Junior Varsity Lions defeat Rebels 20-12, hold 4-0 record

By Alonzo Garza
POST-REGISTER

“Four and 0, baby. Four and 0!” chanted the Junior Varsity Lions after their victory over the Hays JV Rebels at the Bob Shelton Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 27. Their excitement over the win was well deserved having defeated a strong team with a final score of 20-12.
“The JV team really came together at game time and put f

orth another great defensive stand late in the fourth quarter,” Coach Bryan Robinson said. “Brian Martinez’s interception in the last seconds of the game sealed the victory for the Lions.”
Offensively, the Lions controlled the ball most of the game. Offensive standouts were Martinez with the first touchdown for the Lions with a four-yard run and then another touchdown later with a 40-yard run. Kendal Till made a 19-yard reception with a third and long situation pass from quarterback Tyler Tolley. Strong guard Dion Turner, strong end Jordan Officer, center Jeff McCoy, quick guard Tim Herrera, strong tackle Brandon Frey, Josh Foster and Dustin Wilhelm all did their jobs well. Tony Moreno, Matt Tienda, Martinez, Dalton Dabbs, Dylan Masserly and Nolan Lockhart each helped carry the ball well on offense. They were able to execute good fakes and maintained their blocks well.
The Lion defense stood out more in the second half of the game. Contributing to the defensive efforts were Cody Reed, Miguel Munoz, Justin Martinez, Karl Greiger, Brandon Brey, Ryan Houston, Zach Hanna, Paul Juarez, Will Robinson, Messerly, Dabbs and the rest of the defensive team.
The game started out with Hays scoring the first touchdown with 6:19 remaining in the first quarter. The two-point conversion attempt was no good so the score would stay at 6-0 until the end of the quarter.
The second quarter belonged entirely to the Lions who scored 12 points and kept the Rebels from scoring any additional points for the Hays team. The first touchdown in the quarter came from Martinez who put six points on the board for the Lions with 8:31 remaining on the clock. The extra point kick was no good.
The second touchdown came when Tienda ran in for six additional points with a 39-yard touchdown. His two-point conversion attempt was ruled not a touchdown by the officials, but not without a barrage of boos from the Lockhart fans. The first half ended at 12-6, with the Lions in the lead.
The second half of the game started with a bang for the Lions who scored back-to-back touchdowns with 8:29 remaining in the third quarter. Brian Martinez, who had gained yardage earlier for a first and ten, scored his 40-yard touchdown on a first down to make the first TD in the quarter change the score to 18-6.
The second touchdown in the third quarter was good for two extra points. Tienda rushed in to make the score 20-6. That score would end the third.
The final quarter was the most exciting with all fans cheering on their respective teams. With plenty of time left on the clock, both teams fought hard to keep the game going in their favor. By 6:24 the Rebels had come back with a touchdown for a score of 12-20. Hays’ attempt at two extra points failed and the score would remain at 12-20 until the end.
Both teams used all of their timeouts as Hays fought tooth and nail for a win. With a mere four seconds left in the game, Martinez intercepted a Hays long pass to the middle of the field ending the contest. The Junior Varsity Lions are now 4-0.
“I am proud of the way the kids responded to adversity,” Robinson said. “They keep playing with the desire to win no matter what happens on the field. If they continue to eliminate mistakes and practice with intensity in preparation for the next game, we will start to see our team dominate the other JV teams in the district, as they get better. There are some much tougher games ahead, so we must improve every week.”
The Freshman squad did not fare as well, losing to Hays 28-6. Kevin Silva made a 78-yard kick return good for a touchdown and six points on the board for the Lions. Jay Baltierra caused a fumble and Alonzo Rodriguez recovered it.
“The offense had success moving the play on Hays’ defense but could not capitalize. The offense also successfully converted four out of six fourth down conversions,” Coach Steve Garza said.
The Junior Varsity Lions have a great opportunity to go to a 5-0 record when they play against the New Braunfels Canyon team at Lions Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 4. Please come out and support your JV and Freshman Lions.
See you at the game.
agarza@post-register.com