Longhorns aim to keep winning seasons going

lockney-football-redzone
lockney-football-redzone

The Lockney Longhorns line up in the red zone during their homecoming game against the Memphis Cyclones on Oct. 8, 2021. (Alex Driggars/Floyd County Record)

LOCKNEY – Winning can be habit forming, and new Lockney head football coach Jonathan Thiebaud likes the fact that the Longhorns have had winning records the past two seasons of 7-4 in 2021 and 7-3 in 2020. Thiebaud hopes to keep the winning going when the season kicks off on August 26 when the Horns entertain the Seagraves Eagles at Mitchell-Zimmerman Field.

Lockney has a schedule this fall that could provide good competition, but one that shout have the Longhorns reaching the .500-plus mark again. The season opener with Seagraves will provide a good measuring stick. The Eagles are coming off an 8-4 season in 2021 and advanced to the second round of the playoffs. Dave Campbell’s Texas Football (DCTF) notes the Eagles have eight starters returning from their option-style offense led by running back Ethan Salazar, plus four returnees on defense including linebacker David Cervantes. DCTF named Cervantes the 4-2A-II Pre-season Defensive MVP. Seagraves is predicted to be the district runner up behind New Home.

The second game is the traditional Floyd County Championship with the Floydada Whirlwinds at Charles Tyer Stadium. Floydada has an abundance of returning starters with eight on each side of the ball. Both the Winds and Horns were playoff teams last fall. Regardless how a Lockney-Floydada game looks on paper, this annual event that has been going on for a century always has the potential of providing surprises due to the intensity from both teams and energy of the fans in the stadium.

Lockney will play a trio of teams that had losing seasons in 2021 in its remaining non-district schedule – the Plains Cowboys (3-8 in 2A-II), Abilene’s Texas Leadership Eagles (3-7 in 2A-II), and the West Texas-Stinnett Comanches (0-10 in 2A-1). The Longhorns will then open play in a new district 3-2A-II on October 7 against the Crosbyton Chiefs (4-7 playoff team in 2A-II). Next will be the Sudan Hornets (2-8 a year ago), then the district favorite Ralls Jackrabbits (7-4 playoff team), followed by the Hale Center Owls coming down from 2A-1 (3-7 in ’21). The Longhorns will close the season against the Bovina Mustangs (4-7 playoff season), forecast as the district runner up by DCTF.

Two district foes have quarterbacks with returning experience in Trent Wilson of Sudan, and Adam Beruman of Hale Center. DCTF named Bovina running back Darian Delarosa as the district’s pre-season Offensive MVP, and defensive back Zaiah Riojas of Ralls as the pre-season Defensive MVP. The district appears to have a lot of parity and should be a fun one to follow. Lockney should fit in 3-2A-II very well.

Important dates in AUGUST
8/1 all players in Texas report for two-a-day conditioning
8/8 first day of full contact with full pads in Texas
8/11 Scrimmage at Sanford-Fritch
8/18 Scrimmage vs Boys Ranch
8/26 SEASON OPENER vs Seagraves

SEPTEMBER non-district games
9/2 at Floydada
9/9 at Plains
9/16 Abilene Texas Leadership
9/23 West Texas – Stinnett
9/30 open

OCTOBER, NOVEMBER 3-2A II schedule
10/7 at Crosbyton *
10/14 Sudan *
10/21 @ Ralls *
10/28 Hale Center *
11/4 Bovina *

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