By Kyle Mooty

LPR Editor

PFLUGERVILLE – It was a game in which Lockhart committed 16 penalties, had four turnovers, and as it had last week, had two touchdowns nullified due to flags. Nevertheless, the Lions had little problem Friday night in disposing of Connally High in a non-district game, 37-12, at the Pfield.

The win marked Lockhart’s first victory over the Cougars in the last four meetings in which Connally had outscored the Lions 179-74.

Aside from the mistakes, Lockhart rolled. Offensively. The Lions racked up 493 yards and 22 first downs while controlling the clock with 70 offensive plays to just 41 for Connally. The Cougars only managed four first downs on the night.

Junior Quarterback Ashton Dickens rushed 13 times for 195 yards and a touchdown, while also passing twice for scores, both to senior Blake Herzog. Senior running back Sean McKinney had 172 yards on 25 carries and two TDs.

“We showed some explosive ability,” Lockhart Head Coach Todd Moebes said. “We’ve also got to learn and decrease some of the mistakes offensively.”

But defensively was where the Lions were especially troublesome for the Cougars, who managed just one first down in the first half, that coming on an interference penalty late in the second quarter. Connally managed just three first downs in the second half and averaged just over two yards per carry while also fumbling it away once – recovered by Derik Rivas — and having a pass intercepted — by Traveon Hopkins.

Following Connally’s first drive, Quavon Reese fielded a Cougar punt at his own 24 and sprinted 76 yards for an apparent touchdown, but just has he had twice last week, Reese’s score was nullified by penalty.

It was until 2:41 remained in the first quarter when the Lions finally got on the scoreboard on Omar Ocampo’s 27-yard field goal and a 3-0 LHS lead.

Lockhart, following a holding penalty, used a 24-yard pass from Dickens to Herzog, who outjumped a Connally defender in the end zone for the TD. Ocampo’s PAT made it 10-0 with 9:16 left in the second period.

McKinney broke multiple would-be tackles en route to a 58-yard touchdown run with 2:47 left in the half. Ocampo’s PAT made it 17-0.

Following a fumbled punt by Lockhart, Connally set up shop with a first down at its own 23. An interference on the Lions gave the Cougars their only first down of the half at the LHS 8, where Kaden Nguyen passed from there to Landon Bradley for the score with 31 seconds left until intermission, The snap was poor on the PAT and Connally settled for just the six.

The only score of the third period was another Dickens-to-Herzog connection, this one from 22 yards out and 7:25 left in the frame for a 23-6 Lockhart advantage.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Connally finally broke free as Owen Garcia sprinted 49 yards to paydirt. The two-point attempt failed and LHS led 23-12.

The Lions proceeded to march 52 yards, scoring three plays after Dickens had a TD removed for holding on the Lions. He would do so again from a yard out with 7:59 remaining. Ocampo’s PAT made it 30-12.

After Rivas recovered a Connally fumble at the Cougars’ 17, McKinney scored two plays later on a 6-yard run with 7:01 left to play. Ocampo was again true on the PAT for the final margin.

The Lions’ second unit controlled the final 5:13 on the game’s final series, including seven runs by sophomore Nathaniel Gonzales for 46 yards.

“We played well defensively,” Moebes said. “They had the long run and the long pass in the fourth quarter, but I’m proud of our kids’ effort and what they did overall.”

Moebes pointed out nose guard Jonathan Creel, as well as Rivas and Josh Ramos for strong games. Deandre Clay also had a blocked punt for LHS.

Lehman comes to Lions Stadium for a 7 p.m. kickoff with a 2-0 record as well, winning at Bastrop “Lehman really plays well and have explosive ability too,” Moebes said. “They are hard-nosed and run the football effectively.”

LHS is the only team in District 13 to have won its first two games this season and will host Kyle Lehman (1-1) Friday at Lions Stadium. The Lions and Lobos have not met in football since 2013.

* * *

Lockhart won the Junior Varsity game over Connally at Lions Stadium on Thursday, 14-2.

Lockhart also won the freshman game at Pflugerville, 48-22.

5A-2, Region IV District 13

District All

Lockhart           0-0       2-0

Tivy      0-0       1-1

Veterans Memorial       0-0       1-1

Liberty Hill        0-0       1-1

Bastrop             0-0       0-2

Cedar Creek      0-0       0-2

Pieper  0-0       0-2

Sept. 8 games

Lockhart 37, Connally (Pflugerville) 12

Davenport (S.A.) 31, (Tivy) 28

Taft (S.A). 45, Veterans Memorial (S.A.) 35

Hutto 56, Liberty Hill 49

Leander 28, Bastrop 23

Crockett 35, Cedar Creek 19

Wimberley 35, Pieper (S.A.) 0

Future Lockhart Opponents

Lehman (Kyle) 24, McCallum (Austin), 21

Floresville 21, Southwest (S.A.) 14

Sept. 15 schedule

Lehman (Kyle) at Lockhart, 7 p.m.

Hays (Buda) at Cedar Creek

MacArthur (S.A.)) at Veterans Memorial (S.A.), 7 p.m.

Georgetown at Liberty Hill, 7 p.m.

Davenport (S.A.) at Pieper (S.A.), 7 p.m.

Bastrop at Westwood (Round Rock), 7 p.m.

Fredericksburg at Tivy (Kerrville), 7 p.m.

Lockhart 37, Connally 12

at Pfield in Pflugerville

Score by quarters

Lockhart             3         10            6          14  —  37

Connally              0           6         0            6  —  12

TEAM STATS                            Lockhart  Connally

First Downs                                    22             4

Rushes-Yards                              49-421     23-48

Passing                                      9-21-1      6-18-1

Passing Yards                                  72           90

Total Yards                                   493           138

Punts-Avg.                                  3-29.7      7-39.6

Penalties-Yards                            16-131       5-25

Fumbles-Lost                                  4-3          1-1

Time of Possession                         29:27      18:43

INDIVIDUAL STATS

RUSHING

LOCKHART — Dickens 15-195, McKinney 25-172, Gonzales 7-46, Reese 1-7, Deutsch 1-1. CONNALLY — Garcia 7-56, Abercrumbia 4-4, Doe 3-1, Rodriguez 4-(-2), Kirkland 4-(-4), Nguyen 3-(-7).

PASSING

LOCKHART — Dickens 9-21-1-72. CONNALLY — Nguyen 6-18-1-90.

RECEIVING

LOCKHART — Herzog 2-46, McKinney 1-11, Jackson 2-8, N.Key 1-7, Garcia 2-4, Deutsch 1-(-4). CONNALLY — Garcia 2-46, Bradley 3-28, Doe 1-16.

* * *

SCORING

First Quarter

LOCKHART — Ocampo 27 field goal, 2:41

Second Quarter

LOCKHART — Herzog 24 pass from Dickens (Ocampo kick), 9:16

LOCKHART — McKinney 57 run (Ocampo kick), 2:47

CONNALLY — Bradley 8 pass from Nguyen (run fail), :31

Third Quarter

LOCKHART — Herzog 22 pass from Dickens, (run fail), 7:25

Fourth Quarter

CONNALLY — Garcia 49 run (pass fail), 11:50

LOCKHART — Dickens 1 run (Ocampo kick), 7:59

LOCKHART — McKinney 6 run (Ocampo kick), 7:01