Eagle Pass Winn Mavericks Crush Laredo Cigarroa Toros 28-14 in District 14-5A Football Season Opener
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2020
On a crisp beautiful fall evening made perfect for the 2020 football season opener, the Eagle Pass C. C. Winn High School Mavericks crushed the visiting Laredo Cigarroa High School Toros 28-14 in a key District 14-5A game on Thursday, October 29, 2020, at the Eagle Pass Independent School District Cozel Foster-Veterans Memorial Stadium in Eagle Pass, Texas.
The Mavericks opened the game with a lightning scoring drive on their first possession as quarterback Jose Padilla followed his offensive line blocking and found a crease to gallop for a 53 yards touchdown run with 10:20 minutes remaining in the first quarter and place kicker Emanuel Oviedo point after attempt was good, making it 7-0 before fans sat down with their hotdog and soda while stunning the Toros defense.
The Toros marched down the Cozel Foster-Veterans Memorial Stadium turf from their own 15 yard line to the Mavericks’ four yard line when a hard hitting Mavericks defense led by linebackers Noe Castillon, JP Ramos, Lee Roy Alvarez, and Jeremiah Robinson caused Toros’ quarterback Hector Solis to fumble the pigskin and the Mavericks recovered it at their own five yard line to stifle the Toros drive.
The Toros defense managed to force the Mavericks to punt the football after the fumble recovery and took possession at their own 25 yard line on their second possession of the game.
The Toros engineered an 85 yard touchdown drive culminating on a one yard dive into the end zone by running back Raul Huizar and the extra point failed, giving the Mavericks a 7-6 lead with 9:52 minutes remaining in the second quarter.
On the ensuing drive, the Mavericks took possession at their own 32 yard line and shortly thereafter struck pay dirt on another dazzling 49 yards dash to the end zone by quarterback Jose Padilla and place kicker Emanuel Oviedo point after attempt was good to extend the Mavericks lead 14-6 with 8:54 minutes remaining in the second quarter.
Both teams’ defenses settled down in the second quarter, forcing the teams to exchange possessions with neither team able to score before halftime again.
The Mavericks defense led by defensive tackles Juan Estrada and Rey Flores, defensive ends Victor Alonzo and Alejandro Alferes, and defensive backs Angel De La Torre, Jose Aguilar, Argenis Gonzalez, and Alexis Aleman managed to keep the Toros off the scoreboard in the second quarter.
The Mavericks offense led by offensive tackles Jose Anzures and Alejandro Oviedo, guards Jose Reyes and Jimmy Joe Lopez, center Raul Riza, tight end Patrick Solis, running backs Santos Perez and Ethan Casares, and wide receivers Joe Garza and Michael Olivo opened holes in the Toros defense to allow quarterback Jose Padilla to score two long touchdown runs of 53 and 49 yards in the first-half.
In the third quarter, the Toros scored on a 31 yards touchdown pass from quarterback Hector Solis to running back Jacob Lozano and the two-point conversion was good to tie the game at 14-14 each with 2:41 minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Mavericks defensive back Jose Aguilar recovered a Toros fumble at the end of the third quarter and returned it to the Toros 20 yard line to give the Mavericks their best field position in the game.
The Mavericks capitalized on the Toros turnover and struck pay dirt on a wide open 38 yards touchdown pass from quarterback Jose Padilla to wide receiver Joe Garza and place kicker Emanuel Oviedo extra point was good to regain the lead 21-14 with 11:16 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
After the staunch Mavericks defense stopped the Toros offense on their following possession, the Mavericks offense took over at their own 32 yard line and marched down the Cozel Foster-Veterans Memorial Stadium turf for a 68 yard touchdown drive, culminating with a five yard scamper into the end zone by running back Carlos Soto and Emanuel Oviedo point after attempt split the uprights to extend the Mavericks lead 28-14 with 4:38 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Mavericks defense rose to the occasion in the fourth quarter to deny the Toros from reaching the end zone, forcing the Toros to punt and turn the ball over on downs in ensuing possessions to seal the hard earned District 14-5A victory.
The Mavericks next play District 14-5A nemesis Laredo Martin Tigers on Thursday, November 5, 2020 at 7 P.M. at Laredo ISD Shirley Field in Laredo, Texas in another important district game. Roll Mavericks Roll!
