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MATHIS — Donnie Butler is fast.

The rest of the Mathis Pirates aren’t too far behind.

Butler spearheaded a Mathis running game that pounded out 472 total yards with 296 of his own with four touchdowns as the Pirates ran past Lyford 41-24 in their Class 3A Division-II bi-district game here Friday night.

Butler scored on gallops 55,74, 56 and 37 as Mathis’ slot-T scheme was more than effective for the Pirates (8-3).

"We certainly have two real good backs in Donnie Butler and Rashard Washington," Mathis head coach Paul Kilby said. "But that (Lyford) is a great football team we played against. Coach Infante and his staff do an outstanding job with their offense."

Lyford, which hung tough throughout the game, ends its season at 10-1.

"We just couldn’t capitalize when we needed to," Lyford head coach Jaime Infante said. "We played well in spurts.

But we lost to a good football team tonight. Our kids fought hard and they gave great effort all season, but it just wasn’t our night."

From the get-go, the Pirates’ run game took it to the Bulldogs via that aformentioned speed.

Butler scored from 55 yards out on the fourth play of the game to put the home team up 6-0 on its first possession.

On Lyford’s first possession, Johnny Esparza (29-of-55, 5 INTs, 2 TDs) was picked off for the first time at their own 31. Five plays later, Mathis’ Justin Medrano dove in from a yard out and Butler’s conversion run made it 14-0 Pirates with 7:54 left in the first.

Lyford answered with a nice drive that ended with a 25-yard Jose Salinas field goal.

But Rashard Washington got loose for a 72-yard spring to make it 20-3 Mathis, still in the first.

The Bulldogs’ first TD came when Esparza hit Cuahtli Quiroz on an 11-yard pass to close it to 20-10 again, still in the first. After the Mean Green D stopped Mathis, the offense got going. when early in the second, Esparza hit Jacob Carranco for a 7-yard TD. Salinas’ PAT closeed the gap to 20-17 with 10:19 left before half.

Momentum was on Lyford’s side as the D stopped Mathis on fourth down to give it back to the offense.

The Bulldogs drove but Esparza was picked off deep in Pirate territory. Two plays later, Butler took off for the 74-yard gallop to push the lead back to 10.

It was that kinda night for the Bulldogs.

"It just seemed like we were snakebit," Infante said. "We knew we had to contain their outside run game, and we had problems with that."

After intermission, Esparza was picked off again but the Lyford D stopped Mathis on consecutive possessions, forcing punts. Sammy Ambriz’s 3-yard run inched Lyford closer at 27-24 with 5:17 left in the third.

But that’s as close as they came.

Butler’s 56-yarder increased the lead back to 10 and then his 37-yarder put the game on ice.

Lyford’s season ends after its first unbeaten regular season in 40 years. Mathis on the other hand, will face Devine in next week’s area round.

"All year, our defense stepped up," Kilby said. "We knew they (Lyford) would get their yards but we rose at critical times. I just feel blessed to be around these kids."