Week 15 Rewind

December football got the best of three area teams this weekend, as Abilene Christian, Cisco and Eastland saw their seasons come to an end.

But Jim Ned and May roll on, and Abilene, Cooper and Wylie join the playoff party this week, so Big Country football is far from being done for the 2020 season.

MOVING ON

Jim Ned 45, Pilot Point 28

What a weekend for Tuscola, Texas. Not only did the Indians knock off Pilot Point on Thursday, but on Sunday fans got to see the guy who quarterbacked them to the semifinals, and eventually the state championship game, the last time they made it lead the Giants to an upset win at Seattle. Of course you know that’s Colt McCoy, but a new name has emerged this season as a Jim Ned legend: Xavier Wishert. Wishert, just a junior, ran for 271 yards and four touchdowns also returned a kickoff as the Indians took care of Pilot Point to move on to the final four. There was no letdown after the Indians knocked off top ranked Brock, now they get set for a dangerous Mount Vernon team, coached by another Big Country legend, Art Briles.

May 92, Blum 86 OT

The Tigers had to dig deep to knock out the defending state champs, but they did it and now have a date with Sterling City in the 1A Division I state title game at Jerry World. May head coach Coach Steele told me before the season that, although he’d rather pick his team to finish last in their district, he thought his team was good enough to make a run like this. The Tigers beat Blum 74-28 earlier this season, but a much improved Bobcat team took them to their limits and then some Saturday night. The two teams combined for over 1,100 yards of total offense and Kaden Halk turned in another massive performance, running for 302 yards scoring seven touchdowns. Now the Tigers get a chance to avenge their only loss of the season, a home defeat to Sterling City, 44-40.

REGULAR SEASON WEEKLY REWIND

There’s nothing really to rewind, but Wylie did reach the playoffs for the first time as a 5A program thanks to Lubbock Cooper’s 35-0 shut out of Wichita Falls. The Bulldogs enter as the four-seed from District 3-5A District II.

PLAYOFF PAIRINGS

3A DIVISION I STATE SEMIFINALS

Jim Ned (12-1) vs Mount Vernon (12-2) - Friday, 3:15 p.m. - Globe Life Park, Arlington

Winner vs. Hallettsville (12-2)/Llano (13-0) - Thursday, 7 p.m. - Georgetown

1A DIVISION I STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

May (13-1) vs Sterling City (14-0) - Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2 p.m. - AT&T Stadium, Arlington

6A DIVISION II BI-DISTRICT

Abilene High (4-4) vs El Paso Eastwood (7-0) - Saturday, 3 p.m. - Fort Stockton

Winner vs. North Crowley (5-3)/Trophy Club Nelson (6-4) - Friday, 7:30 p.m. - Globe Life Park, Arlington

5A DIVISION I BI-DISTRICT

Cooper (7-1) vs Mansfield Summit (4-4) - Friday, 7 p.m. - Shotwell Stadium, Abilene

Winner vs. Amarillo Tascosa (7-2)/El Paso Chapin (2-4) - Friday, 12 p.m. - Amarillo

5A DIVISION II BI-DISTRICT

Wylie (4-3) vs Grapevine (8-2) - Friday, 7 p.m. - Grapevine

Winner vs. Canutillo (4-1)/El Paso Andress (5-0) - Friday, 6 p.m. - El Paso

Cisco QB Hunter Long - Big Country Blitz photo

IN THE BOOKS

CISCO: The Loboes ran into a very powerful Post squad at ACU on Friday night and couldn’t produce nearly enough offense to advance. The game was a defensive struggle through the first quarter and a half, but Post broke through with a pair of second quarter touchdowns, after Cisco star Dawson Hearne was injured, and cruised in the second half to the win. Cisco’s first season under Kevin Stennett was a great one as the Loboes went 10-4 with their only losses coming to 3A schools Jim Ned, Wall and Comanche along with likely state championship game representative Post. With Hearne and quarterback Hunter Long, among others, returning next year, the Loboes will have a great shot to find themselves right back in this position.

EASTLAND: The Mavericks ten-game winning streak came to an end in Arlington Thursday night as Gunter proved to be too tough at Globe Life Park, 61-28. Eastland put a great year together after a rough start, and ended up with the program’s deepest playoff run and first district title since 2013. Texas Tech bound Behren Morton will be tough to replace on the 2021 squad.

ABILENE CHRISTIAN: The Panthers could not beat Lubbock Kingdom Prep for a second time this season, as the Warriors avenged their only loss of the season with a 62-24 win. ACS ends their year 7-2 and in the quarterfinals for the fourth straight season.

FINAL STANDINGS

District 2-6A

Midland Lee 5-1, 8-1
Odessa Permian 5-1, 7-2
San Angelo Central 4-2, 4-5
Abilene 4-2, 4-4
Midland 1-5, 1-8
Wolfforth Frenship 2-4, 3-6
Odessa 0-6, 0-7

This week:
Lee vs El Paso Montwood - Friday, 5 p.m. - Grande Communications Stadium, Midland
SA Central vs El Paso Eastlake - Friday, 7 p.m. - Socorro Stadium, El Paso
Permain vs El Paso Franklin - Friday, 7 p.m. - Ratliff Stadium, Odessa
Abilene vs El Paso Eastwood - Saturday, 3 p.m. - Fort Stockton

District 3-5A Division I

Cooper 6-0, 7-1
Azle 6-1, 8-2
Justin Northwest 5-2, 7-3
Brewer 3-2, 4-4
Crowley 3-4, 3-7
Arlington Heights 1-5, 3-5
Granbury 1-5, 2-7
Saginaw 0-6, 0-9

This week:
Brewer vs Colleyville Heritage - Thursday, 7 p.m. - Grapevine
Cooper vs Mansfield Summit - Friday, 7 p.m. - Shotwell Stadium, Abilene
Northwest vs Red Oak - Friday, 7 p.m. - Red Oak
Azle vs Burleson Centennial - Saturday, 12 p.m. - Azle

District 3-5A Division II

Lubbock Cooper 5-0, 8-1
Wichita Falls Rider 4-1, 7-2
Canyon Randall 2-3, 4-5
Wylie 2-3, 4-3
Wichita Falls 2-3, 3-4
Plainview 0-5, 2-7

This week:
Randall vs FW Southwest - Friday, 6 p.m. - Fort Worth Clark Stadium
Wylie vs Grapevine - Friday, 7 p.m. - Grapevine
Lubbock Cooper vs FW Polytechnic - Friday, 7 p.m. - First United Park, Lubbock
WF Rider vs FW North Side - Friday, 7 p.m. - Wichita Falls

District 5-4A Division I

Midlothian Heritage 4-0, 8-2
Waco La Vega 4-1, 7-2
Stephenville 3-2, 5-5
Brownwood 2-2, 4-5
Waxahachie Life 1-4, 2-7
Alvarado 0-5, 2-8

District 1-4A Division II

Sweetwater 4-0, 7-1
Greenwood 3-1, 5-3
Monahans 2-2, 4-6
Pecos 1-3, 3-5
Snyder 0-4, 2-6

District 3-3A Division I

Jim Ned 5-0, 8-1
Wall 4-1, 7-3
Clyde 3-2, 4-6
Early 2-3, 5-5
Breckenridge 1-4, 1-8
TLCA San Angelo 0-5, 0-10

District 2-3A Division II

Ballinger 5-0, 10-1
Bangs 4-1, 8-1
Sonora 3-2, 4-6
Brady 2-3, 4-6
Grape Creek 1-4, 2-8
Ingram Moore 0-5, 5-5

District 5-3A Division II

Eastland 5-0, 7-3
Jacksboro 3-2, 6-4
Comanche 3-2, 8-2
Millsap 3-2, 7-3
Merkel 1-4, 3-6
Dublin 0-5, 1-8

District 3-2A Division I

Hawley 5-0, 8-2
Anson 4-1, 7-2
Forsan 3-2, 5-4
Stamford 2-3, 5-5
Haskell 1-4, 2-7
Colorado City 0-5, 0-10

District 4-2A Division I

Cisco 5-0, 7-3
San Saba 4-1, 7-2
Winters 3-2, 4-6
Coleman 2-3, 6-4
Goldthwaite 1-4, 3-7
De Leon 0-5, 1-9

District 5-2A Division II

Hamlin 4-0, 9-0
Ralls 3-1, 7-3
Lockney 2-2, 7-2
Roscoe 1-3, 1-9
Crosbyton 0-4, 1-9

District 8-2A Division II

Albany 5-0, 8-1
Cross Plains 4-1, 8-2
Santo 3-2, 6-4
Hico 2-3, 3-7
Meridian 1-4, 3-6
Ranger 0-5, 0-9

District 7-1A Division I

Ira 4-0, 8-2
Hermleigh 3-1, 9-1
Roby 2-2, 5-5
Aspermont 0-3, 3-6
Rotan 0-3, 6-3

District 8-1A Division I

Sterling City 4-0, 10-0
Westbrook 3-1, 9-1
Highland 2-2, 6-4
Robert Lee 1-3, 2-7
Bronte 0-4, 1-8

District 13-1A Division I

May 4-0, 9-1
Baird 3-1, 5-5
Gorman 2-2, 5-5
Santa Anna 1-3, 6-4
Lingleville 0-4, 1-9

District 6-1A Division II

Blackwell 4-0, 7-3
Loraine 3-1, 6-4
Trent 1-3, 1-9
Olfen 0-3, 0-5
TLCA Abilene 0-3, 0-7

District 8-1A Division II

Benjamin 3-0, 6-1
Chillicothe 2-1, 5-4
Rule 1-2, 6-4
Harrold 0-3, 0-5

District 9-1A Division II

Throckmorton 3-0, 7-1
Lueders-Avoca 2-1, 2-7
Woodson 1-2, 1-6
Moran 0-3, 0-10

District 15-1A Division II

Blanket 3-1, 7-3
Brookesmith 4-0, 7-2
Sidney 2-2, 5-4
Rising Star 1-3, 4-6
Panther Creek 0-4, 1-9