LINDALE — The West Rusk Raiders won the Division 3 championship competing in the State Qualifier Linemen Challenge held at Lindale High School on Friday and will advance to the Hardin Simmons State Lineman Challenge in Abilene on June 21.

West Rusk has done the state qualifier challenge the last four years and made it to state three years in a row now. In addition to winning their division, the Raider linemen crew also won the tug of war challenge.

"It's a young bunch this year, so we were excited and kind of shocked, a little bit. But they did a really good job when they went up there to Lindale. It's the first time we've won it," said West Rusk's AD/HFC Rafe Mata. "And it's the first time we've won tug of war since I've been here. They were excited more about that, I think, than anythi

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