SAN ANGELO, TX— “You lose, and you’re out, and it’s like a playoff game. It’s an early playoff game,” said Blackwell head coach Clint Lowry.
Lowry articulated it perfectly when discussing the Friday night face-off between the Blackwell Hornets and Bronte Longhorns, two teams striving to edge closer to a possible playoff berth as the district season draws to a close.
“If we win this game, then we are in the playoffs, and for Bronte, that’s never been done for six-man, so this game is big,” said Bronte quarterback Jayton Galvan.
The Blackwell Hornets opened district play with a 71-52 loss to Loraine. Despite the obstacles they’ve encountered this season, the younger players on the team have made a strong impression on the program.
“I’ve been impressed with all the young dudes that have stepped up for all the older guys that have gotten hurt. They have done pretty good,” said Blackwell running back Karter Cummings.
Like the Hornets, the Longhorns have faced injuries and adversity but kicked off district play with a 54-6 win against Trent last week. Head coach Rocky Rawls is well aware of the upcoming challenge and anticipates what Friday night will bring.
“The thing they got going is they have made the playoffs numbers and numbers of years in a row, and that’s something we haven’t done yet, and this bunch would like to be the first bunch to make the playoffs in six-man which if we are fortunate enough to win then that guarantees us a playoff spot if we can. So I expect this to be a hard-fought physical ball game,” said Bronte head coach Rocky Rawls.
Lowry anticipates a fiercely contested game, given the high stakes for both teams.
“We are going to get their best game. It doesn’t matter what their record is or what our record is. We are going to get all they can give us, and we got to be ready for that,” said Lowry.