Seminole Sentinel

09/22/2023

09/22/2023

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09/21/2023

Indians forced to make lineup changes after injuries
By Lee Scheide
Sports Editor

It could have been much worse for the Seminole football team.
The Indians, however, seemed to have dodged a proverbial bullet.
Quarterback Wyatt Holmstrom and wide receiver Myles Espino both were injured in a 34-26 victory against Andrews on Sept. 15, finishing the game on the sideline leaning on crutches.
Now both are working toward getting back on the field as quickly as possible.
“They’ll both definitely be out this week,” head coach Greg Poynor said. “It doesn’t look like either of them are going to be out long term; I’m confident that Myles will be back next week and with Wyatt our anticipation is to have him back for the district opener against West Plains.”
Not to worry as Poynor and the Indians have very capable athletes ready to step into the vacancies as long as needed.
Senior running back Brayden Gonzales will move over one step behind center to take over for Holmstrom, who was injured on a running play in the final minute of the second quarter.
Gonzales has been the No. 2 all season and had seen time at quarterback during the first three weeks of the season.
He took over the team in the second half against the Mustangs, connecting on a 15-yard touchdown pass with wide receiver Caton Cramer in the third quarter.
Gonzales’ move opens a spot for Adam Garcia to start at running back.
Espino was hurt early in the third quarter, dragging himself off the field in obvious pain before being looked at by the team’s training staff.
One of the deepest positions for the Indians, however, is wide receiver and when they line up against Pecos at 7 p.m. Friday at Wigwam Stadium, the team’s future will be on display.
Cramer, Logan McCormick, Jordan Garcia and Stephen Davis are all starting as sophomores, Garcia moving into the spot normally reserved for Espino.
This quartet has combined for 73 receptions for 778 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Overall, Seminole has passed for 1,199 yards and 18 touchdowns.
“It’s probably the deepest position we have on the team,” Poynor said. “Our top eight guys are really good.
“We’ll do some things differently with Brayden than we would with Wyatt, but that’s only because Brayden hasn’t had as many snaps as Wyatt. He did a good job for us against Andrews and he’ll be ready to go on Friday.”
While the offense will look a little different, the defense will be full steam ahead and the unit the Indians lean on in the near future.
Seminole has 60 tackles for loss this season, seven each for Creed Carlisle, Jaylen Cottrell and Carlos Gonzales.
The Indians adjusted their defense against the Mustangs to combat Andrews’ new Slot T offense, bringing eight, nine or even 10 players to the line of scrimmage to stop the run.
“We were all a little nervous because I’ve never taken both corners off the field,” Poynor said of the scheme against the Mustangs.
“Coach (John) Richman and the defensive staff, they came up with a great game plan and shut down Andrews.
“Everybody had one job, one key and I’m so proud of the kids.”
This week against Pecos the Indians will be back to a more traditional look against a much-improved Eagles squad.
It’s a game that worries Poynor.
“Pecos is a lot better, scoring a lot of points,” he said. “We need to make sure we take this game seriously, because Pecos is going to give us their best.”
Contact Lee Scheide at [email protected] or on Twitter at

09/21/2023

2023 Can Food Drive - Let's CAN Andrews 🥫
🗓️ Tuesday, September 19th - Monday, September 25th
🏆️ Bring cans to your 2nd period - most cans WINS A PRIZE!
🏐 The town winner will be announced on Tuesday, September 26th at the volleyball game against Andrews

09/18/2023

Seminole guts out victory against scrappy Mustangs' squad
By Lee Scheide
Sports Editor

ANDREWS Penalties.
Fumbles.
Defensive touchdowns.
Injuries.
Emotion boiling over.
Just another meeting between Seminole and Andrews.
Separated by less than 30 miles but playing in different districts, the Indians traveled to face the Mustangs on the latter’s Homecoming Friday at the Mustang Bowl.
It didn’t disappoint.
Seminole raced out to a comfortable lead at halftime and then had to hold on to edge the host Mustangs, 34-26, in nondistrict play.
“I thought this was a gutty win,” Seminole head coach Greg Poynor said. “It wasn’t pretty, but it was a win.
“The defense did a fantastic job all night against an offense that is tough to defense. They did let them get anything going.”
Andrews came into the game averaging 420 yards per contest, just 54 of those through the air as the Mustangs try to perfect the Slot T offense installed by head coach Tom Harvey.
Conversely, the Indians were averaging 501 yards per game (1,001 through the air).
Both teams were held well below their norm on this net.
Andrews finished with 240 yards, while Seminole tallied 257.
“It was hard to get on track, especially in the first and second quarter,” Harvey said. “We need to be better.
“I thought we did a better job in the second half but we are still learning.”
Andrews (2-2) opened the scoring when Daylan Jefcoats picked up a fumble and rumbled 10 yards for the touchdown with 10:07 remaining to play in the first quarter.
Seminole wasted no time responding as quarterback Wyatt Holmstrom drove his team 64 yards in two plays for the tying score.
Holmstrom connected with Jordan Garcia for a 37-yard gain on first down before finding Logan McCormick with a
27-yard scoring toss down the right side just 32 seconds after Jefcoats’ touchdown.
The Indians matched the Mustangs’ defensive score when Dayven Rosales picked up a Mustangs’ fumble and returned it 73 yards for the go-ahead score with 4:44 remaining in the first quarter.
Holmstrom and McCormick connected for a second touchdown in the second quarter, with Caton Cramer adding a 2-yard score to put the visitors up by three scores at halftime.
But it was a costly quarter for the Indians as Holmstrom was forced from the game in the final minute of the first half with an ankle injury.
Brayden Gonzales took over, but Seminole struggled with its rhythm on offense the rest of the night, allowing
Andrews the chance to claw its way back within striking distance.
It started when the Mustangs threw a rare pass, with quarterback Aidyn Olivas connecting with Cole Ivison for a 24-
yard touchdown.
Andrews’ Juan Hernandez then scored the second defensive touchdown of the night, scooping up a fumble and returning it 18 yards for a score.
Both extra points were missed, but Andrews was within nine (27-18) after the scores.
Gonzales slowed the Mustangs’ comeback, hitting Cramer with a pass along the right sideline that the sophomore wide receiver turned into a 15-yard score after making several defenders miss.
That put Seminole in front, 36-18, but the Mustangs weren’t finished.
With the Indians packing the line of scrimmage to stop the run, Olivas was able to hit Kade Adams with a 64-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and when JaeSean DeBouse converted the two-point conversion, suddenly it was a one-score game (34-26).
A score that the Mustangs wouldn’t get as the Seminole defense was able to rise to the occasion.
“I proud of the way everyone stepped up tonight,” Poynor said. “That was a tough situation for Brayden to go into after Wyatt got hurt; he gets some reps in practice but Wyatt gets most of them.
“We gave up a couple passing touchdowns, but we were able to shut down their running game and that was big for us. It’s a good win.”
Contact Lee Scheide at [email protected] or on Twitter at

09/18/2023

Texas Tech gets first victory as Big 12 play approaches
By Lee Scheide
Sports Editor

LUBBOCK Texas Tech defensive back Malik Dunlap said that after going to sleep Friday night he had a dream that he was going to get two interceptions against Tarleton State.
Dunlap turned that dream into reality and began the nightmare of an evening Saturday for the visiting Texans.
Dunlap returned his first interception 54 yards for a touchdown just 2:27 into the first quarter and the rout was on as the Red Raiders eventually finished off a 41-3 victory in front of a 56,200 at Jones AT&T Stadium.
It was the first victory of the season for the Red Raiders after losses to Wyoming and nationally-ranked Oregon.
Texas Tech led 21-0 after the first quarter and cruised the rest of the way, finally surrendering a field goal with 5:04 remaining to play in the game.
The Red Raiders now prepare for Big 12 Conference play as they travel to face West Virginia on Sept. 23 in Morgantown.
Quarterback Tyler Shough was 10-of-20 passing for 123 yards and one touchdown, with Behren Morton taking over the second half and finishing 8 of 13 for 72 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Knowing the question was coming in the postgame press conference, Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire nipped any talk of a quarterback controversy in the bud.
“I know everybody’s going to ask about the quarterback, so I’ll go ahead and tell you that was my plan all week,”
McGuire said. “That was going to happen no matter what.
“The only way Tyler (Shough) was going to stay in that game was if it was like 24-21 or something like that. It had nothing to do with Tyler or Behren (Morton) playing better, or anything like that.”
There was a scary moment late in the contest when Tarleton State wide receiver Jaden Smith was injured during a play deep in Texas Tech territory and stayed down on the field.
After being worked on by the training staff of both teams, Smith was placed on a backboard and transported to a local hospital, giving the hushed crowd a thumbs up as he was being taken from the stadium.
Smith’s social media account, along with that of Tarleton State, said Sunday that he had been released from the hospital and was returning to Stephenville to rejoin his teammates.
“A couple of things, number one, I want to start off by letting Tarleton State and Jaden Smith’s family know that we’ll be praying for them,” McGuire said to open his postgame comments. “You play this sport, and you never want to see that.
“When anybody gets injured in any way, and you have to carry them off like that, you’re so nervous about a lot of different things, so we’ll definitely be praying for them.”
Running back Tahj Brooks finished with a career-high 159 yards on 19 carries to balance the Red Raiders’ offense.
It was the first-ever meeting between Tarleton State and Texas Tech on the football field and the Texans surprised their host on the opening drive, forcing the Red Raiders into a three-and-out at the 13:23 mark of the opening quarter.
Just 50 seconds later, Dunlap was weaving his way toward the end zone after his interception, cutting inside Tarleton State quarterback Victor Gabalis at the 10-yard line to job into the end zone.
Brooks carried Texas Tech down the field on its second drive of the night, accounting for 54 yards on the ground.
He ripped off runs of 38, 1, 5 and 10 yards to put the football at the Texans’ 2, when Shough was able to race over the right side, untouched for a 14-0 lead with 8:19 to tight end Mason Tharp for a 28-yard touchdown with 4:36 remaining in the opening quarter and the rout was officially on from that point.
Contact Lee Scheide at [email protected] or on Twitter at

09/15/2023

See Inside Today's Issue

09/15/2023

Freeman Brings in First Bale of Cotton

Tommy and Teresa Freeman of Seagraves had the first bale of cotton for 2023. The bale was delivered and weighed at Ten-Hi Gin on September 10. Pictured left to right are: Mark Owens, Ten-Hi Manager; Chandler Freeman; Tommy Freeman and Kurt Brown, Ten-Hi Gin.

09/15/2023

Seminole boys golf team tees it up for first fall tournament

Though the first tee shot has yet to be hit for the 2023 season, there has already been plenty of competition for the Seminole boys golf team.
Practice began in earnest when the players returned to school.
Sure, all had been active during the summer, but now under the watchful eye of head coach Mitch Shain, it was time to see who had prepared the most for the upcoming season.
Qualifying for a spot in the Indians’ top five has been at the forefront of the first six weeks of practice.
Now, with every stroke recorded and analyzed, Shain has put together the team that will represent Seminole at the season-opening Red Raider Invitational on Friday and Saturday in Lubbock.
Tristan Mata, Brett Boyles, Randy Boschman, Hayden Loewen and Tristan Goodwin comprise the handful of athletes walking the fairways for the Indians.
The squad will play the first round at LakeRidge Country Club before moving to Shadow Hills Golf Course for the final round.
“This is a good tournament for us,” Shain said. “We have never played LakeRidge and Shadow Hills is an important course for us because that’s where we play our regional tournament.
“We need to get some of these players some tournament experience and look to see who is going to compete, who we can count on in the spring.”
Seminole will play in four tournaments this fall in Lubbock, Seminole, Hobbs, N.M. and Andrews.
Shain said that other than the kickoff event, he’ll be taking the top 10 players to the other tournaments so they can gain the experience needed for the more competitive spring season.
Currently, there are 14 boys competing for a spot in the lineup at any given tournament.
“Some of them are ready to go and some have some practicing to do until they’re ready to play in a tournament,” Shain said.
The top five are ready, with Mata and Boyles expected to slide into the No. 1 or No. 2 spots.
Mata was an individual regional qualifier in the spring, while Boyles has been posting solid scores during the qualifying runup to the tournament.
Shain feels comfortable with either at No. 1 and is looking for the same thing from both when they step on the first tee in Lubbock.
“Both of those guys, they need to go out in a tournament and get off to a confident start and post a good number,” he said. “Those two should be our No. 1 and No. 2.
“Tristan was the only regional qualifier last year and our goal this year is for the team to qualify. We use the fall to see what our weaknesses are and if there is a glaring weakness, we’ll try to attack it before spring hits.”
Contact Lee Scheide at [email protected] or on Twitter at

09/12/2023

Indians' success has Cramer on a fast track to next level

Caton Cramer never stopped moving during the 2022-23 school year.
That was a good thing for the Seminole athletic program.
Cramer, then a freshman, played football, basketball, baseball and helped with the relays on the track team.
He lettered in all four sports.
Then, he started getting letters from some schools at the next level.
Now a sophomore, Cramer spent time during the summer at camps at Baylor University, Clemson University and Texas Tech, receiving an official offer from Baylor.
Though players cannot officially sign letters of intent until the senior season, that Cramer already is receiving recognition three years out is telling.
“They (Baylor) told him it’s an acceptable offer,” Seminole head football coach Greg Poynor said. “He’s looked at baseball, McMurry had offered.
“The difference with Caton is just his body type. He’s got a frame where he’s going to be able to put on a lot of weight.”
Cramer currently stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 185 pounds and Poynor uses him all over the football field, trying to create a mismatch defensively.
Cramer is quick enough off the line of scrimmage and fast enough in full flight to outrun defenders down the sideline if needed.
He runs a 4.6-second 40-yard dash which is one of the reasons that the track coaches asked him to run on the relays.
“He anchored all of our relays,” Poynor said. “I’ve never had anyone like that play for me.”
Cramer started the 2023 season in fine fashion, catching nine passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns in a 76-21 victory against Lovington, N.M. on Aug. 25 at Wigwam Stadium.
He was one of eight different receivers that quarterbacks Wyatt Holmstrom and Brayden Gonzales connected with on the night and the top target when plays break down as they know that he typically will be able to outjump any defender.
Cramer also is willing to go to any lengths to help the Indians’ athletic programs, which is why he competed in everything he could last year.
Jason Cramer, his father, and a former coach, talked with Caton about his commitment to the Indians and what it would take to be successful.
“We stopped playing all the travel ball and he was going to only play for Seminole,” Jason Cramer said of the conversation. “That’s all he’s done.
“He was like ‘If I can do this and be a four-sport letterman, I’ll have more opportunities.’ He didn’t get a break and it was tough; from football to basketball into baseball, his goal is to contribute and help the team.”
Now, the focus is football and Poynor knows the caliber of athlete he has in Cramer.
Poynor traveled to Clemson’s camp with Cramer, toured the facility and watched Cramer soak it all in.
And watched as it didn’t really affect the way he handled himself, on and off the field.
Something else that Cramer and his father have had talks about.
“GOD has blessed him with size and ability,” Jason Cramer said of his son. “He’s responsible to pay that back and take responsibility to use that and be a good teammate.
“We talk about that all the time, to be humble and kind; it’s a tough deal for a kid. It’s hard to balance that, wanting to have those great opportunities.”
Contact Lee Scheide at [email protected] or on Twitter at

09/11/2023

Indians start quickly to solidify Homecoming triumph against Lobos

By Lee Scheide
Sports Editor
Homecoming week for any school is five days of buildup, followed by three hours of competition that hopefully ends with a victory.
Seminole took all the mystery out of the outcome in a hurry against Clint Mountain View.
Leading by three touchdowns at the end of the first quarter and then five touchdowns at halftime, the Indians cruised in the second half to a 58-14 victory against the Lobos at Wigwam Stadium.
Seminole improved to 3-0 with the victory, the second time this season it has scored at least 50 points.
Mountain View, out of the El Paso area, dropped to 1-2.
Quarterback Wyatt Holmstrom was 38-of-53 passing for 337 yards and four touchdowns, with one interception.
“He’s playing at a really high level for us right now,” Seminole head coach Greg Poynor said. “That first half, we were up 42-7 at halftime.
“I’ve just been super pleased with him, taking over the leadership role that we needed. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do.”
Holmstrom has involved everyone in the offense, as well, as he and backup Brayden Gonzales, connected with 10 different receivers on the night.
Logan McCormick was the top target with seven receptions for 63 yards and three touchdowns. He now has five touchdowns in the past two games.
Matthew Peters and Caton Cramer each caught six passes, Myles Espino and Stephen Davis finished with five receptions each and Omar Gameros and Jordan Garcia both caught four passes.
Gameros caught a touchdown pass, while Cramer rushed for two scores and Holmstrom added another rushing touchdown to the Indians’ total.
Seminole has outscored its opponents 169-65 through 12 quarters and don’t expect the Indians to slow down.
“We don’t change us, especially on offense,” Poynor said. “We want to go as fast as we can, as often as we can.
“One thing we love about our offense is it’s a way to get everyone involved. Everyone gets touches and we’ve got confidence in those guys.”
Poynor and his staff also have confidence in the Indians’ defensive unit, which has been playing at a high level this season.
Linebacker Creed Carlisle led the team with nine tackles, including one tackle for loss, while Braden Bailey finished with eight tackles, two tackles for loss and two of the Indians’ four interceptions on the night.
Seminole will go back on the road to face rival Andrews at 7 p.m. Sept. 15 at the Mustang Bowl.
Contact Lee Scheide at [email protected] or on Twitter at

09/08/2023

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09/05/2023

Indians Win First Road Game of the Season Against Shallowater
By Lee Scheide

SHALLOWATER The Seminole football team was tested by the home squad during its first road contest
of the 2023 season.
The Indians responded well.
Falling behind after one quarter, Seminole dominated the second quarter to earn a 35-28 victory against the Mustangs Friday at Todd Field.
Indians quarterback Wyatt Holmstrom was 19-of-31 passing for 251 yards and two touchdowns, with two interceptions.
He also rushed 10 times for 52 yards and two scores to pace the ground game.
Sophomore wide receiver Logan McCormick had a big day with five receptions for 159 yards and one touchdown.
Fellow sophomore Caton Cramer had eight catches for 51 yards and one touchdown, with one touchdown rushing as well.
Creed Carlisle and Bryan Hernadez were all over the field on defense, each finishing with 14 tackles, along with two tackles for loss, on the night.
Jaylen Cottrell also finished in double digits with 10 stops (two tackles for loss).
Shallowater (0-2) scored first and after the Indians tied the game on a 1-yard touchdown run, regained the lead (14-7) with a 23-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter.
It was all Seminole in the second quarter.
Another 1-yard rushing touchdown tied the game and then back-to-back touchdown passes from Holmstrom, of 44 and 6 yards, helped the Indians double the lead before halftime.
Shallowater cut the deficit to seven points (28-21) with a third-quarter score, but Holmstrom iced the victory with a 31-yard touchdown run to start the fourth quarter.
The Indians (2-0) return home to face Clint Mountain View (2-0) at 7 p.m. Friday at Wigwam Stadium.
(Photo by Baylee Lopez Photography)

08/29/2023

Holmstrom wows in debut as Indians' quarterback
By Lee Scheide
Sports Editor

Just how well Seminole quarterback Wyatt Holmstrom adjusted to the speed of the varsity was going to go a long way in determining how successful the Indians would be in their season opener Friday.
Holmstrom had been behind center during the team’s preseason scrimmages, but those controlled outings are nothing like that chaos created when the lights finally come on each week.
Against Lovington, N.M., it was Holmstrom creating the chaos.
In his first start at the helm of the Indians’ high-power offense, the junior signal caller was 19-of-32 passing for 329 yards and seven touchdowns, with one interception.
Braden Gonzales added a 6-of-7 passing performance for 73 yards as the duo directed Seminole to a 76-21 rout of the visiting Wildcats at Wigwam Stadium.
“I had a lot of nerves, but all my teammates and my coaches helped me get through that,” Holmstrom said. “It felt really good, it was nice to start that way. I got to hold myself to a higher standard, to hold my teammates to a higher standard.”
The Indians amassed 705 yards of total offense in the opener and could have had more, twice failing to convert in the red zone.
When Gonzales was spelling Holmstrom at quarterback, he was a force running the ball, finishing with 22 carries for 164 yards and one touchdown.
Adam Garcia added another 106 yards rushing as the Indians dominated the line of scrimmage, something that didn’t escape head coach Greg Poynor’s eye.
“I thought the offensive line did a great job tonight,” he said. “That’s where it all starts for us.
“And Wyatt, to do what he did in his first varsity start, was outstanding. I thought our offense was clicking well and defensively with did a lot of nice things, so it was a good way to start.”
Creed Carlisle led the teams with nine tackles, with Branden Bailey and Jaylen Cottrell each finishing with six as the starters spent most of the second half on the sideline watching teammates get valuable playing time.
They also had a front-row seat for Holmstrom’s coming-out party.
Holmstrom and Gonzales connected with eight different receivers on the night.
Caton Cramer caught nine passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns, while Matthew Peters hauled in three passes for 117 yards and three touchdowns.
Myles Espino caught two touchdowns, with Logan McCormick and Jordan Garcia each corralling one touchdown toss.
Peters had scoring receptions of 70, 39 and 8 yards, two from Holmstrom and the final one from Gonzales to cap the Indians’ scoring outburst.
His first catch-and-score came on a pass near the right sideline.
Once he caught the ball and turned up the field, Peters had a wall of teammates blocking for him and a clear path down the sideline where he raced untouched to the end zone with 2:58 remaining in the first half.
That put the Indians in front, 35-0, and the outcome was never in doubt.
>> Contact Lee Scheide at [email protected] or on Twitter at