CL Freshman start with a Bang, Beat Lago Vista, 28-8
Quarterback Ben Fulton zeroing in on Braden Duke
Canyon Lake’s Freshman class opened with a bang as the Hawks scored 22 points in the first quarter providing more than enough cushion to coast to a win over the visiting Lago Vista Vikings.
CL Freshman busted out like a caged Hawk but could not keep that momentum offensively.
The Defense and Special Teams were a different story as these two units controlled this game from start to finish.
CL gave up just three yards per play for the game while the special teams was successful with two onside kicks and a punt return for a touchdown giving this Viking team looking for the North Star for a way get back home.
If you arrived five minutes late for this party then you were absent for all the festivities as Canyon Lake opened all the presents and had eaten the cake before they would blow out the candles.
“We had so much energy and we couldn’t wait to get started,” Will Joyner said excitedly. “We can’t wait for the rest of the season.”
Defense was the name of the game for CL’s Freshman squad
The Hawk’s kick off was a successful onside play helping the hosts to set up shop on the Vikings 42 yard line.
Four plays later Running Back Luke Justis was scampering around the end for a 36 yard touchdown. It was poetic Justis for Luke to add the PAT for a quick, 7-0 lead.
After the kick off the Vikings found themselves pinned on their 19 yard line. Lago Vista also ran the Slot-T offense so this usually would not be a detriment.
But Canyon Lake’s defense would hold the Vikings to three plays of 2 yards and a punt.
With Joyner and Justis ready for the punt return, Joyner took the ball on the 46 yard line and after angling to the sideline was able to take it to the house.
“I wasn’t expecting it,” Joyner said. “Thanks to Justis it went through his legs and I was able to get the ball.”
Ben Fulton’s impromptu pass to Micah St. John on the extra point was good for a, 15-0 lead with just 4 minutes into the game.
Encore? Yeah, another mistake by the Vikings as their special teams forgot that they were the team that was suppose to receive the kick and before you could say Greenland a transfer student Tanner Faris had recovered the mistake for another chance for a score.
Canyon Lake did just that with just three plays, Mr. Faris took the ball in from seven yards out for a commanding 22-0 lead with 4:10 still left to play in that first quarter.
Things would start to get sloppy for the Hawks but the defense would keep this Viking team under wraps to preserve their first win as High School students.
Nine different players had a chance to tote the ball and St. John was one of those backs to have his debut with a touchdown run and 53 yards rushing.
“It felt great,” St. John said when responding to how it felt to finally play after the long off season. “We did what the Coaches expected us to do and that is what we need to continue, be coachable and just play football.”
What plans would you think St. John and the rest of this Hawk team would want to aspire too? “To go undefeated and win district,” St. John said like the gospel. “We want to get known for when we get older.”
Defensive lineman, Garrett Haas, was able to get through the Viking line for a sack helping thwart a Lago Vista drive in the second quarter.
The Hawk Wall is ready from left to right: Javier Saucedo, Richard Rosas, Braden Duke, Joseph Crisp, and Bradley Adamson
Caimen McDonough would seal the deal with an interception after LV had closed the gap to 28-8 in the fourth quarter. McDonough jumped the route and returned the ball 25 yards deep in the Vikings territory.
A penalty and a loss of six yards on a fumble helped thwart this drive but left Lago Vista with too little time and too much yardage to take advantage and a win for the Hawks.
Canyon Lake will be home next Thursday when they take on Smithville and the good news is that they will not be the first game which should help in getting everyone to the party on time.
You don’t want to miss it!!
1 2 3 4 Final Lago Vista 0 0 0 8 8 CL Freshman 22 0 6 0 28 Scoring Summary: CL: Luke Justis 36 yard run (Justis kick), 7:20, 1st CL: Will Joyner 46 yard punt return (Fulton pass Micah St. John), 5:00, 1st CL: Tanner Faris 7 yard run (Justis kick), 4:10, 1st CL: Micah St. John 18 yard run (kick failed), 3:00, 3rd LV: Jaden Adkinson 1 yard run (Adkinson run), 8:13, 4th Game Stats Vikings Hawks Total Yards 96 162 First Downs 8 9 Rushes/Yards 27/79 35/162 Comp/Att/Int 1/5/1 0/3/0 Passing Yards 17 0 Fumbles/Lost 3/2 3/0 Punts/Average 1/25.0 0/0 Penalties-Yards 3-25 7-60 TOP 14:03 21:57 Passing Comp Att Int Pct Yds TD Will Joyner 0 2 0 .000 0 0 Ben Fulton 0 1 0 .000 0 0 Rushing Att Yds Ave Lg TD Micah St. John 8 53 6.6 18 1 Luke Justis 3 37 12.3 36 1 Will Joyner 7 33 4.7 14 0 Tanner Faris 3 16 5.3 12 1 Joseph Ruiz 4 16 4.0 7 0 Ross Snowden 3 15 5.0 7 0 Parker Reno 2 5 2.5 3 0 Braden Duke 1 0 0.0 0 0 Ben Fulton 3 -4 -1.3 3 0 Team 1 -9 0.0 0 0
