Raising the stakes

Peaster football set a standard entering 2025. In year two under head coach Trevor Owens, the Greyhounds earned their first gold ball in program history by topping Comanche in the bi-district round.

Still living off the highs of their first playoff win, Owens recalled the week of practice leading up to the 2024 area round meeting with Shallowater, which was disrupted by the feeling of just being happy to have made it that far.

The Mustangs offered a rude awakening to the Hounds in their 41-21 loss, spoiling the historic season.

A year later, Shallowater and Peaster met again in the area round last Friday; however, it was a much different group that showed up that night.

“We weren’t just happy to be in the area round,” said Owens. “When we went out on the field, we handled the moment better.”

Once Owens returned home at 2 a.m. after the drive back from Childress, he couldn’t go to bed for multiple reasons — his 2-month-old son kept him up and the excitement of the Greyhounds becoming area champions for the first time in school history after a 16-0 hard-fought victory.

Neither team had a grasp on the game, according to Peaster’s head coach.

The Greyhound offense, known to put up impressive numbers throughout the season, was relatively contained; however, efficiency is more than enough for quarterback Luke Gray.

“My job is to manage the game. Take what the opposing team gives us and capitalize on their mistakes. They [Shallowater] did a solid job in deep coverage, but they didn't account for our scrambling attack,” said Gray. “Not every game, especially in the playoffs, requires me to be a hero.”

Gray finished 16-of-24 for 121 yards and two touchdowns, along with 108 yards rushing on 11 attempts.

“He had his best game this season on Friday,” said Owens about his quarterback.

Peaster’s coach spoke highly of his running back’s performance as well, as Hudson Salyers ran for 80 yards on 25 carries.

Despite not finding the end zone off a 3-touchdown bi-district round, Owens loved how Salyers embraced the medium yardage pickups for 5-7 yards at a time rather than trying to make them 30 yards.

The Greyhounds played complementary football against the Mustangs, as the defense picked up its fourth shutout of the year by forcing four turnovers and limited Shallowater to only 41 offensive plays.

Contributing factors to the drastic difference in the two meetings with the Mustangs include the senior experience Peaster possessed over Shallowater. After the 2024 season, the opposition graduated 29 seniors; meanwhile, the Greyhounds returned 24.

Among the impactful returners to the team’s success in 2025 is the secondary, featuring Rhett Kelley, Mark Tullous and Cade McCollough. The trio of defensive backs helped secure three interceptions, increasing the season total to 16.

“They make me look really good as a play caller,” Owens said about the secondary. “They pick up on tendencies and recognize route concepts so well.”

Entering its first regional semifinal appearance since the program’s inception in 2018 and UIL eligibility in 2020, the Greyhounds boast their best record at 11-1.

“Winning is great and it's become the standard of Peaster football. Watching us continue to take steps seen by no Greyhound team before is awesome to be a part of,” Gray said. “Being a quarterback and a team captain, I'm so honored to be a part of this program and to see the goals we set for ourselves before the season slowly being checked off.”

Gray went on to say that the plan is to keep rolling in the playoffs and enjoy the Friday night victories regardless of the opponent.

What’s next for the Greyhounds is a familiar foe in the Vernon Lions.

The District 4-3A members meet for the second time this season on Black Friday, as they travel to Bulldog Stadium in Burkburnett for a 6 p.m. kickoff.

In their previous contest on Nov. 7, Peaster cruised to a 39-3 win to finalize the regular season.

“It gives you a little more confidence going into it, but I think our kids are confident enough to realize if we go out and execute, then we can play with anyone, but we can also lose to anyone,” said Owens.

He also noted that in the grand scheme of things, the win over the Lions didn’t mean much as playoff matchups wouldn’t have changed tremendously and Vernon dealt with many injuries.

This time around, many Vernon players will be available Friday, forcing Owens to re-hash his game plan to account for their speed.

“I have no doubt in us to adapt to the situation and find success,” Gray said about the anticipated Vernon rematch. “As for them, I don't care who's hurt or who's playing, as long as we play our game to our standard, we'll be just fine.”

Playing during Thanksgiving week for the first time, Peaster won’t make the same mistake they made last year in being content with reaching the next round.

“You’ve earned the right to be here,” Owens stressed to his team. “It’s a privilege.”