Owl playoff flight cut short

CROCKETT — The Anderson-Shiro Fighting Owls had their historic season end Friday night in Crockett in the Texas High School 3A Div. 2 bi-district playoffs. The Owls lost an epic defensive battle to the New Diana Eagles 6-0.

Both defenses put the brakes on two high-powered offenses. Players and fans battled light rain and cold conditions. The Owls kept the Eagles at bay most of the first half. The only points of the contest came at the 2:17 mark of the second quarter. New Diana broke a long run that set them up inside the Owl 20-yard line. A few plays later, the Eagles caught a touchdown pass that gave them the game’s only score.

The Owls (9-2) had a historic nine-win season that culminated in a second-place district finish and playoff berth. Anderson-Shiro’s senior class will be one to remember and hard to replace. Seven starters were seniors on the defense with another four starting on offense.

Defense was led all season by Mason Kolby, Pedro Martinez, Jordon Coronado, Kevin Cabrera, Will Lee, Dean Aldava, Conner Seigle, Noah Daniel and Dagan Alford.

Offensively, the Owls were led all season by Jarvis Haynes, Pierce Goodwin, Christian Schroeder, Ty Secheleski, and Owen Briscoe. Haynes capped a stellar senior season with over a 1,000 yards rushing. Juniors Connor Daley, Kagan Stephens and Kieren Gil also had record years and contributed significantly.

“These seniors leave a legacy of excellence that has shown the way for our underclassmen,” said Owl Head Coach Brad Hodges after the game. “I cannot thank them enough for their dedication, work ethic, all the hours they put in to making this a successful season, and their outstanding leadership.”

Hodges continued, “We are excited to see their future successes and where they go from here. We are proud that they will always represent Owl Football. We will miss them tremendously.”

Moving into the offseason, the Owls will count on underclassmen to step up and fill some big shoes. “It is imperative that we get the young guys back in that weight room, on the track and into their other sporting endeavors,” said Hodges. “Strength and conditioning are going be crucial for the upcoming season. I look forward to seeing the success of our spring sports.”

The Owl football team faces an uncertain district future with UIL 3A, Div. 2 redistricting in February 2024. Presently, the Owls and their opponents travel unheard of distances to play in a deep East Texas district. Anderson-Shiro are the only team west of I-45 in that district with two teams being 10 minutes from the Louisiana border.

Predominant media opinion has the Owls staying in that same district with a few teams. There is an outside chance and a great hope among fans that they move to a district that has a more central Texas feel. This move would make more sense for the student athletes and fans. Only time and the UIL will tell where the Owls play their district games.