No. 7 Albany enjoying another deep run in playoffs with eye on December football
Playing on Thanksgiving week has been a tradition in Albany.
The Lions are mixing turkey with pigskin for the 19th time in the past 20 years. The only loss was to Windthorst (24-20) the week before Thanksgiving in 2019.
“Our guys just expect to be playing this weekend,” Albany coach Denney Faith said. “We don’t want to take it for granted and that kind of thing, but our guys expect to be here. … It is special.”
The No. 7 Lions (10-2) play No. 4 Wink (12-0) at 5 p.m. Friday in a Region 11-2A Division I semifinal game at San Angelo Stadium.
The Lions are grateful to be healthy. Starting quarterback Cole Chapman and running back Coy Lefevre, both seniors, missed games earlier in the season with injuries.
The injuries played a role in the Lions’ two losses against No. 2 2A DI Hawley and a 10-2 Comanche team, dropping them from No. 1 in the state. They have a seven-game win streak, which started before the Lions got healthy.
Chapman missed four games, while Lefevre missed three. Lefevre also sat out the playoff opener with the flu, which has hit the team the last few weeks.
Faith said the injuries have made the players grateful for the opportunity to play the game.
“It opened their eyes up a little bit,” Faith said. “You better give everything you’ve got, because you never know when your last play is going to be.”
Chapman has thrown for 810 yards and nine TDs with no interceptions. London Fuentes, a senior who started while Chapman was out, has thrown for 420 yards, six TDs and three picks.
Adam Hill, a junior, leads the team in rushing (143-1,229, 21 TDs), and he also 13 catches for 235 yards and five TDs. Lefevre (74-846, 16 TDs) is second on the team in rushing.
Fuentes (24-403, 4 TDs) and junior Cason Fairchild (24-323, 3 TDs) are the leading receivers.
The defense has been opportunistic, recovering 22 fumbles and picking off 19 passes. Lefevre has three of the team’s five pick-sixes.
Wink is led by quarterback Kanon Gibson, who has thrown for 2,016 yards and 22 TDs with only two picks. He also leads the team in rushing (67-723, 16 TDs), followed by Bryan Wilcox (85-559, 10 TDs).
Jayden Tally (48-953, 12 TDs) and Zachary Yactayo (36-357, 5 TDs) are the Wildcats’ leading receivers.
“They’re 12-0 for a reason,” Faith said. “They’ve got a real good football team. I think their quarterback is the guy who makes them go. He can throw it really well, and he’s a really good runner, too. Some of the things they do offensively can put your defense in a bind. On defense, they’re really aggressive and play fast. We’ve got a big challenge ahead of us.”
The Wildcats beat Cross Plains 60-0 and No. 9 Santo 35-19 in their two playoff games.
The Wink/Albany winner plays the Windthorst/Collinsville winner in the Region II-1A DII title game. Windthorst (8-4) plays No. 8 Collinsville (11-1) at 1 p.m. Friday in Springtown.
Albany is used to playing December football, and the Lions are eager to keep playing after Thanksgiving week.
“We don’t want to take it for granted,” Faith said. “It takes a lot of hard work to get there, and our guys have done that. They’ve put in the work.”
No. 8 Cisco (10-2) vs. New Deal (9-3)
2 p.m. Friday, Colorado City
It’s easy to get caught up thinking about another Cisco-Hawley matchup for the Region I-2A Division I title next week. But the Loboes must get past New Deal.
It’s a rematch from last year, when Cisco won 34-14 in the same round.
The Lions’ offensive numbers are impressive.
Freshman quarterback Dallas Sumner has thrown for 1,325 yards and 14 TDs with only six interceptions. Sumner (70-553, 8 TDs rushing) also is part of a potent ground game that’s rolled up 2,758 yards and 35 TDs – averaging 7 yard per carry.
Kendrick Nelson (138-1,001, 11 TDs) leads the charge, while Clyde Johnson (70-533, 4 TDs) and Slade Martin (87-465, 11 TDs) follow.
Ethan Brown (58-770, 7 TDs) is the leading receiver.
Cisco has a powerful 1-2 punch in the ground game with quarterback Hunter Long (239-1,925, 24 TDs) and Trenton Huston (118-867 22 TDs). Long also has thrown for 1,244 yards and 17 TDs with two picks. Cade Gayle (28-568, 8 TDs) is a threat to score every time he catches the ball.
The Loboes have run for 3,495 yards and 45 TDs as a team overall – averaging a whopping 8.5 yards per carry.
Cisco is playing on Thanksgiving week for the third consecutive year and fourth time in the last five years.
New Deal is coming off playoff wins over Amarillo Highland Park 71-18 and Forsan 35-11. The Loboes have beaten Big Lake Reagan County 55-0 and last year's Class 2A DII state champion, Stratford, 14-8.
No. 2 Hawley (12-0) vs. Sonora (10-2)
6 p.m. Friday, Big Spring
Hawley is playing on Thanksgiving week for the fourth consecutive year and fifth time in the past six years.
QB Rodey Hooper has thrown for 2,406 yards and 26 TDs with four picks. Diontay Ramon (35-773, 7 TDs) and Will Scott (35-615, 7 TDs) lead a dangerous receiving corp. Austin Cumpton (208-1,595, 31 TDs) is the Bearcats’ top rusher.
Sonora beat Olney 28-27 and Farwell 18-7 in the playoffs, while Hawley has beaten Christoval 52-8 and Panhandle 72-26.
Jaime Buitron is the Broncos’ dual-threat quarterback. He’s thrown for 2,406 yards, 26 TDs and four interceptions, while leading the ground game (208-1,965, 24 TDs), along with Hunter O’Banon (183-1,296, 7 TDs).
Edgar DeLuna (27-530, 7 TDs) is the leading receiver, while also third on the team in rushing (64-715, 5 TDs).
The Broncos have run for 4,531 yards and 40 TDs as a team, averaging 8.5 yards per carry.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Albany Lions play Wink Wildcats in Region II-2A DII football playoffs
