Hawks Parts Red Sea in Win over Bandera, 37-28
Canyon Lake got back on track as the Hawks evened their district record after beating Bandera, 37-28.
“That kick-off return switched the momentum in the game tonight,” Head Coach Charley Drum said. “We like to be balanced in every game with our running backs…but we will take our positives and just get better at our tackling for next week.”
It all started after a Bandera touchdown on an interception early in the first quarter.
Matt Adams then fielded the kick and it seemed as if the Red Sea had parted and Adams was the chosen one to take the ball 89 yards to the end zone and help CL take the lead it would not relinquish, 7-6.
“It was surreal,” Adams said while commenting on what it felt like running through to daylight. “Coach Troy Moses said we would return a kick-off tonight. I just tucked the ball and started running as fast as I could, then I heard the commentator talking as I got to the goal line.”
Think about it, you had Coach ‘Moses’ telling the team a kick-off would be returned and the Bandera players parted like it was the Red Sea.
This win was Biblical in many ways.
Three interceptions matched the total for this year when two of those picks came from players that had been told what to do during halftime adjustments from Coach Bret Hodges.
“It was a halftime adjustment and Coach Hodges called for a spy and after reading the quarterback, he threw it right at me, “Senior Defensive End Cody Thompson remembered. “It all helps when we can help get our offense back on the field again.”
Drake Dallis was also in a similar situation when he intercepted the ball in much the same manner.
Dallis had a chance of returning the ball and was wrestled down after his 35 yard return.
“I knew I had caught it,” Drake Dallis said breathlessly. “It was just instinct and I just kinda went…I thought I could make it but I could not keep the tackler away from me at the end.”
Canyon Lake had two 100 yard rushers and in those games the Hawks have a 5-1 record.
Game Year Score Players Total Yards Smithville 2014 43-14 DeVries and Woods 298 Boerne 2013 37-28 Johnson and DuBois 276 Bandera 2010 35-06 Henshaw and Covarrubias 238 Pleasanton 2013 24-21 DuBois and DeVries 228 Boerne 2012 16-43 DuBois and Covarrubias 219 Bandera 2014 37-28 DuBois and DeVries 202
The Hawks just kept plugging away as Hayden DuBois (102) and Josh DeVries (100) both reached that important mile marker.
“I was just trusting my lineman,” Senior DuBois said reverently. “It was just powerhouse football and by having two runners with 100 yards makes it hard on a defense on how they will put defenders in to key on us.”
“We just got to make plays when we are needed,” DeVries said with resolve.
Canyon Lake forced a punt after the kick-off return and this time the offense would put some distance between these two schools.
Linebacker Haden Lee has been Mr. Consistent this whole year as he ended this game with 8 tackles and has 74 for the year.
“I had to be more conservative and make good angles in this game,” Lee said astutely. “I was just making sure the quarterback was not going to run more.”
A nine play drive covering 72 yards would be the result. A 23 yard run for DuBois and 13 yarder from Robert Woods would be two explosive plays that helped pave the way on this drive.
The Drake Dallis interception would stop the Bulldogs next drive but Canyon Lake’s offense could not take advantage and was also stopped short of their first down.
The Hawks defense would hold again and this time CL would score with a 26 yard explosive play from DeVries and eventual score when DuBois scored one of his three touchdown runs from three yards out.
Second half was more hectic as the Bulldogs started passing with abandon to get back into the game.
Bandera defense held Canyon Lake and then a four play scoring drive would get this Bulldog team some teeth and trailing by just nine points, 21-12.
Keeping their distance, the Hawks responded with another nine play 68 yard drive.
A DeVries 27 yard run on a fourth down play was key on this drive with DuBois walking it in from six yards on his next try, 28-12.
The second interception for CL from Thompson would have the Hawks capitalizing on a five play drive with DeVries on a 30 yard run for this drive and DuBois scoring his third touchdown and what seemed to be comfortable, 34-12 lead.
Bandera would not quit as they again drove to the doorstep of the Hawk home, but a Tommy Clark interception at the goal line stopped another Bulldog, that was scratching at the door, drive.
“They were building momentum, I just jumped it and got to the flats,” Clark recalled. “We had been working on that play all week and we wanted to take it away, it is always good to flip the the offense and give our team a chance to score.”
“Tommy’s (Clark) interception was huge for us,” Coach Drum said. “He has been huge for us all year.”
The Bulldogs would hold CL again and this time score with still over seven minutes on the clock.
Canyon Lake’s offense was stuck in molasses and after three plays and a punt, Bandera was back in business.
A defensive stop for Canyon Lake had the Hawks on Bandera’s 36 yard line and with a fourth and nine needed for a first, Mike Thorpe would put some icing on this cake with a 28 yard field goal.
Bandera? Not finished yet and with their passing offense, a one play 60 yard pass play with Noah Nelson doing some fancy footwork had whittled the Hawk lead back to nine points, 37-28.
The 334 yards passing for Bandera was the most ever given up by Canyon Lake which passed the Somerset team in that heartbreaker playoff loss in 2010.
Canyon Lake now finds themselves with a 1-1 district record and a chance to make some noise with three games remaining.
On the game next week with Fredericksburg, “We will have to put it all out there when we can,” DeVries said. “Offensively we will take it to them and our defense will need to make plays and get turnovers.”
“All these games are going to be a dog fight,” Coach Drum closed.
It certainly was in this game….The ReSporter thinks that dog was a Bulldog.
What type of dog will the Billies have for next week’s game?
1 2 3 4 Final Bandera 6 0 6 16 28 CL Hawks 7 14 13 3 37 Scoring Summary: BHS-Noah Nelson 15 yard interception return (pat failed), 4:52, 1st CLH-Matt Adams 89 yard kick-off return (Mike Thorpe kick), 4:39, 1st CLH-Hayden DuBois 4 yard run (Mike Thorpe kick), 10:49, 2nd CLH-Hayden DuBois 3 yard run (Mike Thorpe kick), 1:32, 2nd BHS-Gonzales 2 yard run (run failed), 8:51, 3rd CLH-Hayden DuBois 6 yard run (Mike Thorpe kick), 4:14, 3rd CLH-Skyler Tschoepe 2 yard run (pat blocked), 1:52, 3rd BHS-Rodriquez 16 yard run (Ventura pass), 7:31, 4th CLH-Mike Thorpe 28 yard field goal, 0:46, 4th BHS-Noah Nelson 60 yard pass from Rodriquez (Nelson pass), 0:26, 4th Game Stats Bulldogs Hawks Total Yards 409 286 First Downs 16 14 Rush/Yards 14/75 50/290 Comp/Att/Int 27/43/3 1/4/1 Passing Yards 334 -4 Punts/Average 3/33.7 3/33.0 Fumble/Lost 0/0 0/0 Penalties-Yards 7-50 5-30 TOP 20:54 27:06 Passing Comp Att Pct Yds Int TD Skyler Tschoepe 1 4 .250 -4 1 0 Rushing Att Yds Ave Lg TD Hayden DuBois 20 102 5.1 23 3 Josh DeVries 13 100 7.7 30 0 Robert Woods 9 57 6.3 16 0 Skyler Tschoepe 6 29 4.8 9 1 Tim Romero 1 2 2.0 2 0 Tanner McGill 1 0 0.0 0 0 Receiving No Yds Ave Lg TD Hayden DuBois 1 -4 -4.0 -- 0