SAN ANGELO, TX — After the smoke cleared from the opening round of the high school football playoffs, we have eight teams from our coverage area moving on.
Wall, Coleman, Mason, Junction, Water Valley, Menard, Blackwell and Richland Springs are all a step closer to the ultimate goal of reaching the state championships at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Dec. 18-21.
No team made more noise this weekend, however, than one of our teams whose season ended — Robert Lee.
The Steers put up an epic fight against No. 7-ranked Westbrook in a 116-110 loss that was the sixth-highest scoring game in the history of Texas high school football.
It’s unfortunate we won’t get to see more of Robert Lee and exciting spread back Brenner Sherwood, who produced 628 yards of offense and had a hand in all 14 of his team’s touchdowns.
The biggest surprise from the group moving on is the Coleman Bluecats, who were 0-7 just a few weeks ago. They scraped together three wins in a row to earn third place in district, then stunned an 8-2 Wolfe City team on Thursday 40-35.
Coleman will look to keep its improbable run going next week against Axtell (10-1) in the area round.
Here’s a look at some other games from this weekend:
Brady Unable to Keep Pace With Jacksboro
The Brady Bulldogs were shut out in the second half Friday of a 54-27 loss to Jacksboro in Clyde.
Brady rallied from a 27-13 deficit to tie the game at 27-27 late in the first half on a touchdown run by Johnny Menefield.
The Bulldogs gave up a touchdown just before halftime, however, and Jacksboro extended its lead to 41-27 by the end of the third quarter.
Brady’s season ended with a record of 8-3. Jacksboro improved to 8-3 and advances to play Scurry-Rosser next week.
Menard Wins First Six-Man Playoff Game
The Menard Yellowjackets rolled to a 54-7 win over Benavides on Friday for the team’s first playoff win as a six-man program.
Menard made the drop from the 11-man ranks in 2022.
Led by first-year head coach Clay Holland, the Yellowjackets have put together a 9-1 record in this breakthrough season.
Menard will play No. 1-ranked Gordon next week at 6 p.m. Thursday in Weatherford.
Water Valley Handles Ira in Playoff Opener
The Water Valley Wildcats held off Ira 64-32 Friday in their playoff opener.
Landon Lacy was an efficient 11-of-14 passing for 159 yards and five TDs in directing Water Valley’s offense.
Anthony Quintana had 11 carries for 65 yards and two TDs, along with four catches for 42 yards and a TD.
Boston Wiese had eight carries for 57 yards and a TD, and he had two catches for 30 yards and a TD. He also had an interception on defense.
Gunnar Brooks had four catches for 55 yards and two TDs, along with an INT on defense.
Water Valley is now 9-2 and will play Knox City at 6:30 p.m. Friday in Hermleigh.
Junction Wins First Playoff Game Since 2016
The Junction Eagles continued their stellar season with a 61-26 win over Iola.
Junction’s offense is averaging 49 points per game.
It was the Eagles’ first playoff win in eight years. They’ll look to advance past the second round for the first time since 2009 when they take on Falls City next week at 7 p.m. Friday in Hondo.
Mason Cruises Past Rosebud-Lott
The No. 6-ranked Mason Punchers routed Rosebud-Lott 69-14 in their Class 2A Division I playoff opener.
Sutton Silerio rushed for 124 yards and three TDs on 10 carries. Quarterback Carlton Schmidt added 95 yards and two TDs on four carries.
Mason’s defense hasn’t allowed more than 19 points during its 10-game winning streak.
The Punchers (10-1) will play Weimar next week at 7 p.m. Friday in Georgetown.
Reagan County's Memorable Season Cut Short Against Cisco
The Reagan County Owls won their first district title since 1993 this year, but the Owls had a difficult first-round playoff draw against traditional power Cisco.
Reagan County fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter and was playing catch-up the rest of the way in a 34-16 loss.
The Owls finished with a record of 9-2 overall and had a perfect 5-0 mark in District 3-2A Division I.
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