Amarillo High quarterback Brock Wade celebrates with a teammate after a Sandies touchdown against Lubbock Monterey at PlainsCapital Park Lowrey Field on Thursday night. [Billy Watson/ Hub City Preps]
It was far from the prettiest of games but a Amarillo High will take a win however they can get it in a very competitive District 2-5A Division I.
The Sandies were able to shrug off a slow start eventually pulling away from Lubbock Monterey for a 24-7 victory at PlainsCapital Park Lowrey Field in Lubbock on Thursday night.
The win lifts AHS to a 4-1 overall record, and most importantly a 2-0 mark in the district race. The Plainsman drop to 2-3, 1-1.
There wasn’t much to write home about in the first half as the two defenses did their part. AHS was able to get on the board thanks to a 47-yard field goal from Luke Laminack, and an 18-yard kick from A.J. Villar for a 6-0 halftime advantage.
The Sandies offense finally started churning in the third quarter finding the end zone for the first time on a 27-yard dart from quarterback Brock Wade to Cayden Phillips, extending the AHS lead to 13-0.
After Monterey responded with a score of its own, AHS finally put the nail in the coffin in the final frame. Sophomore receiver Jameson Garcia hauled in a TD pass from Wade of 12 yards, and Villar tacked on a 37-yard field goal.
Wade, the Sandies backup until starter Will Maynard returns from injury, was superb completing 24-of-37 passes for 242 yards with a pair of touchdowns to one interception. Phillips became Wade’s main target snagging seven catches for 119 yards.
AHS will get set to face arch-rival Tascosa at 7 p.m. next Friday at Dick Bivins Stadium.
Amarillo High 24, Lubbock Monterey 7
Amarillo  High 3  3 7  11 — 24
Lub. Monterey   7 — 7
AMA— Luke Laminack 47 FG
AMA— A.J. Villar 18 FG
AMA— Cayden Phillips 27 pass from Brock Wade (Villar kick)
MON— Zyion Martin 7 pass from Tyrin Bradley (Davien Jaramillo kick)
AMA— Jameson Garcia 12 pass from Wade (Cohen Berry pass from Wade)
AMA— Villar 37 FG
                             AMA              MON
First downs           20                   18
Rushes-yards          30-84              37-152
Passing yards         242                 177
Total yards             326                 329
Passing yards         242                 177
Total yards             326                 329
Passes                     24-37-1          17-34-1
Fumbles-lost          1-0                  0-0
Punts-Avg.             5-46.0             5-44.2
Penalties-yards      5-35                6-65
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing— Amarillo High: Taevon Hood 14-66, Levi Slaydon 12-45, Brock Wade 3-(-) 26; Monterey: Trent White 13-52, Zyion Martin 1-51, Tyrin Bradley 11-32, Giovanni Cleveland 2-21, M.J. Singleton 1-6, Trynity Scott 2-3, Ky’Shon Harris 5-(-) 6, team 1-(-7).
Passing— Amarillo High: Wade 24-37-1 242 yards; Monterey: Bradley 15-31-1 151 yards, Harris 2-3-0 26 yards.
Receiving: Amarillo High: Cayden Phillips 7-119, Jameson Garcia 5-41, Davin Lemons 4-37, Hood 4-19, Bryson Slaughter 1-16, Tyreese Molden 3-10; Monterey: Singleton 7-79, Martin 6-49, Jacory Mooring 1-17, Aidan Tarango 1-17, De’onte Vaughn 1-15
Randall drops heartbreaker to Coyotes
The Randall Raiders can only leave Happy State Bank Stadium on Thursday night scratching their head after suffering another close defeat this time at the hands of District 3-5A Division II foe Wichita Falls High, 36-35.
Randall trailed 36-35 with just over four minutes to play in the game. The Raiders took their final drive and marched down the field with just over a minute left. After the drive stalled at the Wichits Falls 22-yard line, and staring a fourth-and-five in the face, Randall head coach Gaylon Selman chose to send kicker Juan Garcia out for a 40-yard game-winning attempt.
Unfortunately for the Raiders Garcia’s kick was low, and appeared to be tipped at the line by a Wichita Falls defender sending it wide right to preserve a 36-35 for the Coyotes.
The loss now puts the Raiders (2-4 overall) in an 0-2 hole in the district standings. With the dramatic victory Wichita Falls (2-2 overall) improves to 1-1 in 3-5A Division II.
Gut wrenching defeats have been the Achilles heel for Randall all year. In the Raiders four losses to — Caprock, Amarillo High, Lubbock Cooper and now Wichita Falls — Randall has fallen by a combined 15 points.
The opening quarter was the most impressive the Raiders offense had looked all season. Randall jumped out to a 14-0 lead off an Isayah Hernandez 44-yard screen pass from Jared Gallegos, followed by a Nathan Baker 11-yard run created off a Wichita Falls fumble. However, the Coyotes rallied back to tie the game, ans eventually took a 28-21 lead into halftime.
Randall didn’t back down making its own comeback tying the game midway through the third quarter on a Gallegos 64-yard pitch and catch to Baker. Randall retook the advantage once again, 35-28, on a Braden Beck 7-yard scamper with 6:43 to play.
But as this game flip flopped on momentum so many times in the second half, the Coyotes seized it on their eventual game-winning drive.
Wichita Falls used a 75 yard drive in eight plays capped off by a Cameron Gould 4-yard TD run that made it 35-34 Randall with 4:11 left.
Feeling confident, Wichita Falls decided to go for the victory on a 2-point conversion for the third time in the contest. That’s when QB Zy Gravitt found Tye WIllie on the conversion, liftong Wichita Falls to the 36-35 lead. Gould had a game-high 108 yards rushing on 27 carries with two scores. Gravitt went 22-of-36 for 240 yards tossing a touchdown pass and an interception.
Beck led the Raiders on the ground with 92 yards on 15 totes with a pair of TDs.
Randall will try and earn its first district win next Friday on the road at Plainview.
Wichita Falls 36, Randall 35
Wichita Falls 6 22 8 — 36
Randall 14 7 7 7 — 35
First Quarter
R— Isayah Hernandez 44 pass from Jared Gallegos (Juan Garcia kick), 8:52
R— Nathan Baker 11 run (Garcia kick), 7:47
WF— Ayden Ramirez 49 interception return (kick blocked), 9:52
Second Quarter
WF— Cameron Gould 11 run (Tye Willie pass from Zy Gravitt), 9:52
R— Braden Beck 25 run (Garcia kick), 6:05
WF— Willie 24 pass from Gravitt (kick blocked), 3:58
WF— Gould 6 run (Willie pass from Gravitt), 0:38
Third Quarter
R— Baker 64 pass from Gallegos (Garcia kick), 1:57
Fourth Quarter
R— Beck 7 run (Garcia kick), 6:43
WF— Gould 4 run (Willie pass from Gravitt), 4:11
WF High Randall
First Downs 21 18
Rushing 90 218
Passing 242 164
Total yards 332 382
C-A-I 22-36-1Â 11-17-2
Punts-Avg. 2-32.0 3-36.3
Fumbles-lost 2-2 1-1
Penalties-yds 5-47 9-84
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING— Wichita Falls: Gould 27-108, Gravitt 8-(-11), Bricen Vialpando 1-(-5), Jovani Rockmore 1-(-2). Randall: Beck 15-92, Baker 4-26, Patrick Perea 5-6, Steven Rodriguez 4-30, Gallegos 2-36, Braxton Burd 6-25, Jacob Tijerina 1-3.
PASSING— Wichita Falls: Gravitt 22-36-1-240. Randall: Gallegos 8-14-2-154, Burd 2-3-0-10.
RECEIVING— Wichita Falls: Dejuan Pando 2-29, VIalpando 6-94, Gould 4-16, Steven Yoswa 1-15, Willie 8-81, Guy Izaguirre 1-7. Randall: Hernandez 5-77, Burd 1-5, Kainan Thomas 2-7, Baker 3-75.