Stephenville, others to determine playoff opponents Friday

easton-jones-snyder-feature — Stephenville quarterback and pitcher Easton Jones could be facing Tommy John surgery after suffering what has been initially diagnosed as a torn UCL in his throwing elbow Tuesday. || TheFlashToday.com file photo by RUSSELL HUFFMAN

By BRAD KEITH
TheFlashToday.com

STEPHENVILLE (October 31, 2016) — Stephenville has the opportunity to throw a wrench into the 3-4A Division I football race Friday, but only if the Yellow Jackets can go on the road and knock off district rival and ninth ranked Abilene Wylie.

Wylie is the only unbeaten team in the district standings, with Brownwood and Stephenville coming in at 2-1, Snyder at 1-2 and Big Spring 0-5.

Because Wylie defeated Brownwood by a strong margin of 35-13, the Bulldogs will likely be the district’s top seed entering the playoffs, even if Stephenville is to pull off an upset. And if the Yellow jackets do win at Wylie, Brownwood still figures to be the No. 2 seed, unless the Lions fall to a Snyder team that has won just once all season. Brownwood holds the head-to-head advantage with Stephenville, having defeated the Yellow Jackets 27-13.

Snyder’s lone win was 34-13 over Big Spring, locking up the No. 4 spot for the Tigers. Even with an upset of Brownwood and a Stephenville loss to Abilene Wylie, Stephenville holds the head-to-head advantage over Snyder after erasing a 21-7 deficit in a 32-29 win over the Tigers last Friday. Big Spring’s winless campaign is complete.

Playoff qualifiers from 3-4A matchup with those from 4-4A in the Region I-4A Division I bi-district playoffs next week. No. 2 Argyle is undefeated on the season and has locked up the top playoff seed from that district, while Sanger and Decatur play Friday to determine which will be seeded No. 2 and No. 3.

Wichita Falls Hirschi, Gainesville and Burkburnett are all 1-3 in district play, so unless Burkburnett can pull off a most unlikely upset of Argyle Friday, the winner of the Hirschi-Gainesville contest will face Wylie in the opening round of the playoffs.

If Wylie beats Stephenville and Brownwood beats Snyder, the Yellow Jackets face the winner of Sanger-Decatur in bi-district, with Brownwood facing the loser of that game. Snyder will take on Argyle in bi-district.

Stephenville has eliminated Decatur in bi-district each of the last two years. The Yellow Jackets were a big underdog but upset Decatur, 49-28, in 2015, after outlasting the Eagles, 66-64, in a four-overtime thriller in 2014. Decatur, however, beat Stephenville 61-35 earlier this season. That game was shortened by weather, with coaches mutually agreeing on a Decatur victory early in the fourth quarter.

Stephenville has never played Sanger or Argyle, according to records kept on StephenvilleYellowJackets.com.