Lions overpowered by Lake Travis, 49-14

Varsity
By Teri Reed
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The Lockhart Lions suffered from 40 yards lost due to penalties against the Lake Travis Cavaliers during their Friday night defeat, 14-49.
By the end of the first half, the Cavaliers had a 33-0 lead over the Lions, and kept them scoreless until the fourth quarter.
Starting the fourth quarter, the Lions trailed

46-0 with a threat of being shutdown by the Cavaliers. However, Lockhart”s offense wasn”t ready for a shutout game as they shouted “It”s now or never” running onto the field for the final quarter.
The Lions proved they were contenders as they scored two touchdowns and held the Cavaliers to only three points. Nonetheless, the Lions uproar started late in the game giving them the loss.
The two touchdowns were made by a pass from quarterback Thomas Reppond to receiver Joshua Trevino and a running drive by Casey Butler across the goal line.
Offensively, the Lions totaled 276 yards, with 158 rushing yards and 118 passing yards. Butler has steadily improved his running game by gaining 109 rushing yards against the Cavaliers” defense after only gaining 72 yards against Johnston last week and 16 yards against Lanier the previous week.
Defensively, the Lockhart allowed the Cavaliers to gain 390 yards with 19 first downs. The Cavaliers proved they have a strong passing game as they gained 225 passing yards with 13 out of 18 passes completed. The Cavaliers balanced out their offensive game as they gained 165 rushing yards from 25 carries with 6.6 yards gained per rush.
The defeat gives the Lions a 2-1 record with Gonzales on the schedule for the next match-up on Friday, Sept. 23, at the Lion Stadium.
Gonzalez currently has a 1-1 record with a 28-14 win over Somerset H.S. and a 14-24 loss from La Grange H.S.
During their game against La Grange, the Gonzales Apaches only gained 84 rushing yards and 87 passing yards with seven first-downs.

Junior Varsity
The Lockhart Lions” junior varsity football team met the Lake Travis Cavaliers at the Lion Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 15, resulting in a victorious game for the Lions, 35-10.
The Cavaliers tried to intimidate the Lions on the field; however, they were no match for Lockhart”s offense. The Lions” touchdowns were made by Justin Beard with one, Gaylon Hill with two, and Kennard Lakes with two.
Defensively, the Lions proved to be a threat for the Cavalier offense. Michael Harvey and Stephen Brumley both completed interception against the Lake Travis quarterback. Josh Massey recovered a fumble made by the Cavaliers giving the Lions ball possession.
“It was another great team effort,” Coach Brad Vickers said. “The defense caused turnovers early in the game resulting in scoring drives. Offensively, the backs continue to run hard behind some great blocking from the offensive line. The entire team is working hard and continues to get better every day.”

Freshman “Maroon”
The Lockhart High School Freshman “Maroon” entertained the Lake Travis Cavaliers in what turned out to be a classic ballgame. The Cavaliers were able to deliver the last blow in this battle, as they stopped the Lions” final extra point attempt on the 1-yard line.
The visitors escaped with a 34-32 victory. Lake Travis improves to 3-0 while Lions fell to 2-1.
The Lions were able to score first as they took the opening kickoff and marched 68 yards to pay dirt. Richard Ybarra bulled in from the 6-yard line for the game”s first score. The extra-point attempt was blocked leaving the score at 6-0.
The Cavaliers” potent offense responded immediately and often. They were able to score three unanswered touchdowns to bring the score to 21-7.
With less than a minute remaining until halftime, Lion quarterback Christian Estrada directed a 7-play scoring drive. The series culminated with an 11-yard touchdown pass as Estrada connected with Jason Sanders. The Lions tacked on the two-point conversion with a run by Marquese McKinney. The Lions went into intermission trailing 21-14.
Lake Travis exploded out of the gates in the third stanza. They were able to reach the end zone on their first possession of the half to stretch their lead to 28-14. Neither teams was able to score again in the third stanza as both defenses tightened.
Early in the fourth period, Ybarra reached the end zone again on a tough, 2-yard score.
Ybarra made several key runs throughout the game as he continues to improve his game. The Lions fell short on their extra point attempt bringing the score to 28-26.
Both teams fought toe-to-toe in the fourth quarter of this thriller. The Cavaliers faced a 4th-and-11 on the Lions” 47-yard line. They were able to connect on a 12-yard pass to convert the first down. The Cavaliers scored two plays later. The extra point attempt was blocked bringing the score to 34-26.
With 1:06 left on the clock, the Lions started their final drive on their own 9-yard line. Estrada again directed a drive that would lead the Lions into the end zone as time expired. After key runs by Ybarra, Cory Robbins and Jason Sanders, Estrada connected with Randy Castillo on a 14-yard scoring strike. The try for two was stopped at the 1-yard line to bring the final score to 34-32.
“Congratulations go out to our entire Maroon team,” Coach Ernie Bustamante said. “You exemplified what “Lion Pride” and “One Heartbeat” really mean.”

Freshman “White”
The Lions” freshman “white” football team was the first Lockhart team to meet the Cavaliers on the field last Thursday, Sept. 15.
The Cavaliers weren”t ready for the strong Lion team as they suffered from an 8-0-shutout defeat.
Adam Renteria and Zach Leija continue to pound the football down the field, rushing for game highs of 82 and 67 yards, respectively.
Defensively, Rodney Carter returned a fumble 24 yards for a touchdown, and Joseph Rocha added two key interceptions.
“I continue to be impressed with the tough attitude these players have,” Coach Richard McAdams. “They are a joy to coach.”