Eagle Pass Eagles Thrash Corpus Christi Carroll Tigers 42-21 in 2021 Football Season Opener
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2021
The mighty Eagle Pass Eagles kicked-off the 2021 football season with an impressive 42-21 victory over the Corpus Christi Carroll Tigers in a non-district contest held on Friday, August 27, 2021, at the Jourdanton Indians Football Stadium in Jourdanton, Texas, a neutral site selected by both teams.
The defending District 30-6A Champion Eagle Pass Eagles were seeking to find key players to fill-in the shoes of graduating seniors from last year’s championship team and they found new talent ready to take over the reins of the program in the likes of quarterback Isaac Stanwick, tight end Jared Romero, running backs TJ Mares and Omar Salazar, wide receiver Dakota Kypuros and Kyle Gloria, place kicker Alan Lozoya, linebacker Victor Chavez, and defensive tackle Javier Santos.
The Eagles won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. The Tigers took the opening kickoff at their own 28 yard line but the stingy Eagles Land Shark Defense forced the Tigers to punt on their first possession.
The Eagles took their first possession at the 15 yard line and marched down the field for an 85 yard touchdown drive on combined runs and passes. On a key third and 11 yards from the Eagles 14 yard line, Eagles quarterback Isaac Stanwick received a bad snap from center but calmly picked up the football and threw a 26 yard pass completion to tight end Jared Romero for the first down at the Eagles 40 yard line. Eagles running back TJ Mares advanced the football to the Tigers 24 yard line on three runs, including a 22 yard run. Facing a fourth down and six yards to go at the Tigers 24 yard line, the Eagles chose to go for the first down as quarterback Isaac Stanwick tossed a 24 yard touchdown pass to a wide open tight end Jared Romero with 8:18 minutes remaining in the first quarter. Place kicker Alan Lozoya made the point after attempt to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead.
The Eagles Land Shark defense led by defensive tackle Javier Santos stuffed the potent Tigers offense on their second possession of the game, forcing them to punt.
The Eagles returned the punt to the Tigers 49 yard line and immediately attacked the Tigers defense with a combination of short passes and runs. On third and seven at the Tigers 47 yard line, quarterback Isaac Stanwick called his own number and ran to the Tigers 20 yard line for the first down. Running back TJ Mares advanced the football to the Tigers 13 yard line after a seven yard run. On a second down with three yards to go, quarterback Isaac Stanwick dropped back to pass but the Tigers defense forced him out of the pocket and dashed into the end zone on a 13 yards scamper with 4:22 minutes remaining in the first quarter. Place kicker Alan Lozoya kicked the PAT right through the middle to extend the Eagles lead 14-0 over the Tigers.
On their third possession of the game, the Tigers engineered a 70 yard touchdown drive, culminating on a 12 yard run into the end zone by running back Lee Roy Rodriguez and the point after attempt was good, narrowing the score 14-7 with 9:57 minutes remaining in the second quarter.
The Eagles quickly struck pay dirt on their third possession as quarterback Isaac Stanwick hit wide receiver Kyle Gloria on a 60 yard touchdown pass, surprising the Tigers secondary, and Alan Lozoya made the point after attempt to extend the Eagles lead 21-7 with 9:34 minutes left in the second quarter.
The Tigers answered back with a 71 yard touchdown drive, culminating with quarterback Bennie Hernandez tossing a seven yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Benjamin Sandoval, but the Eagles blocked the point after attempt to make the score 21-13 in favor of the Eagles with 4:15 minutes remaining before halftime. The teams went into halftime with the Eagles leading 21-13.
The Eagles coaching staff led by Head Coach Tom Gonzalez made some key adjustments during halftime for the second half of play.
The Eagles took the opening kick off of the second half and kick returner TJ Mares returned it to the Tigers 40 yard line. The Eagles offensive unit immediately implemented some of the key adjustments made at halftime and quickly tallied a forty yard touchdown drive on four plays, featuring runs by quarterback Isaac Stanwick of six and 22 yards and running back TJ Mares with seven yards and a five yard run into the Tigers end zone with 10:54 minutes remaining in third quarter, while place kicker Alan Lozoya sailed the football through the uprights to extend the Eagles lead 27-13, stunning the Tigers and their fans.
Both teams’ defenses stifled each other’s offenses, exchanging possessions early in the third quarter.
The Eagles Land Shark defense standout linebacker Víctor Chavez swiped a Tigers pass attempt by quarterback Bennie Hernandez and returned it 30 yards for a pick six touchdown with 7:39 minutes remaining in the third quarter, while place kicker Alan Lozoya made the point after attempt to extend the Eagles lead 34-13, shocking the Tigers.
The notorious Eagles Land Shark defense stopped the Tigers on their ensuing possession on a fourth down and ten yards to go at the Eagles 49 yard line to return the football to the Eagles offense.
The Eagles once again implemented some of the halftime adjustments and quickly marched down the field for a 51 yard touchdown drive, culminating on a sensational 46 yard run by quarterback Isaac Stanwick with 4:37 minutes remaining in the third quarter and place kicker Alan Lozoya made his sixth point after attempt in the game to extend the Eagles lead 42-13.
The never say die Tigers led by Head Coach Juan Rodriguez, an Eagle Pass native, orchestrated a 75 yard touchdown drive culminating with a 38 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Gabriel Garza to Antwon Dedmon with 1:25 minutes remaining in the third quarter, and the Tigers two point attempt was good from Gabriel Garza to running back Jason Juarez, narrowing the score 42-21 in favor of the Eagles.
In the fourth quarter, Eagles Head Coach Tom Gonzalez played many of his reserve players to give them valuable game experience and evaluate their performance. Both teams exchanged several possessions without any of them being able to punch it into the end zone, resulting in the Eagles earning a hard fought 42-21 victory over the Tigers.
The Eagles will play next week the San Antonio Marshall Rams on Friday, September 3, 2021 at 7 p.m. at the San Antonio Northside Independent School District Ferris Stadium in San Antonio, Texas in another non-district matchup.
Go Eagles Baby!
