The state ranked Whitharral Panthers dominated the Groom Tigers 60-12 in the Bi-District Round of the UIL High School Class 1A-2 Football Playoffs at Silverton last Thursday.
The Panthers were in control for all but about 3½ minutes late in the first quarter and early in the second in a game that was called at halftime due to the 45point mercy rule.
The 45-point rule in 6-man football states that when a team leads by 45 points or more at or after halftime, the game is called.
The Panthers have overcome some difficulties that might have derailed them, including the loss of Tucker Parkinson, to whom the team dedicated this win, and the loss to injury of Dawson Rodgers.
“Our kids have shown unbelievable perseverance this year with everything we have overcome,” said Head Football Coach Jeremy Holt. “I am extremely proud of them and how they continue to find a way to work to win.”
Whitharral got the ball first, starting on their own 38-yard line. Brent Robinson got the call for the first four carries, taking the Panthers down to the Groom oneyard line. Nomar Gomez got the call for the touchdown and the Panthers led 8-0 after a successful kick from Jack Griffin.
Griffin went 6-for-8 on kicks after touchdown.
Whitharral forced the Tigers to turn over on downs and took over on the Groom 38. Griffin’s first pass attempt to Gomez was incomplete, but he found Rayden Potter for 10 yards on second down.
Robinson got the call on third down and five, rambling around the end for the second Panther touchdown and a 16-0 lead with 5:38 left in the first quarter.
The Tigers were forced to turn over on downs for a second time with Whitharral taking over on their own 38-yard line again.
This time Gomez took the ball to the endzone on the first play of the drive for a 24-0 Whitharral lead with 3:44 left in the first quarter.
That’s when Groom woke up. Taking over on their own 32-yard line, the Tigers engineered a scoring drive that ended with a two-yard touchdown run by Bryston Shuck. The kick was no good, but the Whitharral lead was cut to 24-6 with 1:20 left in the first quarter.
Whitharral was driving when the second quarter started, but a fumble on the first play of the quarter gave the Tigers the ball on their own 19-yard line.
Eighty-one yard and less than a minute later, Greyson Peet found Shuck open for a sevenyard touchdown pass with 9:07 left. A fumble on the kick cost the Tigers points, but they had cut the Panther lead to 24-12 with 9:07 left in the first half.
That was as close as the Tigers would get. The Panthers got back on track and resumed the dominant performance that had characterized most of the first quarter.
Whitharral scored on each of their last four possessions while the Tigers were forced to turnover on downs twice, suffered a pick six by Brolin Kennedy and were forced to punt in their own territory.
Griffin went 4-for-8 for 40 yards passing. Kennedy had a single 34-yard touchdown pass. Robinson went 0-for-1.
Griffin was the recipient of the Kennedy pass. Kennedy also had two catches for 26 yards.
Potter had a nine-yard catch and Gomez had a five-yard catch. Robinson had seven rushes for 105 yards and a touchdown. Gomez had three carries for 50 yards and three touchdowns.
Griffin ran twice for 17 yards and a touchdown. Landon Lee had three catches for 10 yards.
Gomez had nine tackles. Griffin had five. Kennedy had three tackles and an interception. Lee, Daniel Rodriguez and Nathan Sansom had two tackles each. Potter had an assist and an interception. Robinson had an assist.
The Panthers are ranked sixth in class 1A-2 by MaxPreps and will face the third ranked Klondike Cougars in Hermleigh for the area round of the playoffs. Game time is 7 p.m.