TDs), Zane Capps (134 yards, 2 TDs), Kelton Lusty (27 yards, TD), Brandon Stewart (22 yards, TD), Jeremiah Usery (17 yards), and Kenny Triplett (13 yards, TD).
Through the air, Burkhart has passed for 833 yards with 16 touchdowns and three interceptions, Bryant has thrown for 101 yards with two scoring tosses and Triplett has thrown a 13-yard touchdown.
Leading receivers include Capps (13-216, 5 TDs), Bryant (11-221, 5 TDs), Chase Gossett (11-186, 2 TDs), T.J. Grant (6-231, 4 TDs), Lusty (2-31, TD), and Lane Garcia (2-43).
Defensively, the Coyotes yield 20 points and 156 yards – 100 passing and 56 rushing – per outing, with 16 takeaways.
Standouts include Bryant (42.5 tackles, 15 for loss, 7 sacks, 6 fumble recoveries), Burkhart (36 tackles, 8 for loss, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 interception), Capps (31 tackles, 5.5 for loss, 1 sack), Grant (23 tackles, 8 for loss, 1 interception), Lusty (23 tackles, 9 for loss, 1 interception), Gossett (19 tackles, 4.5 for loss, 2 fumble recoveries), Stewart (13.5 tackles, 2 interceptions), Usery (11.5 tackles, 2 for loss), and Nick Nilson (7.5 tackles, 1 fumble recovery).
For the season, Oglesby averages 54 points and 290 yards – 256 rushing and 34 passing – per outing, while giving up 33 points.
Leading rushers include Davin Barrow (1,668 yards, 16 TDs), Ian Markum (600 yards 22 TDs), and Brodie Fisher (186 yards, 4 TDs). Top passers are Barrow (146 yards, 1 TD), Markum (129 yards, 2 TDs), and Blake Thompson (90 yards, 4 TDs), and primary receiving threats include Matthew Castillo (9-144, 4 TDs) and Thompson (6-122, 2 TDs).
Spearheading the Tiger defense – which has notched 24 takeways but just three sacks – are Barrow (68 tackles), Nash Shaw (65 tackles), Markum (60 tackles), Thompson (60 tackles).
Friday’s winner will face either District 13 champion Calvert (8-2) or District 16 runner-up Cherokee (8-3) for the Region IV championship next week.
According to sixmanfootball.com, Richland Springs is a 45-point favorite.
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Class 2A Division I Region I Area
San Saba (8-2) vs. #10 Panhandle (8-2)
7 p.m. Friday at Henrietta
Two of the most prolific offenses in Class 2A Division I square off as the District 4 runner-up San Saba Armadillos tangle with the District 1 champion Panhandle Panthers Friday night.
San Saba is fresh off a 31-17 bi-district victory over Forsan, while Panhandle cruised to a 55-7 opening-round triumph over Hale Center,
The Armadillos head into the contest averaging 38 points and 444 yards – 285 rushing and 159 passing – per game, while giving up 15 points per contest with three shutouts.
Risien Shahan has thrown for 1,423 yards with 13 touchdowns and two interceptions. Leading rushers include Stone Sears (1,220 yards, 18 TDs), Weston Lackey (676 yards, 5 TDs), Shahan (441 yards, 8 TDs), and Justin Yarbrough (406 yards, 5 TDs). Primary receiving threats include Logan Glover (19-537, 5 TDs), Reagan Mejia (14-361, 3 TDs) Sears (10-268, 2 TDs), and Yarbrough (10–214, 2 TDs).
Leading the way for the San Saba defense – which has tallied 27 sacks and 23 takeaways — are Landon Yarbrough (103 tackles, 9 for loss, 2 sacks, 1 FR), Justin Yarbrough (88 tackles, 10 for loss, 1 sack, 3 FRs), Shahan (80 tackles, 9 for loss, 4 sacks, 1 FR, 1 INT), Bryan Reza (76 tackles, 10 for loss, 3 sacks), Bladen Cally (75 tackles, 11 for loss, 2 sacks, 2 FRs), Glover (75 tackles, 1 FR, 2 INTs), Dylan Ware (62 tackles, 5 for loss, 2 sacks), and Sears (57 tackles, 14 for loss, 6 sacks, 1 FR).
Panhandle is producing 60 points per game while allowing 31 on average. In the Panthers’ two losses to Eastland (91-71) and Childress (68-45), Panhandle surrendered a combined 159 points – an average of 79.5 per game.
In last week’s win over Hale Center, Panhandle finished with 526 total yards – 330 passing and 196 rushing – with two turnovers, while allowing 288 yards, including 274 rushing, and forcing three takeaways. The Panthers led 27-0 after one quarter and 48-7 at halftime.
Quarterback Wesley Jones completed 15 of 20 passes for 303 yards with five touchdowns. Leading receivers included Zion Mercer (8-128, 3 TDs), Zach Wood (4-102, TD), Ladyn Hack (58-yard TD), and Nicholas Mize (2-27, TD). Hack also led the ground game with 82 yards while Jones chipped in 64 yards and scored once.
Friday’s winner will face either District 2 champion Post (10-0) or District 3 runner-up Anson (8-2) in the regional semifinals next week.
According to Harris Ratings Weekly, San Saba is a 10-point underdog.