Panhandle plays Hawley for third area title in five years

PANHANDLE, Texas (KFDA) - Panhandle is a team that finished the season 9-2 after a gauntlet of a schedule.

Tomorrow could prove to be their toughest challenge yet, as they face the undefeated Hawley Bearcats. We took a trip out to practice yesterday to see how they’re preparing.

“They played in the state championship last year, and they got most of their team back, I think,” Panhandle Head Coach Dane Ashley said. “They may be favored to win our region, we’ve got a huge challenge ahead of us. They’ve got some very athletic receivers that play the ball well. They have a good quarterback, a good running back who runs the ball hard, and those same players flip around and play defense. That’s their corners, their outside backers. [They’re a] very, very talented team that I think we match up well with.”

Hawley is sure to be a tough opponent, but Panhandle is a force to be reckoned with in their own right. The Panthers are averaging just over 60 points in their last six games.

Their only two losses are to Wellington and Stratford, two teams that have shown little to no weaknesses all year. This season they’ve defeated Clarendon, Vega and Farwell -- all second round playoff teams.

With a win tomorrow, Panhandle would secure their third area championship in the last five years.

The game kicks off tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 p.m. at Lowrey Field at Plains Capital Park in Lubbock.

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