Unicorns tumble Lions 38-14

By Alonzo Garza
POST-REGISTER

With the Wurstfest well under way in New Braunfels, some of the Unicorn fans chose to skip the game. The faithful fans that did show up were treated to an exciting evening of turnovers. The New Braunfels Unicorns (6-3) turned a sloppy beginning into a winning game by outwitting the Lockhart Lions (4-5) at almost every turn. The Unic

orns were able to make use of most turnovers, while the Lions did not get their bearings until late in the third quarter. In the end, the Lions were left to be content with only two touchdowns. The final score was 38-14.
“It was a bad night all the way around,” said Head Coach Les Goad right after the game. “I”m real proud of our boys. I just wish I could have helped them. I wish we were able to slow down [the Unicorn”s] squad. They have a good quarterback.”
The Lions got a total of seven penalties for a loss of 55 yards. They fumbled four times and lost it three. Despite losing the game, the Lions did add to their individual stats.
Demetrius Joseph and Casey Butler both rushed for 35 yards. D. Joseph had eight carries while Butler had a total of 12. Dustin Garza rushed for 32 yards with only six carries while Terrance Waldon rushed for 28 yards with 10 carries. Marcus Officer rushed for 16 yards with just five carries. Kennard Lakes had one carry for a total of 8 yards and Richard Ybarra carried the ball twice for 6 yards.
At quarterback, Garza completed seven out of 16 passes for a total of 93 yards. Alex Joseph caught five of those passes for 58 yards, while Josh Massey caught one for 23 yards and Ira Woolridge caught one for 12 yards. David Moore kicked two extra points and three punts for 39 yards.
The first quarter started with a short kick from Lockhart. The Unicorns took possession of the ball on the 34-yard line. A side pass gained 7 yards. A 28-yard pass for a first-and-ten followed a flag on their second down that cost the Unicorns 5 yards. A delay of game penalty and the first fumble of the game within the first two and a half minutes of the game made for a sloppy start.
Lockhart took possession on the 32-yard line. Two and a half minutes and a few rushes later the ball went back to New Braunfels. The Unicorns kicked the first punt after three incomplete passes. The Lions took the ball on the 35-yard line for a first-and-ten only to fumble with a bad exchange, giving possession back to the Unicorns.
With 7:00 remaining, New Braunfels took a first-and-ten on the 35-yard line. They started with another bad pass, which was way overthrown. Second-and-ten resulted in a third fumble that was ruled a lateral pass. Third-and-ten was another incomplete pass. The Unicorn quarterback finally changed his strategy and succeeded in scoring the game”s first touchdown by rushing in from the right side for a 21-yard touchdown run. The extra point was no good, setting the score at 6-0 with 6:09 left in the first quarter.
The Lions took possession of the ball at the 31-yard line after the kickoff only to lose it on the second down. At 5:15 a fumbled pitch by the Lions gave the Unicorns a first-and-ten on the 27-yard line. By 3:46 the Unicorns had the second touchdown of the night. A two-point conversion was good. The first quarter ended with a score of 14-0.
New Braunfels continued to improve during the second quarter while the Lions kept trying to find their game. Two more fumbles and an extra third down for the Lions at 5:39 in the quarter upset the New Braunfels coaches. They asked for an explanation from the officials who couldn”t or wouldn”t give them a good enough answer. Not satisfied with the answer, the Unicorns continued to gain more ground. They earned their third touchdown with a short 9-yard pass. It was a three-play drive good for 75-yards and a 21-0 score. They continued to evade the Lions until the end of the quarter. A 15-yard penalty against Lockhart for a late hit with 28 seconds left on the clock did not help.
New Braunfels charged into the third quarter with an interception after a return by A. Joseph. They took a first-and-ten on the Lion 21-yard line at 10:27. By 10:16, after a 6-yard gain, they had a first-and-goal inside the 5-yard line. At 9:33 the Unicorns scored another touchdown. The extra point kick was good for a score of 28-0.
Ybarra returned the ball for a first-and-ten on the 38-yard line. After a couple of rushes and a pass Lockhart got a 15-yard penalty, which was immediately followed with a 17-yard pass completion from Garza to A. Joseph. Garza started getting pressure from the Unicorn defense so the Lions took a time out on a fourth-and-three. At 5:24 a good pass was blocked and the ball went to New Braunfels. The Unicorns got flags on their first-and-ten then fumbled the ball for a Lion first-and-ten on the 38-yard line. Garza kept the ball for a no gain. Officer carried for 7 yards on second down then gained no yards on third down. A flag on the play against New Braunfels cost them 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct.
That penalty set the Lions up for their first touchdown of the night. With only two minutes left in the quarter, Officer rushed in for a Lion touchdown. The extra point kick was good, changing the score to 28-7. An attempted onside kick by the Lions failed, so the Unicorns took their first down on the 48-yard line with only 1:13 left on the clock. The quarter ended at 28-7.
The fourth quarter brought the Unicorns a 65-yard drive that included a 21-yard reception good for a touchdown and an extra point. The Lions were able to gain some momentum between 11:14 and 9:41, but it was luck in the form of a fumble that got them their second and final touchdown of the night. Michael Harvey ran for 47 yards after picking up the fumbled ball. By 7:55 A. Joseph caught a short pass, 6 yards out from second-and-goal. The extra point kick was good and the score was 35-14.
Another try at the onside kick by the Lions was successful. A. Joseph recovered the ball for a Lion first-and-ten on the 47-yard line. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the ball was strategically stripped from the Lions for a New Braunfels first down. After a couple of bad snaps the Unicorns got another first-and-ten on the 14-yard line. At 3:48 remaining in the game the Unicorns kicked a field goal for an additional three points. The Lions took control of the ball one last time but could not score. At 1:13, Garza threw an interception into the hands of a Unicorn and the game was over. New Braunfels ran the clock out ending the game at 38-14.
“We have to finish what we started.” said Goad. “We have an opportunity to end with a 5-5 record. We have to find a way to get back up. The best football we have to play is in the future.”
The Lions will face Del Valle on Friday, Nov. 10 at home. All Lion fans are encouraged to attend. Fox 7 News will broadcast from Lion Stadium.
agarza@post-register.com