Clash of the Titans: Richland Springs, Strawn Meet in State Semifinals

STEPHENVILLE, TX — The Richland Springs Coyotes are one win away from a state title berth, but standing between them and a chance for another gold ball is another state power, the Strawn Greyhounds.

It’s only fitting that this playoff battle takes place in the brand-new, $40 million dollar battlefield — Art Briles Stadium in Stephenville at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6.

These two teams have mirrored each other this season.

Both have only one loss, and each of those defeats came against the two-time defending state champion Gordon Longhorns. They both have incredible coaches who have had success in past state title games, they both shut out four opponents, and they’ve both scored over 700 points.

Strawn has had a ton of success under head coach Dewaine Lee, who has won five state championships with the Greyhounds since he took over in 2003.

A few years back, Strawn was the focus of a documentary show called “Texas 6,” which followed the Greyhounds around for a couple seasons. Fans can still watch the program on Paramount+.

This Greyhound team is no pushover. They returned all six starters on offense and defense, making them super dangerous as they have a ton of returning experience. The players that fans and Richland Springs need to keep eyes on are running back and defensive end Michael Barcenas and quarterback Kaison Nunez.

In addition to Gordon, both Strawn and Richland Springs have another common opponent between them in Zephyr, which both of them beat by the 45-point mercy rule.

Richland Springs has a dominant history and nine state titles — the most six-man crowns in Texas history — to prove it, including consecutive runs from 2006-07, 2010-12 and 2015-16. They’ve played in 11 state championships, with their most recent appearance in 2020 when they lost to Balmorhea, 74-38.

This season, Richland Springs has plenty of weapon including Billy Perry, Cohen Ethridge, and Ethan and Evan Deeds.

Ethridge has nearly 2,000 all-purpose yards and 37 touchdowns, including five punt returns and four kickoff returns for scores. Perry is an all-star on defense, racking up 88 tackles, five fumble recoveries and three interceptions. Offensively, Perry has 933 yards and 15 TDs.

Ethan Deeds has chipped in 1,377 yards, 21 TDs, 66 tackles, five interceptions, and four fumble recoveries. His younger brother, freshman Evan Deeds, has 38 tackles and is 51of-67 in point after attempts. Layne Ward and Brice Roesler are also threat with Ward adding seven TDs and Roesler scoring five.

In other words, Richland Springs is dangerous across the field. Of the six players mentioned, four of them are underclassmen.

Between Lee and Ethridge at coach, this will be a battle of not just brawn, but brains. With all the playoff experience and state titles between those two, this clash of canines should be a great one.