Sandies crush Tascosa, win coin flip to make playoffs

For 48 hours leading into their regular season finale against longtime rival Tascosa, the Amarillo High Sandies rode an emotional roller coaster that most programs might experience only once in a decade. But by the time Friday night ended—not on the field, but in a Plainview convenience store parking lot—the Sandies had themselves a finish fit for a feel-good holiday movie.

Earlier in the week, Amarillo High received devastating news: the program had unknowingly used an ineligible player, forcing them to forfeit six of their previous seven wins. Those forfeits didn’t just sting—they reshaped the entire District 2-5A Division I playoff picture. What was once a matchup to determine the No. 2 playoff seed suddenly turned into a desperate scramble just to keep the season alive. Amarillo High entered Friday needing a win and a whole lot of luck.

What they delivered on the field, though, was nothing short of a statement. The Sandies didn’t just beat Tascosa—they dominated them 63-21 in one of the most lopsided outcomes in more than 60 years of the rivalry. And it was the senior connection of quarterback Jett Lopez and wide receiver Austin Sluder that powered the explosion. Lopez completed 17 of 25 passes for 384 yards and tied his own school record with seven touchdown passes for the second straight week. Five of those touchdowns went to Sluder, who repeatedly torched the Tascosa secondary and played like a senior refusing to let his final chapter close just yet.

But the biggest moment came after the game. With Amarillo High, Caprock, and Lubbock High tied for the final playoff spot, representatives met in Plainview for a three-way coin flip. In an “odd-man-in” scenario, Amarillo High coach Chad Dunnam flipped tails while the others flipped heads—and just like that, the Sandies went from nearly eliminated to officially playoff-bound. If you scripted it, people would call it unbelievable. Yet there they were, securing the most improbable postseason spot in Texas.

And while the Lopez-Sluder fireworks stole the spotlight, running back Jude Dunavin quietly authored his own milestone night—rushing for 181 yards and two touchdowns on just 13 carries. His performance pushed him to 2,541 career rushing yards, making him Amarillo High’s all-time leading rusher, an achievement that resonates deeply in a program with decades of tradition.

For Tascosa, the night was forgettable. Though the Rebels churned out 271 rushing yards, they rarely threatened after tying the game 7-7 early. Already locked into the No. 2 playoff seed, they’ll need to find a spark quickly as they host El Paso Parkland next week.

As for Amarillo High? They now move forward with a 2-8 record that might be the most misleading in Texas history. Yes, the standings say 2-8. But the film says something very different. The Sandies can score, they can move the ball, and they play with belief—belief strengthened by the chaos of the past week.

Their playoffs didn’t start with the coin toss. They started the moment their season was put in jeopardy—and the Sandies responded like a team that isn’t ready to go home yet.

Next week, they take on El Paso El Dorado—and they’ll enter that matchup as a team that’s already proven it can handle pressure, adversity, and the unpredictable.