BBQ Bowl trophy stays in Elgin after Lions fall 32-8

By Alonzo Garza
POST-REGISTER

Despite the goodwill and good food shared between Lockhart and Elgin fans during the pre-game tailgating event at the First Annual BBQ Bowl, it was “winner take all” after the first kickoff whistle blew at Wildcat Stadium on Friday, Oct. 23.

For the second straight week, the Lions (3-5, 0-3) failed to score until the final qu

arter of the game. The Wildcats (2-6, 1-2) defeated them 32-8 in a rough and tumble game that was nearly a shutout.

“Elgin made some big plays in the kicking game and we failed to convert opportunities in the red zone,” Lion Head Football Coach Robin Rapp said. “Those were major factors in the outcome of the game.”

The game began with Lockhart receiving and Elgin wasting no time in regaining control of the ball. The Wildcats recovered an onside kick and started their first play of the game at the 49-yardline.

The Wildcats moved the ball downfield aggressively, reaching good field position and putting the first three points on the scoreboard with a field goal by Dalton Kisamore less than four minutes into the quarter.

The Lions took the ball at their own 33 and moved it to Elgin”s 39-yard line by 4:15, but turned over possession with a fumble good for a Wildcat first-and-ten at the 42 with 4:10 left on the clock.
The Wildcats made first-and-ten at the 24-yard line by 2:24, and inched their way forward until Sam Works scored a touchdown from the 10-yard line with 58 second remaining in the quarter.

Kisamore”s solid extra point kick ended the first quarter with the Wildcats ahead 10-0.

The second quarter began with the Lions at the 48-yard line. They moved the ball down to the Elgin 8-yard line after some hard hits, good runs and a final Joseph Bell carry at 9:11.

By 7:43, the Lions were still at the 8, with a fourth down, and opted to go for a field goal. The field goal attempt by Brooks Pittman failed and the ball went to the Wildcats.

Elgin took their first-and-ten at the Lockhart 20-yard line at 7:36. By 6:41 the Wildcats were at first-and-ten at the 47. They continued to press forward with a 46-yard run by quarterback Dylan Scott for first-and-goal at the 2, and finally for a Wildcat touchdown.

The last five minutes of the first half were scoreless for both teams. The Lions turned over possession of the ball after incomplete passes were either too short or too long. The Wildcats moved the ball to good field position but could not score a field goal on a fourth-and-eight ending the scoring at 16-0.

The third quarter began with a bang for Elgin. Wildcat Cro Faulks returned a kickoff for a touchdown and Da”Rick Nolan rushed in for a good two-point conversion, changing the score to 24-0 with 11:44 remaining in the third.

The Wildcats continued to out-gun and out-score the Lions in the third. They scored a fourth touchdown with a 75-yard run by Works and another successful two-point conversion with a run by Dylan Scott, boosting the score to 32-0.

Both the Lions and the Wildcats squandered the last seven minutes of the third quarter. Missed passes by the Lions and penalties against the Wildcats kept the score at 32-0 at the end of the third.

The Lions scored their only touchdown of the night during the fourth quarter.
Dominique Hardaway made the 5-yard run after a strong drive by the Lions. Lion quarterback Tyler Tolley made the two-point conversion for a score of 32-8 with 9:13 left in the game.

Except for a minor scuffle at 5:49 and flags and penalties throughout the final minutes, the rest of the game was a series of missed opportunities for both teams.

“Offensively, we moved the ball well all night long,” Rapp said. “We just did not finish enough drives and this allowed Elgin to gain their momentum early – momentum we failed to ever get back.”

Tolley passed for 140 yards making 14 completions with 27 attempts. He also rushed for 66 yards with 12 carries.
Returning to the field from the injured list, Hardaway rushed for 69 yards with 19 carries, while Joseph Bell rushed for 19 yards with nine carries and Howard Berry rushed 11 yards with three carries.

Receiving for the Lions were Brian Martinez, Kendall Till, Dominique Hardaway and Karl Grieger. Till covered 55 yards with his four receptions, while Martinez added another 45 yards with his four. Grieger covered 33 yards with four receptions and Hardaway covered seven yards with two.

The Lions are slated to make their final road trip of the regular season on Friday night, as they travel to Buda to square off with the Lehman Lobos at Bob Shelton Stadium. The Lobos (1-2) are currently just ahead of the Lions (0-3) in district play.

Elsewhere in District 17-AAAA, the Hays Rebels (3-0) will face off with the Del Valle Cardinals (3-0) at Del Valle. The key matchup between the two undefeated teams will put a finer point on the district standings as the final week of district play begins.
agarza@post-register.com