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SWEETWATER - Before Friday night, the Coleman High School football team hadn't been to the regional semifinals since 1949 (Webmaster's Note:  This should be 1946.  See Coleman Bluecats Football Records.)  Thanks to a dominating performance from Childress, the Bluecats will now have to wait until next year to have a shot at the regional finals.   The Bobcats turned a 10-point halftime lead into a blowout on Friday, moving into the Class 2A Division II state quarterfinals by virtue of a 38-7 win over Coleman at Sweetwater's Mustang Bowl.

''I'm very proud of them,'' first-year coach Rusty Buzzard said.  ''They had a great season.  Unless you win the state championship you're gonna finish with a loss.  The hard thing isn't even really losing - it's the fact that the season's over.''  Eighteen seniors played their last game for Coleman in the loss, including coach Buzzard's son, Austin.  The quarterback was held in check most of the night, finishing with 4 of 12 for 42 yards through the air.  He added another 42 yards and a touchdown rushing on 15 carries.  In all, Coleman finished with just 122 yards of offense and eight first downs.

''It hurts to lose, but it hurts worse not to play for my dad anymore,'' the senior said.  ''It's hard to find the words to describe it.  It's like you just lost somebody you love.''  The Bluecats were far from feeling that sense of loss at halftime.  Despite managing just four first downs and 101 total yards of offense, Coleman started the third quarter trailing by only 10, 17-7.   The Bluecats got the opening kick in the third but were forced to punt.  Two more punts followed before Childress increased its lead to 17 after a 26-yard run by quarterback Sawyer Vest.

Coleman was able to move the ball to midfield on the ensuing possession, but a Buzzard fumble gave the ball back to the Bobcats, who then put the game away with a 29-yard Joe Dixon touchdown run.  The score was Dixon's second of the game, and he would add one more with 3:23 to play on a 3-yard run.  ''They're a solid team everywhere,'' coach Buzzard said.  ''There were just no glaring weaknesses.  There was no one point we could target.''

Coming into Friday's game Coleman had lost five games, three of them by one score.  The Bluecats were also averaging nearly 27 points per game and seven times had allowed 14 points or less.  Childress wasn't intimidated, however and, despite three turnovers and 40 yards of penalties, finished the game with 370 yards of total offense.  The Bobcats didn't wait long to get the show started.  After watching Childress score on the game's opening drive in just eight plays, Coleman punted on its first possession.  The Bluecat defense forced and recovered a fumble on Childress' ensuing possession, but the offense couldn't convert on the turnover and handed the ball back to the Bobcats after a failed fourth-and-7 attempt.  The two teams then traded punts before Childress went on another scoring drive - this one set up on a 55-yard catch by Kenny Harris - capped with a 1-yard dive by Dixon.

Coleman was again forced to punt but got another shot with an interception at the Childress 37-yard line.  Austin Buzzard took things into his own hands, running three times before breaking loose for a 29-yard touchdown run on the fourth play to finally get Coleman on the board.  Childress drove all the way down to the Coleman 2-yard line in the final seconds of the half, but thanks to an impressive defensive stand by the Bluecats had to settle for a 19-yard field goal with no time on the clock, resulting in the 17-7 score at the break.

''We told the kids that we want this to be the worst season we have,'' coach Buzzard said.  ''We want to keep getting better and better each year.  We're losing 18 seniors and I'm not quite ready to think about next year yet, but I truly believe we'll be better.  ''This team set the bar high.  Now it's up to everyone else to reach that bar.''