Mineral Wells Area News

The Longhorns hold off the Panthers to cruise to another state semifinal championship

By DAVID MAY | Special to Mineral Wells Area News

Photos By Lily Cormack

GODLEY – Once upon a time – 30 games and just over two seasons ago – the Gordon Longhorns played a full four-quarter game, one they lost in the 2022 playoffs to the Abbott Panthers. That is the last time Gordon lost a game.

The two undefeated sixman football powerhouses – Gordon ranked No. 1 and Abbott No. 2 – squared off on a chilly, rainy Saturday night to see which team would punch their ticket to Arlington to play in the Class 1A-1 championship game. The ‘Horns turned back a Panthers rally by shutting them out in the fourth quarter to claim a 77-36 state semifinal win and advance.

Gordon offensively was led by Ry Reed’s six rushing touchdowns as the ‘Horns piled up 579 total yards. Gordon rushed for 310 yards, 186 of those by Stryker Reed, while passing for 269 yards and three more scores.

The defending state champion Longhorns (14-0) will face the Whiteface Antelopes (14-0) in the championship game set for 2 p.m. Dec. 18 at AT&T Stadium. The ‘Lopes, ranked No. 3 in the state, made the title game by virtue of their 74-54 win Saturday over Water Valley.

In trying to go back-to-back, Gordon will be seeking its fourth state football championship while head coach and Gordon alum Mike Reed will be making his seventh trip to the sixman title game, looking for his fourth win. He guided Rule to the title game twice and Throckmorton three times, winning consecutive titles, before Gordon’s championship win in 2023.

The win was Gordon’s 29th straight and 41st in its last 42 outings. The two teams were on a collision course from the beginning of the season, knowing they would eventually meet with their respective state title hopes on the line.

“We were hopeful this would be a matchup we would get to,” Coach Reed said. “They have a phenomenal football staff and they made adjustments to counter back with. They caught a little bit of momentum and then we got ourselves in a hole with a penalty. When you have a really sound football team like they have you can’t put yourself in a 1st-and-30 and try to dig yourself out of that. So I was proud of (Gordon’s players).”

Playing in Godley ISD’s new and elaborate Wildcat Stadium, Gordon looked like they might end the game at halftime via the sixman 45-point rule. The ‘Horns led 38-0 with just over 3 minutes remaining in the second quarter, needing one more touchdown before the intermission whistle.

Abbott (13-1) had other plans. The Panthers scored on consecutive offensive plays, ripping off touchdown runs of 47 and 49 yards sandwiched around forcing Gordon to turn the ball over on downs – something that possibly hasn’t happened in over two seasons. Gordon’s Rowe Williams blocked both extra-point kick attempts. The ‘Horns answered with a 56-yard touchdown pass to take a 46-12 lead into halftime.

Abbott almost scored again in the first half’s waning seconds before a bad snap and turnover from the 2-yard line ended the threat. Still, Abbott went into halftime with some momentum and new energy.

The Panthers scored twice early in the third quarter to pull within 18 points and then answered a Gordon score, keeping the game close going into the fourth quarter with Gordon ahead 54-36.

“We didn’t talk about anything, some 45-point rule or whatever,” said Coach Reed. “I would take a 1-point win and rolled on. We just fought back in and did what we knew we could do. We are an aggressive team. I just wanted to keep the gas peddle down.”

The Longhorns’ defense took over in the final frame, keeping the Panthers scoreless while the offense put up 23 points to cruise to the win and collect the hardware at midfield.

“With a fast-tempo offense, sometimes it works and sometimes they get you,” Coach Reed said. “They got us in some downs and distances that we weren’t able to capitalize on. They have, I would say, three of the best players in the state. They had a key injury that hindered them. We knew this was going to be a big task.”

It was an unusual game for the ‘Horns for not only playing a full four quarters, but twice turning the ball over on downs and even punting once. That for an offense that typically runs no more than 10 plays a game before winning at halftime. On Saturday, Gordon’s offense ran 46 total offensive plays – 33 run and 13 passing plays.

“You have to look at it, we average nine offensive plays a game for 13 weeks,” Coach Reed said. “I don’t care how much conditioning you feel like you are doing in a Tuesday practice or a Wednesday practice, you cannot condition yourself to the adrenaline and the physicality in a four-quarter game. We had some kids cramp up on us and fight through it. Credit it to our training staff and our assistant coaches in tending to those players and getting them in.”

FIRST HALF RECAP

The ‘Horns opened hot. Quarterback Noah Kostiha (8-of-10 for 172 yards) threw his lone touchdown on the game’s first possession, a 22-yard toss to fellow junior Evan Jackson. Asher Salinas booted the point-after for a quick 8-0 lead.

After forcing a Panthers three-and-out, Gordon ended a nine-play drive with a Ry Reed touchdown from the 1-yard line and a 16-0 lead midway through the opening quarter.

The Panthers tried to extend their second possession with a deep pass on 4th-and-1 that went incomplete. Kostiha hit Brayden Walters on a 33-yard pass to Abbott’s 6, followed by Reed’s second score and a 22-0 lead.

Abbott had an extended possession that went 13 plays and sent the game into the second quarter. They came away with no points as the ‘Horns defense shut down a 4th-and-goal attempt from the 14.

Reed capped a nine-play drive with another 1-yard trot into the end zone to put Gordon on top 30-0 midway through the frame.

The Panthers next moved to Gordon’s 18 but again were held scoreless after failing on fourth down. The next play saw Stryker Reed race 62 yards, bolting into the Panthers’ secondary and cutting to his right down the sideline for a 38-0 lead with 3:09 left.

That is when Abbott’s offense came to life. On their first play, running back Riley Sustala’s 47-yard run through the Gordon defense put the Panthers on the scoreboard. Rowe Williams blocked the PAT to make it 38-6.

For perhaps the first time in more than two seasons, the Gordon offense was forced to turn the ball over on downs. On the next play, Sustala ripped off an identical touchdown run, this one for 49 yards. Williams again blocked the PAT in what was suddenly a 38-12 game with just over one minute left until halftime.

That made for four touchdowns scored in just over 3 minutes – not untypical for a sixman game.

Gordon responded as Brayden Walters hauled in a pass that went for 56 yards to give the ‘Horns a 46-12 that stood through the end of the quarter after Abbott fumbled at Gordon’s 2-yard line with one tick of the clock remaining.

SECOND HALF RECAP

Abbott carried their late second-quarter momentum into the third quarter. Taking the opening possession, the Panthers scored on an eight-play drive that included a 30-yard completion on a 4th-and-9 from their 26 and ended with a 21-yard scoring pass to Joey Pavelka to tighten the game a little at 46-20.

An illegal block by Gordon put the ‘Horns in a hole on its next possession, forcing a punt. Abbott continued its surge with a 10-play scoring march ending on a 19-yard pass to Hogan Warren to pull the Panthers to within 18 points at 46-28 late in the third quarter.

It took Gordon one play to answer as Ry Reed ran 46 yards down the home sideline, tiptoeing along the tape to barely stay in and put the ‘Horns up 54-28.

Again the Panthers quickly answered as Sustala ran 60 yards for a score on the next play to again pull within 18 points at 54-36 with 1:08 left in the quarter.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Ry Reed finished a short-field drive with a 3-yard touchdown for a 61-36 Gordon advantage. The Longhorns would not look back.

Gordon’s defense stopped Abbott on three consecutive possessions while adding two scores to pull safely away. Stryker Reed mishandled a pitch in the slippery wetness but recovered and heaved a 35-yard touchdown pass to Salinas for a 69-36 score.

Ry Reed capped off his big night with his sixth rushing TD and the final score of 77-36.

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