Bobcats beat Bulldogs, advance to area round

FLOYDADA – The Childress Bobcats are Bi-District champions.

“Winning a gold ball last week was special for our kids and us as coaches,” Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Bo Helm said. “It’s always fun to earn another week of being together.”

They beat the Coahoma Bulldogs 46-20 on Friday, Nov. 11 in Floydada, extending their win streak to five games and advancing them to the area round.

“It feels good to move on to the next round,” said Defensive Coordinator Matthew Olson. “Texas High School Football Playoffs is a big deal, and to see the kids be successful last Friday was great to watch.”

Helm is proud of the players for the effort they’ve put into the season and the commitment they’ve made to the team. He said both sides of the ball are coming together and playing well right when they need it the most.

“We were effective running and throwing last week on offense and got some big turnovers and stops defensively,” Helm said. “They are playing for something way bigger than themselves right now. That is when you know you have something special in a team.”

The Bobcat offense had more than 500 yards: 327 rushing yards and 175 passing yards. Dareon Mathis led the team with 191 rushing yards, 33 passing yards and two touchdowns.

“I was super proud of how Dareon played last week and how he and the OL have grown together,” Offensive Coordinator Reid Ware said. “They are playing with a lot of trust and confidence.”

While Mathis had some big plays on Friday, Ware thinks his biggest play of the game came without the ball in his hands. “On our interception he made the touchdown-saving tackle 50 yards down the field,” Ware explained. “It was a fantastic hustle play and the type of plays we will have to continue to make moving forward.”

Seth Taylor also had two TDs, and NickMcMinn had one. Drake Rabe threw for 175 yards and two touchdowns and ran the ball in for a TD. “Drake doesn’t get a ton of opportunities to rush the football, and it was fun to see him get into the endzone,” Ware said. “He had one of his best games.”

While the Bobcats lit up the scoreboard, the defense held the Bulldogs to less than 190 yards and had three interceptions. Lamont Nickleberry intercepted the ball twice and ran one back for a touchdown. Billy Moore got the other interception.

Olson said his players continue to show up and work hard despite battling adversity and non-district losses. “To watch them bring a gold ball home was awesome,” Olson said. “The kids are playing really hard on the defensive side of the ball. The kids are flying around and physical when they get to the ball.”

With a tough opponent in the Wall Hawks, Olson said they need to continue that this week. Helm added they have to clean up penalties and discipline will be the key to the game.

The Bobcats play Wall (10-1) at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18 in Breckinridge.

“For many of our players that (bi-district game) was their first gold ball to take home, and that’s always a moment that they will remember,” Ware said. “It was certainly special and rewarding to get that first win, but I don’t think any of us are lingering on it. We have other goals that we have set for ourselves.”