The Stratford Elks will be staying on the road on Friday to face off against the Hawley Bearcats at 7:00 p.m. on December 1st. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Stratford had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat New Deal 53-16 on the road. Given Stratford's advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 228th, while New Deal is ranked 594th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Bryce Braden continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 143 yards and three touchdowns on only 15 carries, while also throwing for 82 yards and a touchdown. Josue Licon also deserves a shout-out for his two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Hawley had already won eight in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 35.6 points), and they went ahead and made it nine on Friday. They blew past Sonora 31-8.
It was another big night for Keagan Ables, who rushed for 76 yards and two touchdowns, and also threw for 232 yards and a touchdown while picking up 11.0 yards per attempt. Diontay Ramon was another key contributor, picking up 115 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Their wins bumped Stratford to 13-0 and New Deal to 9-4.
Everything came up roses for Stratford against Hawley in their previous meeting back in November of 2017 as the squad secured a 58-12 win. Does Stratford have another victory up their sleeve, or will Hawley turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
