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PRINT THIS PAGE | E-MAIL THIS PAGE Friday, November 27, 1998 WF Rider goes for third win after entering playoffs with 2-8 record By CHRIS NEWTON Associated Press Writer Improbable. Unlikely. Bizarre. Those words don't even come close to describing Wichita Falls Rider's romp through the first two rounds of the 4A Division I playoffs. Going 0-5 before winning its first game and posting a 2-8 regular season record, Rider wouldn't have even been eligible for the playoffs in most sports leagues on the planet. But UIL rules and a lucky coin toss allowed them access - and now the Raiders are three victories away from the state championship. "We believe," said coach Bill Froman. "We know we're underdogs, but we think we're underrated. Sometimes dreams can come true and we're not leaving without a fight." If the Raiders beat Plainview in Texas Tech's Jones Stadium Friday night and go on to win a state championship, they'll have still lost more games than they won, finishing with a 7-8 record. That doesn't concern Froman. "As far as I'm concerned, we're 2-0," Froman said. "What you did before the playoffs doesn't matter. Would it have mattered if we had won every game up until the first game of the playoffs and lost in the first round?" Rider's entrance into the playoffs wasn't all luck. By beating rival Wichita Falls 24-18 in their last game of the season, the Raiders saddled their rival with a third district loss of the season, forcing a three-way tie for the final playoff birth. All three teams had a 2-3 district record. The teams' three coaches participated in a coin toss. "I remember watching it flip through the air," Froman said, as his team prepared for the game. "I called it tails and the rest is history." If the Raiders do win the state championship with a losing record, the coin flip will indeed be high school football history. UIL spokesman Peter Contreras said the Raiders may have the worst record of any team ever to enter the playoffs. "It's the worst I can remember," Contreras said. "I have no opinion one way or the other about them being in. They won the games they were supposed to win to qualify for the playoffs. You have to finish first, second or third - you don't have to have a good record, or even a winning record." The Raiders took Weatherford by surprise in the first round of the playoffs, forcing three overtimes before winning, 41-35. Rider then took its new found confidence to Cleburne, posting a 14-7 victory. Wide receiver Shane Szymanski says the team is confident in its ability to compete in the postseason. "As long as we keep winning we deserve to be here...I guess we deserve to be here more than any team that got beat so far," Szymanski said. Doubters and detractors who say a 2-8 team should never get into the playoffs have played a principal role in the team's playoff victories. After watching themselves get mocked on a local sports show, Riders players decided to show their unity by dying their hair blonde in a teammates kitchen. "That was about showing that we were there to play," Szymanski said. "That got us fired up." Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below: texnews.com Reporter OnLine Local Sports Texas Sports Copyright ©1998, Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below:

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