Week Two in Review

By Will Johnson

Messenger Reporter

EAST TEXAS – It is always good to get another week behind you in football season but more so in 2020 as COVID-19 has started to take its toll on programs across the state. So far, the virus hasn’t caused any local programs to push pause on their season and for that teams should be grateful.

Week two saw some pretty good matchups as some teams pulled out a win while others took it on the chin.

In Grapeland, the Sandies welcomed the Elkhart Elks to town for the renewal of a longtime rivalry. As expected, the game was hard fought on both sides. Elkhart took an early lead before the Sandies came back to take a 20-14 lead at the half.

The Elks scored on their first possession after halftime and kept it close until the clock was under two minutes. A fantastic catch in traffic by Keizion Ashford, on a third-and-19, set Grapeland up for the game-clinching score as the Sandies won the contest by a final of 40-29. 

The Crockett Bulldogs were on the road last Friday as they traveled to Rusk to take on the Class 4A Eagles. The Bulldogs played tough throughout but a couple of breakdowns in the secondary and on special teams cost Crockett a chance to upset the highly touted Eagles as the Bulldogs fell by a final score of 27-15.

The Lovelady Lions were back in the Lions’ Den on Friday night as they played host to the New Waverly Bulldogs. The game was delayed for quite a bit as lightning was in the area. Unfortunately, when the game started, it looked as if New Waverly caught lightning in a bottle as they rolled to a 33-0 win over the Lions.

The Westwood Panthers might just be for real this season. They beat Carlisle in their season opener and played well against a pretty rugged Buffalo Bison team before they eventually fell, 22-29. After several losing seasons, the Panthers need to develop a winning mindset and if they get that, they might just sneak into the playoffs.

The Palestine Wildcats bounced back after a Week One loss as they trounced the Livingston Lions. The Wildcats started slow but opened things up in the second quarter as they jumped out to a 14-0 lead at halftime on their way to a 28-7 win.

Will Johnson may be reached via e-mail at [email protected].