Unbeaten Randall football hopes to slow down speedy Estacado offense in Class 4A showdown

The Randall football team is (3-0) looking to remain unbeaten, and keep its positive momentum prior to the start of District 2-4A Division I play.

But before they can enjoy an off week, the Raiders will face a new challenge when the Estacado Matadors (1-3) travel to Canyon for what should be an exciting 4A showdown.

Randall has looked dominant through its first three contests, with its closest margin of victory coming in a 26-16 victory over Plainview in Week 1. In the two contests since its win over the Bulldogs, Dan Sherwood's team defeated Monahans and Perryton by a combined 59 points, showcasing the Raiders' talent on both sides of the ball.

To remain unbeaten, however, Randall will have to take down a tough Estacado squad at 7 p.m. Thursday at Happy State Bank Stadium.

Estacado football poses "big challenge" for Randall

Despite a slow start to the season for Estacado, the Matadors still have plenty of speed on the perimeter and the size to make life tough on Randall in the trenches.

"If we don't contain number 1 (Cedric Ross), 22 (Bobby Ross Jr.), 6 (James Bozeman), 23 (Donivan Torrez), there's a few guys out there that if they get to the outside, we're not catching them," Sherwood said on Tuesday. "It's a big challenge for the entire defense."

Of the four players Sherwood mentioned, multiple athletes hold Division I offers. Bobby Ross Jr. is a 3-star recruit who has been offered a scholarship by Texas Tech, North Texas and others, according to 247Sports.

Cedric Ross was clocked at 10.77 seconds in the 100-meter dash last season and has been offered by Texas Tech, UTEP and UTSA, per 247Sports. James Bozeman ran a 22.07-second 200-meter dash in the spring and has proven to be a big-play threat in the Matadors' offense.

Torrez also has sub-11 second speed in the 100 and could be dangerous on the outside, even against the Raiders stout defense.

Randall football is also fast

Despite the unique challenges that Estacado's speed provides, Randall has plenty of quickness on it own roster that Sherwood believes will help his players prepare for the Matadors.

"We've got some fast guys too," Sherwood said. "They go against each other, they see that speed. Our starting receiving corps is our (4x100-meter relay team) that went to state last year. They see a lot of speed, and that only makes our defense better."

In the spring of 2024, Randall's 400-meter relay team placed sixth at the UIL Class 4A state championship track and field meet, completing the race in 42.01 seconds. All four of the sprinters from the aforementioned relay team are back on the Raiders roster in 2024.

Senior wide receiver Collin Miller, junior wideout Conner Miller, sophomore pass catcher Phoenix Sherwood and senior receiver Kaiden Miller all have the speed to give Randall's defense a solid look at what the Matadors will put on the field Thursday night.

Getting familiar with Estacado's speed will help the Raiders contain the variety of big-play threats the Matadors utilize in their offense. Similar to his head coach, Randall junior linebacker Drayven Patton noted that practicing against a quick group of wideouts has prepared the Raiders for their opponent this week.

More important, following an open date, Randall will be prepared for its district opener on the road set for 7 p.m. Oct. 11 against Dumas at Demon Stadium.

"We just run to the ball, get there every time, swarm to it," Patton said. "(They're) not as fast as what we've got on our team, I'm not really worried about it. Like (Sherwood) said, 4x1 team. We're there, every time."

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Unbeaten Randall football hopes to slow down speedy Estacado offense in Class 4A showdown