SEMINOLE INDIANS VS. GODLEY WILDCATS
Class 4A Division II Area Playoffs
>> Time, Date Place: 7 p.m. Thursday, Moore Stadium, Abilene
>> Records: Seminole 10-1; Godley 6-5
>> Last Week: Seminole def. Clint Mountain View, 78-13, in bi-district round; Godley def. Greenwood, 26-7, in bi-district round
>> Broadcast: FM-106.3 (Seminole)
>> Notes: This is a special season for the Indians and they are looking for a few more weeks of practice. Senior quarterback Blake Flowers is 271-of-379 passing for 3,917 yards and 47 touchdowns, with eight interceptions. His top targets are Cuyler Cramer (72 receptions, 1,127 yards, 13 TDs) and Rylan McCormick (75-1,024-10). “We have something pretty special going on this season,” Seminole head coach Greg Poyner said. “It’s been a lot of fun to watch. Our goals at the beginning of the season were to win the district championship and then make a playoff run. You never expect to be 10-1, but everything has been clicking.” … Also clicking is the Indians’ defense, which has been able to play relaxed knowing that the offense is capable of putting up a quick 45 points on any given night. Linebacker Creed Carlisle is the leading tackler with 88 stops, including four tackles for loss. Poyner also mentioned the play of defensive end Kevyn Guffey, who has 60 tackles and seven tackles for loss. “He just makes plays for us,” Poyner said. “He’s just a pass-rushing machine and does a great job stopping the run.” … Carlisle and Guffey should be plenty busy as the Wildcats have a solid quarterback (Kole Allen) who has thrown for more than 2,000 yards and a running back (Landon Thigpen) who has rushed for more than 2,500 yards and scored 23 touchdowns. They also have a wide receiver (Drew Coleman) who has caught 59 passes for 1,034 yards and 16 touchdowns. “Those three are about 80 percent of Godley’s offense,” Poyner said. “The running back has great vision and runs behind a great offensive line. This is going to be a test for us.”
FORT STOCKTON PANTHERS VS. GLEN ROSE TIGERS
Class 4A Division II Area Playoffs
>> Time, Date, Place: 7 p.m. Thursday, San Angelo Stadium, San Angelo
>> Records: Fort Stockton 10-1; Glen Rose 10-1
>> Last Week: Fort Stockton def. Perryton, 20-14, in bi-district round; Glen Rose def. Graham, 55-14, in bi-district round
>> Broadcast: AM-860 (Fort Stockton)
>> Notes: This is just the second time that Fort Stockton has won 10 games in a single season. Never have the Panthers won 11. Head coach Jeremy Hickman, in his first year at the helm of his alma mater, knows his team has a stern test in front of it, but is confident about Thursday’s contest. “Glen Rose is a very good team,” Hickman said. “They are in the Top 10 in the state and have been a solid program for the last two decades. We are going to have to play well to beat them, but they are going to have to play well to beat us, because we are a good football team, too.” … Quarterback Marco Garcia leads the Panthers, having completed 107 of 187 passes for 1,501 yards and 18 touchdowns. Running back Corbin Luna (154 carries, 1,085 yards, nine TDs) and wide receiver Isaiah Garcia (31 catches, 668 yards, nine TDs) are other weapons on offense. Defensively, Daren Ureste leads the team with 85 tackles, including 16 tackles for loss, with four other Panthers’ with at least 10 tackles for loss. They are going to be tested by a Tigers’ offense that is averaging 48 points a game coming into the game. Hickman knows that and he feeling confident in his group. “We are playing with house money,” he said. “Our kids want to get that 11th win to be the winningest team ever. I was curious to see how they were going to react Monday at practice after winning the 10th game last week, but they were getting after it and we had a great week of practice.”
WINK WILDCATS VS. SANTO WILDCATS
Class 2A Division II Playoffs
Region II
>> Time, Date, Place: 7 p.m. Thursday, Wolf Stadium, Colorado City
>> Records: Wink 11-0; Santo 10-1
>> Last Week: Wink def. Cross Plains, 60-0, in bi-district round; Santo def. Seymour, 28-20, in bi-district round
>> Broadcast: https://www.team1sports.com/highschool/tx
>> Notes: The Wildcats are firing on all cylinders heading into Week 13 and that’s a scary thought for their opponents, mainly because the Wink players don’t take themselves too seriously and are ready to put in the work necessary to be successful. The Wildcats started quickly last week in their bi-district victory, so quickly in fact that the officiating crew started a running clock in the second half before the ball was kicked. “We’ve had a lot of running clocks this year,” Wink head coach Brian Gibson said. “We’ve played like 5-1/2 full games. That’s why the numbers are down this year from last year stat wise, but we’ve been able to get a lot of younger players on the field and that only helps us down the road.” Wink is led by senior quarterback Kanon Gibson, who has passed for 22 touchdowns and rushed for 16 more. He also directs the defense and has 83 tackles, three tackles for loss and five interceptions. Not quite the gaudy numbers that earned him All-State recognition a season ago, but more than enough to keep the Wildcats perfect. Wide receiver Jordan Tally and running back/linebacker Hudson Morgan also have done their part. Tally has 48 catches for 953 yards and 12 scores, while Morgan, a sophomore, is second to Gibson in tackles with 79, has five tackles for loss and two sacks. … Santo presents a different problem for defenses with its triple option, but there is a caveat this week. Starting quarterback Hutson Thornton was injured in last week’s bi-district victory, so Gibson isn’t sure who Wink will see under center. “They are strong, they are physical and they are good at what they do,” Gibson said of Santo. “We are going to have our hands full. But I think our defense is up to the job and I think they are going to have a hard time stopping what we do on offense if we play well.”
— Lee Scheide
