Friday Night Rewind: 2A DII sees Wellington, Gruver, Stratford vying for state spot
It's down to the Elite Eight — of high school football in the Panhandle, at least.
After nearly three months, hundreds of games and countless touchdowns and highlight moments, we can now count on two hands how many high school football teams are still alive at this point in the season.
Three of those teams, however, are fighting for a potential spot in the state title game. Four teams remain in the Region I-2A Division II bracket, all from West Texas, and three of those come from the Panhandle: Gruver, Stratford and Wellington.
Wellington (8-3) faces off against Gruver (10-1) in one of the semifinals while Stratford (11-1) takes on Wink (9-3) on the other side of the bracket. Though the Wildcats will have something to say about it, it's very possible the regional final will be an all-Panhandle affair.
More: Stratford defense holds Seagraves back in 48-3 runaway win
Whoever ends up taking that 2A D-II Region I spot in the state semifinals, they'll be a worthy contender and would have been the victor in a pool of countless other top programs.
Each team has its merits to be the state representative from Region I.
Stratford's defense has been supreme all season and combines it with an explosive offense that seems to spark at the right times. Players like Cody Rinne and Dru Jones are at the heart of it all, helping on both sides of the ball.
Wellington's run game, led by senior running back Marc Ramirez, is one to behold. Despite a slow start to the season for the Skyrockets, the team has found its gear and has looked increasingly difficult to stop in recent weeks. Ramirez's 1,644 yards on 183 carries and 23 touchdowns has been among the best in the Panhandle this season
Gruver's balanced offense is led by quarterback Mason Gibson and running back Ridge Holland. The Greyhounds run and throw the ball well and have outscored their opponents by more than double the points this season.
More: Gruver uses two 90-yard drives, hard-hitting defense to defeat New Home 34-12
Stratford rolled past Seagraves 48-3 in the area playoff round while Gruver took down New Home 34-12 and Wellington defeated McCamey 36-14. All three teams have shown that they are up to the challenge of fighting for the chance to play December football, something coaches and players had strived for since August.
A quick aside for the non-Panhandle team Wink, which is a strong contender in its own right. The Wildcats finished second to McCamey in District 1-2A D-II, and are led on the offense by the explosive junior quarterback Kanon Gibson, who has completed 173-of-285 passes for 2,769 yards, 34 touchdowns to eight interceptions and has rushed for 1,387 yards on 198 carries for another 21 scores.
More: Texas Panhandle H.S. football area round scores
Paired with favorite aerial target senior Brayden Dunlap (51 catches, 783 yards, 13 TDs) and talented freshman running back Hudson Morgan (56 rushes, 461 yards, 4 TDs), it's very possible that Wink could come out as the winner of Region I.
But, the Wildcats will have to face two Panhandle teams to reach that spot, first coming up against a Stratford team whose defense has shut out other top opponents, including Gruver earlier this season.
Regardless of which ends up representing Region I in the 2A D-II state tournament, that team will be a worthy winner and representative of West Texas football.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: 2A DII sees Wellington, Gruver, Stratford vying for state tournament
