The Whiteface Antelopes had little trouble with the visiting O’Donnell Eagles in a 60-8 UIL District 3-1A1 high school sixman football win last Friday. The game was called at halftime due to the 45-point rule. In sixman football, a game is called when one team is ahead by 45 points or more at or after halftime.
The Antelope defense was characteristically solid, holding O’Donnell to only two first downs and -29 yards rushing.
The Eagles managed a 7-for-16, 100-yard performance passing with a touchdown and a pick six.
Whiteface offensive production, on the other hand, was balanced with 136 yards rushing with three touchdowns and 146 passing with four scores.
O’Donnell received the opening kick, but only got off one successful play when, on second down and 10 yards to go on the O’Donnell 38, Jeremiah Rendon intercepted a Martin Baeza pass and took it all the way to the endzone.
Damian Castaneda’s kick was good for an 8-0 Whiteface lead just 45 seconds into the game.
Castaneda kicked deep and the swarming Antelope special teams stopped the return at the Eagles’ 14-yard line.
Four plays later, O’Donnell was forced to turnover on downs on their own 22-yard line.
Ethan Kauffman got the call on first down and 15 and rambled 22 yards without being touched putting Whiteface up 16-0 with 7:45 left in the first quarter.
Another deep kick and a fumbled recovery put the Eagles on their own eight-yard line to start.
They managed to get to the 15-yard line before turning over on downs.
Kauffman got the call again on first down. This time he ran over the only man between him and the goal line.
The Eagles blocked the kick for a 22-8 Whiteface lead with five minutes left in the quarter.
Taking over on their own 33yard line, the Eagles hammered their way down to the Whiteface 28-yard line where Baeza found Jaden Costa open for a touchdown. The kick was good and O’Donnell had cut the Whiteface lead to 22-8 midway through the first quarter.
The Eagles tried to pin the Antelopes back with a deep kick into the Whiteface endzone, but the Antelopes responded with a sweep left with good blocks for Kauffman, who outran the remaining defenders for a 60-yard touchdown and a 30-8 lead with 3:44 remaining in the first quarter.
O’Donnell turned over on downs again, giving Whiteface the ball on the Eagles’ 35-yard line.
The Eagles’ defense stiffened on the next possession, but the Antelopes were steadily able to move the ball until they got to O’Donnell one-yard line on fourth down and goal where the Antelopes were forced to turnover on downs with 9:15 left in the half.
O’Donnell took over on their own one-yard line, but Kauffman got a huge tackle in the endzone for a safety and a 32-8 Whiteface lead.
After that, it was all Whiteface. The Antelopes scored on every drive while forcing the Eagles to either turnover on downs or fumble.
Kauffman had seven rushes for 114 yards and three touchdowns. Rendon had two carries for 22 yards. Auscar Gandara had a single carry for no gain.
Isaak Soliz went 4-for-8 for 108 yards and three touchdowns. Rendon went 2-for-2 for 38 yards and a touchdown.
Kauffman had two catches for 52 yards and two touchdowns. Cesar Chavez had a 31-yard touchdown catch.
Jaxon Hodge had a 25-yard catch, Axel Rivera had a 21-yard grab and Gandara had a 17-yard touchdown catch.
Kauffman had nine tackles and an assist. Rendon had three tackles, and assist, a sack and a pick six.
Hodge had two tackles. Luke Gresham, Gandara and Chavez had a tackle each. Gandara had two assists and Gresham had one.
The Antelopes will be on the road Friday, taking on the Borden County Coyotes for the district championship. Game time is 7:30 p.m.