The Wildorado Mustangs dedicated their 35-12 win against Lubbock Christ The King, as well as the season to fallen teammate Quinten Pond. [Ben Jenkins/ Press Pass Sports]
The Wildorado football team honored fallen teammate Quinten Pond during Thursday’s win against Christ the King. [Ben Jenkins/ Press Pass Sports]
The Texas Panhandle was shaken by the news of Quinten Pond, the 16-year old junior from Wildorado who lost his life in a fatal ATV incident last Saturday.
Coach Ty James and the Mustangs honored their brother by deciding to play Thursday night, 24 hours following Pond’s funeral. Before the game, the Wildorado captains walked Pond’s No. 10 jersey out with them to midfield for the coin toss. The team also wore a No. 10 decal on their helmets, and a crowd of 500 fans were there to show support, as well as the Bushland band. The Mustangs won an emotional contest, 35-12, over Lubbock Christ the King in a courageous effort.
2. Happy upends Valley
This was the Valley-Happy games that fans remember over years past. The Cowboys won a dandy, 40-36, in a matchup of two teams that seem back on the rise. With the victory, Happy (2-1) improves its win streak over Valley to six straight. It was another day at the office for Happy running back Kristian Wilhite as he fueled the offense with 187 yards and four touchdowns. Patriot QB Parker Carson was impressive, but in the end the Cowboys won the turnover battle.
3. White Deer is back in business
It’s been a slow start to the season for the Bucks, but in their matchup with Lefors, the Bucks played like a top-ranked team. White Deer (3-0) led at the end of the first quarter, 44-8. White Deer handed Lefors their first loss of the season by pounding the rock and running the ball for 246 yards. The leading rusher for the Bucks was Braden Logue who piled up 107 yards and a score. White Deer’s schedule has been no joke but expect this team to continue to roll.
4. Mclean keeps truckin’
Mclean made a long road trip worth it, hammering Johnson City 67-6 on Friday night. Senior Ben Crockett ran for a total of 305 yards and found the endzone eight times…. all in the first quarter. The Tigers extend their Texas Panhandle-best win streak to 18 games.
5. Groom continues to impress
The Tigers went into Nazareth and put up 22 straight points before the Swifts could blink. Groom went on to light up the scoreboard for an 82-46 win. Gunner Lamb did it all, throwing for 106 yards with two touchdowns and ran for two. The Tigers continue to show why they’ll be a serious contender come playoff time.
White Deer and McLean are the only two Class 1A teams undefeated on the year. [Bobby Brown/ Press Pass Sports]
6. And then there were two
The reigning Class 1A Division I state champion, Mclean, and District 1-1A D1 rival White Deer are the only two Six-man teams left unbeaten in the area. White Deer (3-0) sits at No. 2 in the state while the Tigers (3-0) are No. 3 (according to Dave Cambell’s Texas Football). The two teams met in district and in last year’s state quarterfinal, and history is destined to repeat itself this year. Will both teams still be undefeated for the first meeting on Oct. 25 in White Deer is the question.