AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - In what may be one of the craziest storylines to happen in the Texas Panhandle this football season, the Amarillo High Sandies have officially secured their spot in the postseason after winning the coin toss over Lubbock High and rival Caprock.
It all started back on Thursday when there were reports that an Amarillo High varsity football player was ineligible. That athlete participated in all but one of their varsity football games during the 2025-26 season.
On Friday, Amarillo ISD released a statement confirming the reports and announced that Amarillo High would forfeit the six games the athlete competed in, including three district wins against Lubbock Monterey, Lubbock Coronado, and Lubbock High.
Going into Friday’s game against rival Tascosa, they had one district win over Caprock. That win would remain in the record books because the athlete did not participate in that game. There were a ton of possibilities of different teams making the playoffs, but all the cards fell into place for the Sandies after a thundering win over the Rebels, 63-21, and the fact that Lubbock High beat Coronado Friday night.
This meant that Amarillo High, Lubbock High and Caprock would have to do a three-way coin flip to determine the fourth and final playoff spot in District 2-5A DI. The coaches drove out to a gas station in Plainview, Texas to do the flip, and it was Amarillo High that won the toss, meaning their season will continue into the bi-district round.
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Amarillo High head football coach, Chad Dunnam, was visibly relieved after the toss.
“Honestly, this flip thing...I mean, I’ve never won...I’m not a gambler,” he said. “This whole deal, just driving down here and discussing it with the kids and our program, our coaches...we said if it’s in God’s plan, it’ll happen. If it’s not God’s plan, that we’re going to have faith and trust in him and it was in God’s plan and we have faith and trust in him and we’re so grateful and thankful for him and for our program and our kids and our administration.”
He continued.
“We’ve [had] the highest of highs, lowest of lows and back to the highest of highs right here in 48 hours,” Dunnam said. “Haven’t slept much, haven’t ate or drank...but we get one more week with our kids, and that’s what we’re fired up about.”
The final standings for District 2-5A DI are as follows: Abilene, Tascosa, Lubbock Monterey, and Amarillo High.
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Tascosa will face El Paso Parkland on Friday, Nov. 14 at 6:00 p.m. CST at Dick Bivins Stadium, while Amarillo High will travel out to El Paso to face El Paso El Dorado on Friday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. CST.
For the full list of the bi-district matchups for teams that have punched their tickets to the playoffs, click here.
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