Sandies stumble after hot start, fall to Abilene 24-21

The Amarillo High Sandies had a golden opportunity Friday night to send a message to the rest of the district. For nearly a half, they looked like they were about to do exactly that. But in the end, the Abilene High Eagles showed why they’re considered the district favorite, storming back from a three-touchdown deficit to hand the Sandies a heartbreaking 24-21 loss at Shotwell Stadium.

It was a tale of two halves for Amarillo High (4-2, 1-1). The Sandies came out firing, executing with precision on offense and smothering the Eagles defensively in the first quarter. Quarterback Jett Lopez looked sharp, spreading the ball around and taking advantage of Abilene’s secondary. He connected with Austin Sluder for a touchdown strike to open the scoring and followed it up with another scoring pass to Tate Blackwell. Running back Jude Dunavin added to the fireworks with an electric 30-yard touchdown run, and just like that, Amarillo had built a commanding 21-0 lead.

By halftime, the Sandies still held a comfortable 21-7 advantage. But the second half told a very different story.

Abilene (4-2, 2-0) refused to go quietly. Behind a renewed ground attack and some big defensive stands, the Eagles clawed their way back. Late in the third quarter, Abilene found the end zone twice in quick succession, erasing what had once seemed like an insurmountable deficit. The momentum had completely shifted, and Amarillo was suddenly on its heels.

The defining moment came midway through the fourth quarter. With the game tied, Abilene kicker Elisha Batendji calmly drilled a 40-yard field goal to give the Eagles their first lead of the night at 24-21 with just over five minutes left. Still, Amarillo had a chance to respond. Lopez and the Sandies offense moved the ball into Abilene territory, appearing poised to at least tie the game and possibly reclaim the lead. But on a crucial throw with less than two minutes remaining, Abilene defensive back Symanni Strahan stepped in front of a pass and picked it off inside the 30-yard line, sealing the comeback victory for the Eagles.

Statistically, Amarillo’s stars produced as expected. Dunavin was steady and explosive on the ground, rushing for 126 yards on 16 carries. Lopez finished with 235 passing yards to go with his two touchdown tosses, but his late interception ultimately overshadowed what had been an otherwise strong outing.

For Amarillo, the loss stings not just because of the missed opportunity but because of how it unfolded. Jumping out to a 21-0 lead against a district front-runner is the kind of start coaches dream about. But in a district as competitive as this one, sustaining that momentum is just as important as building it. The Sandies learned that the hard way on Friday.

Looking ahead, Amarillo still has every reason to believe they’ll be a factor in the district race. At 1-1 in league play, they’re far from out of contention, and the offense has shown it can score in bunches. The defense, however, will need to tighten up when opponents make adjustments, and the team as a whole will need to find ways to close out games.

Meanwhile, Abilene made a statement of its own: this is their district until someone proves otherwise. By erasing a three-touchdown hole, the Eagles showed resilience, confidence, and the ability to finish. Those are qualities Amarillo will need to adopt quickly if they want to be more than just competitive—they’ll need them to win.