FRIDAY REWIND: Javin Cash and Canyon can't be stopped

When Derrek Clements was injured against Greenwood two weeks ago, all of Canyon held its breath.

The senior quarterback was having an outstanding season as the Eagles were off to an undefeated start. It's unclear how long he'll be out, but he was sporting a spring after the game and was unable to play against Andrews last Friday.

Andrews entered that game 4-1, while the Eagles were looking to stay perfect. They had to turn to an inexperienced quarterback, so they made another change on offense by incorporating linebacker Javin Cash into the rushing attack.

The plan worked and then some.

Cash joined start Sam Johnson to form a 1-2 punch at running back with Johnson rushing for 116 yards and two scores while Cash exploded for 128 yards and three rushing touchdowns.

Moving Cash to running back probably took away from his defensive impact, right? Wrong. The Panhandle's leading tackler put up 16 total tackles, one interception and had a strip tackle that he returned for a 40-yard score.

Clements, Johnson and receiver Hunter Wilson have gotten a ton of attention this season for the plays they've made on offense and they've earned that recognition.

However, Cash has been one of the absolute best defenders in the entire Panhandle this year. He's been getting interest from South Nazarene and Texas A&M Kingsville and has an offer from Southwestern University. Every time he's been asked to step up, he has.

Now the Eagles enter their bye week undefeated at 6-0. Even down a QB against a great team, they got it done and it's time we acknowledge that Cash deserves just as much hype as the guys on offense get.

After all, he's one of them now.

Wolves, Where?

West Plain's Jordi Hernandez (2) runs with the ball against Estacado, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022, at Happy State Bank Stadium in Canyon. West Plains won, 35-14.
West Plain's Jordi Hernandez (2) runs with the ball against Estacado, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022, at Happy State Bank Stadium in Canyon. West Plains won, 35-14.

It didn't come easy, but the West Plains Wolves got their third straight win on Friday night with a 35-28 victory over Hereford. The win moved West Plains to .500 on the season at 3-3.

This is a team playing its first year of football with a freshman at quarterback. The Wolves lost their first game of the season 52-6 to Bushland before dropping two more in a row. Yet here they are, as running back Jordi Hernandez has turned up the heat, QB Reid Macon has shown growth beyond his years already and the defense has been lights out.

Don't forget this coaching staff, though. Longtime Canyon assistant Adam Cummings took up the task of guiding West Plains from the ground up and he's had tremendous success so far.

We just finished week six so there's still a lot of season left, but it must be noted that Perryton and Levelland just dropped to 1-5 on the season while Borger is 2-4 as the injuries have piled up. As such, West Plains is second in District 2-4A Division II behind 5-1 Seminole. If the Wolves keep this up, they could be looking at the postseason in their first season.

Did you miss us?

Canadian's Camren Cavalier (4) hands off to Isay Ramirez (10) against Bushland, Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, at Falcon Stadium in Bushland.
Canadian's Camren Cavalier (4) hands off to Isay Ramirez (10) against Bushland, Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, at Falcon Stadium in Bushland.

After starting the year off 1-2, all of people started counting out the Canadian Wildcats. After last Friday, that shouldn't be the case anymore.

Canadian took on a previously 4-1 Randall team and absolutely dismantled them, 56-21. The Wildcats were outstanding from start to finish as Randall never stood a chance.

After dismantling Perryton 56-14, Canadian had a bye week before this week's win. The Wildcats have been excellent the past two games and appear to be back on track with one of the top defenses in the area to go with receiver Preston Miller and quarterback Camren Cavalier.

It should be noted that the Wildcats losses came to Bushland (undefeated and smoking everyone) and Elk City (Ok.) with the later coming by just one point. It hasn't all been smooth sailing, but Canadian made a statement on Friday.

The Boys are back in town

The Boys Ranch football team snapped a 49-game losing streak last Friday, Oct. 1, 2021 at home. It was the longest losing streak in the state of Texas before the Roughriders secured the win.
The Boys Ranch football team snapped a 49-game losing streak last Friday, Oct. 1, 2021 at home. It was the longest losing streak in the state of Texas before the Roughriders secured the win.

A week after a disappointing loss to Memphis, Boys Ranch was back at it again on Friday night.

Isaiah Brown rushed for 171 yards and three touchdowns, Tommy Rubble added another 78 yards on the ground, Rowdy Barnes racked up 10 tackles with a forced fumble and the Roughriders took victory over Wheeler, 28-12.

Boys Ranch now moves to 4-2 on the season to double its win total from 2021. The Roughriders hadn't won a game since 2016 prior to that. Now, they're just one win away from guaranteeing their first non-losing season since 2011 and two wins from ensuring their first winning season since 2008.

District won't be easy. They'll have to play Gruver, Booker, Sunray and Vega to make it happen. But for the first time in over a decade, the Roughriders have hope.

Other bits and pieces

  • Sunray moves to 5-1 thanks to a seven touchdown performance from Armando Lujan. This kid just keeps making things happen.

  • Bushland smoked their opponent once again as they took down previously undefeated El Paso Riverside 56-14. Can these Falcons be stopped? So far, it doesn't look like it.

  • Stratford had its first close call of the season, but came away with a 28-21 victory over Perryton to remain undefeated.

  • Don't sleep on Gruver as they snuck out a 9-6 win over River Road on Friday. Gruver is now a quiet 5-1 on the season.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: FRIDAY REWIND: Javin Cash and Canyon can't be stopped