Monthly archive

October 2022 - page 2

COLLEGE FOOTBALL HIGHLIGHTS: Week 8

2 years ago in Pro/College/HighSchool

While the Baylor Bears celebrated Homecoming in winning fashion, 17th-ranked TCU Horned Frogs remain undefeated, but 22nd-ranked Texas Longhorns & Texas A&M Aggies suffer crushing losses

Knocking off yet another nationally-ranked team, the Texas Christian Horned Frogs continues to climb the ladder among the Top 10 of the Associated Press rankings released Sunday.

After taking care of 17th-ranked Kansas State, the Horned Frogs remained undefeated and moved up another notch to No. 7 in the nation and became the only team from Texas making the poll. On the strength of their impressive wins Saturday, TCU vaulted to No. 8 in the AP Top 25 poll. The Texas Longhorns dropped out of the Top 25 after losing to 11th-ranked Oklahoma State on the road.

In other Texas major college action, the Baylor Bears celebrated homecoming with a solid victory over Kansas, while the Texas A&M Aggies continued to struggle in a surprising loss to South Carolina.

No. 8 TEXAS CHRISTIAN Horned Frogs 38, No. 17 KANSAS STATE Wildcats 28

The TCU Horned Frogs picked up a hard-fought 38-28 victory over the Kansas State Wildcats. Max Duggan threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns. Providing a balanced attack, Kendre Miller rushed for 153 yards and two touchdowns.

For the Jayhawks, Will Howard did his best to replace the injured Adrian Martinez, but his 225 yards and two touchdowns weren’t enough.

Watch the College Football on FOX highlights here:

BAYLOR Bears 35, KANSAS Jayhawks 23

The Baylor Bears defeated the Kansas Jayhawks 35-23 in Week 8 as Blake Shapen threw for 164 yards and had one touchdown in the win over the Jayhawks.

Watch the ESPN College Football highlights here:

No. 11 OKLAHOMA STATE Cowboys 41, No. 20 TEXAS Longhorns 34

No. 11 Oklahoma State rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat No. 20 Texas, 41-34. Spencer Sanders led the Cowboys with 391 yards through the air with two touchdowns, while Longhorn running back Bijan Robinson rushed for 140 yards and a score in the loss.

Watch the ESPN College Football highlights here:

SOUTH CAROLINA Gamecocks 30, TEXAS A&M Aggies 24

South Carolina edged Texas A&M, 30-24, in SEC play during Week 8 as Spencer Rattler threw for 168 yards while MarShawn Lloyd punched in two touchdowns on the ground. Devon Achane compiled 156 total yards as the Aggies lost their third straight game.

Watch the ESPN College Football highlights here:

THE SPORTS BUZZ – TEXAS COLLEGE SCOREBOARD

Texas FBS College Scoreboard:

at No. 8 TCU 38, No. 17 Kansas State 28

at No. 11 Oklahoma State 41, No. 20 Texas 34

No. 21 Cincinnati 29, at SMU 27

at South Carolina 30, Texas A&M 24

at Baylor 35, Kansas 23

at Texas Tech 48, West Virginia 10

UHouston 38, at Navy 20

at UTSA 31, North Texas 27

at UTEP 24, Florida Atlantic 21

Rice 42, at Louisiana Tech 41

Southern Miss 20, at Texas State 14

Texas FCS College Scoreboard:

at No. 20 Incarnate Word 70, Faulkner 0

Stephen F Austin 41, at Southern Utah 38

No. 22 Sam Houston State 18, at Utah Tech 13

at Tarleton State 24, Southwest Baptist 10

at TAMU-Commerce 31, Houston Baptist 3

Prairie View A&M 54, at Lamar 21

Texas Southern 34, at Alcorn State 27

Texas DII College Scoreboard:

at No. 1 Angelo State 34, No. 10 TAMU-Kingsville 7

at No. 23 West Texas A&M 35, Central Washington 16

Midwestern State 24, at UT-Permian Basin 23

Texas DIII College Scoreboard:

at No. 19 UMHB 45, Sul Ross State 14

at No. 7 Trinity (TX) 21, Berry 14

No. 30 Hardin-Simmons 68, at Southwestern (TX) 0

Texas Lutheran 17, at McMurry 10

Austin College 13, at East Texas Baptist 10

©2022 Southern Cross Creative, LLP. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

RISING TO THE TOP: WEEK 10

2 years ago in Schedules/Scores/Standings/Stats

With Class 2A, DII Mart & Class 1A, DI Abbott still at No. 1, Grandview falls out of Class 3A, DI Top 10 after loss to West, while Lorena holds at No. 10 despite loss to top-ranked Franklin

With two more weeks in the 2022 Texas high school football regular season, district races start to shake out with key showdowns between top teams. Despite the collateral impact of those clashes, eight Heart of Texas squads remain among the state’s Top 10 teams in Class 3A, 2A and 1A with two holding the top spot in their respective state poll.

While the unranked West Trojans (7-1) upset Class 3A, DI’s third-ranked Grandview (7-1) to knock the Zebras completely out of the Top 10, the win did not prove to be enough to vault the Trojans into the poll. But the 10th-ranked Lorena Leopards (6-3) held onto their spot despite losing to top-ranked Franklin (8-0).

Other Heart of Texas state ranked teams include Class 2A, DI’s Crawford Pirates (8-0) holding at No. 3 while the Tolar Rattlers (8-0) remain at No. 7. Class 2A, DII’s top-ranked Mart Panthers (8-0); Class 1A, DI’s top-ranked Abbott Panthers (8-0) and fourth-ranked Jonesboro Eagles (7-1) hold onto their spots; and the Class 1A, DII’s Oglesby Tigers (7-0) remain at No. 4 while the Bluff Dale Bobcats (6-1) enter the rankings at No.10.

Dave Campbell’s Texas Football has published the state’s most respected Texas high school football rankings for decades, and became the official rankings provider for the Associated Press starting in 2019. The rankings are compiled by the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football staff, and weekly rankings are revealed live on “Texas Football Today” every Monday at 12:15 p.m. at TexasFootball.com/Live.

Check out the complete Week 10 state rankings in all classifications on the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football website: Dave Campbell’s Texas Football – Texas High School Football State Rankings

©2022 Southern Cross Creative, LLP. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

FINDING ANOTHER GEAR

2 years ago in Cross Country

After strong showing at invitational meets, Class 3A Clifton boys & girls cross country teams both capture second place overall in district to advance to regionals; Ochoa wins boys individual gold

After enjoying a wealth of success throughout the invitational meet season, the Clifton boys and girls cross country teams put together some of their best races of the year when they needed them most. Competing in the District 17-3A Championships at Rex Callicott Park in Keene Oct. 12, both the Clifton boys and the Lady Cubs captured the overall team silver medal behind district champion Keene.

“We just continued what we had been doing all season and carried it into the district meet,” Clifton cross country head coach Ryan Hunt said.  “We’ve been running with confidence, and it paid off. 

Leading the way for the Clifton boys, sophomore Ray Ochoa ran away with the individual district championship, taking the gold medal with a time of 16:42.03, just ahead of silver medalist and teammate junior Clay Kennedy with a time of 16:46.69.

With three Lady Cubs walking away with individual medals, freshman Evy Kennedy placed fifth with a time of 13:12.28, followed by junior Meagan Henderson in sixth with a time of 13:37.72, and sophomore Camy Barsh in seventh with a time of 13:42.31. With both teams qualifying for regionals, the Cubs and Lady Cubs advance to the Class 3A, Region III Championships to be held at Kate Barr Ross Park Oct. 25 in Huntsville.

“It’s exciting to run well as a group because the kids start feeding off each other, and it elevates everyone’s performance,” Hunt said. “Anytime you can get to regional, it’s an accomplishment. And I believe we still have our best performances ahead of us.”

Prior to the district championships, the Clifton boys and girls teams competed at the Keene Invitational Aug. 31, the Midway Invitational Sept. 8, the Glen Rose Invitational Sept. 14, the Crawford Invitational Sept. 24, and the Moody Invitational Sept. 29. Both boys and girls teams won the Crawford meet and the Moody event, the Lady Cubs placed third overall at the Midway invitational, while the Clifton boys captured third as a team at the Glen Rose meet.

Individually, Clay Kennedy captured the boys gold medal at the Crawford Invitational, while Barsh took first place at Moody and Evy Kennedy claimed the silver medal in Crawford.

“We have several returners from last year on both the girls and boys teams,” Hunt said. “I feel like those kids, along with several new faces, gives us a really solid team on both the boys and girls side.”

Clifton opened the season with a strong showing at the Keene Invitational Aug. 31 as the boys placed fifth and the Lady Cubs finished sixth as a team, while Kennedy led the Cubs with a seventh-place finish individually. At the Midway Invitational Sept. 8, the Lady Cubs captured third place overall in a competitive 20-team field as Evy Kennedy place 16th individually, Henderson finished 21st with Barsh following closely at 23rd

“Both the Keene and Midway meets were big meets as far as the number of schools that attended,” Hunt said following the season opening meets. “Both meets had around 20 schools competing. We were able to have really solid finishes in both.

“Keene is going to be the site of the distinct meet, so it was really good to be able to go there and get some experience on that course. We saw most of the teams that will be at the district meet and I feel good about how we competed against them.”

Clifton continued its success at the Glen Ross Invitational Sept. 14 as the boys placed third out of 11 teams while the Lady Cubs finished fourth out of 13 teams. Clay Kennedy placed fourth individually with a time of 18:13.62 followed by Ochoa in 10th place with a time of 18:31.60 for the Clifton boys. Barsh led the Lady Cubs with an 11th-place finish in a time of 14:13.31, followed by Evy Kennedy in 14th place with a time of 14:21.18.

Then a week later, both Clifton boys and girls teams took their performances to the next level at the Crawford Invitational. With Evy Kennedy capturing gold in a time of 13:37.1 for the Lady Cubs, Barsh placed fourth in 13:48.6, followed by Henderson in fifth with a time of 14:13.1, sophomore Kyndall Hunt in seventh with a time of 14:33.1 and sophomore Hailey Issacs in ninth with a time of 15:07.6.

Led by Clay Kennedy’s gold medal run in a time of 18:14.0 in Crawford, Ochoa took third place with a time of 18:54.8, followed by a strong field with Brayden Stone in sixth with a time of 19:43.9, Andres Devora seventh in 19:50.8, Eddie Gaona ninth in 19:58.2 and Jonah Payne 10th in 20:01.6.

“We feel like we have the opportunity to take a lot of kids to the regional meet next month,” Hunt said after the strong showing by both teams in Crawford. “It’s exciting to watch these kids progress as the season continues.”

Photos courtesy of SARAH GABLE & KALLIE JACKSON, CLIFTON HIGH SCHOOL YEARBOOK STAFF

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GRIDIRON SCOREBOARD: WEEK 9

2 years ago in Schedules/Scores/Standings/Stats

Class 3A, 2A & 1A high school football scores from the Heart of Texas region for Week 9 of the 2022 Texas high school football season

FINAL UPDATE: 11:15 a.m., Saturday, October 22, 2022

Here are Thursday’s, Friday’s and Saturday’s final scores for the Class 3A, 2A and 1A Texas high school football games from around the Heart of Texas region during Week 9.

Be sure to check back with THE SPORTS BUZZ for up-to-the-minute updates throughout the weekend for scores from the 2022 Texas high school football season.

On location for the Game of the Week in Walnut Springs this weekend, THE SPORTS BUZZ provides award-winning coverage of the 2022 Texas high school football season every week, focusing on Class 3A, 2A and 1A schools in the 10-county Heart of Texas region — which includes Bosque, Comanche, Coryell, Erath, Hamilton, Hill, Hood, Johnson, McLennan and Somervell counties.

Don’t forget to check in with THE SPORTS BUZZ every Friday night for the complete scoreboard from games across the Heart of Texas region.

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BATTLE FOR BOSQUE & BEYOND

2 years ago in Football

With Cranfills Gap & Morgan looking to return to the Class 1A, DII postseason from different districts, Heart of Texas six-man football turns to league play

With the 2022-24 University Interscholastic League realignment last February, the all-Bosque County six-man football district became a thing of the past. And while the five six-man football schools will be facing some new opponents when the Texas high school football season moves into district competition this week, some of the key rivalries will remain in play.

Instead of placing all five county six-man squads – Cranfills Gap, Iredell, Kopperl, Morgan and Walnut Springs – back into the same district they had competed in over the last two seasons, the UIL split them up across two different districts. Defending district champion Cranfills Gap (5-2) remains in District 12-1A, Division II along with Walnut Springs (3-4) and Iredell (3-4), while Bluff Dale (6-1) moved in to complete the four-team league.

“Realignment was not what I expected but it will be fine,” said Walnut Springs head coach Lonnie Flippen, the dean of Bosque County six-man coaches. “I had hoped that the UIL would have seen the benefit of leaving the Bosque County district intact, but that wasn’t to be. It was fun while it lasted.”

Although 14th-ranked Bluff Dale goes into district considered the favorite, every day might prove to be a fight to the finish. The Bobcats visit Iredell at 7 p.m. Friday, while 30th-ranked Cranfills Gap travels to Walnut Springs to take on the 31st-ranked Hornets at 7 p.m. Friday in THE SPORTS BUZZ Game of the Week.

“We’ve had a week to heal a little and to begin to prepare for district competition,” Flippen said. “We open against the defending district champion Cranfills Gap Lions, who appear to be on a tear again this year. Hopefully, we can have a few players healthy and make a stand against the Lions.”

By winning their second district championship in three years in 2021, the Lions re-established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in Bosque County six-man football. And Johnston inherited a team loaded with 12 returning lettermen that includes five offensive and five defensive starters back. Cranfills Gap has been led this season by four seniors – Aiden Doty, Case Koehler, Hayden Kirby and Peyton Sorenson – as well as three juniors – Adan Flores, Blake Allen and Jonathan Rodrigues.

“I think our expectations are high this season,” Johnston said. “Cranfills Gap has had success the last few seasons, and that kind of raises the bar as far as expectations. District play will be tough. In a four-team district, every game seems to have the feel of a rivalry game. From my experience being around the other teams, it’s going to be a battle to the finish.

“I think the team to beat is Walnut Springs. Just being around them for several years, I can’t remember the last time they haven’t made the playoffs. Every year, they seem to have a competitive team looking to make the postseason. But with teams like Walnut, Bluff Dale and Iredell, this could be a district race that plays out until the final game of the season.”

The all-Bosque County district runner-up Morgan (4-3) moved to District 10-1A, DII along with Kopperl (3-4), joining pre-season favorite Bynum (2-5) and Mount Calm (2-4).

“We ended up with our previous district by going to the North East, and we are familiar with the teams,” Morgan head coach Edward Aviles said. “I think with our young group of players we should be able to contend with everyone in our district.”

Ranked 32nd in the state poll, Morgan goes into district play riding a three-game winning streak with back-to-back victories over Bosque County rivals Walnut Springs, 85-46, and Iredell, 107-82. The Eagles will open district on the road, visiting the 33rd-ranked Bynum Bulldogs at 7 p.m. Friday, while Kopperl hosts Mount Calm at 7 p.m. Friday.

“We are young and hungry,” Kopperl’s first year head coach Darrell Wallace said. “The kids have a great work ethic and deep desire to win. But they are still very young and inexperienced.

“Morgan remains the team to beat because they have been playoff contenders for the past couple of years. To be the man, you have to beat the man. We believe we can win the district because we will work harder, and we are hungrier than most.”

NEWCASTLE 83, CRANFILLS GAP 34

In their final non-district tune-up, the 30th-ranked Cranfills Gap Lions fell behind early as the 21st-ranked Newcastle Bobcats slashed their way to an impressive 83-34 victory last Friday night.

Senior Aiden Doty threw for 307 yards and four touchdowns in the losing effort, connecting with junior Adan Flores four times for 130 yards and two scores. Seniors Haydn Kirby, Case Koehler and sophomore Eli Whitmer also hauled in scoring strikes.

“Overall, it just wasn’t our night,” Cranfills Gap head coach Rodie Johnston said. “We were able to move the ball offensively, but weren’t able to capitalize on key drives.”

After trailing 47-22 at intermission, the Lions could not slow down the Bobcats in the second half. Freshman Diego Rodriguez junior Blake Allen led Cranfills Gap with five tackles each

“Defensively, we struggled to slow them down,” Johnston said. “Hopefully, we can use this loss at a teaching tool as we head into district play next week.”

Photos by SIMONE WICHERS-VOSS

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GRIDIRON GURUS: WEEK 9

2 years ago in Predictions

PUTTING IT ON THE LINE: As district races head down the home stretch in Texas high school football, college football rankings keep shifting & the Cowboys hope to rebound against Detroit

As Texas high school football district races head down the home stretch in Class 3A & 2A while 1A six-man district battles begin in Week 9, THE SPORTS BUZZ Gridiron Gurus pick’ems panel selects all of the key area games, while picking NCAA DI, DII and DIII winners in our expanded slate of Texas college football games as well as Week 7 of the NFL season featuring the Dallas Cowboys hosting the Detroit Lions while the Houston Texans travel to face the Las Vegas Raiders.

Joining THE SPORTS BUZZ Gridiron Gurus pick’ems panel this season will be Jeff Boutwell, a Recreation Business Line Manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Steve Cook, a long-time professional sports photographer, while Toney Rogers, a local business owner in the Heart of Texas, Don Nicholas, Field Representative for U.S. Congressman Roger Williams (TX-25), and The Sports Buzz’ Brett Voss return from last year.

Cook, who started dabbling in photography in 1969 with a Polaroid Swinger camera, joins the THE SPORTS BUZZ Gridiron Gurus pick’ems panel this season. He began focusing on sports photography in 2001 when a friend asked him if he’d be willing to photograph the Crawford Pirates for a local newspaper. As a result, Cook’s been photographing the Pirates for 21 years.

Having work published in Texas Football magazine, FOX Sports, ESPN and numerous newspapers, Cook covers Crawford for the school, and Baylor for Yahoo Sports. He has also covered Mary Hardin-Baylor and McLennan Community College.

Also new to the pick’ems panel, Boutwell is a longtime “resident” of Laguna Park and an unapologetic Aggie. Born and raised in Cameron, Boutwell played on Cameron’s 3A State Football Championship team before graduating in the Class of 86 at Texas A&M where he was a member of Company S-2 of the Corps of Cadets. Boutwell also played Aggie football as a member of the famous 12th Man Kickoff Team from 1984-86 as a part of two Southwest Conference Championship teams, playing in the 1986 Cotton Bowl against Auburn and Bo Jackson, as well as the 1987 Cotton Bowl against Ohio State with Chris Carter and Chris Spielman.

Boutwell has worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers since 1986 where he started his career as a Park Ranger at Lake Whitney, and he has also served overseas supporting the U.S. Army in Iraq in 2007 and 2009 and again in Afghanistan in 2011.

During the Texas high school football season, Boutwell works as a crew chief in the Waco Chapter of the Texas Association of Sports Official, so he will not be selecting high school games due to a conflict of interest.

Rogers, owner at Daddy T Entertainment and entertainment agent at Netex Productions, returns to the pick’ems panel for this second season and has served as an announcer for various high school to professional sporting events for several years, such as being the Voice of Crawford Lady Pirate Softball and announcing for UBU Bodybuilding Expos, while serving as Marketing Director for the Waco Tornado indoor football team and Marketing Director for North Texas Falcons Pro Football Team.

In addition to being involved in the entertainment industry for more than 40 years as a professional musician and a booking agent, Rogers has also been involved in several community organizations such as Clifton Park Board President, Legacy Park Board, Entertainment Director for Fallfest, CISD Advisory Board and a member of Lions Club.

Entering his third season on the THE SPORTS BUZZ Gridiron Gurus pick’ems panel, Nicholas grew up in North Dakota  in the north central part of the state about 20 miles from the Canadian border, attended high school in a small town of about 175 people, played football, ran track and was very active in FFA before graduating in a class of 14.

With bachelors degree in Ag Econ and Communications from North Dakota State and a MBA in Human Resources from the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND, Nicholas joined the U.S. Army National Guard in 1971 and was activated to the Army in 1978, where he served through 2003. After working as a government contractor, Nicholas worked as the district director for Texas State Rep. Ralph Sheffield from Temple before being hired by Congressman Williams in 2014.

Last but certainly not least, Nicholas loves hunting, other outdoor activities, rodeo and North Dakota State football.

As the long-time veteran of pick’em panels, Voss established THE SPORTS BUZZ website in 2019 delivering award-winning sports coverage with daily posts in the Heart of Texas focusing on Class 3A, 2A and 1A high school athletics while including insights into college and professional sports.

With over 40 years of experience as a professional newspaper sports writer and columnist that includes a stint at the Dallas Morning News, Voss’ numerous awards include the Texas Press Association’s prestigious Fred Hartman Award for Excellence in Sports Writing presented the best sports writer in Texas in 2017.

At 11 years old, Voss knew exactly what he wanted to be when he grew up. When Roger “The Dodger” Staubach arrived and finally led his beloved Cowboys to their first Super Bowl championship in 1971, a family friend sent Brett a copy of the Dallas Morning News covering the Cowboy Super Bowl win. While reading Bob St John’s account of the game, Brett thought to himself, “Someone actually gets paid to do this as a job?”

Join us every Thursday throughout the 2022 football season as THE SPORTS BUZZ Gridiron Gurus pick their winners for a select group of the week’s high school games, your favorite college teams from the NCAA Div. I, Div. II and Div. III, as well as the state’s two NFL teams, the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans.

Be sure to make your picks as well!

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GRIDIRON MATCHUPS: WEEK 9

2 years ago in Schedules/Scores/Standings/Stats

As the 2022 Texas high school football season heads into Week 9 under the Friday night lights, check out the complete schedule for Heart of Texas 3A, 2A & 1A teams

Here’s the complete Class 3A, 2A & 1A schedule for a full slate of district games in all classifications as a host of six-man squad enjoy open dates before opening district next week in the Heart of Texas region on Week 9 of the 2022 Texas high school football season. Be sure to check back for up-to-the-minute scores throughout Friday night.

THE SPORTS BUZZ On The Air will be on location in Walnut Springs for the District 12-1A, Division II opener between the Cranfills Gap Lions (5-2) and the Walnut Springs Hornets (3-4) at 7 p.m. Friday. Check out THE SPORTS BUZZ On The Air interviews from the 2022 Texas high school football and volleyball seasons, then watch for the complete game highlights of THE SPORTS BUZZ Game Of The Week every week throughout the Texas high school football and volleyball seasons.

Once again this season, THE SPORTS BUZZ continues to provide award-winning coverage of the 2022 Texas high school football season, focusing on Class 3A, 2A and 1A schools in the 10-county Heart of Texas region — which includes Bosque, Comanche, Coryell, Erath, Hamilton, Hill, Hood, Johnson, McLennan and Somervell counties.

Be sure to check in with THE SPORTS BUZZ every Thursday to find the complete schedule for teams from the Heart of Texas region. And don’t forget to sign up for a FREE subscription on THE SPORTS BUZZ website at: www.bvsportsbuzz.com to catch all the action.

©2022 Southern Cross Creative, LLP. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

STEPPING INTO THE FIRE

2 years ago in Football

Coming off heartbreaking District 13-3A, DII overtime loss to Buffalo, Clifton Cubs hit the road to face the ninth-ranked & undefeated Lexington Eagles

As the saying goes, out of the frying pan and into the fire. And that’s exactly what awaits the Clifton Cubs this week. Coming off their hard-fought, heartbreaking District 13-3A, Division II loss to the Buffalo Bison, 21-13, in overtime last Friday night at Cub Stadium, Clifton hits the road to take on the undefeated and ninth-ranked Lexington Eagles Friday at 7:30 p.m.

After five straight non-district games, the Eagles (2-0 in district, 7-0 overall) opened district with a 61-0 win on the road over Florence before knocking off Elkhart, 36-6, on the road last Friday night.

“Lexington is a very good football team,” Clifton’s first-year head coach Brent Finney said. “They will field a very aggressive defense and explosive offense.”

While their prospects of making the playoffs will come down to the last two games of the season against the Elkhart Elks (1-1, 2-5) and the Florence Eagles (0-2, 1-5), winning the district home opener against Buffalo would have been a big lift for the Clifton football program. And the Cubs (0-2, 1-6) pushed it to the limit by forcing overtime.

“Yes, that would have been a great win for our team, but we are not out of the playoff hunt yet,” Finney said. “We are still proud of how hard they played even with all the adversity. I am very proud of our kids and coaches for continuing to work hard and find a way to give us a chance.”

Getting on the scoreboard quickly, the Cubs took the opening kickoff and march down the field to score. Ignited with an electric 37-yard scamper by junior running back Parker Tunnell, Clifton capped the drive when sophomore quarterback Joaquin De La Hoya connected with junior wide receiver Andres Devora on a 27-yard scoring strike to give the Cubs an early 7-0 lead.

But after scoring on their opening drive, the Cubs struggle to move the ball and sustain drives while Buffalo (2-0, 4-3) embarked on two scoring drives of its own. Once falling behind, 13-7, the Clifton offense responded to tie the score at 13-13 before halftime on senior Jadyn Simmons two-yard touchdown run with 3:20 left before intermission.

“We were able to move the ball a little more this game,” Finney said. “But a few very untimely mistakes killed a couple drives.”

Parker Tunnell led the Cubs with 96 yards rushing on 15 carries, followed by junior fullback Riley Finney with 31 hard-earned yards in 11 attempts. Filling in for injured senior starting quarterback Trent Guinn, De La Hoya completed five of 11 passes for 68 yards with an interception, connecting with Devora four times for 58 yards.

Despite surrendering two first quarter touchdowns, the Cubs shutout Buffalo for the next three quarters to help push the game into overtime. In fact, the defense stepped up big to hold Buffalo several times, but the Cub offense failed to capitalize on their scoring opportunities.

Finney led the Cubs defensively with 12 tackles, followed by senior Peyten Urbanovsky with nine takedowns, senior Larrett Thomas with eight tackles and two fumble recoveries, senior Carter Tunnell with eight tackles and senior Mason Williams with seven.

“Defensively, we were able to keep them from driving the field most of the night,” Finney said. “But also, a couple mistakes allowed them to keep a couple drives alive. In close games, those are the plays that ultimately prove to be the difference.”

Photos by SIMONE WICHERS-VOSS

©2022 Southern Cross Creative, LLP. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

RISING TO THE TOP: WEEK 9

2 years ago in Schedules/Scores/Standings/Stats

Class 2A, DII Mart & Class 1A, DI Abbott impressive at No. 1, Grandview remains at No. 3 in Class 3A, DI, while Lorena re-enters poll among the state’s Top 10 teams from the Heart of Texas region

As district races turn toward the home stretch the 2022 Texas high school football regular season, eight Heart of Texas squads rank among the state’s Top 10 teams in Class 3A, 2A and 1A with two holding the top spot in their respective state poll

The Heart of Texas state ranked teams include Class 3A, Division I’s Grandview Zebras (6-1) hold onto No. 3 while the Lorena Leopards (6-2) re-enter the poll at No. 10; Class 2A, DI’s Crawford Pirates (7-0) holds at No. 3 while the Tolar Rattlers (7-0) remain at No. 7. Class 2A, DII’s top-ranked Mart Panthers (7-0); Class 1A, DI’s top-ranked Abbott Panthers (7-0) and fourth-ranked Jonesboro Eagles (7-1) hold onto their spots; while the Class 1A, DII’s Oglesby Tigers (7-0) remains at No. 4.

Dave Campbell’s Texas Football has published the state’s most respected Texas high school football rankings for decades, and became the official rankings provider for the Associated Press starting in 2019. The rankings are compiled by the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football staff, and weekly rankings are revealed live on “Texas Football Today” every Monday at 12:15 p.m. at TexasFootball.com/Live.

Check out the complete Week 6 state rankings in all classifications on the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football website: Dave Campbell’s Texas High School Football Rankings

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BACK-TO-BACK PLAYOFF-BOUND

2 years ago in Volleyball

Clifton Lady Cubs volleyball clinches District 17-3A postseason berth, but remains in a battle to break tie for third place with Whitney for playoff seeding

Despite already clinching a Class 3A state playoff berth for the second straight season, the Clifton Lady Cubs volleyball team still has plenty to play for with three District 17-3A matches remaining in the regular season.

By knocking off the Maypearl Lady Panthers in a five-set marathon, 19-25, 21-25, 25-23, 25-21, 15-7, last Tuesday, the Lady Cubs locked up a spot in the playoffs. Senior Carley Caniford with 16 kills, junior Brianna Gonzalez with nine, junior Kate Humphreys with seven while senior Camryn Caniford and Fullerton smashed six each.

“We have a talented group of girls who have made it a goal to make the playoffs,” Clifton volleyball’s first-year head coach Whitney Holdbrook said. “These girls have put in the work since last season to achieve this goal. Each player has made it a priority to better their skills for the team, and it has shown throughout this season.”

Despite losing the first two sets, the Lady Cubs (6-4 in district, 15-12 overall) battled back in constant do-or-die mode to pull out the victory over Maypearl (3-7, 6-14). Junior Sydney Fullerton 25 assists and 16 digs, junior Laylah Gaona came up with a team-high 26 digs, Carley Caniford 15 digs, while junior Alyssa Santillan, sophomore Cameron Ritz and Fullerton delivered two service aces each.

“The girls struggled in the first two sets against Maypearl on Tuesday,” Holdbrook said. “But they answered with intensity in the third, fourth and fifth sets.  I am proud of the fight they showed Tuesday and that they never lost sight of the team goal.”

But in the battle for the third place playoff seeding, Whitney (6-4, 16-21) avenged its loss in the first round by sweeping the Lady Cubs in three sets, 25-18, 26-24, 25-17, last Friday. Carley Caniford led Clifton with eight kills, Fullerton dished out seven assists and Gaona came up with 18 digs.

After taking on the district co-leading West Lady Trojans (9-1, 26-10) on the road at 7 p.m. Tuesday, the Lady Cubs will get an open date in the district schedule before traveling to Waco to take on the Harmony Science Academy (0-10, 0-18) at 7 p.m. Oct. 25 to wrap up the regular season.

While Grandview (9-1, 27-8) and West have clinched at least first or second, if the Lady Cubs remain deadlocked with Whitney for third place, the two teams will have a playoff to break the tie.

Riding the momentum of their strong showing in the first round of District 17-3A competition, the Lady Cubs extended their win streak to three straight with a four-set victory over the Keene Lady Chargers, 25-21, 25-18, 24-26, 25-10 at home.

“The girls came out focused to get that first second round of district win,” Holdbrook said. “They have really worked on making everyone a part of our offensive game, and we had multiple players getting kills for the team. Our defense was very strong out of serve receive, having very few errors in the entire match.”

Against Keene (3-7, 14-12), Fullerton, Carley Caniford and Gaona came up with 14 digs each to lead the Lady Cubs, followed by Gonzalez with 10 and Santillan with eight. Fullerton, Gonzalez and Camryn Caniford smashed two service aces apiece.

After opening the second round with the win over Keene, Clifton dropped a three-set decision to the co-district leading Grandview Lady Zebras, 25-20, 25-15, 26-24, on the road Oct. 8. With Grandview coming off their thrilling four-set victory over previously undefeated West on Tuesday, senior Shelby Martin led the Lady Zebras with 19 kills while senior Kierstyn Moore came up with 12 digs.

“The girls played hard on Saturday against Grandview,” Holdbrook said. “Defensively, the front row battled to get blocks up against some really strong hitters and ended up with 10 blocks.  The back row did a good job adjusting to the angles of the hitters. Offensively, we had some great kills. We just struggled with consistency throughout the match.”

Carley Caniford led the Lady Cubs with 10 kills against Grandview, followed by Camryn Caniford with eight and Humphreys five, while Fullerton dished out 15 assists, followed by Ritz with 11 assists, and Gaona with 17 digs.

On the strength of a dominating straight set victory over Waco Harmony Science Academy, 25-4, 25-5, 25-9, on Senior Night Sept. 30, the Lady Cubs wrapped up the first round of district in sole possession of third place behind West and Grandview and just ahead of Whitney.

“The girls came out with a lot of focus on senior night,” Holdbrook said. “Everyone contributed offensively and defensively.”

Camryn Caniford enjoyed a big night with a season-high 10 kills along with four service aces, Gaona delivered a team-high six aces and six digs, Gonzalez followed with seven kills and four aces, Carley Caniford smashed four kills and came up with four digs, while sophomore Cameron Ritz offered a team-high 25 assists.

With a district open date on the schedule Sept. 27, the Lady Cubs hit the road for one more non-district tuneup match, taking down the Tolar Lady Rattlers, 25-9, 26-24, 24-26, 25-20 as Fullerton and junior Kate Humphreys delivered three service aces apiece.

“The team has been focused on their goal of returning to the playoffs,” Holdbrook said. “I am proud of the girls and the desire they show to improve every day, and how they carry that to the games.

Photos by WENDY OROZCO

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