Eagle Pass Eagles Fall to Brownsville Hanna Golden Eagles 28-13 in Area Championship on November 23, 2018

By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2018

The mighty Eagle Pass High School Eagles fell to the Brownsville Hanna High School Golden Eagles 28-13 in the 2018 University Interscholastic League (UIL) Region IV, 6A Division II Area Football Championship on Friday, November 23, 2018, at the University of Incarnate Word Tom Benson Stadium in San Antonio, Texas, finishing the season with an overall record of 9-3.

The Brownsville Hanna Golden Eagles won the pre-game coin toss and chose to defer receiving the football until the second half.

The Eagle Pass Eagles received the opening kickoff, starting their first possession of the game at their own 16 yard line.  The Eagle Pass Eagles were not able to gain a first down and punted to the Brownsville Hanna Golden Eagles.

The Brownsville Hanna Golden Eagles received excellent field position on their first possession at the Eagle Pass Eagles 45 yard line.  The heralded Eagle Pass Eagles “Land Shark” Defense stifled the potent Brownsville Hanna offense, forcing them to turn over the football on downs on a fourth and one yard stop at the Eagle Pass 35 yard line.  The Eagle Pass Eagles defense immediately sent a message to the Brownsville Hanna Eagles that they were not going to be messed around with.

The teams’ defenses dominated each other’s offenses on the next series of possessions, forcing punts. 

On its third possession, the Eagle Pass Eagles “War Eagle” offense led by quarterback Ritchie Luna started a drive at their own 12 yard line and steadily advanced to their 46 yard line when freshman running back sensation Jose Hernandez broke loose for an apparent electrifying 54 yard touchdown run with 3:34 minutes remaining in the first quarter, but Hernandez’s touchdown was nullified by a holding penalty. A series of Eagle Pass penalties forced the Eagles to punt the football. This potential game momentum opportunity was squandered by the Referee’s yellow handkerchief. 

The Eagle Pass Eagles “Land Shark” Defense led by linebacker David Kypuros and Roger Ulloa, defensive linemen Manny Rodriguez, David Santos, Moises Rocha, and Jorge Gonzalez, and defensive backs Ryan Chisum, Nico Moyeda, Kristian Barcena, Raul Lechler, Josh Monsivais, Raul Garcia, and Eric Heredia kept stifling the Brownville Hanna explosive offense during most of the first half, forcing Hanna to punt.  Meanwhile, the Brownsville Hanna stingy defense returned the favor on the Eagle Pass Eagles offense. 

During the mid-Second Quarter, the Eagle Pass Eagles engineered a drive from their own four yard line to the Brownsville Hanna 17 yard line, but the drive stalled and forcing the Eagles to attempt a 34 yard field goal by place kicker Erick Ramirez who perfectly kicked the football through the middle of the goal post for the game’s first points with 6:39 minutes remaining in the second stanza-giving Eagle Pass a 3-0 lead.

After exchanging possessions, the Brownsville Hanna Golden Eagles started a drive at their own four yard line and orchestrated a 96 yard touchdown drive, culminating on a 20 yard Touchdown scamper by running back Cesar Mancias and the point after attempt was good to give Hanna a 7-3 lead over Eagle Pass with 2:53 minutes left in the second quarter.

The never say die Eagle Pass Eagles took the ensuing kickoff to their 30 yard line where they engineered a 70 yard touchdown drive with a long aerial pass from quarterback Ritchie Luna to wide receiver Oscar Castillon for a 44 yard gain to the Hanna 26 yard line and freshman tailback Jose Herandez eluded several tacklers to the Hanna two yard line and eventually punched the Hanna end zone on a two yard dive for a touchdown and the point after attempt by place kicker Erick Ramirez was good to give the Eagle Pass Eagles a 10-7 lead with 1:22 minutes remaining before halftime.  Eagle Pass took this lead into halftime after dominating the Brownsville Hanna Eagles during the first half.

The Eagle Pass Eagle Mighty Marching Band under the direction of Band Director David Solis performed during halftime to the delight of the loyal thousands of Eagle Nation aficionados in attendance.

In the third quarter, the Brownsville Hanna Eagles started their first drive at their own 20 yard line and steadily marched to the Eagle Pass 40 yard line when the Eagles “Land Shark” defense jarred loose the pigskin and Eagles defensive back Ryan Chisum picked up the football at his own 36 yard line and returned it to the Hanna 12 yard line where he was finally caught from behind, giving Eagle Pass excellent field position to open the second half.  The Brownsville Hanna defense managed to stop Eagle Pass from scoring a touchdown, limiting Eagle Pass to kick a 31 yard field goal by place kicker Erick Ramirez with 9:04 minutes remaining in the third quarter.  Eagle Pass took a 13-7 lead.

The Eagle Pass Eagles “Land Shark” defense kept stifling the explosive Brownsville Hanna offense while the Eagle Pass “War Eagle” offense struggled to punch the football into the end zone.  Eagle Pass’ Land Shark Defense spent a lot of time on the field in the second half, slowly wearing itself out.

Midway through the third quarter, Eagle Pass Eagles linebacker David Kypuros jumped high into the San Antonio sky to nab a pass attempt for an interception near midfield and while scrambling for running room to advance the football was tackled from behind, causing David Kypuros to fumble the football and a Brownsville Hanna player recovered it at the Hanna 42 yard line.  Brownsville Hanna got a second wind of momentum just when it appeared the Eagle Pass Eagles were about to take over the game. 

Brownsville Hanna capitalized on the second chance with the football and scored on a 54 yard touchdown run by tailback Cesar Mancias up the middle of the Eagle Pass defense and the point after attempt was good to give Brownsville Hanna a 14-13 lead with 3:50 minutes remaining in the third quarter, shifting the game’s momentum and stunning the loyal Eagle Pass aficionados.

Brownsville Hanna Golden Eagles tallied two additional touchdowns, one a nine yard touchdown pass with 11:18 minutes left in the fourth quarter and a second touchdown on a four yard run by tailback Cesar Mancias with 5:15 minutes left in the game with both extra points good to give the Brownsville Hanna Golden Eagles the hard fought Area Championship 28-13 victory over our beloved Eagle Pass Eagles. 

The Eagle Pass Eagles fought valiantly and courageously during the entire game, but it was just not their day.  They represented our community with great pride, sportsmanship, and dignity in the Area Championship and overall season. 

The Eagle Pass Business Journal congratulates the Eagle Pass High School Eagles, coaches, parents, and aficionados on an outstanding 2018 Football Season, winning the Bi-District Championship, and wish the Senior Eagle players all the best in their future endeavors.