West Texas communities show support at high school football playoff game after bus crash
A playoff football game was played on Monday in Sweetwater and while Springtown beat Andrews, 43-33, the contest was more significant than a ball, two teams and 22 players on the field.
The Andrews High School community received devastating news on Friday when a bus carrying band members to the game was involved a head-on collision killing three people.
Bus driver Marc Boswell, 69, and Andrews band director Darin Johns, 53 died from injuries when a Ford F-350 was driving in the wrong direction before the crash, which happened in Big Spring, about an hour away from Andrews.
The driver of the Ford F-350, Nathan Haile, also died.
Others on the bus, including students, went to the hospital for precautionary reasons.
The game which was scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday was postponed.
Andrews and Springtown played at 2 p.m. Monday in Sweetwater during a Class 4A Division 1 area round playoff game. Some members of the Andrews band were in attendance, but other schools stepped forward.
Sweetwater and Big Spring High School bands came in Andrews’ place and received a standing ovation when they entered the stadium stands. There was a prayer before kickoff and a special halftime performance from the bands.
“The overall experience of support from Big Spring and Sweetwater, and many others like Snyder and Texas Tech was really something special,” Andrews coach Ralph Mason said. “It’s what West Texas people understand. I’ve grown up here and coached here for most of my life and it’s just the nature of the people out here in this area.
“We come together in times like this.”
Andrews (5-7) got out to 10-0 lead in the first quarter on a Julian Mancillas’ 37-yard field goal and EJ Lopez to Shawn Parker 28-yard touchdown pass. Springtown (9-3) pulled within 17-14 at intermission thanks to a Matthew Lockard touchdown run and 48-yard scoring catch by Aiden Vickers.
Andrews continued to lead five minutes into the third, but Springtown took its first lead on a 35-yard run from Lockard to make it 21-20. Andrews led 26-21 after three on Lopez’s third TD pass of the day.
Springtown and Andrews traded the lead three times in the fourth quarter. The Porcupines took the lead for good, 36-33, on a 36-yard pass from Hudson Hulett to Vickers with 7:30 left to play. Hulett added a touchdown run. Springtown will play El Paso Riverside in the regional semifinals at 4 p.m. Saturday at Grande Stadium in Midland.
“It was pretty awesome to watch our kids go down the ramp and into the bowl, and our side of the stands was completely full and standing and clapping for them. I know it meant a lot to them, it did to me. My kids play hard anyway, but I think that boosted their efforts as well,” Mason said. “I took every opportunity to speak with everybody that had a big part in this.
“Sweetwater bent over backwards to do everything they did for us. The Mustang moms made up some signs and honked their horns for the kids as we drove in. It’s been an overwhelming experience.”
This story was originally published November 23, 2021 at 12:00 PM.
