SUNRAY, Texas (KFDA) - Three teams from the Texas Panhandle made the state semifinal last year, and two of them will meet up on the gridiron this Friday.
The Sunray Bobcats are in Classification 2A Division I, ranked #8. The Stratford Elks are in Classification 2A Division II, ranked #1.
When they meet on Friday night, the only number that will matter is on the scoreboard, when the clock hits zero. Both sides know the challenge ahead.
“They’re a really good football team,” Stratford Head Football Coach Jon Murphy said. “That’s even better. That makes this whole thing go. I tell you what, you will see some fireworks, for sure. I think that’s going to happen on both sides of the ball, because these guys are really good. They’re able to do some things offensively that, I think, threaten anybody, no matter who they play. They’re going to be really talented and really successful on that side of the football. So our defense is going to be up for it, and we’re going to go give them our best shot. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Stratford leads the all-time series 43-16-2. The Elks have also won the last 12 meetings between the two.
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“Their varsity is composed of juniors and seniors, a lot of the time,” Sunray Head Football Coach Wesley Boatmun said. “They don’t seem to have as much field experience as they usually do, but I will tell you... they have one of the most talented sophomore classes that I’ve seen... anywhere.”
The last time the Bobcats beat the Elks was back in 2011, when their current seniors were only four years old.
The game is set to kick off Friday at 7:00 p.m. at Bobcat Stadium in Sunray.
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