The Whiteface Antelopes wasted no time in routing the Booker Kiowas 66-16 in the area round of the UIL High School Sixman Football Playoffs last Friday in Tulia.
The game was called at halftime due to the 45-point rule. In six-man football, a game is called whenever one team leads by 45 points or more at or after halftime.
Whiteface took the ball first on their own 33-yard line. After a false start, the ball went to Ethan Kauffman for five yards on first down, then five more yards on second down, then 37 yards on third down for a touchdown and an 8-0 lead after Damian Castaneda’s kick with 8:19 left in the first quarter.
The Kiowas scored even faster on their first possession. Julian Barton hit Marco Avila open on the first play from scrimmage for 42 yards and a touchdown. After the kick, the score was tied with 8:17 left on the first quarter clock.
Booker stacked the defense to shut the Antelopes’ run game down and were successful on two plays. That’s when Jeremiah Rendon found Axel Rivera open for 44 yards and another Whiteface touchdown.
The kick was good and Whiteface led 16-8 with 6:39 left in the first quarter.
That’s when the wheels started to come off the bus for Booker.
The Kiowas started on their own 36-yard line and were unable to move the ball against the stiff Whiteface defense.
On third and 18 yards to go, Antelope Jaxon Hodge got between the throw and the intended receiver for a 50-yard pick six and a 24-8 Whiteface lead with 5:05 left in the first quarter.
The Antelopes forced Booker to turnover on downs on their next drive, then went back to the run game with Kauffman bulling his way through the defense and then sprinting to the endzone for a 33-yard touchdown on third down and nine yards to go.
After the kick, Whiteface led 32-8 with 3:10 left in the first quarter.
Auscar Gandara recovered a Booker fumble on the Whiteface 16-yard line to end the Kiowas’ next drive.
That set up a 64-yard touchdown run from Kauffman. The kick missed, but Whiteface still led 38-8 with 1:48 left in the first quarter.
The first quarter ended with Booker trying to move the ball, but the second quarter was no better for the Kiowas.
They were forced to turnover on downs, then give up a safety and then turnover on downs again in their first three possessions.
Meanwhile, Whiteface scored three more touchdowns for a 60-8 lead midway through the second quarter.
Booker got on the boards again on their fourth possession of the second quarter.
Facing second down and 23 yards to go from their own 32yard line and cornered by the ferocious Whiteface pass rush, Julian Barton pitched the ball to Nelson, who found Adrian Rosales open for a first down and goal from the Whiteface 10-yard line.
The Whiteface defense was able to push the Kiowas back to the Antelope 15-yard line, but on third down and goal to go, Nelson hit Julian Barton again for the final Kiowa touchdown of the night with 3:40 left until halftime.
The last Whiteface score came about two minutes later on a one-yard run from Jeremiah Rendon.
Rendon also ended Booker’s chances for another score with an interception on the Kiowas’ next drive.
With just 51 seconds left in the half, all that was left for Whiteface was to take a knee and run out the clock.
Whiteface held Booker to 144 yards passing and -36 yards on the ground. By comparison, the Antelopes had 289 yards on the ground and threw one pass for 44 yards and a touchdown.
Kauffman led the running game with 234 yards on 11 carries with five touchdowns. Rendon had four carries for 55 yards, a touchdown and a fumble.
He also had a 60-yard touchdown kick return and he had the only pass play; the 44yard touchdown to Rivera.
Luke Gresham and Rendon had five tackles each. Rendon had an interception. Kauffman, Castaneda, Gandara, Soliz and Cash Crutcher had a tackle each. Gandara had two sacks and an assist, while Kauffman also had two sacks.
Hodge had an assist and a pick six.
The Antelope will face Borden County for the regional quarterfinals in a rematch from the district championship on November 8. Whiteface won that game 90-40.
The quarterfinal game will take place in Lockney at 6 p.m. on Saturday.