Regional football preview: Melrose set to host Gateway

A little over a month ago, it seemed Melrose’s football team was in trouble. The Buffaloes were 1-5 and injury-riddled, their season in doubt.

But they got healthy, tore off a string of victories — including a big one over powerhouse Gateway Christian on Oct. 19 — and well, what do you know, the four-time defending state eight-man champs are right where they usually are at this point of the season, in the state tournament’s semifinal round.

They will host Gateway on Friday at 7 p.m., with a chance to play for a fifth consecutive state title on the line. And the Buffaloes are at fever pitch already.

“They’re really excited,” Melrose head coach Caleb King said. “They’re ready to play, that’s for sure.”

The Buffaloes’ win streak is at five, as they’ve run their record to 6-5. Gateway’s 9-1 record is impressive, indicating the Warriors are one of the state’s best eight-man teams. There is the matter of that loss column, though, that one defeat handed to the Warriors by Melrose less than a month ago. So records are likely not an indicator of how this one will turn out.

Having played Gateway so recently, the Buffaloes have plenty of recent film to study, plenty of examples of what they did right or wrong in that 38-36 victory last month.

“Yeah, it’s where you want to be, playing a team you kind of know,” King said. “But it’s the flip side for them — they can fix what they want to fix. You’ve just got to make sure you get yourself ready to play against a really good opponent.”

And what’s the best way to beat that really good opponent?

“Oh man, it’s going to take making big plays at big moments,” King said. “We’re both very good teams, both very similar. ... We’re just going to have to play really smart football, and when the opportunities come up, we have to make sure we take advantage. And whoever makes the most of those is going to be able to win the football game.”

The fact that King is even talking about trying to win a semifinal is incredible, considering how unlikely Melrose’s appearance in one seemed earlier this season. The Buffaloes never stopped believing, though.

“We knew we had the group that could definitely make the semifinals and be one of the top four teams in the state,” King said. “It was just whether or not we were going to be healthy and have those kids back in time. We knew if we could do that we could definitely be a top-four team.”

King says health shouldn’t be an issue for Friday’s game.

“We’ve got everybody ready to go,” he said. “We’ve got everybody feeling pretty good. We’ve just got to stay healthy during the week and get ready to play the game.”

And what a game it shapes up to be. A four-time defending state champion on a five-game winning streak. A team with a 9-1 record. A championship-game berth there for the taking. It should be an electric night at Melrose.

“Oh yeah,” King said. “It’ll be a real lively game, exciting.”

Van Horn (3-9) vs. Farwell (9-1)

Friday, 6 p.m. MST

at Hobbs High School

Finally, Farwell’s football team begins the postseason. And the Steers will have to travel a piece to get there.

Texas’ 2A D2 Bi-District round will be played Thursday through Saturday, with the Steers wedged in the middle, on Friday at 7 p.m. Central, 6 p.m. Mountain. Farwell and Van Horn play at a neutral site — Hobbs High School, about two and a half hours away from Farwell High — with the Steers designated as the home team.

For the price of a four-dollar ticket, three dollars for students, is a matchup that doesn’t seem too even on paper. After all, 9-1 looks a lot of better than 3-9.

But hold on, this is the playoffs. As Chris Berman used to make a habit of saying on ESPN, ‘That’s why they play the games.’ The Steers will have to go out and win it on the field.

Still, Farwell comes in as one of the hottest teams around, having won nine straight after losing its season opener to Friona way back on Aug. 31. The Steers appear to have the best chance of being the team that plays the Stratford-Smyer winner in the Area round on Thanksgiving weekend.

Farwell does have a 1,000-yard rusher in senior Ricardo Ortega, who’s at 1,155 to be exact, with 10 rushing touchdowns. He’s averaging 9.3 yards per carry.

Patrick Pena is second in rushing yardage with 699 to go with six touchdowns, and is averaging 7.7 yards per run. Leo Ruiz has 10 rushing touchdowns, tying Ortega for the team lead. Ortega leads in overall touchdowns with 12; Ruiz is second with 11.

Leefe Actkinson has passed for 1,065 yards and 15 touchdowns this season. And Ruiz is capable of stepping under center when necessary, having completed 10-of-15 passes for 243 yards and three scores.

Jose Rodriguez leads the team in both receiving yards (500) and touchdown catches (6). He also leads Farwell with five interceptions, including a pick-six. Ramon Reyes has four picks.

That’s a lot for any team to handle, especially one that’s 3-9.