Albany to face Eldorado in first round
By Sam Waller
The Albany Lions wrapped up the District 6-2A Division II championship Thursday, Nov. 3 by beating Abilene Texas Leadership Charter Academy 67-0 on Senior Night at Robert Nail Memorial Stadium.
The Lions (8-2 overall, 5-0 district) open the playoffs at 7:00 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11 against Eldorado in a Class 2A Division II bi-district game at Sweetwater’s Mustang Bowl. The Lions enter the postseason ranked No. 6 in the state by Dave Campbell’s Texas football magazine, moving up a spot in the final poll.
In their last home game, Albany seized control right away and kept it. Eight players reached the end zone on the night as the Lions scored three defensive touchdowns and saw their first five offensive plays produce scores from five players. It was the fourth consecutive game Albany has scored enough to win even if the offense hadn’t provided a point.
“I think we’re playing really well right now going into the playoffs,” Lions head coach Denney Faith said. “We have some momentum, everyone’s healthy, and I think they’re all excited to get started.”
Senior Tye Edgar said the goal is to keep the momentum building.
“This game set a pretty good tone for the playoffs,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of hope.”
The game was almost too easy for the Lions. Faith substituted liberally, pulling the starters in the second quarter and playing the junior varsity most of the second half.
“We didn’t get in much work, but that’s not a bad thing,” Faith said. “Everybody got a lot of playing time. The JV hadn’t had a game in a couple of weeks, and they were able to get quite a bit of time in the second half.”
Junior lineman Zane Waggoner was the only starter held out, with sophomore Landon Balliew filling in.
“Everybody should be pretty much healthy going into the playoffs,” Faith said. “You have a few bumps and bruises after 11 weeks of football, but everybody looks like they’ll be good to go.”
Albany took a total of just 14 offensive snaps, but gained 333 total yards – an average of 23.8 yards per play. Sophomore Branson Beal was the only player with more than two touches, carrying three times for 97 yards and two touchdowns.
Beal, who missed four games during the middle of the season with an ankle injury, had a 76-yard touchdown run the week before at Hamlin called back on a penalty.
“It feels great to get back out there,” he said. “I have a great team around me. It’s really all on them.”
Senior Samuel Rosas, who rushed for 68 yards, and freshman Breylon Billington, who finished with 32 yards, were the only other Lions to handle the ball more than once. Both scored on their first carry.
Meanwhile, the defense held TLC (0-10, 0-5) to 30 total yards and three first downs, two of which came in the second half against junior varsity players. The Eagles’ only first down of the first half came on a penalty.
Edgar and sophomore Laithe Leech each were in on six total tackles to lead the team. Six other players recorded three stops as 20 Lions were in on at least one tackle. Albany finished with three sacks, five tackles for loss, four interceptions, five pass breakups, and six quarterback hurries.
“It takes quite a bit of work to get to the playoffs, but we weren’t on the field a whole lot for this game,” said Edgar, who had 1½ sacks and three hurries. “We only got to play the first half, and then we let our JV take over.”
The onslaught started on the third play of the game when junior Cason Fairchild returned an interception 39 yards to score. TLC’s second possession also ended with an interception, this one by senior London Fuentes on the second play. Junior Adam Hill scored on a 40-yard run on the next play, the first offensive snap of the night for Albany.
Senior Coy Lefevre added the next two touchdowns in a matter of 78 seconds. A short TLC punt was followed by Lefevre’s 30-yard run. On the second play after the kickoff, Lefevre made a one-handed snag of a pass batted by Edgar and returned it 24 yards to score, his third interception return for a touchdown in two games.
Albany’s third offensive play saw the only pass attempt by senior quarterback Cole Chapman, a screen pass that Fuentes took 42 yards for a 33-0 lead with 2:13 left in the first quarter.
The second offense took over in the second quarter with no drop in production. Beal popped a dazzling 47-yard TD run on which he was spun around by a would-be tackler, escaping and cutting back across the field.
Rosas was next to get in on the act, racing 55 yards up the middle on the Lions’ first snap from their own side of the 50.
On the first play after the kickoff, junior Wyatt Windham returned another interception 36 yards to score. It was Windham’s third interception of the season, tying him with Fairchild, Fuentes, and Lefevre for the team lead.
Varsity players were given one series in the second half and came up with Albany’s longest drive of the night – 75 yards in five plays – capped by Beal’s 50-yard score.
With a running clock in effect, the Eagles were able to run out the rest of the third quarter, picking up a first down on a fake punt before losing the ball on downs. Billington started the fourth quarter with a 34-yard touchdown run on his first varsity carry to conclude the scoring.
Facing Eldorado
In District 5-2A Division II fourth seed Eldorado, the Lions will face offensive and defensive schemes –flexbone and 3-4 – they haven’t seen since last year.
“It’s stuff we’ve seen in the past, playing Santo and Olney last year, but we haven’t seen much flexbone and option stuff this year,” Faith said. “Size-wise, they’re one of the bigger teams we’ve played against. They’ve got big kids up front and are pretty athletic in the back.”
Faith said playoff teams must have a rather simplistic mindset.
“If you win, you get to advance; if you don’t, your season’s over,” he said. “The intensity level and all the concentration you need in practice intensifies now. If you want to keep playing, you’d better win.”
Albany has advanced past bi-district for the last 19 years, last losing in the first round to Petrolia in 2002.
“I think tradition plays a huge part in the success of our program,” Faith said. “These guys all expected to be where we’re at, and they expect to keep advancing, too. They’re going to make sure they practice that way.”
The winner of this game will face the winner of tonight’s Archer City-Muenster game in the area round.
