Over the past decade, few teams have dominated their sport as much as the Strawn Greyhounds and the Richland Springs Coyotes. Both have multiple state championship trophies, and both have more than enough talent to close out the decade with another piece of hardware.
Which team is better? The answer will come Friday night in Early when the two six-man football powers meet in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs. The game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Longhorns Stadium in Early.
The winner of Friday's showdown will earn the right to face either Abbott or Calvert next week for a berth in the state finals.
The Coyotes, led by six-man legend Tyler Ethridge owned the six-man ranks earlier this decade, winning state titles in 2004, 2006 and 2007. Strawn won the state crown in 2003 and 2008 – both times registering wins over the Coyotes en route to grabbing the state trophy.
Richland Springs has been one of the state's most-successful football programs this decade. Backed by a string on nine straight playoff appearances, the Coyotes own a 122-11 record since 2000.
The Coyotes' success hasn't come at the expense of Strawn. Strawn is one of the few teams to have a winning record against the Coyotes over the past 10 seasons. The Greyhounds, who have qualified for the playoffs in each of the last seven years, own a 3-1 record against Richland Springs dating back to the 2000 season.
In 2000, the last year Richland Springs did not advance to the postseason, Strawn took a 48-42 regular season victory.
The Coyotes bounced back, however. Richland Springs advanced to the state finals the following year only to fall to Whitharral, 27-20.
In 2003, Richland Springs and Strawn renewed their rivalry. Strawn, in its first season under head coach Dewaine Lee, pounded out a wild 56-54 semifinal win over the Coyotes en route to winning the school's first-ever state crown.
The Coyotes blossomed from there. Led by coach Jerry Burkhart, Richland Springs put together an impressive 42-1 run and won three of the next four state titles. One of those wins came against Strawn in the 2004 quarterfinals.
Strawn, which owns a 90-32 record since 2000, and Richland Springs met again last season in the bi-district round of the state playoffs. The Greyhounds came away with the upper hand in that game, claiming an 83-72 win in Hico that spurred Strawn on to its second state title.
How dominant have Strawn and Richland Springs been? Consider this: Since 2003, Strawn or Richland Springs have won every state title except one. In 2005, Throckmorton upset Richland Springs in the state semifinals and went on to win the championship.
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Spreadback Haustin Burkhart leads Richland Springs into Friday's state quarterfinals matchup against Strawn. The winner of Friday's matchup will face Abbott or Calvert in the semifinals next week. FILE photo
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State's top teams to renew six-man fight
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