Canadian’s Dominance of 3-3A Ends to Childress

By Chris Doelle
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Updated: November 8, 2021

Childress Wins District 3-3A with 34-13 Victory Over Canadian

Week 11 in District 3-3A presented as many scenarios to how the postseason seeding would end as a game of Yahtzee. Canadian was faced with not only the opportunity to win the District Championship, but to slip all the way to a 4th seed if other matchups and points landed just right. This all due to the Wildcats losing to Tulia in week 10. However, Spearman’s (4 th seed) win over Tulia secured the Lynx a playoff berth sending Tulia home and pushing Canadian into the 2nd playoff seed and face Idalou in the Bi-District Championship at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 12, at Happy State Bank Stadium in Canyon. Childress is the obvious first seed and Friona takes the third seed. Everyone knows that when you read about a streak in the record books, that streak has sadly ended for the team holding on to it. However, if you are reading about it, it means it was rather significant in its making. Unfortunately for Canadian, several streaks ended this season, so let’s review their significance.

47 consecutive District games won since October 12, 2012, ended on the road in
Tulia on October 29, 2021.
8 consecutive District Championships, Childress winning their first since 2007.
The first loss to Childress since September 17, 1999; also having won against the
Bobcats the last 7 consecutive games in that series.

The Childress Bobcats found themselves with some healthy advantages on the road to Canadian, having had an extra week of preparation, rest from a Friday night game, and getting to watch the Wildcats in person at Tulia. Then there’s the unhealthy disadvantages that Canadian has been dealing with practically all season. It is well known that Canadian relies on a no-excuse “next man up” philosophy when it comes to key players out for injuries. However, the reality of how a team’s IR list grows impacts the team’s ability to perform at the same level just goes beyond making excuses. This week was no different seeing another Wildcat starter or two out from injuries sustained the previous week.

The first period had both defenses forcing three-and-outs when on a 3rd & 7 on the Childress 47, QB Camren Cavalier was intercepted by DB Avery Jalomo on a pass intended for WR Preston Miller. The very next play from the Canadian 41-yard line, Bobcat QB Collin Bishop would connect with a deep ball to WR Lamont Nickleberry for the first TD of the game with 6:49 left in Q1. The Wildcat defense would hold on for the rest of the period and the Wildcat offense, having slowed down to use up clock, drove down in 7-plays to the Childress 14-yd line and was able to salvage the drive with 31-yd field goal by Emiliano Hernandez with 0:48 left.

The young Wildcats had held a powerful offensive team to just one TD in the first quarter and had put points on the board with a Hernandez FG. But it was impossible to delay more of the Bishop/Nickleberry show to the tune of a swift 17-yard TD run by Bishop, slicing through tiny holes provided by his blockers with 6:37 left on the clock. Then, with only 0:41 left in the half, Nickleberry snagged another Bishop pass from 24-yds out. But the Wildcats were able to get close enough for Hernandez to attempt a 40-yd FG, his longest attempt of the season. With a breeze to his back, Hernandez nailed the FG and Childress ended up taking a 20-6 lead into
halftime.

The Canadian defense continued to hold off the Bobcats and Collin Bishop until the last few seconds of the third quarter. The Wildcats stopped a 10-play drive by recovering a fumble by Bishop on the Canadian 34-yd line. But the Wildcats couldn’t sustain a drive and with 0:11 left in the third period, Bishop took a keeper off left tackle on the very next play 50-yds for a TD. Bishop was just getting warmed up. With less than two minutes off the clock in Q4, he rushed 44-yds for another TD. The young new Wildcat come-ups did continue to fight and prevented Bishop, Nickleberry, and several other talented Bobcats from getting loose for another score in the last period and with 0:05 left in the game, Cavalier hit Julian Dominguez for a 4-yd TD pass, ending the scoring at 34-13.

As mentioned earlier, Canadian will play Idalou in the Bi District Championship at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 12, at Happy State Bank Stadium in Canyon. Other matchups for the District 3- 3A seeds can be found at:

https://www.uiltexas.org/football/playoff-brackets/3AD2

Jerry Brunson for Lone Star Gridiron
@CHSWildcatNews (Facebook & Twitter)
chswildcatnews (Instagram)
Photo courtesy Michael Kerrigan Photography
Stats courtesy of Ron Shrader, CISD

SCORING

          1ST 2ND 3rd 4th - Total
CANADIAN    0   3   0  70  - `3
CHILDRESS   7  13   7   7  - 34

CHIL – Lamont Nickleberry 41-yd pass from Collin Bishop (Romero kick) 6:49
CAN – Emiliano Hernandez 31-yd field goal - 0:48

CHIL – Collin Bishop 17-yd run (Alejandro Romero kick no good) 6:37
CHIL – Nickleberry 24-yd pass from Bishop (Romero kick) 0:41
CAN – Emiliano Hernandez 40-yd field goal - 0:00

CHIL – Collin Bishop 50-yd run (Romero kick) 0:11

CHIL – Collin Bishop 44-yd run (Romero kick) 10:10
CAN – Julian Dominguez 4-yd pass from Camren Cavalier (Hernandez kick) 0:05

CHI - CAN
FIRST DOWNS 19 - 12
YARDS RUSHING 215 - 102
YARDS PASSING 165 - 114
TOTAL YARDS 380 - 216
COMP-ATT-INT 13-23-0 - 14-27-1
PUNTS 3-34 - 5-41
FUMBLES-LOST 1-1 - 1-0
PENALTIES 5-60 - 5-30

Passing – Camren Cavalier: 14-27-114 yds, 1 TD
Rushing – Keeton Githens, 17-56 yds

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2015 Canadian - The Wildcats won the Class 2A Division I State Championship with a convincing 41 point win over Gulf Coast power Refugio. This was Canadian's 4th Championship win in 5 Championship games since 2007.

2017 Canadian - The Wildcats extended their winning streak to 16 years. All 16 years they have had 8+ wins. This team made it to the Semifinals with a high scoring offense and great defense.

2020 Canadian - The 2020 Wildcats won the Texas 3A DII Championship 35-34 over the Franklin Lions. It was their 5th state title.