Winnsboro rolls into the postseason after brushing past the Wildcats 55-25 in the District 7-3A finale Nov. 6 at Red Raider Stadium.

The Raiders step into the bi-district round as district runners-up with a 9-1 record overall and 5-1 against district opponents.

The Raiders have drawn Tatum, the third-place team out of District 8, in first-round action. They play Thursday at Mineola’s Meredith Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

Head coach and boys athletic director Josh Finney said, “We have a great group of kids that play hard. We have high expectations for the kids and they want to win.”

In Friday’s contest, Rains drew first blood with a 25-yard pass play. The Raiders returned the ensuing kickoff to midfield, and quarterback Ky Caddell sprinted into the end zone on a 26-yard keeper three plays later. Caddell was in again on a 22-yard run to close out the first quarter.

Second-quarter scoring was fueled by Wildcats turnovers. Running back Neree Castleberry scored on a 4-yard run to take a 21-6 lead. Linebacker Kainan Moss recovered a Rains fumble, setting the stage for Caddell’s 17-yard touchdown pass to RJ Woodfaulk.

With under two minutes remaining in the second quarter, Caddell slipped into the end zone on a 2-yard run to give Winnsboro a 35-6 advantage.

Linebacker Marshal Bassett picked off a Rains pass attempt, which set up the first of two field goals by Rudy Calderon. The first was from 26 yards, followed by a 20-yarder in the third quarter. Calderon also connected on all seven PATs, pushing the senior’s reported career point total to 396.

Caddell accounted for 217 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns, all in the first half. With the Raiders ahead 38-6 at halftime, Cy Erickson came in at quarterback and rushed for 137 yards on six carries with a touchdown. Castleberry racked up 92 first-half rushing yards.

Third-quarter scoring for Winnsboro included a 36-yard run by Trenten Hill and a 58-yard run by Erickson. Rains scored on runs of 66 and 68 yards as well as a 60-yard pass, all in the fourth quarter. Bassett led the defense with seven tackles, including two for loss, plus a sack to go with the interception.

As the team heads into the postseason, Finney shared players with notable performances. He said the offensive production has improved every week, with Caddell and receivers Woodfaulk and Kash Noble leading the way.

Tight end Brady Boles presents a big-bodied dual threat and fits into a variety of tight end packages, while an experienced offensive line led by Kolin Birdsong paves the way for the running game.

The defensive line rotation of Karson McNeil, Eli Groter, Rhett Page, Chaz Amerson and Isaac Valentine has been dominating in the trenches.

Finney described linebackers Julian Moss and Kainan Moss as “tackling machines” and said Bassett is “a piece of dynamite off the edge.” Defensive backs Erickson and Ethan Young lead the secondary in interceptions.

“And our guys flying down on special teams is fun to watch,” said Finney. District 7 will be represented in the postseason by Malakoff, Winnsboro, Commerce and Mount Vernon, in that order.

These teams will face District 8 representatives Atlanta, Liberty-Eylau, Tatum and Gladewater. All four contests are set for Thursday, Nov. 12, with kickoffs at 7 p.m.

Malakoff meets Gladewater at Christus Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium, Commerce faces Texarkana Liberty-Eylau at Mount Pleasant’s Sam Parker Field, and Mount Vernon meets Atlanta at Pittsburg’s Pirate Stadium. District 7 has typically matched up well against District 8, winning three of four contests in 2025 and splitting in 2024.

Winnsboro sees a welcome change with a fresh opponent. The Raiders have drawn Atlanta in each of the last four seasons, with Winnsboro advancing each time. Tatum has amassed a 7-3 record featuring a run-oriented approach.

“They are a triple option threat so we will have to be disciplined on the dive, quarterback keep, and pitch. They have some big defensive linemen so we will have our hands full in the trenches, but our kids are always ready to step up to the challenge,” said Finney.