Freshmen Lions end season with 9-1 record

By Alonzo Garza
POST-REGISTER

The Freshmen Lions ended their season on Thursday, Nov. 6 with a 40-2 win over the Manor Mustangs at Lion Field. The Lions wrapped up their 2008 season with a 9-1 record.

“This year has been a successful year for the Freshmen football team,” Coach Gilbert Sandoval said. “From the beginning to the end the Freshmen displa

yed a lot of school pride and a desire to win every football game. Doing the little things correctly and coming together as a very close team was a major reason for the success of this year.”

The Lions defeated the Mustangs with an all-out, non-stop effort from every team member. The team played with relentless determination to close their season out with a bang.

“Aurelio Garcia, Fidel Chavez and Brandon Navarro each score a touchdown while D’Javonte Hedspeth scored twice,” Sandoval said. “The offensive line blocked well and the defense held them scoreless.”

Offensive standouts against the Mustangs included Andrew Contreras, Adrian Lopez and Michael Rodriguez. Defensive standouts were Drake Hinojosa, Jordan Huckaby and Navarro. Navarro made a second quarter interception and ran it in for a touchdown, igniting the continuous scoring for the Lions.

“Everyone saw plenty of playing time and they all got to contribute to the win,” Sandoval said.

The Manor game started with the Lions kicking to the Mustangs. Both teams moved the ball up the field, but it was Lockhart’s Garcia who scored the first touchdown with 1:26 left in the first quarter. The first ended at 7-0.
The second quarter began with a Manor first-and-ten at the 34-yard line.

By 7:33, the Mustangs had a first-and-ten at the 22-yard line and at 5:33, they were at a first-and-goal at the 8-yard line and finally, a second down with six yards to go proved too good to be true for Manor. At 4:31, Hinojosa made an interception for a first-and-ten at the Lion 2-yard line.
A Lion fumble gave Manor a safety and the only two points they made in the game.

Navarro made an interception at 4:11 and ran it in for a touchdown and a 14-2 score. The Lions scored again with 1:37 left in the half when Garcia made a 6-yard touchdown run. The extra point kick was no good for a score of 20-2 at the end of the first half.

The Lions scored at the top of the third with a Hedspeth touchdown for a score of 27-2 and 8:44 remaining. The rest of the quarter remained scoreless despite each team’s efforts.

Joseph Bell scored first in the fourth quarter with 8:08 remaining and a 33-2 score. By 6:59, Hedspeth scored the last touchdown of the game for a final score of 40-2.

“Our goal was 10-0 and they worked hard to achieve this,” Sandoval said. “I could not be more proud of them.

Although we went 9-1 this year, this group of fine young men will be a force to be reckoned with when they move up to the high school next year. I look forward to watching them play at the next level. Great things happen from doing all the little things correctly with passion and enthusiasm.”

“The Freshmen Lions demonstrated the mental and physical skills of true athletes every week during practice, during games and in and out of the classroom,” Coach Jose Falcon said. “Our last victory was very special in regards to how the players supported one another. One athlete I would like to acknowledge in particular is the teams’ quarterback and leader, Logan Zimmerhanzel. In our offense, the quarterback is not a position that receives much glitz and glamour, but if this young man had not been the driving force he was on the field, the Lions would not be 9-1.”

The Freshmen team included Chris Jackson, Ryan Reed, Abel Gonzales, Wade Scotton, Clay Barnett, Justin Martinez, Cody Hargraves, Michael Miller, Bradley Slate, Sebastien Lamas, Derrick Herrera, Michael Ramirez, Kristian Lowden, Joe Bosquez, Nick Roelle, Stanley Clemens, Taylor Barrett, Emilo Torres, Robert Strandtman, Dylan Duffourc, Zimmerhanzel, Lopez, Huckaby, Contreras, Navarro, Hinojosa, Chavez, Garcia, Bell and Hedspeth.

agarza@post-register.com