District 1-3A DII Battle Renews Rivalry
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Updated: October 10, 2016
Photos: Michael Kerrigan Photography.
Canadian Survives Epic Defensive Battle with Childress, 18-17
In a game that was billed to determine the District 1-3A DII Championship, not one football fan in Texas was disappointed with the results. Fans of both teams left Wildcat Stadium shaking their heads still trying to process what they had just witnessed. Even before the District realignment was announced with speculation Canadian would move up to 3A DII, the Twitter-verse made it apparent that the dormant rivalry between Childress (3-3) and Canadian (4-2) was heating up long before October 7th with an ominous warning to any team joining the District with Childress.
Perhaps two of the best teams in 3ADII Region 1 squared off in this conference opener on a perfect-for-football October evening. If the power rankings are accurate, Amarillo Highland Park, Dimmitt, Spearman, and Tulia will be left to fight over the 3rd & 4th playoff seeds from this district.
There’s serious defense displayed in any high school game where a total of five field goals were scored plus another missed 33 yard attempt. The kicking duel started with Canadian’s first drive from the opening kickoff stalling out on the Bobcat 17 yard line. Wildcat’s QB Corbin Douthitt, who also serves as place kicker, nailed the 34 yard FG. Then with 10:41 left in the 2nd quarter, Childress kicker Sergio Romero (3-for-4 FGs) saved a drive from coming up empty with a 35 yard FG
The Childress (346 total yards) offense led by QB Luke Darter (26-for-42, 215 yards passing) racked up yardage between the 20s all night on Canadian (222 total yards). With 6:06 left in the 1st half, Darter threw a 10 yard TD pass to Darrell Richmond. Playing for keeps the entire night, Childress gained the 2-point conversion with the sweeping snap from C Jacob Cummings to RB Bo Lott in a swinging gate formation just beyond the left hash marks. The Childress 11-3 advantage would remain through the halftime break.
Driving down the field again the Bobcats were halted and forced to go for another FG, and again, Sergio Romero showing good range with a 35 yarder, giving Childress a 14-3 lead with 8:50 left in the 3rd quarter.
Canadian answered with a 10 play drive that started on the Bobcat 44 yard line with a 2 yard run by Holton Hufstedler. A Douthitt pass for the 2-point conversion to Cade Throgmorton fell incomplete with 5:53 left in the 3rd quarter with plenty of football left to play with the Wildcats now down by only 9-14.
After Canadian is pinned back on their 5 yard line from a well booted Bobcat punt, the Wildcats elect to go for the 4th down conversion with a little more than 9:00 minutes left to play in the 4th quarter. Childress makes a huge stop and takes over on downs threatening to strike again from the 20 yard line making it a two possession game. The Bobcats quickly manage to setup a 1st and goal on the 4 yard line when disaster strikes. QB Darter hands-off to RB Bo Lott on a standard belly-type run call when Wildcat DE Brendon Wyatt takes the opportunity to strip the ball from Lott before forward progress is stopped and takes the strip-fumble 95 yards with blocker escorts for the TD. Canadian goes for the 2-point conversion and is denied once again, but takes the lead 15-14 with 8:50 left in the game.
For football fans and lovers of field goal kickers, the fun was just beginning. On a 2nd & 15 QB Darter tossed a 36 yard pass down the middle for a great catch by WR Joe Dan Gambol, eventually driving down to the Canadian 14 yard line before the Wildcats could make a stop. Childress calls on their kicker
Sergio Romero for the fourth time of the night to give Childress the lead again 17-15 with a 31 yard FG with 5:01 left in the game.
After starting from their own 35 yard line, 8 plays later Canadian finds themselves with a 4th & 7 on the Childress 21 yard line with 2:28 left in the game. The Wildcats opt to trust QB Douthitt’s leg rather than his arm and the confidence pays off as Douthitt nails the 37 yarder to put Canadian up 18-17.
The nail-biting became intense in both sides of the field knowing that Sergio Romero was capable of a at least a 35 yard FG. The Bobcats worked their way down to the Wildcat 24 yard line looking at a 4th & 3 with less than a minute left on the clock. Rather than call for the 41 yard FG, Childress opted to throw for the 1st down. As QB Darter rolled to his right still looking for open receivers, he was brought down by Canadian’s All-State linebacker, Holton Hufstedler. Canadian took over on downs and ended the game taking a knee in the Victory formation.
Childress goes to 3-3 (0-1) while Canadian moves on to the next District game at 4-2 (1-0). With two teams of this caliber, it is entirely possible these two will meet again in late November in the Quarter-Final round to determine the Regional Champion which enters the Final-Four of the Championship bracket.
Jerry Brunson
Lone Star Gridiron
@CHSWildcatNews
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final | |
| Canadian | 3 | 0 | 6 | 9 | - | 18 |
| Childress | 0 | 11 | 3 | 3 | - | 17 |
C—Corbin Douthitt 34 FG
CH – Sergio Romero 19 FG
CH—Darrell Richmond 10 (pass from Luke Darter)
CH – Sergio Romero 35 FG
C—Holton Hufstedler 2 run (conversion failed)
C—Brendan Wyatt 95 strip-fumble return (conversion failed)
CH – Sergio Romero 31 FG
C—Corbin Douthitt 37 FG
| Canadian | Childress | |
| First Downs | 7 | 20 |
| Rushing Yds | 77 | 131 |
| Passing Yds | 145 | 215 |
| C - A - I | 9-18-1 | 26-42-0 |
| Total Yds | 222 | 346 |
| Punts-Avg | 4-36 | 6-30 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 1-0 | 1-1 |
| Penalties | 5-50 | 7-60 |
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