Hornets to enter playoffs
Hornets head to the playoffs tonight! Game time is 7:30 p.m. in San Saba.

PHOTOS BY CHERI JAY-WIENECKE Lometa's Jorge Salinas breaks up a pass intended for a Cherokee receiver in last Friday's 40- 6 Hornet win.

The Lometa football team will certainly have its hands full tonight.

After claiming the runner-up spot in Six-Man Division I District 16 with a 40-6 win against Cherokee last Friday, the Hornets (6-4) will meet state power Richland Springs (9-0) in an opening-round playoff game at 7:30 tonight in San Saba.

Richland Springs beat Lometa 40-16 in the opening round last year on its way to a Division I state championship and a 15-0 record.

The Coyotes are led by senior quarterback Tyler Ethridge, arguably one of the greatest sixman players in state history. The 5'8", 170-pounder has thrown for an all-levels record 211 touchdown passes in his career and won two state titles.

Last week, in a 60-14 win against Rochelle that claimed the Coyotes their sixth-straight Six- Man Division I District 15 title, Ethridge completed 10 of 13 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns and ran 13 times for 123 yards and three more scores.

Hornet Sam Pauly (3) breaks tackles in Lometa's win over Cherkoee. The victory clinched the runner-up spot in Six-Man Division I District 16 and secured a playoff berth for the Hornets.

Ethridge's primary target in the passing game is receiver Mark Williams. Last week, Williams caught five of Ethridge's passes for 188 yards and three touchdowns.

The Coyotes average 60 points per game and allow an average of eight. The Hornets, who went 3-2 down the stretch, average a little more than 40 points per game and allow an average of 38.

The Hornets will sit on the visitor's side at Rogan Field. The price of admission is $5.

Brandon Faubion (14) records a solo tackle in the Hornets' win over Cherokee. Lometa advanced to the opening round of playoffs with the win.