Hawks Start Avalanche with Explosive Plays in Win over Billies, 45-25
Colton McDonald with help from Austin Brooks take down this Billie. (photo by Karen Holmes)
Canyon Lake was all business in their win over the Fredericksburg Billies as the Hawks had more yardage gained in one game in their history winning, 45-25.
The Hawks remain in first place in District 14-4A Division I as they stayed 1/2 game ahead of Taylor after the Ducks beat Boerne, 15-7.
Canyon Lake has had a season with explosive plays this year as those offensive snaps had the Hawks running away from Fredericksburg.
CL has scored 40 or more points in 7 games this season with this contest being their 5th in a row.
The turn around has helped Canyon Lake set a pattern of starting fast and not letting up as the snowball has become an avalanche of sustained drives and explosive offensive plays.
This game featured the defense getting 3 interceptions while making a statement on both sides of the ball.
Canyon Lake’s offense continues to execute their slot-T set with precision as even those 88 yards of penalties would just mean more offensive real estate to churn out on touchdown drives.
Canyon Lake’s Top 5 All-Time Game Yardage Year Final Score Fredericksburg 583 2016 45-25 Ingram 579 2009 42-07 Bandera 528 2011 55-33 Austin Akins 524 2016 42-20 Blanco 500 2016 40-07 While we are at it, look as the Top 5 Rushing Games. Fredericksburg 539 2016 45-25 Austin Akins 469 2016 42-20 Austin Eastside 461 2016 63-00 Bandera 456 2015 42-07 Boerne 446 2016 41-38
Notice how 4 of those 5 rushing games are residing in this season as CL will take a week off in preparation in their final regular season game at home playing Taylor in November.
Repeat Boutique Says Way to Go Hawks!
“We have been playing for 9 straight games and these last 5 weeks our offense has been good,” Head Coach Charley Drum said. “Now we will start getting ready for Taylor and do some mental reps with film and start correcting our mistakes.”
Coaches are never finished in trying to have that perfect game and correcting mistakes will always be a concern regardless how the contest finished.
On the first play from scrimmage, CL took a 9 yard loss as the Billies defense seemed to have the Hawk’s play book when Ben Fulton had no chance on his run.
That would be the last bad play on this evening as Canyon Lake would quickly throw for a 14 yard gain when Fulton found a wide open Heath McDonough to give the Hawks a decent chance of continuing this drive.
Tanner Faris who finished with 174 yards ran for 19 steps on the next snap as the avalanche started giving way. Three plays later Faris would get wide after a devastating block by Austin Brennan to seal the corner and a 44 yard run to paydirt.
CL’s defense had their first stop when Trenton Lorett had the Hawks first of 3 interceptions and now with the ball on their own 23 yard line for their next possession.
Brennan would take the second play for of the series 74 yards and a quick 14 point lead to start this contest.
“I let up a little bit,” Brennan said on how the Fredericksburg players were catching up before crossing the goal line. “I saw the Billie player on the scoreboard while I was running so that did help me.”
Not a bad situation when you can watch your highlights while you are performing that act.
So. Greyson Lee sacking a Billie (photo by Karen Holmes)
Fredericksburg did penetrate the Hawk’s red zone but a Billie penalty and two incompletions had their kicker go wide left on the missed field goal and now the Hawks would have another chance for a score starting on their 20 yard line.
Fourteen plays later, CL would have Faris scoring from 6 yards out as this avalanche had reached, Billieville with no chance for first responders to render help.
Fredericksburg did score with 7:40 to play in the 2nd quarter but it would not take your Hawks long to respond.
Brennan took the ball right up the middle for 87 yards as this play was 3 yards less than a Brennan touchdown run against Blanco that went 90 yards during the first game of this campaign.
What was interesting about this set of plays was having the Billies accepting a 15 yard penalty after a Faris run which had the Hawks needing 23 yards for a chance to keep this drive going.
Going—Going—Gone was the next play as Brennan got through the first line of defense and then stiffed armed a Billie defensive back and off to the races for 87 yards. Brennan ran fast enough to stay ahead of the Hawk avalanche of yards.
“It was just an open field and the offensive line opened up a huge hole,” Brennan recalled the play. “This game gives us confidence knowing that if we continue to keep doing our basics and that is a huge confidence builder.”
“Keep trying on every play and just keep going,” Senior James Magee said as if he was watching an avalanche. “Each day we need to stay focused and have a good mindset for every game.”
Magee was commenting on how the Hawks showed no sign of looking ahead as this game was focused on taking care of business.
North Shore says Go Hawks
With a, 28-7 lead, CL would keep Fredericksburg out of the end zone when Heath McDonough intercepted the ball in the Hawk’s end zone, keeping Fredericksburg from scoring and then having a chance to start the 2nd half with the ball and another score to pull back into this game.
“I just ran the route and cut the route when I saw their QB throw,” Heath McDonough responded on his interception to end their drive before halftime. “This feels great as our defense just needs to make plays.”
Explosive Plays have been common this year and this game would certainly keep those plays coming in bunches. Remember that explosives can start those snow avalanches.
Hawks Billies Rushing Plays over 14 yards: 11 1 Passing Plays over 14 yards: 2 6 Total 13 7
Fredericksburg’s first play from scrimmage in the 2nd half was the 3rd interception by the Hawks as Heath McDonough had the honors and the Hawks would not disappoint as they scored in 7 plays when Micah St. John scored from 4 yards out and increase the CL lead to, 35-07.
The Billies would score to answer but this game was well in hand at this point as the Hawks would make it hard for Fredericksburg to get a stop.
Penalties were plentiful for CL and one of those miscues was responsible for negating a Hawk score when Fulton found a wide open Heath McDonough all alone in the end zone.
Austin Brennan gained 211 yards in Billie game (mjrphotog.com)
Canyon Lake would have a drive late in the fourth quarter that would be stopped on the Billies 1 yard line as the Hawk Coaches would send in Lorett to get his feet wet with a field goal try that was good giving CL a, 45-19 lead.
Prevent defense was the culprit on the last TD as the Billies scored with right over a minute left to play.
Canyon Lake had everyone getting snaps and Colton McDonald was picked on by the Fredericksburg offense in that last quarter.
“I’m glad and it was bout time for making plays,” McDonald said in response to being on the spot for those Billie passing plays. “We want to be the first Canyon Lake team to do whatever we have to do, to get it in practice….We know what is coming whether it is our 1st or 2nd string and we just put it together.”
The Hawk’s offense is going strong but it is the defense that will help in getting CL the promise land.
“We prepare all week and we want to be the first to win a district championship,” Linebacker Greyson Lee said. “We have to play as a team and we will prepare just as hard if not harder in the next two weeks as we want to take care of business.”
Canyon Lake will now have their off week and after non-stop football since the middle of August can relax (oops), The ReSporter means practice hard as the Hawks prepare for Duck season in two weeks.
Go Hawks!!
Canyon Lake by the Numbers:
* The Hawks are 20-4 when they reach the 20 or more first down plateau.
* CL has 6 games with 20 or more first downs this season.
* Canyon Lake had 2 games of 20 or more first downs last year.
* 38-11 is Hawk’s record when holding opponents less than 5.5 yards per rush.
* 33-15 record is where CL stands when they rush for over 200 yards.
* CL’s record if they outrush their opponent is 38-13.
* The 5 game winning streak is one game less than the 2011 Hawk team.
* Austin Brennan’s 211 yards rushing ranks 7th on the Hawk All-Time rushing charts.
* Canyon Lake has now had 15 games where two players reached 100 yards in same game.
* The 385 yards by Brennan (211) and Faris (174) in Billie game ranks first by over 46 yards.
* Top Ten Longest Runs and Receiving for Touchdowns Rushing Game Yr. Yds Receiving Game Yr. Yds Austin Brennan Blanco ’16 90 Matt Magness Luling ’10 88 Austin Brennan Billies ’16 87 Matt Magness Billies ’10 84 Josh DeVries Smithville ’14 82 Zach Henshaw Luling ’11 79 Austin Brennan Eastside ’16 78 Eric Nelson Liberty Hill ’09 77 Tanner Faris Bandera ’15 76 Josh DeVries Taylor ’14 71 Eduardo Covarrubias Bandera ’10 75 Daniel Camarillo Somerset ’12 70 Austin Brennan Billies ’16 74 Daniel Camarillo Blanco ’12 69 Micah St. John Eastside ’16 67 Daniel Camarillo Navarro ’12 67 McGuire Johnson Somerset ’13 67 Brandon Courtney Blanco ’16 66 Matt Adams Taylor ’15 64 Doug Hubnik Navarro ’10 65 =========================================
1 2 3 4 Final CL Hawks 14 14 7 10 45 Fredericksburg 0 7 6 12 25 Scoring Summary: CL-Tanner Faris 44 yard run (Trenton Lorett kick), 9:41, 1st CL-Austin Brennan 74 yard run (Trenton Lorett kick), 7:20, 1st CL-Tanner Faris 6 yard run (Trenton Lorett kick), 8:45, 2nd FH-William Sebera 4 yard run (Ian Kendrick kick), 7:40, 2nd CL-Austin Brennan 87 yard run (Trenton Lorett kick), 6:20, 2nd CL-Micah St. John 4 yard run (Trenton Lorett kick), 9:02, 3rd FH-William Sebera pass from Flannery (pass failed), 7:25, 3rd CL-Tanner Faris 2 yard run (Trenton Lorett kick), 10:09, 4th FH-Sean Majors 39 yard pass from Flannery (pat failed), 8:57, 4th CL-Trenton Lorett 18 yard field goal, 3:16, 4th FH-Cleland 23 yard pass from Flannery (pat failed), 1:33, 4th Game Stats Billies Hawks Total Yards 343 583 First Downs 15 21 Rush/Yards 16/81 58/539 Comp/Att/Int 17/29/3 3/5/0 Passing Yards 262 44 Punts/Average 1/33.0 0/0 Fumbles/Lost 0/0 1/0 Penalties-Yards 4-30 10-88 Passing Comp Att Pct Yds Int TD Ben Fulton 3 5 .600 44 0 0 Rushing Att Yds Ave Lg TD Austin Brennan 12 211 17.5 87 2 Tanner Faris 17 174 10.2 44 3 Micah St. John 14 48 3.5 8 1 Jacob Ruff 5 37 7.4 16 0 Ben Fulton 6 27 4.5 16 0 Brandon Courtney 1 23 23.0 23 0 Tristan Chacon 2 10 5.0 7 0 Anthony Jones 1 9 9.0 9 0 Receiving No Yds Ave Lg TD Tanner Faris 2 30 15.0 34 0 Heath McDonough 1 14 14.0 14 0
