Lions Football Scrimmage Review

By Coach Maldonado

Lions Head Coach

     Friday’s scrimmage against Manor New Tech showed promise from all three levels of the potential this program holds. Freshman, JV, and Varsity all competed and walked away with valuable lessons along the way.

Freshman

   Both sub varsity squads showed real grit, with Manor New Tech fielding a mixed unit of freshman and JV players. Our freshman team stood out, closing the night with a successful red zone period that produced a couple of touchdown passes from Oliver Gonzalez and an interception from safety Josaiah Madrigal. Gonzalez and Madrigal earned Lions of the Night for the freshman team for their efforts.

JV

   At the JV level, safety Julian Martinez showed that height doesn’t measure heart, flying around the field all night. Leo Navarro carried the ball with great toughness and vision. Martinez and Navarro both earned Lions of the Night for the JV team.

Varsity

   Varsity saw early success on the ground, showing we can move the ball efficiently with running backs Malik Hill and Denim Ford proving tough to bring down with a single tackler. In the passing game, Noah Jaimes took control of the air space, and Demonte Anthony opened the scoring with a highlight-reel touchdown catch between two defenders. Kaidyn Roland-Brite and George McGee also made big plays on offense.

   Defensively, Wes Abel is settling into his new position and picked off two passes on the night. Senior Avery Ybarra credited the defense’s growth, saying he was surprised by how many new faces made splash plays, including the hit of the night, delivered by sophomore safety Joel Garcia on a crossing route.

Lions of the Night

 Defensively – Wes Abel Sr. Corner, Joseph Morrow Soph DL

Offensively – Malik Hill Sr RB

Looking Ahead

   Credit to Manor New Tech for giving us a great look, they were able to put scoring drives together, and it’s clear they’ll be making noise in their district this fall. They gave us a great challenge, and we’re better for it.

   We continue to write our story as we prepare for our final scrimmage against Elgin before Week 1’s road trip to Marble Falls.