STEERED WRONG! Rams fall to Graham while Strawn, CCS pick up Week 5 wins

September 27

09:57 2023

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By DAVID MAY

Special to Mineral Wells Area News

MINERAL WELLS – In losing 55-7 Friday at home to eighth-ranked Class 4A powerhouse Graham, Mineral Wells can take away the positives, learn from the negatives and quickly move on to their final non-district contest before the games that really count.

Despite the lopsided score, there were some positives for the now 3-2 Rams. Mineral Wells rushed for 190 yards on 33 carries, a 5.6 average per run. Jose Garcia led Rams rushers with 86 of those yards on 14 totes for an individual average of 6.1 yards. Halfway through the 2023 schedule, Garcia is averaging 100 yards rushing per game.

The Rams’ lone score came on a 7-yard pass from quarterback Owen Gadd to Preztynn Harrison, Gadd’s only completion on nine attempts. Gadd threw an interception and lost a fumble on a tough night for the red and white on both sides of the ball. Graham quarterback Ty Thompson was 15-of-20 passing for 200 yards with three touchdowns. Jace Gill led a Steers ground game with 100 of the visitors’ 239 rushing yards and five scores rushing.

As for losing big to Graham this season – join the club. The Steers (5-0) arrived in town coming off a 67-6 blowout of Iowa Park. They have outscored their opponents 259-63 in their first five games with lopsided wins over Bowie, Springtown and Decatur.

Under their first-year coaching staff, the Rams remain an improved, and still improving, team. Like they did after their third-week loss to Benbrook, the Rams get a chance to bounce back this Friday when they travel to Gatesville for a scheduled 7 p.m. start.

The Hornets, also 3-2, will provide a tough road test for the Rams. Gatesville on Friday blanked one-win Godley, 30-0. The Hornets also have wins over Taylor and Mexia to go with narrow losses to Glen Rose and McGregor on the year.

Strawn nails down its third win

STRAWN – The Strawn Greyhounds improved to 3-2 on the season with their second straight shutout and mercy-rule victory Friday, defeating the overmatched Rotan Yellowhammers, 63-0, in Class 1A sixman action on homecoming night.

The game ended at halftime after the Greyhounds scored four times in the first quarter, needing just six offensive plays to score the first three.

The young Greyhounds appear to be hitting their stride, showing the style of football their Head Coach Dwaine Lee wants to see – execution, speed and aggressiveness, the likes of which have carried Strawn to five state championships under Lee, including their last one just two seasons ago.

Entering the second half of their regular season, Lee hopes the ‘Hounds will keep stacking wins ahead of their three-game district slate a few weeks away. The ‘Hounds stay in their yard this Friday as they welcome Sidney for a 7:30 scheduled kickoff. The Eagles are 4-1 following a 60-14 win Friday over Cranfills Gap.

CCS Warriors win district opener

WEATHERFORD – Quarterback Price Horton threw for more than 300 yards and six touchdowns to help Community Christian School win its district opener and its fourth straight game, taking a 61-41 win over St. Mary’s.

It was the second consecutive game the Warriors scored 61 points. CCS is now 4-1 overall on the year.

The game was a scheduled home game for the Warriors played at Weatherford Christian School.

Horton was spectacular for the Warriors. He was 16-of-22 passing (73%) for 324 yards and the six scores. The senior added 46 yards on his lone run. Horton’s QB rating for the game was an amazing 154.4.

Horton’s favorite target Friday was Jace Daniel Little. The junior receiver hauled in seven catches for 225 yards with two touchdowns. Hayden Yelverton and Kade Etier each had touchdown receptions and eighth-grader Parker Dehls got in on the action with two touchdown catches.

CCS added another 156 yards rushing, led by a game-high 103 yards by sophomore Yelverton, who made two runs that ended in the end zone, giving him three scores in the contest. He averaged 9.4 ypc on the night.

The Warriors were also active on defense, registering a combined 74 tackles led by 18 stops credited to Little, who had two tackles for a loss and a sack. Horton and Yelverton each had 13 tackles and the freshman Etier registered 11 tackles.

The Warriors get this week off before their next district game at St. Paul’s Prep.

Top-ranked Gordon back in action

The Class 1A-1 No. 1-ranked Gordon Longhorns enjoyed a bye week and return to action this Friday hosting Santa Anna (2-3) on Homecoming Night. The non-district game has a scheduled 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

Dating back to the 2021 season, Gordon has a string of 16 straight regular season games in which they have mercy-ruled their opponents via the 45-point rule in Texas sixman football. They are averaging 52.5 points per game this season, without playing a single fourth quarter. Only once have they had to play after halftime, and quickly scored a touchdown to end that game early in the third.

The ‘Horns have just one loss in their last 18 games. Under Head Coach Mike Reed, a member of Gordon’s last state championship team in 1999, the ‘Horns are disciplined, deep, fast and aggressive. The visiting Mountaineers will have their hands full trying to defend and move the ball against Gordon.

Santo moves forward

The Class 2A-2 Santo Wildcats were considered a favorite to win their district this season, but those hopes took a hit when their quarterback Hut Thornton suffered a season-ending injury against Hamilton in the third game of the season.

The 1-3 Wildcats are now in regroup mode as they enter Friday’s Region II-District 8 district opener at Muenster. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.

After three straight losses, Head Coach Devon Mann will have his team prepared for its district schedule with Kader Halbrook in charge of the Wildcats’ flexbone offense and a defense that is always swarming and hard-hitting. The Wildcats hope the bye week benefits them after failing to score in their last game at Rio Vista.

The Hornets enter the game 2-3 after defeating Era, 48-6, last Friday on the road.

Pirates have a bye

Perhaps no area team needs a bye more than the Perrin Pirates. The winless Pirates are off this week, preparing for their next game Oct. 6 hosting Baird in the district opener.

The Pirates (0-5) fell to Azle Christian (4-1) last Friday by a 61-15 margin.

Millsap off this week

The Class 3A Millsap Bulldogs are 2-2 after their non-district win at home Friday over Clifton, 14-10.

The win snapped a modest two-game losing streak for Millsap, a period that included a game at Archer City cancelled after playing one quarter because of bad weather.