December 13, 2024

THE RUNDOWN | A quick sum-up of the final weekend of regular season high school football for ETBlitz-area teams

West Rusk’s Troy Hunley (left) recovers a loose ball in the end zone on an Arp punt attempt, scoring a touchdown for the Raiders. But it would be Arp that would get out of the game with a 22-13 win. It was a wild final weekend of high school football’s regular season in the ETBlitz.com area; we’ll have more later today, when there might be some playoff scenarios finalized. (Photo by DENNIS JACOBS – ETBLITZ.COM)

EDITOR’S NOTE: A travel day for the ETBlitz.com team, but here’s an early rundown of what happened in the final weekend of the regular season. We’ll have more later on Saturday for everyone, including playoff destinations for the first round for those who have them arranged.

So, what happened on the final Friday of the regular season with the ETBlitz.com-area high school football teams?

  • Henderson and Lindale met at Lindale’s Eagle Stadium for the fourth and final playoff spot in District 9-4A, Division I, and after a scoreless first quarter, the Eagles took advantage of turnovers by Henderson and scored 28 points in the second, claiming that final playoff position with a somewhat-shocking 45-0 win.
  • Tatum went to Jefferson and just about pulled off an upset of a highly-ranked Bulldogs team. The Eagles ultimately lost, 18-13, but gave Jefferson (10-0) its best challenge of the Bulldogs’ District 8-3A, Division I schedule. Jefferson won the district, and Tatum (6-4) will go into the 3A-DI playoffs as the fourth seed from one of the toughest districts in Texas – not just one of the toughest 3A districts, but toughest, period.
  • Arp beat West Rusk for the first time since Donald Trump won election for his FIRST term, getting out of Bruce Bradshaw Stadium in New London with a 22-13 win. Both teams, though, move on to the University Interscholastic League’s 3A playoffs – Arp will go in as the third seed from District 11-3A, Division II, and West Rusk as the fourth.
  • Troup, who couldn’t fall or improve their standing in 11-3A, blasted visiting Buffalo, 57-21, and finished the regular season as the district’s second seed, behind unbeaten New Diana.
  • Sabine completed its 2024 season in a rough way, falling at home to powerful Liberty-Eylau, 64-0. The Cardinals lost quarterback Colt Sparks, a Division I athlete, to an injury after starting 2-0, and that proved to be a very difficult blow from which to recover.
  • Coach Johnny Louvier’s Gladewater Bears went on the road for the final week of the season, got off to a fast start, and ultimately defeated White Oak, 54-27. The Bears, a much better team than their 4-6 record would indicate, finished one spot out of the playoffs in that aforementioned 8-3A, and got wins over rivals Sabine and White Oak this year. And as for White Oak, even though the Roughnecks missed the postseason, this is a VERY young team, they bring back talent that averaged 33 points a game this season, and went from zero wins – ZERO – in 2023 to five in 2024. Bright spots for both programs as the season ends.
Overton’s Mason Rowe (1) sweeps around the end to score a touchdown in the second quarter Friday night against Cushing. (Photo by RONNIE SARTORS – SPORT SHOT PHOTOGRAPHY / ETBLITZ.COM)
  • Overton finished the regular year with an 8-2 record, after a 52-0 shutout of Cushing Friday night at Coach Chester Roy Stadium. Coach Scotty Laymance and the Mustangs have won 18 — EIGHTEEN — games in two seasons, and they’re planning for more this season, as the Mustangs head into the UIL Class 2A playoffs as the number two seed from District 11-2A, DI.
  • Also this week, the Kilgore Bulldogs, Gilmer Buckeyes and Leverett’s Chapel Lions all flexed their muscles, winning big in their regular season finales that were all Thursday night. Kilgore (8-2) claimed the number one spot in District 9-4A, DI with a resounding 48-0 knockout of Mabank; Gilmer (7-3) blanked North Lamar, 56-0, in Paris; and LC (6-4) spanked Campbell, 56-8. The Bulldogs will host a playoff game this coming week at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium, and it appears their opponent will be Vidor. Gilmer finished second, behind Pleasant Grove, in District 7-4A, Division II, and the Buckeyes – set to defend the 4A-DII state championship from last year – will open up the playoffs next week against Center. And LC, the only six-man program in the ETBlitz coverage area, wrapped up third in District 10-1A, DI behind Union Hill and Saint Jo, in that order. LC’s playoff run will also begin next week.

The ETBlitz crew is traveling today, but we’ll have more on every single one of these stories, where every single ETBlitz.com-area team is after the regular season and the playoff schedule we can get our hands on, later today on ETBlitz.com.

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