L.J.H. football strives for district championship

The Lockhart Junior High football teams met Hays Barton on the field last Tuesday, Oct. 18, resulting in wins and losses on both sides. The 8th grade teams sent Barton home with two shutout defeats, while Barton served the 7th grade “maroon” a shutout defeat.

8th Grade “Maroon” Team
The 8th grade “maroon” team hosted Barton in a shutout victory for the Lions,

22-0.
Touchdowns were made by Nolan Lockhart on a 4-yard run, Brian Martinez on a 45-yard run, and Cody James on a 3-yard pitch off the edge.
Leading the offensive line were Samuel Yanez, Will Rodriguez, Dion Turner, Tony Moreno, Blake Sander and Kevin Rodriguez.
Good defensive plays came from Robert Castaneda, Kendall Till, Samuel Yanez, Tony Moreno and Dominique Hardaway.
“It was a great game for us at home,” Coach Gifford Whitehead said. “We played solid offense and defensive football. Brian Martinez ran the ball extremely well, and we had great leadership from our quarterback David Dihn.
“Defensively, the kids made the plays at the right time keeping Barton out of the end zone. It was a fun game,” he added.

8th Grade “White” Team
The 8th grade “white” team also produced a shutout victory against Barton, 16-0.
Contributing to the Lions touchdowns were Sergio Juarez and Josh Hernandez. J.D. Martinez also made a big offensive play with a 45-yard rushing drive down field.
Defensively, the Lions proved their strength by keeping Barton scoreless. Officer, Tolley, Roch, Benitez, Herrera, and Schnoutz made key tackles.
“These guys have had a great year and are a pleasure to coach,” Coach Chris Mata and Coach Steven Gilpin said. “Look for great things in the future from these hard-working young men. We are excited about getting another win…and finishing with the possibility of a district championship.”

7th Grade “Maroon” Team
The 7th grade “maroon” team traveled to play Barton, resulting in a close but disappointing game for the Lions, 0-6.
Leading the Lions offensively was Chris Gomez with 70 rushing yards. Jacob Alvarez also made a big play with a 25-yard pass to Brooks Pittman.
Defensively, Blane Spear made several tackles that pushed Barton behind the line of scrimmage. George Deleon also completed some great plays on defense.
“This game was a heart breaker,” Coach Mark Elder said. “The guys played hard during the four quarters and lost on the last play. We are very proud of the effort these guys are giving us.”

7th Grade “White” Team
The Lions” 7th grade “white” team fought hard against Barton but fell short, 8-12.
Leading the Lions for a touchdown was josh Sanders with a 60-yard run to the end zone. Joseph Carrillo gave the Lions two more points on a conversion.
Lockhart”s defense made some great plays to hold Barton to 12 points. They were led by Allen, Natal, Brite, Osteen, Brillion, Blagden, Carrillo, Martinez, Scott, and Rodriguez.
“We did a great job of moving the ball,” Coach Andrew Corpus said. “We had some nice runs by Sanders, Carrillo, Plante, Rodriguez and Alvarez. All the coaches love coaching the kids, and we have really come together as a team.”
(Courtesy of Steven Gilpin, Mark Elder, Andrew Corpus, Chris Mata, and Gifford Whitehead)