Coin Toss Decides High School Football Playoff Spot in Texas

On November 11, 2025, three Texas high school football teams found themselves in a tiebreaker situation for the final playoff spot in the UIL Conference 5A DI playoffs. Lubbock High, Amarillo High, and Caprock High had all finished the regular season with similar records, leaving their postseason fate to be decided by a late-night coin toss.

The three head coaches met at a Toot'n Totum travel center in Plainview, Texas, to determine which team would advance. In a scene reminiscent of the famous coin toss depicted in the book and movie "Friday Night Lights," Lubbock and Caprock both tossed heads, while Amarillo tossed tails, securing the final playoff berth for the Amarillo Sandies.

Caprock coach Rowdy Freeman described the experience as a "gutpunch," saying, "You're thinking, 'You're in a gas station in the middle of the night flipping a coin and your whole season, your whole fate, depends on whether you flip heads or tails.'" Meanwhile, Lubbock coach Juan Rodriguez expressed disappointment for his players, but acknowledged the fairness of the process, stating, "It's not about the adults. I wasn't really feeling anything at that point other than my kids were going to be the ones not going, so I was hurting for them."

Amarillo, coached by Chad Dunnam, will now move on to face El Dorado in the first round of the playoffs on November 17, 2025. The dramatic coin toss has garnered national attention, with a video of the event going viral on social media.