Hondo Anvil Herald

Jourdanton takes charge in fourth period

 

 

By Jeff Berger

Anvil Herald Publisher

 

     Things were tied heading into the fourth quarter Friday, Sept. 18, at Barry Field, but two late Jourdanton touchdowns sealed the deal.

    The Indians broke open a 19-19 deadlock with a long pass early in the final period, then, while trying to run out the clock, closed it out with a breakaway TD in the final minute. Jourdanton’s 32-19 win, the Indians’ fifth over Hondo in the last five years, opened play in District 14-3A-I. 

     Hondo is now 0-1 in league play (1-3 overall), and will go on the road to face Carrizo Springs this Friday, Sept. 25, which hung 50 on Poteet last week. 

     Again this week, the Owls’ struggles came in the running game. Hondo rushed for only 37 yards, and has not surpassed 100 yards on the ground in any game this year.

     “We’ve got to figure out a way to run the ball,” Hondo coach Dustin Templin said. “Our offensive line is improving and the holes are there, but we’re just not hitting them.”

     The passing game, however, picked up this week. Sophomore Bryson Howard started and went the distance at quarterback, going 17-for-24 through the air, for 240 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

     “Overall, Bryson played really well,” Coach Templin said. “He stood in the pocket, took a few shots and was completing passes while getting hit.”

     It was Jourdanton that looked a little out of sync on their first possession. Forced to punt after three plays, a fumbled snap forced the punter to try to run for a first down, but he was stopped well short of the line to gain.

     Starting at the Jourdanton 34, Howard hit Kaleb Coronado for a short first down, then on 1st-and-15, a pass to Layton Pope was deflected into the arms of Cade Aelvoet, who turned it into a 27-yard scoring pass. Gabriel Rodriguez added the extra point, giving Hondo a  7-0 lead with only about four minutes gone.

     After another Jourdanton punt, the Owls were unable to move, and had to punt from their own 24. Rodriguez launched the kick over the returner’s head, where it kept rolling before finally being downed by Jayden Motes 73 yards later at the 3-yard line. The punt is a new school record (based on records going back to 1984), breaking by a single yard the 72-yard efforts held jointly by Jordan Johnson (1994) and Mason Barr (2025).

     The Indians, however, were undaunted by being backed up to their own goalline. Shane Andrus passed for 40 yards to Cash Conway on the first play, and Keeton Burris finished the drive on the fourth play with a 39-yard scoring pass to Andrus. Aelvoet blocked the extra point, leaving the score at 7-6 with 1:21 to play in the opening quarter.

     Hondo took nearly seven minutes off the clock, driving 47 yards and picking up four first downs before Rodriguez hit a 34-yard field goal to increase the lead to 10-6.

     Back in quick strike mode, the Indians drove 70 yards in five plays, with Burris passing 29 yards to Nico Chapa for the go-ahead score.  The Owl defense stopped the two-point try, to hold Jourdanton’s lead to 12-10 with 4:09 left in the half.

     A personal foul against Hondo backed the Owls up inside their own 20, but on 3rd-and-long, Howard found Pope on the fly deep up the left side for an 84-yard TD pass. Hondo went for two, but the pass attempt was incomplete.

     In the final three minutes of the half, put together a steady drive to the Hondo 30. but on a 4th-and-6 pass attempt, the Owls’ Kaedin Garcia pressured Burris forcing an incompletion.

     Receiving the second half kickoff, the Owls chewed up a lot of the clock once again, getting a 33-yard strike from Howard to Aelvoet, and a 13-yard run from Andrew Tapia to set up a first down at the 6. The drive stalled there, as Hondo could get no closer than the 3. Rodriguez came back out to hit a 21-yard FG for a 19-12 lead with 5:32 left in the third.

     Again, Jourdanton had an answer, going 58 yards in seven plays for the TD. Aidan Guzman scored from the 13, and the PAT tied the score at 19 with 2:52 left in the third.

     Hondo drove into Indian territory, on the strength of a pass to Aelvoet, who dragged tacklers for the final 15 yards of a 27-yard reception. But a third down intentional grounding penalty as the fourth quarter began led to a Hondo punt.

     Starting at their 22, the Indians needed just five plays to hit paydirt again, with Burris hitting Andrus for a 54-yard score and a 26-19 with 10:01 left to play.

     After the teams traded punts, the Owls got to midfield, but a fourth down sack ended their last real threat.

Taking over with 4:28  to play, the Indians were looking to run out the clock. Burris gained eight yards on 3rd-and-7. Moments later, on 3rd-and-8, Burris broke a tackle and sprinted 37 yards to the endzone for the final TD of the night, with 1:01 left to play.

     “Both teams fired lots of shots, with a lot of ebb and flow,” Coach Templin said. “But ultimately, we didn’t finish in the fourth.”