Loraine looking to take program to next level with win over Richland Springs
Photo: Johnna Reynolds/Texas 1A Fan
LORAINE, Texas — The Loraine football program made the move to the six-man game in 1986. They’ve had their ups and downs since, never really being among the greatest teams in the state but also never going winless, although they did have a couple one-win seasons along the way. The being great part can change this year, however, as the state-ranked Bulldogs head into the area round this week with a legitimate shot at making the third round, the quarterfinals, for the first time since they made an underdog run to the semifinals in 2014.
Loraine head coach Jake Popham (Photo: Bobbie Brown/Texas 1A Fan)
Jake Popham, a six-man player in high school at Strawn, is in his fifth season at Loraine and the Bulldogs have not missed the playoffs under his watch. Granted, the 2-9 team from 2018 when he was just getting started there looks a whole lot different than the one he’ll put on the field Friday night against nine-time state champion Richland Springs. “I’ve seen both sides of it,” Popham said. “It’s been good to be able to look back and see the things we’ve gone through to get to this point.”
‘This point’ is back-to-back district championships, no easy task when you’re in a district with Blackwell, and a second straight trip to the area round. The Bulldogs also had a shot at a state power last year when they led Jayton 8-6 at the half before multiple second half turnovers ended up as a season ending 34-14 loss to the Jaybirds. This time around they hope they can learn from past mistakes when facing a program like Richland Springs. “We’ve talked about the fact that we’re not playing the 2007 or whatever championship year Richland Springs Coyotes, we’re playing the 2022 team. Let all the past championships be what it is. We’re not worried about the ones they’ve already won; we’re worried about the one we can stop.”
Popham has a very solid group of seniors and juniors that have, for the most part, been together since elementary school. The seniors went unbeaten as 8th graders when Popham first got to Loraine after leaving Petersburg, and the current junior class went undefeated in middle school as well.
Davion Walthall (Photo: Johnny Reynolds/Texas 1A Fan)
Davion Walthall is the leader of the bunch and has been for some time. “He’s been one of our leaders all year long,” Popham said. “Because of injuries he’s had to carry to load more than usual on offense but it’s been good.” Walthall leads the Bulldogs with 1,157 yards rushing and is second with 21 touchdowns. He is second on the squad with 94 tackles, has forced four fumbles, recovered five fumbles and recorded nine sacks. He has also taken two kickoffs back for touchdowns.
Wrangler Little (97 tackles, 8 tackles for loss), Malaki Williams (39 tackles, 5 interceptions, three touchdowns on offense), Davion Delgado (41 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, 8 receptions for 132 yards and touchdown) and Zannon Perez (62 tackles, four forced fumbles) are also part of that outstanding senior class. “Wrangler is our leading tackler. He’s a defensive specialist that gets after it. Malaki is also a defensive specialist for us but also does some good things offensively. Delgado and Perez are solid kids up front on both the offensive and defensive lines. They’re the unsung heroes that do good things blocking and tackling,” Popham said.
AJ Williams (Photo: David Gonzales)
The juniors have played key roles as well, led by offensive ace AJ Williams. Williams has racked up 1,075 yards and 24 touchdowns rushing and also thrown for 197 yards and four scores after being in on 45 touchdowns and nearly 2,000 total yards as a sophomore. “He is an all-around do-it-all guy. An offensive superstar and a defensive leader.” Williams has 58 tackles and pulled down five interceptions on that side of the ball.
Josiah Lujan (60 tackles, 11-17 extra points) and quarterback Jadrian Limones have also been key to the Bulldogs 2022 success. “Lujan has been a huge scorer for us. He’s very consistently hitting two-point tries after touchdowns and holding down one side of our defensive line all season. Limones’ (13-32, 270 yds, 7 TD, 0 int; 178 yds, 2 TD rushing) stats aren’t the most spectacular but he’s been our QB all season and smoothed things out for us offensively.”
Photo: Johnna Reynolds/Texas 1A Fan
The Bulldogs have reached double-digits in victories for the first time since 2013, but the road to ten wins was not an easy one. Loraine faced five playoff teams and beat four of them. They knocked off Ira and O’Donnell, playoff squads from 1A Division I, Blackwell and Klondike and lost to top-ranked and state title favorite Benjamin 61-30. That is the closest game the Mustangs have had all season. “Playing a tough schedule is a good preparation tool,” Popham stated. “You look throughout the playoffs and the teams that are still in it are the ones that play the toughest schedules. Now, you’ve got to stay healthy to run the gauntlet but it gets you ready to play good football when the competition level rises. We talked about that we couldn’t have a bad week and play bad. We had to play well every week.”
They’ll have to play good again this week to keep the season going against Richland Springs. The Coyotes knocked off Zephyr in the opening round and their only loss all year was to Cherokee to snap their streak of 20 consecutive district titles. It’s been a tumultuous season in Richland Springs from the loss of head coach Jerry Burkhart to a UIL suspension to transfers and injuries, but they Coyotes are still a team you have to get up for. “They’re a good football team. What you’d expect from a nine-time state champ,” said Popham. “They’re fundamentally sound and efficient. They’re a little banged up from their run in district, unfortunately, but we’re going to have to play good to beat them.”
Loraine has reached the quarterfinals only three times in program history: in 2014 when they went just 4-6 in the regular season but went on a run all the way to the semifinals, 2013 when they fell to eventual state champ Grandfalls-Royalty 68-14 and in 2010 when they lost to eventual state runner-up Sterling City 56-44 as part of an 11-2 season. The Bulldogs only made the playoffs twice when they were an 11-man program, falling the first round to Knox City in 1962 and Wall in 1971. As they get closer to uncharted territory as a program, Popham says the school and community and feeling it. “It’s been awesome. We’re teetering on having one of the most successful seasons in our history and we hear about it all the time from people telling us they want us to keep going.”
