THE RUNNING MAN | It’s PT at Henderson, with a LOT on the line; can Lions’ Starling do it tonight?
Tonight, Guns & Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle” will blare loud over the sound system at Henderson Lions Stadium, just before the kickoff of the Lions’ home game against Pine Tree.
And the stakes? They couldn’t be a lot higher.
It’s a battle in District 9-4A, Division I, and while that may be a mouthful, tonight’s scenario is not complicated.
Henderson (5-2) comes in with a 2-1 district record. Pine Tree, which has already had its open date, is a half-game back in the district standings; the Pirates are 1-1 in district, and 3-3 overall.
The facts are these and they are plain: even with a loss, neither of these teams is out of playoff contention. But for the winners, it’s a huge — no, a MONUMENTAL — step in the right direction in the standings.
Remember, in Texas high school football (the University Interscholastic League), the top four teams in each district make the playoffs. In District 9-4A DI, it’s Kilgore, Lindale, Henderson, Chapel Hill, Pine Tree, Mabank and Palestine, so four are going, and three are staying home.
Henderson has an open date next week, and then finishes up with a road trip to Chapel Hill (fittingly, on Halloween, Oct. 31), and a regular season finale at home against Lindale. Chapel Hill has been to the fourth round of the playoffs, the fifth, the 4A-Division I championship game, and then the fourth round again the last four years. Lindale is currently undefeated, about to play Kilgore tonight for the district lead, and ranked No. 10 in the state in the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football 4A-DII poll.
Pine Tree, as mentioned, has already had its break. The Lions also have Chapel Hill (next Friday, Oct. 24), make a trip to Lindale on Oct. 31, and finish with Palestine, whose Wildcats are completely, totally winless this year (0-7).
The winners of this game almost assures themselves of a playoff berth. The losers will have to sweat it out.
And then there’s this: history.
Lions running back Jesstin “Meaty” Starling is chasing it.
Starling is closing in on two records that are very special, that have stood for many years in Henderson football: the all time rushing record and the all-time rushing touchdowns record, both set by Joe Wylie in 1961.
Starling needs 220 yards to break the rushing record, and 11 touchdowns to break that one. The TD record isn’t falling tonight against Pine Tree.
Will the yardage record?
Stay tuned!