FOOTBALL: Coaching friends meet again in 3A playoff

Shad Hanna and Chris Henson once lived across the street from each other while attending college at Sul Ross State in Alpine, and their wives now also were friends with each other back then.

The two men then embarked on high school coaching careers in their native West Texas. Henson started at Snyder in 1994 and has since made stops at Fort Stockton, Marfa and Pecos. Hanna got his first job at Seminole in 1997 and then coached at Monahans, Alpine and Greenwood.

Since Hanna’s career began, he and Henson have coached against each other at least once every year — in a scrimmage or a game, in football or basketball. Their current football teams scrimmaged each other before this season, and now they’re meeting again in the postseason.

Hanna’s Greenwood Rangers (6-4) will meet Henson’s Pecos Eagles (5-5) for a Class 3A Division II bi-district playoff at 7:30 tonight at Kermit’s Walton Field.

“He’s a great guy,” Henson said of Hanna. “It’s always fun playing someone you respect and have known for a long time.”

The feeling is mutual for Hanna, who called it a “good friendship and a good rivalry.” He also said when the two coaches aren’t competing against each other, they keep in touch to talk football and lend each other a hand.

Pecos played Andrews and Fort Stockton during nondistrict play. So before Greenwood faced those teams in District 4-3A matchups, Hanna called Henson for scouting reports.

“Anytime he needs something, I’ll help him any way I can,” Hanna said. “I feel like he’ll do the same.”

A few seconds later, Hanna said, “Except on this given week.”

The Rangers are trying to avoid making their first playoff appearance since 2008 a short one, and Hanna said his players have a renewed sense of excitement and energy after rallying to secure their spot. Their 62-61 win against Andrews and 38-14 victory against Fort Stockton, which came on the last two weeks of the regular season, vaulted them from playoff long shot to third place.

In the game against Andrews, which Greenwood had to win to avoid being eliminated from postseason contention, it overcame a 27-0 deficit and didn’t lead until Kyle Rimer kicked a field goal with 17 seconds left.

“After pulling off something like that, I think we can do just about anything,” Greenwood receiver Colin Sullivan said. “I think this is the most confident we’ve ever been going into a game.”

The Eagles feel just as good about themselves after winning all four of their District 3-3A games following a 1-5 start to the season. Their 27-21, overtime win against Clint last week gave them consecutive outright district championships for the first time in program history.

Tonight they’ll try to win a postseason game for the first time since 1975.

“We just want to keep on making history,” Pecos quarterback Bradley Shaw said. “Winning a playoff game will certainly do that.”

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