Mineral Wells Area News

By DAVID MAY

Special to Mineral Wells Area News

BRECKENRIDGE – Excelling in all phases and scoring in every way, the Strawn Greyhounds raced past the Greyhounds from Throckmorton, 67-36, to claim a bi-district crown and advance in the Class 1A-Division II playoffs.

Strawn will next take on the undefeated Jayton Jaybirds, 61-16 winners over the Crowell Wildcats, in the area round of the six man playoffs. The date, time and place are yet to be determined.

Played at Breckenridge’s Buckaroo Stadium, Strawn (7-3), the runners-up in District 8, took down the District 7 champions from Throckmorton, which finishes its season with a 6-5 mark after going 4-0 in district.

Strawn is hot and hitting on all cylinders at the right time. They finished their regular season strong with mercy-rule victories over district foes Forestburg and Gold-Burg to make the playoffs. They are winners in seven of their last eight games.

“We played a really tough team,” Strawn Head Coach Dewaine Lee said after Friday night’s win. “They are a really physical team. They do things right. It’s hard when people do things right. They are hard to block. They ran the ball downhill. I felt like we did enough. We just keep chunking and doing our thing, and we wore them down a bit. As the game went on I thought we got better and better.”

Friday’s game looked early on like it might be a see-saw affair throughout. Strawn got on the scoreboard first, scoring on the game’s opening possession, They were facing a fourth-and-long in their end of the field when a facemask penalty was called, giving the Hounds new life at Throck’s 32.

On the next play, Strawn back Michael Barcenas took the handoff, bounced off a couple of would-be tacklers and raceed down the left side to the end zone. An unsuccessful PAT gave Strawn an early 6-0 lead.

Strawn’s defense forced Throck to turn the ball over on downs, setting up the offense at its 33. Barcenas exploded for 53 yards to the Throckmorton 4, then finished it off for his second touchdown. Robert Hinkson’s PAT kick made it 14-0 Strawn midway through the first quarter.

Taking over at their 20, Throckmorton senior fullback Hayden Makovy ripped off a 60-yard touchdown run to tighten the affair at 14-8.

Strawn turned over its next two possessions, sandwiched around a stalled Throckmorton drive, sending the game into the second quarter. It was then that Throckmorton tied the game at 14 apiece on a pitch to Makovy that went for 33 yards. Their PAT missed.

Throck’s onside kickoff was almost successful, but Strawn was able to cover up the slow-bouncing ball at their 35. On the first play, Hinkson hit Barcenas, who swung out of the backfield and positioned himself along the near sideline. Barcenas gathered in the throw, shook a tackle, and cut back diagonally across the field to put Strawn back on top, 20-14, with his third TD.

A holding call against Throckmorton pushed them back to their 10. Working from a shotgun formation and dropping back to pass while being pressured, Strawn’s defenders took the passer to the ground in the end zone for a safety and a 22-14 lead.

The teams again traded possessions before Strawn was able to mount a late second-quarter drive. With time expiring, Barcenas ran into the end zone for an apparent touchdown. Strawn, however, was flagged for a chop block. Throck apparently declined the penalty and the officials curiously sent the teams to halftime, rather than replay the down or award Strawn the score.

Makovy’s 55-yard touchdown run to open the third quarter made it a 22-20 contest after another missed PAT for Throckmorton.

Overcoming their second chop block call, the Greyhounds mounted a methodical eight-play, nearly 5-minute drive capped by Barcenas’ fourth touchdown of the game, this one a 25-yard run, for a 30-20 advantage.

Throckmorton had another answer, drawing up a 59-yard touchdown pass from Makovy to Zack Stapp that pulled Throck back to within 30-28 with just over 3 minutes left in the third.

Strawn then began to take over the game and gradually break Throckmorton down. Strawn needed four plays to score coming on a 12-yard pass from Hinkson to Alex Hughes. The drive included a 20-yard Barcenas run to Throck’s 17. It was now 38-28 in Strawn’s favor late in the third.

On fourth-and-12 from its 23, Throckmorton was forced to punt – or attempt one. The kick was blocked and Strawn took over at Throck’s 14. Kaison Nunez found Hughes for his second touchdown catch and a 45-28 Strawn lead early in the fourth.

After exchanging possessions, Throckmorton took over at their 20. Makovy fumbled the ball that was scooped up by Hinkson and returned for a touchdown and a commanding 53-28 Strawn lead with 5:29 to play.

As fans of six man know, points can come fast and furious, and 5 minutes can seem an eternity. But Strawn’s defense made sure there would be no comeback, forcing Throck into once again turning the ball over on a failed fourth-and-13 from its 27.

On first down, Nunez recorded his second scoring pass of the game, this one to Hinkson. The big back knocked a Throckmorton defender off him and finished the 27-yard play to put Strawn up 59-28.

Throckmorton again fumbled on its following possession, leading to Manuel Rivera scoring from 4 yards out to make it a 67-28 game.

With just 4 seconds left, Makovy ended the game with a 46-yard touchdown run for Throckmorton to make the final score 67-36 in Strawn’s favor. Throckmorton may have had the final score, but it was Strawn hoisting the bi-district trophy afterward.