Steers set up showdown with Bovina for playoff berth

FARWELL — Five players scored touchdowns and Farwell set up a showdown next week with rival Bovina for a playoff berth as the Steers shut out winless Springlake-Earth 32-0 in a District 4-1A contest Friday night.

Sophomore Matthew Edwards rushed for 168 yards on 21 carries as the Steers (7-1, 2-1 district) posted a 379-146 edge over the Wolverines (0-9, 0-3), including 354 yards on theground.

Farwell didn’t break through until lineman Jose Cabello, lining up in the backfield, scored on a 1-yard run midway through the second quarter. The Steers covered 60 yards in nine plays highlighted by a 25-yard pass from Jason Johnson to Grant Gregory — their only completion of the game.

Rowdy Mitchell added a 35-yard touchdown run late in the half, one play after a holding penalty nullified his 25-yard TD scamper.

Edwards capped a six-play, 51-yard rive with a 4-yard run in the third quarter, making it 19-0. The Steers tacked on two scores in the final four minutes on a 54-yard run by Luis Olmos and a 73-yard interception return by Johnson.

The Steers visit Bovina (5-3, 2-1), which was idle on Friday, in a winner-take-all clash next Friday for the second playoff spot in the district behind Nazareth.

LUBBOCK COOPER 24, MULESHOE 12 — At Lubbock, the host Pirates broke up a scoreless tie with 10 points in the final 5 1/2 minutes of the third quarter and held off the Mules in District 2-3A, eliminating Muleshoe from postseason consideration.

Quarterback Howell Finch went over from a yard out to put the Pirates (7-2, 3-1 district) on the board, and Jakob Cunningham added a 24-yard field goal in the final minute of the period.

Muleshoe (3-6, 1-3), missing out on the playoffs for the first time in seven years, got a 2-yard touchdown run from Danny Bonilla, but Cooper’s Bradley Madison went over from 5 yards out to make it 17-6 with 5:34 left.

After the Mules’ Landon Sheets hooked up on a 9-yard TD pass with Canaan Heinrich, a personal foul penalty on the TD forced Muleshoe to try an onside kick from its own 25. Cooper recovred, and Coy Cleveland scored the clinching touchdown shortly thereafter on a 9-yard run.

Cooper outgained the Mules 318-284 for the game. Madison rushed for 88 yards for the Pirates while Sheets went 6 of 15 passing for 114 yards and carried 13 times for 79 to lead Muleshoe.