Albany to face Windthorst in quarterfinals
By Sam Waller
Facing a higher-ranked opponent for the first time this season, the Albany Lions knew they’d have to raise their level of play last Friday against the Muenster Hornets in their Class 2A Division II regional final.
The fourth-ranked Lions did just that, using a dominating defensive performance and offensive diversity in manhandling the second-ranked Hornets 34-21 at Springtown’s Porcupine Stadium.
Now they get to do it again, taking on longtime nemesis Windthorst, ranked No. 3, in the state quarterfinals. That game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Friday at Newton Field in Graham.
Albany (12-0) held Muenster (12-1) to 48 total yards and three first downs in the first half with 30 yards and two first downs coming in the final 30 seconds after the Lions had staked themselves to a 28-0 lead.
“We played with a lot of grit and determination,” Lions head coach Denney Faith said. “It was a really good game for us.”
Quarterback Cole Chapman passed for two touchdowns and ran for another as five Lions found the end zone, but it was Albany’s defense that set the tone. The Hornets went three-and-out on their first two possessions and committed the first of four turnovers on their third.
“First, I think it was just great preparation during the week by our coaches,” Faith said, “And then, execution – the guys did what we coached them to do and played with a lot of intensity, grit, and fire.”
Brooks Neece, Cooper Fairchild, and Chapman each recorded 5.5 tackles to lead the team, while Taren Farmer had 3.5, and Zane Waggoner and Samuel Rosas each had three.
“We had a lot of kids swarming to the ball,” Faith said. “We knew we were going to have to do that against a good running back. Muenster wants to run the football, so that’s what we were going to try to take away, and in the first half, we were very successful.”
Neece had a fumble recovery with Luke Ivy, Rosas, and Fairchild intercepting passes. Ivy had the first theft, one of three takeaways Albany converted into touchdowns.
“The best thing that can happen in a game is momentum,” Ivy said. “You need that.”
Muenster managed just 32 yards rushing as the Lions recorded seven tackles for loss. Muenster’s Colton Deckard, who had rushed for 1,956 yards and 26 touchdowns entering the game, was held to two yards on nine carries.
“We had to run lots of twists and games because they move their linemen around a lot,” Ryan Mark said. “They’re fast, athletic guys. We had to shut down their running back and make them rely on the pass.”
The Lion defense forced the Hornets to replace starting quarterback Devon Bindel with Seth Stoffels, who passed for 201 yards and two touchdowns as Muenster gained 245 yards through the air. Grant Hess caught 11 passes for 149 yards and two TDs, both of which came in the final six minutes of the game after Albany’s lead reached 34-7.
“We told the guys at halftime that Muenster had way too much tradition and pride,” Faith said. “They’re not just going to lay down the second half, so we had to come out and play the same way we did the first half. They hit some big passes on us, but they’ve got good athletes in Muenster, so none of that was a surprise.”
Albany gained 438 total yards as Chapman passed for 176 and rushed for 63, while Jaheim Newton rushed for 162 on a season-high 23 carries.
“Our offensive line blocked really well up front,” said Chapman, who was 10 of 22 passing. “Muenster played man coverage in the secondary, and our receivers were able to get off their routes and make things happen.”
Fairchild finished with four receptions for 41 yards and a score, while Adam Hill had a TD reception. London Fuentes (2-60) and Coy Lefevre (3-60) had key catches to move the chains. Fuentes’ receptions allowed Albany to convert on third-and-17 and third-and-22.
Chapman and Newton each had a 6-yard touchdown run to get things started before Hill scored on a 15-yard reception to put Albany ahead 21-0 late in the second quarter. Neece then made the play that enabled the Lions to take an insurmountable lead, stealing the ball from Muenster’s Bradley Lutkenhaus on the ensuing kickoff. Neece made it pay off with a 1-yard TD plunge with 31 seconds left in the half.
“We knew Muenster was going to make some adjustments at halftime,” Faith said. “Being able to go up four scores was huge, and the turnover was big, but making it hurt them by punching it in was even bigger.”
The Hornets battled back in the second half, forcing Albany to punt on its first three possessions, but the interceptions by Rosas and Fairchild prevented Muenster from getting closer than 28-7 until the final minutes. Following Rosas’ pick, the Lions drove to the Muenster 1-yard line before being stopped on downs. Fairchild’s interception two plays later led to his 15-yard scoring catch with less than eight minutes to go.
Muenster’s last two scores came with 5:59 and 1:17 to go as Albany worked the clock the rest of the way.
“We had more than 30 minutes to their 15 or so,” Faith said.
Quarterfinal Playoff
Albany and Windthorst will meet in the playoffs for the sixth time since 2003 and the third year in a row. The Lions’ lone postseason win over the Trojans, who have ended Albany’s season the last two years, came in a 2008 area meeting.
“It’s going to take another great effort and that’s going to start with preparation during the week,” Faith said. “We’re familiar with the things they like to do and they’re very familiar with us. It’s one of those situations where we’re going to have to execute, come out and play great defense, get a turnover or two if possible. We need to take advantage of opportunities and put points on the board.”
Defending state champion Windthorst (12-1) finished second to Muenster in District 7, losing to the Hornets 16-8 on Oct. 15. The Trojans advanced with a 40-7 victory over Santo last week.
Friday’s winner advances to the state semifinals against the winner of the Region I quarterfinal between Stratford and Wellington.
Ticket Info
All tickets are $6 and must be purchased online. To purchase tickets, go to grahamisd.com and click on “Tickets” in the top bar. Senior passes will be honored.
Albany will be the home team with fan seating on the west (pressbox) side of the stadium.
