It wasn’t always pretty, and it certainly wasn’t an offensive showcase, but Amarillo High won’t care much about style points after opening the season with bragging rights.
The Sandies broke open a defensive battle with two fourth-quarter touchdown drives Friday night at Dick Bivins Stadium, beating Palo Duro 21-7 in the season opener for both teams.
For three quarters, there was almost nothing separating the two Amarillo ISD rivals. The game was tied 7-7 heading into the fourth, both defenses had delivered big stops and both offenses had squandered opportunities.
Then Amarillo High went old school.
With its starting quarterback sidelined by an ankle injury and the spread offense struggling to find consistency, Amarillo High ditched the finesse and committed to running the football from under center. The adjustment worked.
Junior Raider Payne provided much of the muscle, while backup quarterback Hunter Randles helped guide the Sandies through the decisive stretch.
Amarillo High took over with good field position midway through the fourth quarter and marched 55 yards almost entirely on the ground. Payne handled much of the workload before Randles finished the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run, putting the Sandies ahead 14-7 with 4:30 remaining.
That still gave Palo Duro plenty of time to answer, particularly with the explosive playmakers the Dons have on offense.
But Friday simply wasn’t Palo Duro’s night.
The Dons struggled to find any offensive rhythm after halftime, gaining only 40 yards in the second half. When Palo Duro faced fourth-and-long with 2:39 remaining, it lined up to punt before attempting a fake. Noah Faragoza was stopped for a 10-yard loss, handing Amarillo High possession at the Palo Duro 24.
The Sandies wasted little time putting the game away.
Payne scored from 6 yards out with 1:09 remaining, giving Amarillo High the final 21-7 margin and completing an impressive night for the two-way junior.
Payne finished with a game-high 73 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. Sixty-seven of those yards came after halftime, when Amarillo High increasingly leaned on its running game.
That ability to adjust may be the biggest positive Amarillo High takes from opening night.
Sophomore quarterback Callaway Skipworth made his varsity debut as the starter but suffered an ankle injury during the second quarter and did not return. Randles came off the bench, and while the offense remained inconsistent for much of the night, Amarillo High eventually found something that worked.
Instead of forcing the spread offense, the Sandies simplified things. Randles went under center, Payne ran downhill and the offensive line was asked to take control.
By the fourth quarter, that formula was enough.
Palo Duro Left Points on the Field
For Palo Duro, this will be one of those games that feels more frustrating the longer you look at it.
The Dons had chances. Plenty of them.
Both teams drove into scoring territory on their opening possessions, but Amarillo High missed a field goal and Palo Duro lost a fumble.
Another Palo Duro turnover helped produce the game's first points. Raymond Johnson V lost a fumble after making a catch, giving Amarillo High the ball at the Dons' 24-yard line. Payne eventually scored on a 2-yard run to make it 7-0.
Palo Duro answered quickly.
Quarterback Julian Reese II, who committed to Delaware earlier Friday, connected with Tayv’on Cantly for 56 yards before finding Kyron Brown for a 21-yard touchdown that tied the game.
Cantly then produced perhaps the most exciting moment of the night, returning an Amarillo High punt 73 yards to the Sandies' 4-yard line. Johnson appeared to score on the next play, but an illegal motion penalty wiped out the touchdown. Palo Duro eventually came away empty when Yandell Barron-Sandoval missed a 32-yard field goal.
It wouldn't be the last time a penalty erased six points.
In the third quarter, Reese connected with Eric Mims Jr. for what appeared to be a 30-yard go-ahead touchdown. Once again, illegal motion brought it back.
Palo Duro never seriously threatened to score again.
The numbers tell the story of a team that repeatedly made life harder on itself. The Dons finished with 13 penalties for 116 yards and committed four turnovers. Two apparent touchdowns disappeared because of penalties.
Against a rival in a one-score game, those mistakes are difficult to survive.
Sandies Get the First Word
There are plenty of questions left for both teams after Week 1.
Amarillo High will have to see how Skipworth responds to his ankle injury and whether the fourth-quarter power running game can become a reliable part of the offense. Palo Duro will need to clean up the penalties and turnovers while finding a way to get its talented playmakers more opportunities.
But the Sandies already have one answer that matters.
When the game reached the fourth quarter and somebody had to take control, Amarillo High did.
The Sandies didn't need a trick play or a spectacular passing performance. They lined up, ran downhill and dared Palo Duro to stop them.
For one night, that was more than enough.
Amarillo High leaves Dick Bivins Stadium 1-0 with early Amarillo ISD bragging rights.
