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Canadian football’s Wyatt Davis positive after life-changing diagnosis, fortifies defense

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Canadian football’s Wyatt Davis positive after life-changing diagnosis, fortifies defense

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High school football enters the final week of the regular season Friday, and a number of teams in the region are still fighting to determine a district champion or improve their positioning ahead of the postseason.

Here are the best Week 11 matchups in Amarillo and the surrounding areas.

GAMES OF THE WEEK

Canadian (6-3, 3-0) at Childress (5-4, 3-0)

7 p.m. Friday, Fair Park Stadium

The Wildcats and Bobcats both head into Friday night’s contest unbeaten in District 1-3A Division II play with Week 11’s matchup deciding the league’s champion.

Childress is led by a talented group of skill position players, including Lucian Davis, Kobe Sims, Cash Hightower and others. At quarterback, the Bobcats have played sophomore Koen Galligan and Jonah Reed this season, and head coach Bo Helm said that either player could get the start on Friday night against Canadian.

To take down the Wildcats, however, Helm knows his team will have to find success on the ground. After being moved from up from the Bobcats’ JV team to the varsity squad in Week 3, Davis has taken over as the team’s lead back.

Against Dimmitt in Week 9, Davis carried the ball 15 times for 167 yards and three touchdowns, helping Childress to a 69-0 victory.

“He’s done a great job of running,” Helm said. “We brought him up (from JV) the third game of the season, that’s the first time he came up on varsity. Really didn’t carry the ball a whole lot until, I believe it was the Stratford game, the first time he really carried the ball on a pretty regular basis. Since then, he’s done a great job of taking advantage of his opportunities. So, I’ve been really proud of him and just watching him develop over the last year, through offseason. Huge difference between his freshman and sophomore year.”

On the other sideline, the Wildcats’ defense will be tasked with trying to slow down Davis and the Bobcats’ offense. Led by star linebacker Wyatt Davis, Canadian has allowed just 23 total points in three district games.

Davis, a senior who has racked up the second-most tackles in school history, recently announced on social media that he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Even after learning his diagnosis, Davis has been on the field helping his teammates fight for another district championship.

“I think Wyatt has had a great mentality about this whole situation and just understood that it’s completely out of his control,” Canadian head coach Andy Cavalier told the Globe-News. “What is in his control is what his next move is, and it has been to have an extremely positive attitude and just try to figure out how to, you know, physically deal with a few little limitations that have started to show up. Other than that, continue to just focus on what he can control and that’s to have a great attitude and a positive impact on his teammates. His demeanor through this whole thing has been excellent.

“I’m super proud of Wyatt and, obviously in prayer for him, in hope that there’s an end in sight where it doesn’t have an extreme impact on his health or anything like that. I know that through him and talking to his parents, the way technology has progress in that field over the last 20 years, the scenarios of living with MS have drastically improved. I have no doubt that Wyatt will do everything he can control to make it end up good and use this to make him even an greater influence on the people God intersects his life with.”

Since Davis announced his diagnosis, the Wildcats have gone 3-0, outscoring opponents 182-23 during that span. The senior linebacker has been a leader for his teammates throughout the season, even after learning he was playing with MS.

On Friday, Davis will play his final regular season high school football game, suiting up alongside teammates and friends who have helped the standout defender through his recent tribulations. Cavalier said that Davis’ fellow Wildcats teammates have been some of his biggest supporters during the process, noting many players on the team have been close friends for many years.

“It’s hard to know what to do sometimes, what to say,” Cavalier said. “I think we’ve all been there in life, where somebody that we love is going through something difficult and we wish there was something we could do. I think what we can do is just, be there for him and keep being a good friend, and I’ve seen Wyatt’s teammates do just that.”

Dalhart (7-2, 1-1) at Shallowater (7-2, 2-0)

7 p.m. Friday, Todd Field

One week after losing to Bushland, the Wolves look to rebound on the road against another strong district opponent. The Mustangs beat the Falcons by one point in Week 9 and will have the chance to finish unbeaten in District 1-3A Division I.

West Texas (7-2, 3-1) at Sunray (9-0, 4-0)

7 p.m. Friday, Bobcat Stadium

Led by junior quarterback Cayde Winters, the Comanches will hit the road this week to take on the Bobcats, who have a chance to complete a perfect season on Friday night. Sunray, however, may be down star quarterback Armando Lujan after the senior signal caller played one drive in last week’s contest.

Happy (8-1, 3-0) at Nazareth (6-3, 2-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Swifts Stadium

Led by sophomore Braylan King, the Cowboys look to complete an impressive regular season and win a District 2-1A Division I title when Happy travels to Nazareth on Friday. The Swifts have also had a strong year and will look to improve their playoff seeding with a victory.

Shamrock (6-3, 3-1) at Wheeler (7-2, 3-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Nicholson Field

Led by Philip Cook and Josh Whittington, the Irish look to end their regular season with a victory against a tough District 5-2A Division II opponent. Both teams only loss in league play is to Wellington, and the Mustangs will look to bounce back against Shamrock after losing to the Skyrockets last week.

Tascosa (4-5, 3-2) at Amarillo High (5-3, 4-1)

7 p.m. Friday, Dick Bivins Stadium

Both Tascosa and Amarillo High have secured spots in the postseason, but there is still plenty of pride on the line in this cross-town rivalry. Both teams will be looking to improve their playoff seeding and gain some momentum as the regular season comes to a close.

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