Mineral Wells Area News

‘Horns looking to go back-to-back Wednesday

By DAVID MAY | Special to Mineral Wells Area News

It all comes down to this.

The state’s and nation’s top-ranked sixman team the Gordon Longhorns look to repeat as Class 1A-Division 1 state champions when they take on the No. 3-ranked Whiteface Antelopes in a battle of undefeated teams Wednesday at AT&T Stadium.

Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. Tickets are $20. If you can’t be there in person you can watch the action on Fan Duel Sports Network Southwest (formerly Bally Sports) on the network’s app and at FanDuelSportsNetwork.com. You can also keep up with the game through the live stats link here.

You can purchase general admission tickets online through Seat Geek.

The Longhorns are seeking their fourth sixman championship in school history, while head coach and Gordon alum Mike Reed is looking for his fourth sixman coaching title, having won back-to-back championships at Throckmorton before guiding Gordon to last season’s state crown. The game marks Reed’s seventh overall trip to the sixman finals.

The defending champs will have their hands full with the Antelopes from Whiteface (not to be confused with the Class 4A Hereford Whitefaces). The Antelopes average 67.4 points per game on offense compared to 57 ppg for the ‘Horns.

Whiteface (14-0) will be facing the best defensive sixman team in the nation, with Gordon allowing an average of just six points per game this season. The Longhorns’ defense registered shutouts in seven of their 14 wins. Allowing 84 total points this season, nearly half of those came in Gordon’s last game, a 77-36 state semifinal win over Abbott in which Gordon played a full four-quarter game for the first time in two seasons.

The Antelopes, meanwhile, allow 22.5 points per outing and will certainly be tested by Gordon’s multi-faceted offensive attack from its core group of talented juniors including spread backs Stryker Reed, Ry Reed, quarterback Noah Kostiha, and receivers Brayden Walters and Aiden Shank. If that is not enough weapons, Asher Salinas, Juan Cabrera and Kaden Crowe can also get the ball in the end zone.

Whiteface has won 14 straight and 25 of their last 26. Their last loss occurred in the area round last season to Borden County.

Gordon has won 29 consecutive games and 41 of their last 42 contests. The ‘Horns last defeat came in the 2022 state quarterfinal game against Abbott.

Jayton (14-0) and Oakwood (9-5) will play for the Class 1A-2 championship before the Gordon-Whiteface affair.

For more information on all the Texas high school football championship games taking place Wednesday-Saturday go to https://www.uiltexas.org/football/state.