Lions fleeced 62-10 by Tivy

By LPR Staff

Editor/POST-REGISTER

It was the longest night of the season, in terms of both travel and trouble when the Lions faced off with the Kerrville Tivy Antlers on Friday night.

Going in, the Lions knew the game against the District powerhouse was going to be a rough one, but they had confidence in their own skills. Over the

course of the night, costly mistakes coupled with the Antlers’ aggressive game to give the Lions arguably their worst night of the season.

“We came into the game Friday with high expectations,” Head Coach Brian Herman said. “Unfortunately, the plan did not unfold as we had rehearsed. We talked all week about recovering the onside kick and hitting a quick strike with a surprise play to get on the board first. I think when those things did not transpire it took a major wind out of our sails.”

Adding to the Lions’ troubles, the Antlers jumped out to an early 15-3 lead in the first quarter, holding the Lions to only one field goal, and keeping them away from the end zone altogether.

In the second, the Lions were able to turn the tables a bit, keeping the Antlers away from the end zone for the first nine minutes of the quarter before they were able to find pay dirt.

Unfortunately, on the ensuing kickoff, the Antlers forced a Lion fumble deep in their own territory, setting up for another Kerrville score, to increase their lead to 28-3 with just over a minute left in the half.

On their next drive, the Lions put together a strong performance, with the offensive line making a hole for DJ Ellison to slip through, on a 40-yard scamper that put the Lions in scoring position. Quarterback Nick Sanchez found John Voigt in the end zone, putting six more points on the board, and Enrique Villegas made good on a kick that narrowed the Antlers’ lead to 28-10 as the buzzer sounded on the first half.

During the second half, the Lions were plagued with missteps which, coupled with the strength of the Tivy defense, kept the Lions out of the end zone, while the Antlers racked up another 34 points to end the night on the high side of a 62-10 score.

“We made too many fundamental errors on Friday and against a quality team like Tivy they will make you pay for it,” Herman said. “Some simple corrections are being made include communication, footwork and basic technique play.  Those three things, though they sound small, resulted in huge errors and consequently, a big loss.”

Leaving the rough loss behind them in Kerrville, the Lions are pressing forward and preparing to take on San Antonio Kennedy at home on Friday night.

“We have a unique opportunity to accomplish our goals with having two out of three of our last games at home,” Herman said. “We are still in the program building process and we have taken many positive steps forward. Our goals are still fully intact and we remain focused on our next opponent.  We still hold control of our playoff destiny.”

Standing between the Lions and their desired destiny are the Kennedy Rockets (0-6, [0-4]), the District favorite Boerne-Champion Chargers (7-0, [5-0]), who will host the Lions on Oct. 24, and the San Marcos Rattlers (2-4, [1-3]), who will play in Lockhart on Nov. 7.

With three games left in the season, the Lions are in fourth place. There is a strong possibility if they win at least two of their next three games, that the Lions will secure a spot in post-season play.

Join the Lions for kickoff at 7:30 p.m. on Friday in Lion Stadium.