Claude wins in wild finish

For the second time this season, Buffalo Wild Wings produced and directed a Groom football tilt.

This time BWW wrote an ending that left the Tigers on the short end of a 64-62 loss to Claude on Friday night at Mustang Stadium.

The Mustangs (3-1) have now won three straight games in which they were underdogs but none more dramatic than this one.

Trailing 52-48 late in the fourth, the Tigers (2-2) held Claude on a fourth down pass that was slightly overthrown and made the Mustangs pay. Greyson Peet found a wide-open Deacon Saucedo from 39-yards out and took a 54-52 lead with just over two minutes remaining.

Claude came right back as Holden Tice connected with Korbin Jackson for 39-yards to the Groom 11-yard line. Two plays later, the Mustangs used trickery to score as a reverse run/pass option allowed Jackson to find Brady Shelton from twelve yards out to regain the lead 58-54 with 1:10 left to go.

Peet quickly answered back using his legs to gain 23 yards and eventually ending a quick drive with a 15-yard scoring toss to Saucedo, who made a toe tap catch along the right sideline. That left Claude down by four, 62-58, with 33 seconds remaining and needing to pull a rabbit out of the hat for an improbable win.

The drive started out strong as Claude returned the squib kick to the Tigers 37. Tice quickly found Trapper Godfrey for 16 yards, but the next play resulted in an incomplete pass and only eight ticks remaining on the clock. Failing to find a receiver open, Tice scrambled for eight yards and ran out of bounds at the 12-yard line with the scoreboard showing time expired.

However, as Lee Corso would say, "not so fast my friend". The officials huddled and determined that one second should go back on the clock.

Getting a second chance, Tice scrambled to his right before reversing course and trying to find something on the left side. As Tice tried to find the end zone, a Tigers player grabbed his face mask as he was stopped outside the five. That penalty left Claude with one untimed down and a second chance to score. This time the snap was low to the upback, and Tice ran up and picked the ball off the grass field and, with a Tiger player hanging on to both legs, tossed a pass to the end zone along the left sideline and was unable to connect with his intended target.

However, an official standing right there, threw a flag for pass interference which gave the home team a second untimed down.

With new life again, Tice made the Tigers pay. A quick scan of the field found no one open so the Mustangs signal caller scrambled forward and dove towards the end zone with the ball held high above his head and broke the plane of the goal for an improbable victory.

Thomas Slack of the Mustangs had three total scores in the win and Tice finished with four scores through the air. Peet led the way for the Tigers amassing 293 yards through the air and six touchdowns and Bryson Shuck was his top target grabbing eleven balls for 173 yards and two scores.

Booker rolls past Silverton

After this weekend's play there is only one Texas Panhandle Six-Man squad with an unbeaten record and that school resides in the far Amarillo-area.

Using a strong passing game, Booker took down a depleted Silverton squad, 52-6, in a neutral site game in Groom.

Chase Nelson was again efficient for Booker (4-0) through the air garnering 169 yards and two scores while finding another 31 on the ground and two touchdowns. The key to Booker's offense is the one-two punch of Julian Barton and Adrian Rosales.

Barton, arguably the best wide-out in the area, grabbed four balls for 110 yards and a score. The athletic trickster also picked up an early fumble in the first quarter and quickly raced 68 yards to paydirt.

Rosales nabbed the other three completed passes from Nelson for 49 yards and a touchdown and find the endzone on the ground from six yards out. The diminutive senior often surprises teams with his speed and heart and has been a big part of the Kiowas early season success.

The Kiowas are sitting on the edge of the top 10 in Division I with a key matchup this week against familiar rival Follett. This heated rivalry kicks at 7 p.m. and could tell us a lot about each time as we get close to district time.

Strong second half propels Happy to victory

Facing their third straight match up with a top 10 team in Whitharral, Happy used a dominant second half performance and a big man score to notch a 54-40-win Friday night before a large homecoming crowd at the Cowboy Corral.

The tilt between the No. 5 Cowboys (3-1) and No. 8 Panthers (2-2) was a tale of two halves.

Tied 8-8 entering the second quarter, the two squads combined for seven scores in a dizzying back and forth quarter. Happy's Braylan King used his lightning-fast speed to score twice as the sophomore raced 46 yards on the ground and took a swing pass from Hayes Bressler for 60 yards and another score.

Not to be outdone, the Panthers Jack Griffin and Brent Robinson proved to be elusive as the pair connected on a score and both threw touchdown strikes in the back-and-forth quarter.

Up 38-32 entering the third quarter, it was a big man score that seemed to ignite the Cowboys in the second half. On their opening drive of the half, the Cowboys faced a third and six when Bressler threw a five yard out pass to Jarrod Blackmon. The 5-foot-9, 230-pound senior shook a defender at the midfield stripe and raced 44-yards for a score.

The catch and run whipped the crowd into a frenzy and appeared to give the Cowboys a shot in the arm in the second half. Jaxon Stoker stepped in front of a Panthers pass on the next possession and the Cowboys finished things off with a three-yard strike from Bressler to Ryelan King and a 52-32 lead that was insurmountable.

Bressler had a strong outing as the senior completed 8-of-11 for 217 yards and five scores with Blackmon hauling in two of those, both for scores, and ninety yards. Braylan King paced the Cowboys ground gain picking up 115 yards on 17 carries while grabbing two balls for 76 yards.

Miami gets another W

Another team sitting on the edge of top 10, this one in Division II, picked up a big road win Thursday night as Miami won 46-0 over White Deer at Bucks Stadium.

Versatility was the key for Miami against a Bucks (2-2) team that refused to lay down.

The Warriors (3-1) had seven players with 60 or more total yards in this one and seven different purple and gold gridders had scores. Gunner Lackey finished the night with 55 yards passing and 69 yards rushing but his defense was a key in the win.

The sophomore had five tackles, two forced fumbles and a scoop and score from 23-yards out. His teammate, Jack Kotara, was a perfect 7-of-7 through the air for 84 yards and two touchdowns while gaining 18 yards on the ground while grabbing an interception on the defensive side.

Miami got out strong leading 34-0 early. Coach Kade Kittley's team refused to back down though and put up a valiant effort in the second half before the Warriors were able to invoke the mercy rule late in the fourth.

Around the Area

Follett grabbed their second straight victory with a 53-6 win over Amarillo PCHEA.

The Tigers (2-2) were led by Wyatt Terrell who rushed for 117 yards and two scores while throwing for another. Logan Meeks had two touchdown throws while Bryan Torres made the most of both of his catches going 72 yards and finding the end zone twice.

Behind two scores from Kayle Rogers and Reid Backus, Nazareth made easy work of Valley, 57-8, at home Friday night.

Chillicothe stayed undefeated by picking up a hard fought 46-25 win over Hedley. The Owls district brethren, McLean was impressive in a 58-12 win at home Thursday night over Boys Ranch.

Wildorado grabbed a nice win over Hart on Thursday night, notching a 52-7 victory over the Longhorns. Lefors found the road in Anton tough as the Bulldogs shut out the Pirates 46-0.

Matthew Richard and Sy Potter helped San Jacinto Christian Academy get its first win of the year as the Patriots drubbed Lazbuddie, 56-7. Richard had 162 yards rushing on seven carries and four touchdowns while Potter reached the endzone on two of his four carries while amassing 109 yards on the ground.

A week after seeing their state leading thirty game winning streak, Benjamin started another one with a big 63-0 victory over Holy Cross Catholic Academy.

Around the State

The top game around the state this week saw No. 1 Jayton from Division II dispatch No. 9 Knox City 8-30.

Bode Ham scampered for 205 yards on only 10 carries while finding the endzone five times. Sean Stanaland was just as dangerous through the air going 12-of-13 for 175 yards and five scores.

The No. 5-ranked May Tigers continues to impress hammering previously unbeaten Newcastle 72-22.

The top team in Division I, Gordon (4-0), continues to decimate opponents. The Longhorns took care of the No. 3-ranked team in TAPPS Division II with a 52-0 whitewashing of Crowley Nazarene Christian. Stryker Reed rushed for 96 yards and two scores while Ry Reed found 84 yards on the ground on only two carries and taking both of those to the house.

Ethan Kauffmann continues to impress for Whiteface. The senior led the Antelopes to a big 74-28 win against Klondike. The powerful running back gained 234 yards on 24 carries with seven of those resulting in scores.