2005 Wise County Football Season in Review (page 2)
Paradise Panthers by Paul Barnett, Fever Reporter
The 2005 Paradise Panthers provided their fans with many thrills during the season. The season began with back-to-back victories over Godley (26-7) and to Henrietta (30-8). However, the Panthers found heartbreak in their next two games with close losses to Olney (20-24) and Callisburg (21-29). The Panthers finished up non-district play with a 3-2 record after a victory against Aubrey.
The Panthers began district play with 3 straight shutouts; 51-0 over Millsap, 34-0 over Nocona, and 24-0 over cross-county rival and defending Division I state champion, Boyd. The Panther’s 4 game winning streak came to a halt in Jacksboro with a 45-22 loss. The Panthers finished the regular season 7-3 and finished 4-1 in district play as co-district champions with Jacksboro and Boyd.
During the non-district season the Panthers lost two close games to Olney and Callisburg. The Panthers had another close game in the Bi-District round of the playoffs with the Cisco Loboes. This time however, Panthers scored with 18 seconds left on the clock to beat Cisco 27-24. The Panthers also took the defending Class 2A Division II state champions (Crawford) to overtime, losing 21-14.
The Panthers had 14 players in 18 positions named to the 9-2A all district team, including: Hudson Webber, Matt Webber, Cody McKenzie, Zach Strand, Matt Davis, Corbin Young, Josh Erwin, Zach Bruton, Cody Hambrick, Eric Crenshaw, Derek Hilliard, Oscar Martinez, Bradley Bryant, and Kolby McConnell.
After finishing the season at 8-4, the Panthers will have a very solid group of starters returning in 2006 and will look to hopefully be a threat on the state level.
Boyd Yellowjackets by Paul Barnett, Fever Reporter
The 2005 Boyd Yellow Jackets had very high expectations to live up to after winning a state championship in 2004. The Yellow Jackets began the season like they left off 2004, winning a thriller. The Jackets beat Bowie on a 30-yard touchdown pass on the last play of the game. The Jackets went on to beat Venus 54-20, Fort Worth Christian 42-28, and Henrietta 14-7, as they would win their first 4 games of the season. The Yellow Jackets finished up non-district play 4-1 after a loss to Breckenridge.
Boyd won their first two games in with wins over Chico (28-7) and over Millsap (40-0) before falling to cross-county rival Paradise. The Yellow Jackets went on to beat Nocona 26-0 and then they beat Jacksboro in a thriller 32-27 earning the Co-District Championship with Jacksboro and Paradise. The Yellow Jackets finished the regular season with an 8-2 record. Boyd fell to Eastland in the Bi-District round of the playoffs to the Eastland Mavericks, 38-7.
Boyd had 11 players in 14 positions named to the 9-2A all district team, including: Chase Hall, John Steel, B. J. Hampton, Cody Ogle, Brandon Clement, Allen Craig, Braden Ritchey, Mark Leffler, Bubba Smith, Kyle Erwin, and Daniel Armentor.
The Yellow Jackets only had 3 blemishes on what was otherwise a very solid season. They proved they could win the close games all year long. Like their cross-county rivals in Paradise, Boyd will have a solid group of starters returning next season and they will hope to regain their state championship winning form from 2004.
