BURKBURNETT – The Mineral Wells Rams are back in the playoffs after narrowly missing it last year by just a few points.

Rams head coach Cody Worrell and much of his coaching staff are in their second year with this new look team; a team that in recent years struggled with finishing games well and struggled with injuries often. The coaches and players are excited to be back in the playoffs and now have their opponent set in their sights as they prepare for the journey.

The 7-3 Rams will begin the playoff run with a match up with Benbrook on Friday night, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. at Weatherford’s Roo Stadium for a 4A Division II bi-district match up. Benbrook comes into the match up with a 9-1 record after finishing 2nd in their district, while Mineral Wells finished 3rd in their respective district.

The final regular season game for the Rams was a great example of how the Rams have learned to recover from mistakes in this season and showed off their depth on the roster. The Rams traveled to Burkburnett to wrap up the regular season and started the game off with a fumble, which Burkburnett returned for a touchdown early in the game. But the Rams didn’t let it shake them up and scored twice in the second quarter to match the Bulldogs scoring, heading into halftime with a 14-14 score.

First half scoring came from senior Kayden Montalvo, who was a problem for the Burkburnett defense, as they seemed to have no answer for him. Montalvo carried the ball 28 times for 164 yards and scored those two first half touchdowns. The Bulldogs seemed to be focused on stopping the Rams passing game, with QB Owen Gadd throwing 3-of-11 for only 51 yards, which opened up their running game for several Rams.

Mineral Wells rushed for 354 yards, with seven Rams carrying the ball at various times. Led by Montalvo, the Rams also saw Cassious Johnson who ran for 93 yards, PR Mendez for 49 yards, and Jackson Hicks for 37 yards. Riley Vigil, Trayvon Berkins, and Owen Gadd also contributed to the run game collecting a few crucial yards as well as a touchdown from Gadd. The Rams will look to continue using their depth as they head into the playoffs while also strengthening other areas.

Capping off the scoring for the Rams, was a 37-yard touchdown pass from Gadd to Preztynn Harrison in the fourth quarter which sealed the deal on the game, putting the Rams up by 10 to finish the game.

More information on the Rams vs. Benbrook game will be released in the coming days leading up to Friday, including a link to purchase tickets and visitor information.

Game photos to come! Go Rams!