Previewing Week 5 of Cooke County HS Football
Sep. 24—Lindsay
Lindsay (2-2) faces one last challenge before district play when the Knights travel to Henrietta (3-1). Lindsay is coming off a 53-18 win against Valley View, while Henrietta defeated Archer City 43-28 last week.
The Bobcats use a balanced attack. Braden Bell has thrown nine touchdowns to two interceptions. He is also their leading rusher and has scored five rushing touchdowns. Garrett Blevins is their primary running back, and Baron Brown is their top receiving target.
The only team to hold the Bobcats to fewer than 38 points has been Windthorst, who gave them their only loss, 22-15. The Knights' defense will need to be solid in all phases to slow down Henrietta.
Kickoff in Henrietta is set for 7 p.m.
Whitesboro
Whitesboro (1-2) will be the first area team to begin district play when it travels to Ponder (3-0). Both teams were off last week.
Ponder is another balanced team. The Lions average nearly 200 rushing yards per game, while quarterback Clifton Cooper averages 249.3 passing yards. Whitesboro's numbers aren't as high, but the Bearcats have played a much tougher schedule.
Two of Whitesboro's opponents won their districts last year, while the other finished second. Ponder has only faced one playoff team from last season, while the other two opponents have just one combined win. Ponder has already matched its win total from last year, but will it translate to district play?
Kickoff in Ponder is set for 7:30 p.m.
Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart (1-3) has yet another big test this week as the Tigers host Fort Worth Lake Country (1-2). Sacred Heart fell to Colleyville Covenant 41-12 last week, while the Eagles fell 25-21 to Willow Park Trinity Christian.
Lake Country has had a much tougher start to this season than last. The Eagles' only regular season loss last year came to Colleyville Covenant, who then defeated Lake Country again in the Division III state semifinals. This year, the Eagles have already lost twice, including to a Willow Park Trinity team they dominated in 2020.
Lake Country has only broken 200 total yards of offense once so far. If the Tigers can keep up with the Eagles' scoring and possibly force some turnovers, a game that was lopsided a year ago could be quite different this time.
Kickoff at Sacred Heart is set for 7 p.m.
Callisburg
Callisburg (4-0) looks to keep things rolling Friday night at Chico (0-4). The Wildcats defeated Honey Grove 36-7 last week, while Chico fell 54-22 to Nocona.
Chico uses a run-heavy offense, and quarterback Brennan Anderle is one of the Dragons' top rushers alongside running back Willie Lacey. Chico has not thrown a touchdown pass this season, so the passing game typically isn't a huge threat. The Dragons have run for 265 or more yards in each of their past three games, so the Callisburg defense will be tested in that regard.
Chico has yet to allow fewer than 40 points in a game defensively, so the Wildcats' offense led by Colton Montgomery, Carl Moore and others should be able to have a strong showing in Callisburg's last non-district game.
Kickoff at Chico is set for 7:30 p.m.
Era
Era (0-4) hits the road for the second-straight week to face Electra (2-2). Era lost 41-0 to Santo last week, while Electra defeated Morton 27-12.
Electra's game last week was cut short due to lightning just a minute and a half into the second half, but quarterback Luke Barrera still managed to throw for 193 yards and three touchdowns. He rushed for a fourth.
Era's defense has thus far struggled to stop the run, but only Lindsay has broken 100 passing yards against the Hornets. If the Hornets can do better against the run and slow down Barrera, they may give themselves a chance.
Kickoff at Electra is set for 7 p.m.
