The Whitney Wildcats (10-1) stormed into the first round of playoffs like a young Mike Tyson, delivering a flurry of knockout punches to quickly claim the 2023 Bi-District Championship.
Staring up at the Waco ISD Stadium scoreboard this past Saturday, the Groesbeck Goats (7-4) never knew what hit them. Whitney attacked from all angles, racing to a 47-0 halftime advantage and finishing with a 67-14 statement victory.
The Wildcats now head into the area round of the 3A-Division 1 playoffs with a matchup against the Tatum Eagles (6-5). Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday night at Kincaide Stadium in Dallas.
Hailing from East Texas, Tatum started slow, but turned up the heat in the second half of the season. The Eagles posted a 4-1 record to earn the District 6-3A title. Tatum outlasted Commerce 42-21 in a tight bi-district game.
Tatum comes into the contest against Whitney with a solid ground game and an athletic roster of playmakers. The Eagles have averaged 44 points in the last six games. Tatum will need all the offense it can muster to keep pace with the explosive Wildcats.
Against Groesbeck, Whitney immediately hit the gas as star receiver Jairdyn Anderson produced two touchdown receptions in the first four minutes of play.
The Wildcats added a field goal from Carson Griffin to close out the first quarter that was followed up by a 32-yard touchdown sprint from Jontae Johnson.
Whitney’s defense then flexed and put the team in position for three more scores before the half. A fourth-down stop from Trey Haynes was complemented by an interception from Anderson and a fumble recovery from Teagan Winkler.
As the second quarter closed, Kaden Tanner, Haynes and Anderson had all found the end zone.
Down 47-0, Groesbeck failed to gain any momentum. The Goats were forced to punt on the first position of the second half and the Wildcats responded with another touchdown toss from Mason Seely to Kaden Tanner.
The third quarter played the same as the second, as the Wildcats’ pressure was too much for Groesbeck to handle. A botched snap from the Goats set up a short score from Johnson and then senior Marcus Wilson took an interception to the house.
Groesbeck was able to find the scoreboard in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late. The Wildcats’ celebration had begun.
Looking at the playoff teams from Whitney’s district in the Region 2 bracket, Grandview handled Italy 27-9 in a rain-soaked contest, while West slipped up against Teague 29-27 and Maypearl was dealt a 49-0 loss from Malakoff.
The Lakelander 