Inside Six-Man Football: White Deer and Groom surge to statewide prominence

Photo by Pat Carrigan

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Strawn was able to hold on against Milford at home, winning 54-46. Milford spreadback Taron Smith threw for 6 touchdowns and recorded a safety on defense, but it wasn’t enough to thwart the Greyhounds’ three-headed monster as as Tanner Hodgkins (84 yards, 2 TDs rushing), Carlos Villanueva (105 yards, TD receiving) and Julian Fraga (5-8, 153 yards, TD passing; 3 TDs rushing) all had stellar nights. Next up for Strawn on its brutal schedule is a road matchup with state-ranked DI power Garden City.

Speaking of multi-threat offensive attacks, White Deer polished off Borden County in a battle of top ten teams in Division I, 42-20. QB Graysen Freeman (141 yards, TD passing) and RBs Kason Vigil (115 yards, TD rushing) and Gage Freeman (83 yards, 2 TDs rushing) all had big nights for the Bucks as they pulled ahead late and held off the mighty Coyotes. This marked the second straight loss for Borden County, which hasn’t happened since 2013.

Zephyr surprised May, handing the Tigers a 55-54 homecoming defeat. Zephyr was no doubt aided by Mason Rogers, fresh off being granted varsity eligibility by the UIL last week, who rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown and caught another touchdown pass while logging 16 tackles. However, it might have been Devin Williams’ four touchdowns, including a fumble recovery returned for a TD, that enabled Zephyr to pull off the one-point victory. Zephyr has now reeled off four straight wins after suffering a Week 1 loss to Coolidge, and looks like a threat for the district crown.

Keep an eye on Motley County. For the second straight week, the Matadors knocked off a good Division I team, topping Paducah 86-60. Kyler Degan logged 408 yards and 10 touchdowns in the win, bringing his totals to 1,362 yards and 26 touchdowns on just 115 carries this year.

Calvert managed to beat Oakwood 46-35 in a matchup of two of the east’s finest DII teams. Tied at 20 at half, the Trojans wore down Oakwood, coming up with big defensive stops down the stretch. There’s a good chance that we could see a postseason rematch between these two.

In the other notable DI vs. DII clash, Groom upset Valley, 60-40. Groom is now 4-1 and challenging for a spot in the Top 10, while Valley – now 1-4 — has many questions as they gear up for a tough district.

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