Showdown to determine district winner
By Donnie A. Lucas
The long-awaited showdown for the District 7-2A title has arrived, with the Albany Lions traveling to Hamlin Friday night to battle for Albany’s 12th straight district championship.
The team will be looking for the AISD program’s 700th win, and the Lions will also be on the hunt for their 67th consecutive district win, a statistic going back over 12 years.
Kickoff at Piper Stadium is set for 7:00 p.m.
Both teams are entering the fray undefeated in district action at 3-0 to battle for the title and seeding in the playoffs. Both teams have two non-district losses on their record. Albany is 7-2 overall, and Hamlin is posting a 6-2 mark.
Friday’s game sets up an almost identical scenario to last year’s meeting of the two teams that ended with the -Lions taking the championship with a 34-27 win. The Lions and Pipers met for a second time in 2018 during the quarterfinal round, with Albany earning a 41-28 victory.
“Playing Hamlin is always a big game for us,” head coach Denney Faith said. “We are playing at their field this year, and they always have a big crowd. Plus, they are going to be looking to beat us in part to make up for last year’s two losses.”
Faith said that the two teams have already locked up the top two spots in the playoffs, so both squads will be playing for bragging rights.
“They are really good again this year,” he said. “We have got to come out and match their intensity, especially early in the game. They are very balanced with good running backs and good receivers.”
Faith added that turnovers will probably be key in the match-up.
“Whoever wins the turnover battle probably will win the game,” he said. “We have to tackle well on defense and take advantage of all opportunities to score. This is not a game where we can afford to leave any points on the field.”
The coach said that the two teams are similar in a number of ways and that the long-anticipated district decider is expected to be a battle.
“We are going to need a huge crowd in Hamlin on Friday to support our guys,” Faith said.
Lions Beat Haskell
Albany defeated Haskell 47-14 in the final home game of the year.
“We started out slow, but were able to pick it up as the game went on,” Faith said. “We had almost 500 yards of offense and allowed only two big plays on defense, so I would call that a good win.”
The Lions continued to stay balanced with 286 yards rushing and 211 yards passing.
Jaheim Newton again led the team in yardage with 175 yards rushing for three touchdowns. Dillon Hindman grabbed 120 yards passing for two tallies, while Blaine Kayga caught four passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns.
“I was really happy with the balance,” Faith said. “Ben (West) had a good game at quarterback, making good decisions.”
The coach also commended Newton, Hindman, and Kayga for their contributions.
“Our offensive line had their best game so far,” he said. “Once we got going, things starting working for us.”
The coach listed standouts as Gerardo Rodriguez, Tyler Beard, Monte Cauble, Ryder Wilkins, Devon Henson, Coby Knight, and Jackson Chapman.
Faith also was pleased with the defensive effort.
“We played pretty well on defense the entire game,” he said. “We did allow a couple of big plays in the secondary – one for a score and another that set up a score. Other than that, we contained them pretty well.”
Defensive standouts were Parker Henry, Hindman, Beard, Zion Belisle, and Jeb Becker.
He said that the PAT attempts were a little shaky this week, hitting five of seven.
“We missed a couple of PATs that we need to clean up, and we allowed them to recover an onside kick, which we have to stop,” Faith said. “We only had one punt for 51 yards, but that flipped the field on them.”
Scoring Summary
Albany – 1st quarter, 8:43. Ben West completes 48-yard pass to Dillon Hindman for touchdown. Colby Hargett kicks PAT. Score 7-0.
Haskell – 1st quarter – 04:21. Zach Silvas runs for 1-yard touchdown. Cutter Medford kicks PAT. Score 7-7.
Albany – 2nd quarter – 11:50. West pass to Blaine Kayga for 56-yard touchdown. PAT by Hargett no good. Score 13-7.
Albany – 2nd quarter – 5:52. West passes to Hindman for 3-yard score. PAT by Hargett fails. Score 19-7.
Haskell – 3rd quarter – 11:50. Logan Burson pass complete to Anthony Martinez for 41-yard touchdown. Medford’s PAT good. Score 19-14.
Albany – 3rd quarter – 8:42. Jaheim Newton runs 23 yards for touchdown. Hargett kick is good. Score 26-14.
Albany – 3rd quarter – 2:03. Newton scores on 1-yard carry. Hargett’s PAT good. Score – 33-14.
Albany – 4th quarter – 10:10. West passes to Kayga for 9-yard touchdown. Hargett PAT good. Score 40-14.
Albany – 4th quarter – 2:04. Newton scores on 3-yard run. Hargett kicks PAT. Score 47-14.
SCHEDULE/RESULTS
Aug. 30 Colorado City W18-3
Sept. 6 Dublin W28-21
Sept. 13 Eastland L28-60
Sept. 20 Hawley L20-22
Sept. 27 Peaster W41-0
Oct. 4 Menard W50-6
Oct. 11 OPEN
Oct. 18 Roscoe W49-0
Oct. 25 Cross Plains W41-13
Nov. 1 Haskell W47-14
Nov. 8 @Hamlin 7:00
