The tests don’t get easier. They just get harder.Such is the case for the Tonkawa Buccaneers who go to Hinton at 7 p.m. Friday for a key District A-3 contest.A win assures the Bucs of a home field playoff berth, securing no lower than a second place finish in the league.The Comets are 4-2 overall and 0-2 in the league. Both losses were to good teams -- OCA 16-18 and top-ranked Cashion 0-12. “They have an exceptional defense,” Buc Head Coach Mike Kirtley said this week while preparing for them.Hinton will run a 4-3 defense and a pro-style offense. “They’re big and physical up front and play a ball-control offense where they just try to line up and run over you,” Kirtley said, “They’ll definitely be a chore for us.”The Comets reeled off four straight wins before falling to OCA and Cashion. They beat Walters 28-12, Hennessey 28-6, Mangum 14-13 and Merritt 23-7.They are rested and will be ready to play after having a week off last weekend.Meanwhile, the Bucs are coming off a 47-12 win over OCA.“The last two weeks, our kids have played really well and we’re starting to get some depth and heal up from injuries,” Kirtley said.QB Morgan was limited at OCA and tailback Roman Chandler was out with an ankle sprain. Both should be ready to go vs. Hinton.“Coach Fath has lots of weapons and is finally getting to utilized them in different ways,” Kirtley said.The new people (Cam Jackson at tailback and Chazz Slavens at receiver) “give us some new wrinkles to use both on offense and defense,” Kirtley said.The biggest play of the game came in the goal-line stand in the first quarter, Kirtley contends. “That just opened the flood gates and once the snowball started rolling, there was no stopping it.”Football Action Photos by Jacqualyn Heinrichs and Melissa Swords ...
