Farwell hoping to get back on track as playoffs open

FARWELL — It was hardly the way the Farwell Steers expected to end the regular season, dropping back-to-back games to Panhandle and Olton to fall to third place in Class 2A Division I District 1.

They’ll try to get back on track in a bidistrict round playoff game against Sundown, set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Levelland H.S.

The teams met on Sept. 25 at Farwell, with the Roughnecks taking advantage of four Steers turnovers en route to a 24-6 victory. Coach Darren Kelley, though, expects his squad to eliminate some of the mistakes from that game, plus they’ll have senior quarterback Leefe Actkinson back in the fold.

Actkinson missed two games during that time with a broken hand.

“That’ll help a lot,” Kelley said. “But we have to hold on to the football and not give them short fields.”

In the earlier meeting, Sundown (8-2) took advantage of a bad punt snap and a fumble to set up short first-half touchdown drives for a 12-0 advantage at the break. Then on the first possession of the second half, Roughnecks senior lineman Nicholas Rodriguez scooped up a Steers fumble and rumbled 21 yards to the end zone, all but putting the contest out of reach.

Farwell (7-3) limited the Roughnecks to 231 total yards, but didn’t break through to score until late in the game. Sundown, which went 4-1 with its only loss to Post in District 2, held the Steers to 152 total yards.

“They do a good job,” Kelley said of the Roughnecks. “We have to be in our gaps (on defense) and put some pressure on their quarterback.”

The winner is slated to face either Hawley or Goldthwaite in next week’s area round.

Bovina vs. Plains — With a 3-6 record for the season, Bovina coach Coby Emery knows his team’s odds are long in the upcoming Class 2A Division II playoffs.

Still, by finishing second in District 2 at 2-2, the Mustangs were able to claim second place and at least earn a more favorable draw. They’ll take on Plains (2-8), which was third in District 1A with a 2-2 record, in a bi-district round game slated for 7 p.m. (CST) on Thursday at Shallowater.

“It’s a lot better than (having to face state top-10) Wink,” Emery said of the meeting with the Cowboys. “They’ve had a rough go of it for the last eight years or so.”

The teams were in the same district the previous two years, with Bovina winning 49-7 in 2018 and 70-0 last season. Plains ended a 17-game losing streak with back-to-back wins over Iraan (56-24) and Seagraves (14-7) in mid-October.

Emery said the Cowboys operate from a spread offense. Senior Cole Reynolds and freshman Tyler Vargas have essentially split time at quarterback this season.

While Reynolds leads the team in rushing, Vargas has shown more through the air. He’s completed 55 percent of his passes this season for 544 yards and five touchdowns.

“Their freshman is going to be pretty good,” said Emery, who was Plains’ defensive coordinator in 2015. “Defensively, they’ve made improvement, and it’s going to be a lot harder against them than the last two years.”

With a win, the Mustangs would likely face a rematch from the regular season in the area round next week against Vega, which beat Bovina 63-13 on Sept. 25.