Football team to meet Gainesville in Childress for first playoff game

Sophomore+running+back+Aidan+Hildinger+carries+the+ball+to+a+touchdown+in+a+victory+over+Hereford+while+sophomore+Joe+Shaw+blocks+for+him.+

Kaylee Buck

Sophomore running back Aidan Hildinger carries the ball to a touchdown in a victory over Hereford while sophomore Joe Shaw blocks for him.

The football team will face Gainesville High School in the first round of playoffs Friday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. at Fair Park Stadium in Childress. 

Senior Daniel Musgrave said the defensive coordinator, coach Jed Anderson, usually gets the team pumped up before big games.

“Our coaches want us to be involved and excited about games,” Musgrave said. “We need to keep doing what we’ve been doing and be able to keep a consistency.”

“Our main focus right now is one game at a time.

— Aidan Hildinger,11

Sophomore Brandel Barrett said head coach Blake Bryant is pushing the team to stick together as a family going into playoffs.

“The unity of our team has been key,” Barrett said. “Family is really important to us because we want to make it far this year.”

Musgrave said holding each other accountable is key.

“Making each other go to morning lift and film is important,” Musgrave said. “We have good team chemistry this year, and I think that’s helped us get to where we are.”

Junior Aidan Hildinger said making it to state is always a good team goal.

“We want to play as many games as possible–we are in it for the long run,” Hildinger said. “Our main focus right now is one game at a time.”

We love the support and try to thank everyone as much as we can because they don’t realize the impact they have on us.

— Brandel Barrett, 10

The football team’s one loss this season was to the Dumas Demons directly after their bye district week.

“We can’t let what happened to our bye week happen again,” Musgrave said. “We have to stay focused, and we can’t get side tracked. I think we need to stick to our team word this year which is ‘unproven.’”

Gainesville’s football record is 4-6.

“They are going to be a tough team,” Musgrave said. “They have a pretty good quarterback and running back, but it shouldn’t be any different from other games. We just need to keep doing what we’ve been doing.”

The community is welcome to attend a pep rally for the football players Thursday, Nov. 17 on the square in Canyon at 6:30 p.m. 

“We love the support and try to thank everyone as much as we can because they don’t realize the impact they have on us,” Barrett said. “When we ride to football games we see all the flags and signs moms make for us, and it pumps us up a lot. We love it.”