Boys Ranch's Jansen Timmons (20) tries to get past Wellington's Eric Needham during their Class 1A bidistrict playoff in November at Dick Bivins Stadium.

It's always nice to be part of making history. Just ask Boys Ranch football coach Mike Lozano.

The Roughriders weren't picked to make the playoffs by any preseason publication before the season began. After all, they had never advanced into postseason play since they began UIL competition in 1963.

So, what this season's team accomplished made history for the school, its coaches and more importantly the players as the Roughriders earned a playoff berth.

Boys Ranch's offense was keyed by quarterback James Murphy and running backs Bobby Nichols and Victor Landeros. Tight end Joe Ben Pacino and guard Trevor Knight were first-team all-district picks.

Knight and Pacino also were first-team all-district selections on defense as were Tim Benavidez and Sam Coombs.

The season began innocently enough as the Roughriders lost two of their first three games before winning four straight.

That fourth win was at Bovina, a come-from-behind 14-13 thriller, in the second week of District 3-1A play that left them tied for first place at 2-0.

A close loss to Vega the next week at home still left the Roughriders in great shape to reach postseason play for the first time if they could bounce back in the next two weeks.

When they won 12-7 at White Deer on Oct. 31, most coaches and players thought a playoff berth had been secured. However because of the district rules involving a three-team tie-breaker for a playoff berth, the Roughriders still weren't in.

Entering the regular-season finale, they would have to beat Nazareth, or White Deer would have to beat Bovina for it to happen.

Boys Ranch failed to beat Nazareth, but White Deer did beat Bovina to give the Roughriders that coveted postseason berth. Their season ended a week later with a bidistrict loss to Wellington.

''It's always great to be part of history,'' said Lozano about his team's success. ''Nobody gave us much of a chance to make the playoffs, but the players worked hard from beginning to end.

''No matter whatever happens to them in the future, they can always remember back and say they were part of something special.''