Lopes Ride Winds for Playoff Birth

REDMAN STADIUM - The cold north wind couldn't hamper the running game as both Post and Floydada's quarterbacks kept their wheels warm by rushing for over 100 yards each in the District 2-2A, Division II clash in Post this past Friday. 

With the 26-16 win over Floydada, the Lopes (3-0 in district) qualify for the 2012 playoff season for the first time in three years with two district games remaining.  The Lopes face last place Olton there on Friday and finish the regular stanza at home against Abernathy which should be the district championship on November 9.

Glad for the win against Floydada, Head Coach Steve Smith told the Garza Post "I would have liked to be a little more physical, but we played well overall." 

The Whirlwinds defense could only focus on stopping one-third of the Lope's grinding ground game in slowing down tailback D.J. Brown, the area's best 2A runner, to just 81 yards, well under his season average of 179 per game.  The Whirlwinds' focus on Brown opened up the field for QB Pake Jones and fullback Bryan Smith. Smith a sophomore was the Lopes top ground gainer with 136 yards on 17 touches and two touchdowns.  Jones, the junior Antelope signal caller, wound up with 112 yards on 16 carries.  Two of those touches off the option play finished in the end zone; one for 40 yards the other for seven. 

Floydada turnovers may have been the difference in the game for the Bold Gold.  Both Brown and Dylan Pearson picked off Wind's QB Jordan Woody passes.

Coach Smith entered the contest knowing the running game was the way to go against the Winds.  "We actually called three passes, but they all busted down."  QB Jones never passed the ball and the busted passing attempts ended in good ground possessions for the Bold Gold.

In a pregame interview Head Coach Steve Smith told PostSportsRadio.com 's Allen Grisham that Floydada's quarterback Jordan Woody would be the focus of his defense.  Woody was the game's leading runner with 166 yards on 27 carries as he carried the ball from the spread formation looking for holes to run through.   Woody passed for one TD and ran for another.

Leading the Lopes on defense with tackles were Smith (15), Alan Alaniz (14), Paul Martinez (13), Alejo Rodriguez (13), Travis Greathous (11) and Dalton Holly (11).

For the second game in a row, the Post offense scored first in the game at the 8:43 mark in the opening quarter when Smith busted into the endzone from the five yard line.  His second TD came in the fourth quarter with four minutes left to put the game out of reach.

POST 26, FLOYDADA 16 (10/26/12)

SCORING

First Quarter
POS — Bryan Smith 5 run (kick blocked); 8:43
FLO — Jordan Woody 1 run (Woody run); 5:23
Second Quarter
POS — Pake Jones 40 run (kick blocked); 3:00
Third Quarter
POS — Jones 7 run (Aron Lopez kick); 8:15
FLO — Matthew McGowan 2 pass from Woody (Woody run); 6:00
Fourth Quarter
POS — Bryan Smith 25 run (Lopez kick); 4:00

INDIVIDUAL STATS