Eagle Pass Winn Mavericks Stomp San Antonio Highlands Owls 20-14 in Bi-District Championship, Will Face Flour Bluff Hornets in Area Championship
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2021
The thundering Eagle Pass C. C. Winn High School Mavericks stomped the San Antonio Highlands High School Owls 20-14 in the Bi-District Football Championship 5A, Division I on Friday, November 12, 2021 at Alamo Stadium in San Antonio, Texas, recording an upset of the District Champion Highlands Owls and advancing to the second round of the state postseason playoffs, known as Area Championship, against the Flour Bluff High School Hornets on Thursday, November 18, 2021.
The Mavericks entered the Bi-District game with an overall 5-5 season record while the Owls sported a 7-4 record.
The Mavericks won the pre-game coin toss and deferred to receive the opening kickoff until the second half.
The Highlands Owls received the game’s opening kickoff and engineered a long touchdown drive on the Alamo Stadium turf, culminating on a 13 yard run into the Mavericks end zone and the point after attempt sailed through the uprights to give the Owls an early 7-0 lead early in the first quarter.
The Mavericks responded with a long touchdown drive on their first possession of the game, resulting in a six yard scamper by standout quarterback Abraham Rodriguez into the Owls end zone and the point after attempt by Almikar Ramos went straight through the goalpost to knot the score 7-7 in the first quarter.
After challenging each other’s defenses in the first quarter, the Mavericks and Owls settled into a defensive battle in the second quarter with the Mavericks stumping the Owls potent offense twice inside the red zone on fourth downs, including recovering an Owls fumble at the Mavericks 10 yard line to end a scoring threat.
The Mavericks Wrecking Crew defense led by linebackers Jaime Barrientos and Jose Pablo Ramos, defensive tackles Adrian Morales and Juan Estrada, defensive ends Michael Hernandez and Victor Alonzo, and defensive backs Alejandro Picazo, Jonathon Martinez, Juan Martinez, Fernando Franco, and Almikar Ramos stifled the explosive Owls offense during the second quarter.
The teams went into halftime with the score tied 7-7 at Alamo Stadium.
During halftime, the Mavericks brain trust led by Head Coach Eric Villasenor made adjustments for the second half.
The Mavericks received the second half opening kickoff, but the stingy Owls defense stopped the Mavericks offense on their first possession.
After exchanging possessions, the Mavericks orchestrated a touchdown drive in the third quarter on hard runs by standout running back Jeremiah Robinson, quarterback Abraham Rodriguez, and wide receiver Alan Roli Jimenez, culminating on a one yard plunge into the Owls end zone by Mavericks workhorse running back Jeremiah Robinson and the extra point by Almikar Ramos was good to give the Mavericks a 14-7 lead.
The never say die Owls responded with a touchdown drive resulting on a surprise 37 yards halfback pass into the Mavericks end zone late in the third quarter and the extra point was good, tying the score at 14-14.
The game entered the fourth quarter tied at 14-14 with both teams engaged in a classic football playoff game.
In the fourth quarter, the Mavericks potent offense led by quarterback Abraham Rodriguez, running back Jeremiah Robinson, offensive linemen Erick Flores, Hector Saldana, Jimmy Joe Lopez, Jose Reyes, Jorge Martinez, halfback Patrick Solis, and wide receivers Eric Martinez, Alan Roli Jimenez, and Alan Vielma engineered a long touchdown drive, culminating on a two yard rumble into the Owls end zone by running back Jeremiah Robinson and the point after attempt failed giving the Mavericks a 20-14 lead.
The Mavericks Wrecking Crew defense answered the challenge to protect the venerable 20-14 lead by suffocating the explosive Owls offense in the fourth quarter on a couple of possessions, including a key interception to kill an Owls drive.
The Mavericks thundering offense marched down Alamo Stadium late in the fourth quarter to run out the clock and secure the hard fought Bi-District Championship against the Owls, garnering back to back Bi-District titles and advancing to the second round against the Flour Bluff Hornets on Thursday, November 18, 2021 in San Antonio, Texas.
The Mavericks victory against the San Antonio Highlands Owls was a total team effort with every player contributing to the win.
Roll Mavericks Roll!
