Lions end season at Katy, fall 24-21 to Jaguars

By Alonzo Garza
POST-REGISTER

The Varsity Lions ended their playoff run on Saturday, Nov. 22 after falling 24-21 to the Beaumont Central Jaguars at the Jack Rhodes Stadium in Katy.
“I am very proud of the accomplishments this team has achieved this year,” Head Coach Troy Moses said on Monday. “We came up a little short Saturday night, but we never ga

ve up. We fought until the very end.”
The Lions fought hard to keep the score tied at 7 going into the halftime break, and then lost their footing during the third quarter, allowing the Jaguars to score two touchdowns for a 21-7 score going into the fourth.
The Lions roared back midway through final quarter, closing in on the Jaguars, but falling three points short at the final whistle for a game score of 24-21.
The second round playoff game started with the Lions winning the coin toss and electing to receive.
Octavio Terrazas returned the first kick of the night to the 25-yard line where the Lions began a tough, deliberate, incremental drive the first touchdown of the night.
Dominique Hardaway crossed the goal line with a 1-yard run after carries by Zachary Leija, Richard Ybarra and Hardaway moved the ball as close to the end zone as possible.
After a successful extra point kick by Michael Pittman, the Lions were up 7-0 at 6:48 in the first.
Will Robinson kicked off to the Jaguars and Randy Castillo made the stop for the Lions.
By 4:54 the Jaguars were at the 40-yard line with a first-and-ten. A fumble at 4:03 returned possession of the ball to Lions for a first-and-ten at the 43-yard line.
The Jaguar defense held on tight and kept the Lions from advancing, forcing a punt at 2:32.
Lions Brian Martinez and Stacy Bell made significant tackles in the final minutes of the quarter, causing the Jaguars enough stress to make mistakes, earn a penalty and remain scoreless until the end. The first ended with the Lions leading at 7-0.
The second quarter began with the Jaguars on the Lion 27-yard line. By 10:48 the Jaguars were at the 22-yard line with a first-and-ten and they scored their first touchdown at 9:37. After a good extra point kick ,the game was a tie at 7.
Beaumont kicked out of bounds to Lockhart and the Lions took the ball at the 30-yard line after a penalty flag against the Jaguars.
After tough drive attempts by Leija and Hardaway, Lion Brian Post punted for 48 yards on a fourth-and-11 at the 29-yard line.
The Jaguars took a first-and-10 at their 17-yard line at 7:28 and pushed the ball forward until they reached the Lion 30-yard line for a third-and-13 at 1:25.
The Lions ramped up their defense and stopped the Jaguar drive thanks to a Ricky Rodriguez interception with 50 seconds remaining in the first half. The half ended with a tie at 7.
The third quarter began with a Jaguar first-and-ten on the 30-yard line. At 10:54 the Jaguars earned a penalty for illegal procedure and by 9:24 they made a touchdown with a quarterback sneak play. A good extra point kick made the score 14-7.
The Lions took possession of the ball at 9:21 with a first-and-10 at the 20. After four drives by Hardaway, one by Ybarra and a pass attempt by Lion quarterback Tyler Tolley, the Lions opted to punt at 6:20.
Beaumont took the ball at the 49-yard line at 6:12.
Lion John Alvarez forced a Jaguar out of bounds at the 38-yard line for a Beaumont first-and-10 at 6:05 and by 5:57 the Jaguars scored another touchdown with a 38-yard pass. The kick was good for a score of 21-7.
The Lions recovered their own fumble on the return for a first-and-10 at the 27-yard line.
After a tough time of getting the ball moved forward the Lions punted at 4:06.
The Jaguars took the ball and moved it from the 37-yard line at one end of the field to the 38-yard line at the other end for a third-and-seven at 1:10.
The Lions got a penalty for pass interference with 46 seconds remaining in the third. The Jaguars were at the 23-yard line with a first-and-10 when the quarter ended at 21-7.
The fourth began with the Jaguars scoring a 32-yard field goal at the top of the quarter for a 24-7 lead over the Lions at 11:07.
Hardaway, Leija and Ybarra took turns moving the ball forward between minimal attempts to pass by Tolley. Tolley completed a pass to Leija at 7:35 for a fourth-and-one at the 2-yard line. Ybarra pushed his way in for a Lion touchdown at 7:31. Pittman’s kick hit the left post and fell out, missing the extra point for a score of 24-13.
At 7:29 the Lions attempted an onside kick and the Jaguars took the ball at the 49-yard line. By 6:33 the Jaguars fumbled and regained possession of the ball for a third-and-six at the 47-yard line. The Jaguars fumbled and regained the ball again at 5:47.
The Lions took control of the ball at 4:57 and played with intensity. At 4:11 Leija carried the ball to the 23-yard line for a Lion first-and-10. Leija was forced out of bounds at the 11-yard line with 3:26 remaining in the game and Ybarra took the ball in for a touchdown at 3:21. The two-point conversion attempt was good after Leija caught the ball in the end zone for a score of 24-21.
The Lions attempted a second onside kick, but the Jaguars secured the ball with flags on the play. Beaumont took a 5-yard penalty for being offsides.
The Jaguars took the ball at the 49-yard line. The Lion defense held back the tired Jaguars until they decided to punt at 2:21.
The Lions took a first-and-10 at the 24-yard line with 2:12 remaining. After four carries by the Lions the ball went to the Jaguars who intercepted at 1:21.
The ball went back to the Lions at 1:15 when the Jaguars fumbled. Hardaway carried the ball to the 44-yard line with 1:00 left and Leija rushed for a first-and-10 at the 47-yard line with 49 second remaining.
The final seconds of the game were plagued with dropped passes and sacks for the Lions. The Jaguars took control of the clock with 31 seconds remaining. The game ended at 24-21.
“We have taken great strides this year,” Moses said. “We have learned what it takes to be successful. I am very proud of our seniors for their leadership and the work habits they have created within this program. This season is something they will never forget. They have learned life long lessons that will help them become successful in whatever field they chose to explore.”
agarza@post-register.com