AMARILLO – Two games into the football season, the tally reads Amarillo High 83, Everybody Else 0.

Well, maybe not everybody else, but the two teams unfortunate to run into the Sandies so far. After Friday night’s District 2-5A opener at Dick Bivins Stadium, AHS still hasn’t allowed an opponent to get off zero as the Sandies shut out Lubbock Coronado, 27-0.

Slideshow: Coronado vs. Amarillo

It sets up a major showdown next week with Amarillo High facing off with rival Tascosa in a matchup of 2-0 teams from which the winner will emerge with at least a share of the early district lead.

Coupled with their season-opening 56-0 thrashing of Randall, the Sandies (2-0 overall, 1-0 in district) have thoroughly beaten their two opponents and left their mark as a defense to be reckoned with. The stellar defensive performances have helped to compensate for a lukewarm offense, although AHS was efficient with the ball in the first half against Coronado (1-1, 0-1).

“We’re real excited about the win and for our defensive staff and those kids,” AHS coach Brad Thiessen said. “That second half offensively, though, was about as bad as we’ve been.”

The 285 yards the Sandies picked up weren’t overwhelming, even though they exceeded the previous week’s output against Randall. But it was still more than double the total they allowed defensively as they surrendered only 133 yards, including minus-11 on the ground.

Coronado was predominantly a passing team, as Rick Henderson threw 43 passes and the running game seemed like only an afterthought. As a result, the Sandies picked off Henderson four times, with three of the picks belonging to Blair Dickey.

“We’re going to keep it rolling through district,” said Dickey of the team’s shutout streak. “It doesn’t stop here. Speed’s a big part of what we do with our team.”

AHS’ defense set up the first score midway through the first quarter as Dickey intercepted a throw to the sidelines by Henderson that gave the Sandies the ball at Coronado’s 26-yard line. That set up the first of two Austin Sasser field goals, this one from 30 yards, which made it 3-0.

The Sandies then got great field position on their next possession, taking over at the 50. Five plays later, J.C. Casas hit Haeden Henderson on a perfectly thrown post pattern for a 25-yard score which made it 10-0.

By playing relatively mistake-free football offensively, the Sandies did more than enough to win the game.

“The first half was OK,” said the ever-cautious Thiessen of his team’s offensive performance. “We missed some shots at some big plays but we had good tempo and moved the ball well.”

Heath Herrington had 97 yards rushing and scored a pair of touchdowns in the game, including a 2-yard touchdown run which made it 20-0 before halftime. J.C. Casas also threw the ball with authority most of the evening, as he had a more productive game than his numbers (12 of 28 for 151 yards and a touchdown) would indicate, thanks in part to a few dropped balls.

But, of course, it was the defense which was the story. After the Sandies took the big lead into the lockerroom, Coronado never seriously threatened in the second half.

Trailing by three touchdowns, Coronado became even more desperate in the second half, as Dickey collected two more interceptions.

“(The Mustangs) like to run the trips (three wide receiver formation) to one side,” Dickey said. “Their quarterback’s a new guy and he was real easy to read.”

-Morris News Service

AMARILLO 27, CORONADO 0

Coronado 0 0 0 0 – 0

Amarillo 10 10 0 7 – 27

AHS – Austin Sasser FG 30

AHS – Haeden Henderson 25 pass from J.C. Casas (Sasser kick)

AHS – Sasser FG 45

AHS – Heath Herrington 2 run (Sasser kick)

AHS – Herrington 9 run (Sasser kick)

TEAM STATISTICS

COR AMA

First Downs 11 15

Rushing -11 134

Passing 133 151

Total yards 122 285

C-A-I 18-43-4 12-28-1

Punts 9-32.5 8-35.5

Fumbles-lost 2-1 1-0

Penalties 5-42 13-127

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – Coronado: Rick Henderson 6-(-41), Cameron Owens 6-11, Darius Petrie 8-16, Leonard Tello 1-3. Amarillo: Herrington 23-97, Derek Dzik 10-44, Casas 8-(-4), Clint Lee 1-(-3).

PASSING – Coronado: Henderson 18-43-4-133. Amarillo: Casas 12-28-1-151.

RECEIVING – Coronado: Owens 2-6, J.J. Johnson 1-4, Kale Dudding 3-20, Herman Hernandez 2-46, Greg Allen 6-27, Keith Scioli 2-17, Trevor Payne 1-(-2), Brandon Valderaz 1-15. Amarillo: Dalton Koller 3-35, Herrington 1-22, Will Bryant 4-41, H. Henderson 2-18, Lee 1-13, Nolan David 1-12.