The Whitney Wildcats left no doubt about who owned District 6-3A Division I on Friday night.
With a fast start, a big-play defense and contributions from across the roster, Whitney rolled past the rival West Trojans 56-14 to finish the regular season with its second consecutive outright district championship.
The Wildcats (9-1, 6-0) jumped out to a 28-0 first-quarter lead and never looked back. The back-to-back outright district titles mark the first time Whitney has accomplished the feat since 1982 and 1983.
Playmaker Kobe Haynes continued to carve his name in the state’s offensive record books, racking up six touchdowns to bring his total to 67 all-purpose scores in just nine games. But Friday’s victory showcased the Wildcats’ team depth with the postseason on the horizon.
Whitney opened the game backed up near its own goal line but quickly went to work. Haynes geared up the ground game before connecting with Rex Gatlin for a 42-yard reception to spark the drive. Seven plays and 98 yards later, Haynes found the end zone to put the Wildcats on the board.
The defense followed with a game-changing play. After senior Colt Poore pressured the West quarterback, sophomore Tyson Rhodes intercepted a pass and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown. It was Whitney’s first interception returned for a touchdown this season, extending the lead to 14-0 with seven minutes remaining in the first quarter.
West managed to move the ball on its next possession, but the Wildcats’ defense held firm. Senior Jordan McGill and crew recorded a sack on fourth down to give Whitney the ball back.
A strong run by Josh Richters and a reception by Fisher Watson helped move the Wildcats downfield before Haynes finished the drive with a 16-yard touchdown run.
After another defensive stop forced a West punt, Whitney took over near midfield and struck again. A sweep pass to Jaxon Landrum turned into a touchdown run, pushing the advantage to 28-0 with just over a minute left in the opening quarter.
West finally got on the scoreboard in the second quarter, but Whitney answered immediately. On the first play after the kickoff, Haynes broke through the defense and sprinted 62 yards for another touchdown, giving the Wildcats a 35-7 lead.
The defense continued to create opportunities, with KJ O’Hearn intercepting a West pass to give Whitney its second takeaway of the night. The Wildcats quickly turned the turnover into points as Haynes rolled out and found Watson near the goal line for another touchdown, extending the lead to 42-7.
The Wildcats continued to spread the ball around, with five Whitney receivers now having at least three touchdown receptions on the season and three with seven or more. Haynes’ ability to distribute the ball has made the Whitney offense difficult to contain.
Whitney threatened to add another score before halftime, but a Haynes touchdown run was called back and the Wildcats eventually turned the ball over on downs. Still, the Wildcats carried a commanding 42-7 advantage into the break.
Haynes opened the second half with another highlight, taking the kickoff 85 yards to the end zone for his first special-teams touchdown of the season. The return pushed Whitney’s lead to 49-7 and added another dimension to an already explosive performance.
West answered with a scoring drive late in the third quarter, but Whitney continued to control the action. Richters powered through the middle for a big run to move the Wildcats across midfield before a West interception stopped the drive near the end zone.
The Wildcats entered the fourth quarter leading 49-14, but the defense wasn’t finished making plays. Rhodes came up with his second interception of the night, this time in the end zone, to stop another West scoring opportunity.
Richters helped put the finishing touches on the victory with several hard runs, including a touchdown up the middle to make it 56-14. The score was his fourth rushing touchdown of the season.
With the clock running and the outcome long decided, Whitney continued to compete until the final seconds. Rhodes intercepted another West pass with 38 seconds remaining, completing a three-interception night and giving the Wildcats four takeaways overall.
The 42-point victory was Whitney’s largest margin of victory in the history of the rivalry against West.
Now the Wildcats turn their attention to the playoffs. Whitney enters the postseason as the top seed from District 6-3A Division I and will face Dallas Life Oak Cliff (8-2, 3-2) at 7 p.m. Thursday in Godley in the bi-district round.
Player of the Game
This week’s Player of the Game is sophomore Tyson Rhodes. Playing a role in Whitney’s secondary this season, Rhodes grabbed three interceptions against the West Trojans, including a 50-yard pick in the first half that he returned for a touchdown.
The Wildcats earned a 42-point victory over West to seal the district championship last week. They will travel to Godley Thursday to take on Dallas Life Oak Cliff in the bi-district round.
