STORIES FROM 2006    

EAGLE OFFENSES BATTLE... DESOTO WINS
Up 14-13 at the half, AHS converted a DeSoto fumble into a 21-13 lead. Spens Lackey’s 30-yard option run set up Chris Williams’ 3-yard scoring run, giving AHS its eight-point lead only 2:41 into the third quarter. DeSoto immediately responded with two touchdown runs by Gray in only 1:54. DeSoto had rallied for a 26-21 lead with 3:30 left in the third quarter. A Lackey 5-yard touchdown run equaled a 27-26 lead before the third quarter ended.  AHS limited DeSoto to five yards on its next three downs and appeared one defensive stop away from securing the win.  On fourth-and-5, Gray ran to his right, but met interference. The shifty junior made his way toward the sideline and, once he got there, he broke into a dead sprint to score the final points for DeSoto.
STATISTICS

EAGLES ROUT REBELS IN AREA VICTORY
Abilene High dominated and shut out Amarillo Tascosa in the first half, as they cruised to a 48-14 playoff win in Lubbock's Jones Stadium.  The Eagles took the opening kickoff and kept the ball for the first 8:31 of the game, capped off by Keithy Flye for a 7-0 lead.  Eagles defensive back Polaris Haynes got the ball back for the Eagles three plays later when he recovered a Joe LeDoux fumble at the the AHS 40. Spens Lackey took just seven plays before scoring from five yards out for the 14-0 lead.  Abilene’s lone offensive second half touchdown came on an 11-yard Lackey-to-McDow pass.  Lackey completed 15 passes in 23 attempts for 214 yards and two touchdowns.  He also rushed for two touchdowns, on runs of 5 and 6 yards.
STATISTICS

EAGLES BLANK ROOS IN PLAYOFF OPENER
The Kangaroos never got within 30 yards of the end zone and Abilene came up with a 33-0 victory.  The Eagles also forced five turnovers that led to 23 offensive points.  Despite having more than three times as many total yards as Weatherford late in the first half, the Eagles had only two field goals by Brandon Hill to show for it.  A 20-yard pass from Spens Lackey to Bryson Walker put the Eagles on the 2-yard line, and Garrison Hardin punched the ball into the end zone from a yard out two plays later to give AHS a 13-0 lead.  The Eagles opened the third quarter with a 34-yard touchdown pass from Lackey to Keithy Flye, who led the way for AHS with 95 yards rushing, 38 yards receiving and two second-half touchdowns.

STREAK CONTINUES IN BRONCHO DEFEAT
Spens Lackey rushed for three touchdowns and passed for two more in a 42-30 victory over Odessa High.  Lackey finished 14-of-19 passing for 140 yards while rushing 11 times for 69 yards. He scored twice on 4-yard runs and added his third touchdown on a 15-yard keeper.  McDow caught both touchdown passes from Lackey.  Abilene won its 16th consecutive district game and will face Weatherford at 3pm Saturday at Stephenville in the bi-district round of the Class 5A Division II playoffs.

AHS SECURES TITLE WITH 37-27 TRIUMPH
The Eagles were able to slow down the pace of a hectic first half with an effective running game. All 36 of their plays after the break were runs, and quarterback Spens Lackey, running backs Keithy Flye and Brandon Williams and receiver Bryson Walker all finished with more than 60 yards on the ground.  Flye led the way with 153 yards on 21 carries and added a touchdown, and he credited his performance to the offensive line. Defensive back Kenson Colbert recovered a fumble by Flye to preserve the 21-21 tie as the teams headed into the locker room.  Lackey, who completed all nine of his pass attempts, added a quarterback sneak for a score early in the fourth quarter to put AHS ahead 37-21.  The Eagles have already clinched a share of their third straight district title, which they would win outright by beating the Bronchos. [ MORE ]

RALLY BRINGS 24-21 VICTORY
A touchdown pass from Spens Lackey to Kortney McDow with 24 seconds left capped off a 20-play, 87-yard drive and gave the Eagles a 24-21 victory over Permian.  Both teams entered the contest undefeated in district and it looked like the Eagles were in trouble trailing 21-10 at the half.  Two sustained drives in the second half, including the catch by McDow gave the Eagles the win.

EAGLES FLY OVER REBELS, 29-17
Midland Lee scored first on a Price Williams 26-yard field goal to take the early lead.  Abilene High answered with a Brandon Williams 45-yard run to the 2-yard line and plunge two plays later for a 7-3 Eagle lead.  J.J. James got open in the end zone on the next series to stretch the lead to 14-3.   Corey Petro would bring the Rebels to within four at the half on a short TD run.  The Eagles held a double-digit lead thanks to a fumble recovery by Kortney McDow in the end zone and Brandon Williams’ 35-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth. The Rebels scored on a 9-yard run by Petro with 5:21 left in the game.  The Abilene defense allowed only 54 yards in the second half to win 29-17 for its third straight victory.

EAGLES ON TRACK WITH 28-19 WIN
Spens Lackey’s 244 passing yards, 52 rushing yards and two total touchdowns led AHS over Midland High.  Bulldogs running back Brandon Batch was held to only 63 yards on the ground and was kept out of the end zone.  AHS running back Brandon Williams was able to score two touchdowns.  AHS started its first drive of the game from the MHS 40 after the defense forced a three-and-out and the ensuing punt traveled only 17 yards. The Eagles took advantage and scored on the last of three consecutive Lackey runs, the final one coming from 5 yards out. The Eagles came right back with a 75-yard drive to take a 14-6 halftime lead.  AHS added a touchdown on a 7-yard run by Williams to increase the lead to 21-12 early in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs scored when Joe Roberson caught a TD pass from 32 yards out to pull Midland within two. Williams scored again to put the game out of reach.

EAGLES PICK UP FIRST WIN, 30-21
The Eagles scored 13 points on three of Denton Ryan’s four turnovers to earn their first win of the year.  Junior Ortegon forced two of those turnovers, returning a fumble for a touchdown early in the third quarter and intercepting the Raiders’ final pass in the red zone with 1:04 remaining.

RED RAIDERS HAND EAGLES LOSS #4
After forcing an AHS punt on the game’s opening possession, Tyler Lee's Marcus Jackson floated a pass to tight end Matt Johnston that went for 67 yards, and Chris Ekwuruke ran it into the end zone on the next play to give the Red Raiders an early 7-0 lead.   The Eagles answered back in the second quarter on a touchdown and Brandon Hill connected on a 31-yard field goal to put AHS ahead 10-7.  In the second half, the Raider's Jackson connected on a 33-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Amie. The Eagles got back to within one when Hill connected on his second field goal of the night, this time from 18 yards away.  The Red Raiders answered with 25-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to fullback Jamaal Mitchell.  Tyler claimed a 21-13 win, dropping the Eagles’ record to 0-4.

MESQUITE SPOILS HOMECOMING
The Eagles took a 20-7 lead, but Mesquite scored four unanswered touchdowns and shut Abilene out in the second half to win 35-20.  AHS took control of the game early on a Brandon Williams two-yard touchdown run.  Spens Lackey scored on a two-yard run of his own to increase the score to 14-0. Mesquite got on the board on a Kelly Page 36-yard touchdown pass.  Each team traded touchdowns on their next series.  The Eagles appeared to be headed to the locker room with a 20-14 lead, but Mesquite’s Page found Krys Buerck in the end zone with 23 seconds remaining to give Mesquite a one-point lead at the break.  The Skeeters were able to score another touchdown near the end of the third quarter to go ahead 28-20.  With less than three minutes left in the game, Page broke a 57-yard touchdown run down the right sideline to put them game away.

HOME OPENER NOT TOO PRETTY
After falling in their season opener last week, AHS fell 42-13 to Lubbock Monterey in their home opener.  Monterey scored on six of its seven possessions and racked up 393 yards of total offense.  It appeared the Eagles would take an early lead, but a 92-yard drive to the Monterey two-yard line stalled after three straight runs by AHS running back Brandon Williams.  The Plainsmen then marched 98 yards in 11 plays for their first touchdown.  Abilene High tied the score at 7-7 on their next possession. Quarterback Spens Lackey scored the first of his two touchdowns on a one-yard run to end the 77-yard drive in the second period.  Monterey took a 14-7 lead on a 5-yd TD run to close the first half.  The second half was all Plainsmen, as the offense produced scoring drives of 67, 79, 62 and 43 yards.  Abilene's Camron Walding kicked a 21-yard field goal on the final play of the game.  Brandon Williams led the Eagles with 122 yards, and Lackey passed for 124 yards.

SEASON STARTS WITH 35-9 LOSS
Austin Westlake took advantage of Eagle miscues early in the game and handed AHS a loss to open the season.  On the opening kickoff, Cassius Burks fumbled the return, and Westlake recovered the ball on the 1-yd line.  Chap fullback Bron Hager ran the ball in for a touchdown less than a minute into the game.  Brandon Williams broke a 60-yard run to the Westlake 20-yard line on the first play of the ensuing drive, but had to settle for a field goal attempt which sailed wide left.  The Eagles got a second chance at a field goal in the second quarter and hit a 22-yard field goal.  AHS headed to the locker room down 21-3.  In the second half, the Chaps scored two more times and Chris Williams scored for the Eagles late in the fourth quarter.