Armando Solis has a strategy. It’s one that every coach strives to achieve to some extent, but few are able to pull the trigger on it completely.
Solis wants his team to have the best possible competition in non-district play, and he backs it up.
The 2020 Petersburg Buffaloes are young, limited in numbers and replacing a number of key players from last year’s district champions. While the team tries to find its footing, it’ll have to deal with the toughest schedule of any Herald area football team.
One constant in the preseason talk is that every coach says they have a tough schedule. When Solis says it, he means it.
“You play these tough teams, you’re not just playing the teams that don’t give you a challenge or anything like that,” said Solis. “It gets them ready mentally and gives them a little boost of confidence to know that they can compete with anybody.”
The strategy paid off in a big way last season. Petersburg took on the likes of Jayton – the top-ranked team at the time – and Whitharral. However, the tough non-district schedule put the Buffaloes’ record at 1-3 early in the year.
Then the schedule got a little easier, at least in comparison to the teams they played in weeks prior. Once Petersburg got into district play, it was ready for everything thrown at them and they wound up winning their final five games to claim the district title.
Solis has once again put together a tough non-district schedule. Actually, this year’s slate could be considered a murder’s row of top-tier six-man squad.
Petersburg’s 2020 schedule is the envy of those who used to play EA Sports’ NCAA Football games where one could build their own schedule as they saw fit, usually taking on the best of the best. But this is no video game, and Solis is aware of the challenges he’s set on his team.
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Kaden Parraz (with ball) and the Petersburg Buffaloes will have an extremely difficult non-district schedule with four games against top-flight six-man football teams this season.
Photo: Nathan Giese/Planview HeraldKaden Parraz (with ball) and the Petersburg Buffaloes will have an extremely difficult non-district schedule with four games against top-flight six-man football teams this season.
Kaden Parraz (with ball) and the Petersburg Buffaloes will have an extremely difficult non-district schedule with four games against top-flight six-man football teams this season.
Kaden Parraz (with ball) and the Petersburg Buffaloes will have an extremely difficult non-district schedule with four games against top-flight six-man football teams this season.
“It prepares you for what you’re going into in district and then into the playoffs, especially if you’re the runner-up in district you’re going to play the top seed right off the bat,” said Solis.
Thanks to Solis’ ambitious schedule, the Buffaloes own the Herald’s toughest schedule, regardless of district or class affiliation.
Petersburg opens the season with back-to-back road games. First comes a meeting with Spur, which is ranked 17th in the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football preview magazine, followed by a contest at Turkey Valley. Spur went 9-3 last season while Turkey Valley was 5-5.
After that, the Buffaloes have their home opener against Paducah, the 12th-ranked team in DCTF in Division I six-man. Essentially, Petersburg is taking on the two expected playoff teams from District 3-3A DI in its first three games in Spur and Paducah.
The Buffaloes were originally scheduled to play Morton on Sept. 18, but that contest has been called off. Solis said they are still looking for a replacement for what’s listed as the team’s homecoming game. Right now, it’s an off week between their toughest stretches of games.
How exactly will the Buffaloes close out non-district play? Against two of the best teams in the state, that’s how.
First is another meeting with Jayton, ranked fifth in Division II. The Jaybirds went 12-1 last season, making it to the region championship game before falling to district rival Motley County. Jayton defeated Petersburg 75-25 in their meeting last season.
Motley County is the closing act for the Buffaloes’ non-district play. Jayton and Motley County are in the same district (7-1A DII), and while the Jaybirds were the district champion, it was the Matadors that went on to the state championship game, finishing the year 11-4.
Motley County is ranked second and Jayton fifth in the DII preseason polls.
Between Jayton, Motley County, Paducah and Spur, these four teams went a combined 39-11, each winning at least seven games. Petersburg finished with a 6-5 record, falling to White Deer in the bi-district round of the playoffs.
These are all coming before District 2-1A DI play that features games against Kress, Nazareth, Springlake-Earth and Lorenzo.
It’s a grueling gauntlet that Solis has put together for Petersburg. However, the Buffaloes aren’t alone in difficult schedules.
- Hale Center – The Owls, as well as Floydada, have to deal with both Post (ranked 3rd in 2A Division I) and New Deal (ranked 13th) in their district. In non-district play, the Owls get the challenge of taking on 15th-ranked Clarendon, as well as the next team on the list.
- Olton – The Mustangs may have swapped districts, but the top half of their new home may be as tough as their old one. Panhandle is ranked ninth and West Texas is 18th to lead District 1-2A Division I. Olton will also open the season against 24th-ranked Sudan.
- Abernathy – The Antelopes have proven to be the best team in their district the last several years, but they’ll have two tough opponents in Post and open the season at Shallowater, which is ranked 22nd in Class 3A Division I.
- Silverton – The Owls get another crack at Groom – ranked ninth in 1A DII – as the two teams are now in the same district. Anton, ranked 14th, is another tough opponent for Clyde Parham’s bunch.
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