By BRAD KEITH
TheFlashToday.com
STEPHENVILLE (October 6, 2017) — Stephenville fell to Lubbock Monterey despite leading until the middle of the fourth qurarter. Meanwhile, No. 8 De Leon survived always tough Hico, breaking a 14-14 tie and winning 27-14 thanks largely to a pair of interceptions.
Why’d they all win and lose? Read on, in the First Financial Bank First Flash…..
Lubbock Monterey 20, Stephenville 17
Lubbock Monterey took its only lead – the only lead the Plainsmen would need – on a short touchdown run with 5:11 remaining to top Stephenville 20-17 on Homecoming night at Memorial Stadium.
But the real story reared its ugly head one final time at the worst of times.
Dropped passes prevented a homecoming celebration. Five of them, at least, including a couple on the final drive, when the Yellow Jacket defense, which was fierce most of the night again, had made a four-down stand at its 40, leaving 30 seconds for the offense to try and move within field goal range.
It was feasible, seeing how Chase Carillo hit a 40 yarded just before halftime, but he never got a shot in the closing seconds of regulation because catchable passes on first, third and fourth down – the second down pass was overthrown – spelled doom.
The Jackets got better, no doubt, doing much more in Krece Nowak’s absence than a week ago, but still not enough. They still dropped the ball, so Monterey prevailed.
Perhaps the biggest of a handful of positives for Stephenville – 3 penalties for 26 yards. This after being flagged 11 times in a half at Graham one week prior.
An by the way – Monterey QB Brylon Lawason-Young is one tough custome for any defense.
De Leon 27, Hico 14
De Leon won for much the same reason the Bearcats swatted reigning district champ Crawford off its mantle at atop the district a week prior.
Even when it hasn’t been pretty up and down the field all night, the Bearcats have proven clutch when things get tight. Calvin Martin snared an interception then hauled in a touchdown pass from Kevin Yeager, and those were the second and third clutch plays of the fourth quarter. The first, the one officially standing as the game winner, was a 55-yard scoring burst by Anthony Rangel.
It seems no matter how long a team sratches and claw, it’s not if the Bearcats will finally break off some big plays, but win.
But quick side note – great showing by Hico, even in a loss. Not a 3-2 team that many 2A Division I schools would like to see on their schedule, for sure.
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