Big Country Game of the Week: Wichita Falls Rider, Abilene Cooper meet in league opener
The bye might not have come fast enough for Wichita Falls Rider and Abilene Cooper.
The Raiders (3-2) have lost two consecutive games, while the Cougars (1-4) have dropped two straight as well.
Both have a chance to wipe the slate clean and start District 2-5A Division II play with a victory as the two meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at Shotwell Stadium in Abilene.
Rider has losses to two good teams in Lubbock-Cooper (34-7) and Stephenville (21-20), while Cooper has played a tough non-district schedule as well. Both played Lubbock Coronado, which beat Cooper 27-21 and lost to Rider 38-0.
Both teams have several new faces on both sides of the ball, including a new quarterback, and both have been a work in progress.
It’s time for that work to pay dividends. Cooper needs a good showing, if not a win, as the Coogs hope to extend a run of 16 consecutive postseason berths.
Rider, too, needs a win going into next week’s game at Abilene Wylie. These first two district games could determine the Raiders' district title hopes.
Rider leads the series 7-2, including a 51-21 decision last year in Wichita Falls, and this is Rider’s final season. The school will be converted to a middle school as Wichita Falls ISD opens two new high schools — Memorial and Legacy — next year.
The pick: Abilene Cooper 24, Rider 21
More: High School football High School Football: Abilene High feasts on Amarillo Tascosa turnovers in district win
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Abilene Wylie at Plainview
7 p.m. Friday
After struggling on both sides of the ball early on, the Wylie Bulldogs (3-2) seem to have figured things out — winning three consecutive games, including wins against Lubbock-Cooper and Stephenville.
Plainview (4-1) started a surprising 4-0 before falling to then-unbeaten Hereford 27-10 before the bye.
Plainview hasn’t had a winning season since going 6-5 in 2014, and the team hadn’t won four games in a season since a 4-7 mark in 2017. That 2017 season also was the program’s last playoff berth — losing to Abilene Cooper 63-14 in the first round.
Wylie could use another win to propel it into next week’s showdown with Rider, while Plainview has a chance to emerge as a contender for the District 2-5A D-II title.
Wylie has won the last four meetings with Plainview, including 38-14 last year. Plainview won 22-19 in 2018.
The pick: Wylie 38, Plainview 24
Abilene High at Amarillo Caprock
7 p.m. Friday
Abilene High (4-2 overall, 2-0 district) is off to its best start since beginning 2018 with a 5-1 record. That team also began league play 2-0 and didn’t win again that year.
Don’t expect that to happen this year. AHS has too many weapons on offense, while the defense is solid as usual. This is a team that’s going to make a run for the District 2-5A Division I title.
Caprock (1-5) has been outscored 76-14 in its last three games, all losses, including 38-7 last week against in-town rival Amarillo High.
The Eagles blasted Caprock 45-0 in the first meeting between the two programs last year.
The pick: Abilene High 48, Amarillo Caprock 0
Clyde at Vernon
7 p.m. Friday
Clyde (5-0) has matched its win total from the previous two seasons combined, and the Bulldogs are off to their best start since beginning 6-0 in 2016. That team went 9-2 and two rounds in the playoffs.
Vernon, too, is 5-0 — something the Lions haven’t done since 2013. Vernon went 10-3 and three rounds that year.
Something has to give as the two clash in the District 3-3A Division I opener.
Clyde began last season 4-1 and took a four-game win streak against Vernon only to fall 42-28 and didn’t win again — missing the playoffs for the third straight year.
QB Blake Carr (1,084 yards 13 TDs passing, 752 yards 11 TDs rushing) and company are determined to not let that happen again this year.
The pick: Clyde 41, Vernon 35
Miles at Albany
7 p.m. Friday
You look at the scores and you think Miles is a six-man football team. No, the Bulldogs (4-1), who have scored 66 points or more in three games, play 11-man, and they have a standout quarterback in Hayven Book (83-131-6—1,288 18 TDs passing, 47-458 6 TDs).
Albany (5-0) is playing like a defending Class 2A Division II champion. The Lions are giving up 13.8 points a game, and their offense is pretty good, too, led by QB Chip Chambers (49-85-6—861 9 TDs) and RB Adam Hill (108-875 11 TDs rushing).
Miles, coming off a wild 70-68 win over Ozona, could make this District 6-2A D-II opener a fun one — or it could be lopsided like last year’s 49-18 win by Albany.
The pick: Albany 48, Miles 21
BEST SIX-MAN GAME
Aspermont at Jayton
7:30 p.m. Friday
On paper, this should be a lopsided Jayton win. The Jaybirds (6-0) are ranked No. 3 in Class 1A D-II and looking like a state title contender. They’ve allowed six total points in their last three games.
Aspermont (4-2) has beat up on some bad teams, and the Hornets are coming off a 48-0 loss at Newcastle.
Still, the two towns are 24 miles apart, and you can throw out the stats and records in rivalry games. The Jaybirds have dominated the Hornets the last five years, but Aspermont won 76-38 in 2018 for its second straight win in the series.
The pick: Jayton 58, Aspermont 13
Big Country Power Rankings
Class 3A/4A
1. Clyde (5-0) – Bye; Up next; at Vernon
2. Stephenville (4-2) – Beat Brownwood 27-17; Up next: Life Waxahachie (Oct. 13)
3. Brownwood (5-1) – Lost to Stephenville 27-17; Up next: at Big Spring
4. Jim Ned (4-1) – Bye; Up next: Bowie
5. Merkel (4-1) – Bye; Up next: at Dublin
Class 2A
1. Albany (5-0) – Bye; Up next: Miles
2. Stamford (5-0) – Beat Olney 58-16; Up next: at Cisco (Oct. 13)
3. Coleman (4-1) – Beat San Saba 40-26; Up next: at Tolar
4. Hawley (3-2) – Bye; Up next: at Colorado City
5. Roscoe (4-1) – Beat Junction 20-14; Up next: at Cross Plains
Class 1A
1. Benjamin (6-0) – Beat Loraine 61-16; Up next: Paducah
2. Gordon (5-0) – Beat Santa Anna 56-8; Up next: at Gorman
3. Knox City (6-0) – Beat Saint Jo 48-0; Up next: Forestburg
4. Jayton (6-0) – Beat Spur 63-6; Up next: Aspermont
5. Westbrook (4-1) – Bye; Up next: Highland
WEEK 7 SCHEDULE
Thursday's games
CLASS 5A
*Wichita Falls Rider at Abilene Cooper, 7 p.m.
CLASS 2A
*Hawley at Colorado City, 7 p.m.
CLASS 1A
Paint Rock at Blackwell, 7:30 p.m.
Ranger at Panther Creek, 7:30 p.m.
Friday's games
CLASS 5A
*Abilene High at Amarillo Caprock, 7 p.m.
*Abilene Wylie at Plainview, 7 p.m.
CLASS 4A
*Brownwood at Big Spring, 7 p.m.
*Midland Greenwood at Snyder, 7 p.m.
CLASS 3A
*Ballinger at Early, 7 p.m.
*Bowie at Jim Ned, 7 p.m.
*Clyde at Vernon, 7 p.m.
*Coahoma at Littlefield, 7 p.m.
*Comanche at Millsap, 7 p.m.
*Iowa Park at Breckenridge, 7 p.m.
*Jacksboro at Eastland, 7 p.m.
*Merkel at Dublin, 7 p.m.
CLASS 2A
*Anson at Winters, 7 p.m.
*Bangs at Goldthwaite, 7 p.m.
*Cisco at Olney, 7 p.m.
*Coleman at Tolar, 7 p.m.
*De Leon at San Saba, 7 p.m.
*Haskell at Munday, 7 p.m.
*Miles at Albany, 7 p.m.
*Roscoe at Cross Plains, 7 p.m.
*TLCA-Abilene at Hamlin, 7 p.m.
CLASS 1A
*Aspermont at Jayton, 7:30 p.m.
*Baird at Perrin-Whitt, 7:30 p.m.
Bronte vs. Oglesby, 7:30 p.m. at Blanket
Cranfills Gap at Priddy, 7:30 p.m.
Forestburg at Knox City, 7:30 p.m.
*Gordon at Gorman, 7:30 p.m.
*Gustine at Zephyr, 7:30 p.m.
*Hermleigh at Roby, 7:30 p.m.
*Highland at Westbrook, 7:30 p.m.
*Lingleville at Bryson, 7:30 p.m.
*May at Evant, 7:30 p.m.
*Mullin at Sidney, 7:30 p.m.
O’Donnell at Loraine, 7:30 p.m.
*Paducah at Benjamin, 7:30 p.m.
*Robert Lee at Menard, 7:30 p.m.
*Rotan at Ira, 7:30 p.m.
*Rule at Woodson, 7:30 p.m.
Strawn at Ranger, 7:30 p.m.
*Throckmorton at Lueders-Avoca, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday's Games
CLASS 1A
*Abilene Christian High at Amarillo San Jacinto, 3 p.m.
Vernon Northside at Moran, 5 p.m.
Trent at Rising Star, 7:30 p.m.
*District game
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Wichita Falls Rider, Abilene Cooper meet in district football opener
