By Kyle Mooty

LPR Editor

CEDAR CREEK – After a 19-year layoff, the Lockhart-Bastrop rivalry seemed as if it never left.

The visiting Lions, unable to muster a first down the first half, who trailed by 17 late in the third quarter, and did not complete a pass until inside of the 5-minute mark of the third period, still managed to rally for an amazing 35-31 victory Friday night at Memorial Stadium.

The incredible come-from-behind win lifted Lockhart to 5-3 overall and 2-2 in District 13 with regular season games remaining at home against San Antonio Pieper this week and at Kerrville Tivy on Nov. 4. Those schools are tied for third in the District with Lockhart. Bastrop dropped to 2-7 and 2-3. The loss will likely prove fatal to the Bears, who fell to 2-7 overall and 2-3 in District action and visit mighty Liberty Hill Friday.

“I know 15 or 20 years ago this was a really huge rivalry,” Lockhart Head Coach Todd Moebes said.

The game started off as if the Lions would be on the short end of their nearby opponents.

Lockhart fell behind on Bastrop’s first possession when the Bears methodically marched 63 yards in nine plays, scoring on quarterback Seth Mouser’s one-yard run with 5:25 left in the first quarter. James Ramon kicked the PAT for a 7-0 lead over the visitors.

Bastrop took its second possession 10 plays, scoring on a 40-yard field goal by Ramon with 10:59 left in the second quarter for a 10-0 advantage.

Lockhart’s lone bright spot of the first half came on the ensuing kickoff when Seth McKinney took a pooch kickoff at his own 31 and raced 69 yards to paydirt. Omar Ocampo’s PAT made it 10-7 Bastrop, with 10:57 left in the half.

Bastrop made it 17-7 late in the half when workhorse running back Demire Thompson scored with 21 seconds left until intermission from 11 yards out. Ramon’s PAT made it 17-7.

By halftime, the Bears had controlled the game with 32 plays to just 13 for the Lions and leading the time of possession 18:03-5:57. The two Lockhart stars – Ashton Dickens and McKinney – had been shut down as McKinney managed just 16 yards in the first two quarters and Dickens a mere three yards on three carries.

That would change… and quickly.

Lockhart went with the onsides kick to start the third quarter and Trey Brown recovered Ocampo’s deft touch for the Lions. On the very next play, Dickens sprinted 44 yards up the middle for the first LHS first down. And the touchdown. Ocampo’s PAT cut the deficit to 17-14 with 11:49 still left in the third period.

Bastrop answered quickly, scoring on its second play of the half with Thompson fought through a couple of would-be tacklers and raced 74 yards to the end zone. Ramon’s PAT made it 24-14, Bastrop, with 10:50 left in the third.

After a Dickens’ fumble gave the ball back to Bastrop, the Bears took what seemed like a commanding, 31-14 lead when Thompson scored again on a six-yard run with 5:50 left in the third. Ramon was again true on the PAT.

Lockhart pulled to within 31-21 with 1:44 left in the third when Dickens capped off a 75-yard, 11-play drive on a one-yard sneak. Ocampo kicked the PAT.

Lockhart still trailed by 10 in the fourth quarter. On the very first play, Dickens found Gabe Deutsch on a 42-yard pass play into Bears’ territory. Later, facing a fourth-and-17, Dickens scrambled for 20 yards and a first down to the Bastrop 26. McKinney capped off the drive with a three-yard TD run with 8:58 remaining. Ocampo’s PAT made it 31-28.

Another Bastrop punt gave the ball back to Lockhart with 5:43 remaining.

The Lions only need 39 seconds to take their first lead of the night, scoring in three plays when Dickens, taking off immediately out of the pistol formation, found an alley and sprinted 63 yards for the go-ahead score with 5:04 remaining. Ocampo’s kick made it 35-31.

Bastrop began its desperation drive at its own 25 after Ocampo kicked to the end zone for a touchback. The Bears reached Lockhart territory, but a fourth-and-eight pass from the Lions’ 46 fell incomplete with 1:05 remaining.

Bastrop managed just 52 yards and three first downs on its final three possessions against a determined Lockhart defense.

“Bastrop had a good game plan, so they have to be given a lot of credit,” Moebes said. “Defensively, we were not able to get off the field as we would have liked to early on. It was certainly a physical football game. It really wasn’t our best performance, but they made the stops when they needed to.

“Offensively, we may have been pressing a little. But they went in and made some adjustments.”

Dickens took two kneel downs to run out the clock and give Lockhart its improbable win.

“This has been a very resilient football team,” Moebes said. “On the sideline the guys are very calm in that they do what they need to do next.”

Dickens ran for 204 yards in the second half and finished with 207 on 18 attempts. He also finished 4-of-12 through the air for 70 yards.

“(Dickens) made some really good reads and was really assertive in his decision making,” Moebes said of his junior signal caller.

Thompson had 189 yards on 24 carries for the Bears, while Mouser had 92 yards passing.

Six of the Bears’ seven losses have come by single digits and its worst loss was by 12 to Veterans Memorial. Other Bastrop losses include to Pieper by 9, Round Rock Westwood and Pflugerville by 7 each, Kyle Lehman 6, Leander 5, and Lockhart 4.

Bastrop beat Lockhart in the previous meeting in 2003, 14-7.

Lockhart’s final home game will be Friday as San Antonio Pieper (2-6, 2-2) visits Lions Stadium. Pieper is in only its second season of playing varsity football and its first season of playing a full schedule. The Warriors are nevertheless battling for a playoff berth.

Bastrop had beaten Tivy by three and Cedar Creek by 40.

* * * 

Bastrop tossed a 25-yard touchdown pass with 18 seconds remaining to win the junior varsity game on Thursday night, 6-0, at Lockhart.

* * *

5A-2, Region IV District 13

District All

Liberty Hill        4-0       7-1

Veterans Memorial       3-1       6-2

Lockhart           2-2       5-3

Pieper  2-2       2-6

Tivy      2-2       4-4

Bastrop             2-3       2-7

Cedar Creek      0-5       0-9

Oct. 21 results

Lockhart 35, Bastrop 31

Tivy 35, Cedar Creek 10

Veterans Memorial 42, Pieper 28

Liberty Hill was open

Oct. 27

Tivy at Veterans Memorial

Oct. 28

Pieper at Lockhart

Bastrop at Liberty Hill

Cedar Creek is open

Lockhart 35, Bastrop 31

* * *

GAME STATISTICS

Score by Quarters

Lockhart       0     7   14 14  — 35

Bastrop       7   10   14   0  — 31

TEAM STATS     Lockhart            Bastrop

First Downs                   9           15

Rushes-Yards         30-233               42-221

Passing         4-12-1             10-15-0

Passing Yards                       70           92   

Total Yards             303         313

Punts-Avg.         3-33.0     3-28.3

Penalties-Yards             4-30         6-40

Fumbles-Lost               1-1           2-0

Time of Possession           14:49       33:11

INDIVIDUAL STATS

RUSHING

LOCKHART — Dickens 18-207, McKinney 10-20, Jackson 1-10, Reese 1-(-4). BASTROP — Thompson 24-189, Moore 15-33, Mouser 3-(-1).

PASSING

LOCKHART — Dickens 4-12-1-70. BASTROP — Mouser 10-15-0-90.

RECEIVING

LOCKHART — Deutsch 1-42, McKinney 3-28. BASTROP — Tobola 5-34, Monroe 3-34, Moore 2-24.

* * *

SCORING

First Quarter

BASTROP — Mouser 1 run (Ramon kick), 5:25

Second Quarter

BASTROP — Ramon 40 field goal, 10:59

LOCKHART – McKinney 69 kick return (Ocampo kick), 10:47

BASTROP — Thompson 1 run (Ramon kick), :21

Third Quarter

LOCKHART – Dickens 44 run (Ocampo kick), 11:49

BASTROP — Thompson 74 run (Ramon kick), 10:50

BASTROP — Thompson 6 run (Ramon kick), 5:50

LOCKHART — Dickens 1 run (Ocampo kick), 1:54

Fourth Quarter

LOCKHART — McKinney 3 run (Ocampo kick), 8:58

LOCKHART — Dickens 63 run (Ocampo kick), 5:04