Friday Night Rewind: Frenship football continues tear with convincing win over Midland Legacy
It took a rough Week 1 loss to Coronado for Frenship to figure some things out.
Namely, it took Hudson Hutcheson a rough Week 1 loss to Coronado for the junior to settle in. The Mustangs caused problems for Hutcheson in his first start at quarterback for the Tigers. It was unlike anything Frenship coach Jay Northcutt had seen from the gunslinger.
"I've been watching him play since he was in seventh grade, and I've never seen him get tight," Northcutt said. "I've never seen him get rattled. But that being his first varsity start against a team that was playing man (coverage) and bringing a lot of heat, you know, he kind of got out of his comfort level and was just not letting the game come to him. That's kind of how I put it. He was trying to do too much."
It didn't take long for Hutcheson to get comfortable. In the lead up to his second start, a dramatic win over Lubbock-Cooper, Hutcheson told the coaches that they no longer had to worry about his headspace. He was ready to take control.
Hutcheson's turnaround has coincided with Frenship's recent five-game winning streak, which was capped off Friday with a 49-34 victory over Midland Legacy in the District 2-6A opener. It marked the first time the Tigers have knocked off the Rebels since 2016 and has put the team in position to contend a district title.
Frenship (5-1 overall, 1-0 district) jumped out to a 42-7 lead at halftime and held off a Legacy comeback attempt to pull off what could be considered an upset.
"I think our kids kind of sensed that they really felt like this was a year that, if we can play a complete game and use the open week to really keep getting better, that we had a really good shot of beating them," Northcutt said, "and I could tell our kids were pretty juiced to start that game. (I'm) just really proud of how they went in there and fought and found a way to get it done."
Consistency has been the key to Frenship's hot streak as a team and Hutcheson's growth as QB1.
After completing 24 of his 28 passing attempts against Legacy — totaling 463 yards and six touchdowns — Hutcheson is completing 74% of his passes for the season. But it's not just the offense that's been crucial for the Tigers.
Frenship's defense has been the definition of "bend but don't break." The Tigers have made leads stick, like on Friday when they fended off the Rebels when it mattered. The complementary pieces have resulted in some dramatic affairs Frenship has come out of with a win.
The focus now shifts to not letting the Legacy win be the end of the good times. The Tigers will hit the road next week to take on Midland High before hosting Odessa Permian in Week 9 in another district-defining game. It's all about staying the course.
"Our theme going into next week will be what we're calling greatness, because we're defining greatness as being able to handle whatever is thrown at us and just being able to roll with the punches," Northcutt said. "In other words, we're deeming that as something that describes being great.
"Right now, we just came off an emotional victory. And that can be a trap going into the next week. You've got to go out and get up for it again. That's something that we're putting out there going, hey, we can't let this happen. We've got to make sure that we enjoy this win over the weekend here and then when we get back here on Monday, we're focused on Midland."
Bits and pieces
➤ Weather created a bit of havoc on the Week 7 slate, with several games going until around midnight after delays. That led to some wild contests. Seminole (6-1, 1-0) was able to hold off Canyon West Plains, while Denver City (3-4, 1-0) pulled off the upset against Brownfield (5-2, 0-1).
➤ The Lubbock area's last remaining unbeaten team has fallen after Lubbock Christian (5-1, 2-1) suffered a 47-28 setback to Weatherford Christian. The Eagles were unable to replicate the magic of the Muenster Sacred Heart win, but still have plenty in front of them to play for.
➤ Look out for the Kangaroos. Entering the season, Springlake-Earth and Anton appeared the favorites for playoff berths out of District 3-1A Division I, but Kress (5-2, 1-0) has put together an impressive run after dominating Anton 56-0 on Friday. Kress is now in position to claim its first district championship since 2014.
➤ Leo Mendoza's 23-yard field goal helped Floydada (4-2, 1-0) fend off Sundown (1-4, 0-1) 37-34 in overtime in the District 2-2A Division I opener. The Roughnecks overcame a 34-21 deficit in the fourth quarter and tied the game on the final play of regulation to send the game to overtime. It was the first time Floydada has ever defeated Sundown after dropping the first six meetings between the two teams.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Frenship football continues tear with convincing win over Midland Legacy
