Lockhart forces 7 turnovers, wins 63-0
Daequan Ellison runs for a touchdown with teammate and brother Daetron Ellison in tow. Miles Smith/LPR
Devin Clark runs back an interception for a touchdown in the first quarter against Kennedy. Miles Smith/LPR
Jesus Aldana throws a stiff arm en route to one of his two touchdown runs against Kennedy. Miles Smith/LPR
By Miles Smith
LPR Editor
When a team receives only one kickoff in a game, it’s a pretty good sign that the defense had a good night.
That moment occurred on the first play of the third quarter for the Lockhart Lions (4-4, 2-3), who spoiled homecoming for the Kennedy Rockets (0-8, 0-5) Friday night at Edgewood Stadium in San Antonio romping 63-0 in a game that improved their district record to 2-3 and kept them mathematically alive in the playoff chase for another week.
“The kids played hard, “ Lockhart head football coach Brian Herman said. “We got everybody in the game and got to highlight some kids that have played really hard this year. “The defense was outstanding … everybody contributed and it was a lot of fun.”
It was a road game the fifth-place Lions had to have if they have postseason aspirations. With two games left in the season, they next face Kerrville Tivy (7-1,5-0), a team that is tied for first with Medina Valley (7-1, 5-0) and hasn’t been beaten in District 14-5A-2 and is coming off a 64-62 overtime win against erstwhile undefeated Alamo Heights, a team that ran roughshod over the Lions two weeks ago.
The top four teams will make the playoffs. Lockhart needs to win out and needs Boerne Champion (3-2), which beat the Lions three weeks ago, to lose its next two.
“If we play that well next week, we can win,” Herman said. “We’ve been tested for the last two weeks and we’ve had flashes. You’ve seen it. This wasn’t the same opponent, but we still had to execute and still had to perform, and we did an outstanding job today.”
Coming off a two-game losing streak against top 14-5A-2 competitors Boerne Champion and Alamo Heights, Lockhart came to play at Edgewood, the stadium at which it’s earned both of its district wins. Kennedy got the ball first and marched deep into Lions territory on its opening drive as the Angel Sanchez-led passing attack seemed to be firing on all cylinders.
But on first down at the Lions 15, the game changed for good when Sanchez fired a bullet into the end zone that flew right into the arms of Lockhart DB Devin Clark, who ran the interception 100 yards to the end zone to give Lockhart a 7-0 lead it would never relinquish fewer than four minutes into the first quarter.
“I was getting a little nervous to be honest with you because that quarterback is really good,” Herman said of Sanchez, who finished the night with 163 yards passing. “He’s good at using his legs, and his receivers do a good job of getting open and coming back to the ball – it’s called a scramble drill. They got all the way down there, but Devin saved us.”
The interception was one of eight Kennedy turnovers and six picks Sanchez would throw for the Rockets, who also lost a fumble in the third quarter that Lions linebacker Eddie Tucar recovered and ran back 97 yards for a touchdown that improved Lockhart’s lead to 56-0. Jarred Galindo, David Garcia and Alex Thompsen also recorded interceptions for the Lions.
Daetron Ellison led Lockhart runners with 151 yards on four carries and two touchdowns. Daequan Ellison had four carries for 110 yards and two scores and Jesus Aldana had three carries for 72 yards and two touchdowns.
Jackie Edwards Jr. was 3-for-5 for 32 yards, including an 11- yard first-quarter touchdown pass to Kourtland Zambrano. Daetron Ellison and Spencer Nelson each caught passes for the Lions.
District Standings
T1. Kerrville Tivy, 5-0
T1. Medina Valley, 5-0
- Alamo Heights, 4-1
- Boerne Champion, 3-2
- Lockhart, 2-3
- Uvalde, 1-4
7T. Memorial, 0-5
7T. Kennedy, 0-5
