CL Hawks Make Needville Earn their Bi-District Win, 40-33
Canyon Lake High School Tailback / Cornerback Nic Rivera (#15) catches a long pass then lunges for the end zone and scores.rr[Photo Credit: Mark Robinson / MJR Photography / www.mjrphotog.com]
Canyon Lake has made making the playoffs as an afterthought but will need to work on a better seed in the coming years after the Blue Jays took care of the Hawks, 40-33 .
Signature Homes says, Go Hawks!
Looking at the The Lake’s Roster would give the Hawk Nation good thoughts as they look into the future. With all the Sub-Varsities with winning records and a drop of players that has 9 Freshman and 14 Sophomores will give you what might be in the future.
“Mistakes was the difference in this game and we still had a chance to win,” Head Coach Charley Drum stated. “After last week’s game we told the players that we have 3 seasons to play, non-district, district, and playoffs. We start the playoffs with a 0-0 record. I was proud on how we responded and how our Seniors brought that ‘feel’ to this game. It will help our Freshman and Sophomores that we brought up for this game.”
The first half was a surprise after last week’s troubles in moving the ball, that was the same motif as this battle started with Canyon Lake with the ball first and not being able to get the run game going after gaining 7 yards before a punt.
Needville has speed and that proof was evident when Ashton Stredick took the Blue Jays first hand off for 76 yards and in a blink of an eye first blood was drawn and a Hawk 7 point deficit.
This would be a banner night for Stredick after shredding CL’s defense for 497 yards by himself. Yes the Blue Jays did have some lineman opening holes but Stredick was not an easy tackle to make as there was damage done with or without a hole to run through.
James Bates and Helijah Johnson combined for 213 yards in loss to Needville.
But there was a sleeping giant that had woken from its slumber and a script that had the Hawks with a 7 play 68 yard drive that was highlighted with a Helijah 24 yard run and then a 28 yard pass from Peyton McMullen to Ethan Slater to the Blue Jays 7 yard line. A Bates 7 yarder next had the first tied score, 7-7.
“We started getting into the game,” Bates said. “And after that first touchdown we got super hyped up.” On what will be done during the off-season? “Work hard as a team and get ready for next year”, Bates finished.
Needville would administer more Stredick speed with a two play drive that had another run that administered damage again, this time for 62 yards, 7-14 Needville.
The Lake responded again with another efficient drive that covered 54 yards and this drive had Johnson with 3 bruising runs, 15, 21 and his final run of 9 yards that knocked a Blue Jay off his feet as he would be flying back to the sideline after this run, 14-14.
Canyon Lake would force a punt for 9 yards that put CL in business with good field position needing 28 yards for a lead.
Disaster struck on a 3rd down play when Bates fumbled after a hard hit which had a Blue Jay, Dax Bridges, flying down the field for 95 yards and a 14 point swing and Needville lead, 21-14. This turnover took a possible TD for Canyon Lake and posted 7 more points for the Stredick team.
But The Lake continued to their assault, at those pre-game wheaties, had a 55 yard pass plat from McMullen to Nic Rivera for a quick score but a missed extra point still had Stredick ahead, 21-20.
Both teams seemed to be needing a second breath after exchanging 3 punts with two of those coming off the foot of Needville.
Needville would have those two drives trying to get their passing in gear. Patrick Almond on one of those Blue Jay possession being able to sack their quarterback giving CL the ball and a chance to take the lead.
Way to Go Hawks!!
CL would get that second wind and started flying higher than these Blue Jays after a 44 yard drive that had a 30 yard pass to Bates with the highlight of that drive along with a naked boot leg with McMullen that had the Hawks with a lead going into half-time, 27-21.
Needville had a one man show (Stredick) that rushed for 336 yards just on his touchdown runs. In that 2nd half Stredic had 3 TD’s that totaled 198 yards and that last run of 90 yards was the final nail on that proverbial Hawk coffin.
To start the 4th Quarter a Hawk 55 yard touchdown pass to Nic Rivera would be called back because of a holding call.
This game had upset written all over the field but that one-man (Stredick) show along with lost fumbles spelled doom for what could have been a happy ending.
Canyon Lake finished with Bates (109) and Helijah (106) both breaking the 100 yard rushing barrier. That would be a Sophomore and Freshman doing that damage.
On what it felt like scoring and going over 100 yards, Johnson quipped. “That was partly fun….I was not going to let him take me down.” That was in response on how hard Johnson hit that would be tackler at the goal line. This game put us on the map.”
When asked about next year, Johnson was short and sweet, “Improvement!”
With this 100 yard game for Bates, this young man, reached a 1008 yard season and joined 10 other Hawk rushers that have rushed for 1000 yards in their career. There are now 6 CL players that have broken the 1000 yard plateau for a season.
All-Time Rushers Yards Season 1000 Yard Rushers Year Zach Henshaw 4324 Zach Henshaw 2070 2011 Tanner Faris 3058 Josh DeVries 1389 2014 Josh DeVries 2104 McGuire Johnson 1306 2013 Hayden Dubois 1963 Zach Henshaw 1227 2010 Tristan Chacon 1934 Tanner Faris 1206 2016 Micah St. John 1915 Zach Henshaw 1135 2009 Eduardo Covarrubias 1711 James Bates 1008 2019 Jacob Ruff 1702 Austin Brennan 1006 2016 Austin Brennan 1513 McGuire Johnson 1337 James Bates 1008
The Hawk’s offensive line was all in with the contribution of Ian Royer and Marshall Nutting helping in opening those running lanes for the CL’s rushing game.
“We had to give it all we got and always keep our head up,” Netting said in response to how CL responded after Needville’s first TD.
Ian Royer and Marshall Netting in job well done in the trenches against the Blue Jays.
Netting also responded on his time playing football, “This time goes quicker than you think….as much as you hate getting up early in the morning you know that you are still going to miss it.”
Royer was also poignant, “After that first touchdown (by Needville) we had to not have any regrets and we wanted fo finish high.” That certainly was the case as The Lake was picked to lose by double digit score.
“They switched their defensive tackles to start the 2nd half because their #70 did not want our physicality….he would just stand up and did not want to go…he could not handle us.”
And that was when CL started stepping up to make this into a game that this Blue Jay team could not just waltz to a win.
Six completions to 6 different players also played in making this Needville team trying to get air to breathe. Canyon Lake had a legit chance of getting to the 2nd round as this was not the same team that suited up the previous week’s action.
Canyon City Grill says Go Hawks!
Needville came into this game ranked in the Top 10 and Canyon Lake was right at the door in beating one of those top teams.
Youth was present after CL brought up players from those Sub-Varsity teams. This Bi-District battle had 23 players that were Sophomores/Freshman.
The Lake would tie the game up in the 4th quarter when Nic Rivera would go wide with a convoy of blockers that opened the final stanza but it did not take long for Stredick to put another stamp on how this game would end after streaking down the field for 90 yards for a player that finished with 497 yards of real estate.
Now CL can realize that even with that type of performance, the Hawks were still in position to win this contest.
Stredick total yardage only had 8 teams, since Canyon Lake has been playing, that gained more than this one player.
Defensive Yardage Allowed Year 1) Llano 581 2008 2) Navarro 572 2013 3) Lampasas 558 2019 4) Blanco 550 2008 5) Navarro 536 2010 6) Liberty Hill 510 2008 7) Bandera 509 2011 8) Lampasas 498 2015 9) Ashton Stredick 498 2019
The future looks bright for the Hawks if this game can be copied offensively. CL’s passing game had the type of completions that will open up a defense and have a say in seeing the slot-t do it’s damage.
Go Hawks!!
A 4th Seed versus a 1st Seed will usually not be a close game, but this Hawk team was not looking at the press clippings and brought their A game that had this Blue Jay team holding on for a win.
Now in another year, Canyon Lake will be back in action, and with the sub-varsity success coming through the pipes will have future Hawks making their mark.
Thanks Seniors and way to Go Hawks!!
1 2 3 4 Final Needville Blue Jays 14 7 12 7 40 Canyon Lake Hawks 14 13 0 6 33 Scoring Summary: NH-Ashton Stredick 76 yard run (Vega kick), 8:06, 1st CL-James Bates 7 yard run (Nash Young kick), 5:24 NH-Ashton Stredick 62 yard run (Vega kick), 4:37, 1st CL-Helijah Johnson 9 yard run (Nash Young kick), 0:54, 1st NH-Dax Bridges 95 yard fumble return (Vega kick), 10:23, 2nd CL-Nic Rivera 45 yard pass from Peyton McMullen, (kick failed), 8:15, 2nd CL-Peyton McMullen 9 yard run (Nash Young kick), 0:17, 2nd NH-Ashton Stredick 34 yard run (kick failed), 7:19, 3rd NH-Ashton Stredick 74 yard run (kick failed), 4:41, 3rd CL-Nic Rivera 5 yard run (kick failed), 11:07, 4th NH-Ashton Stredick 90 yard run (Vega kick), 10:19, 4th Team Stats Blue Jays Hawks Total Yards 518 422 Number of Plays 47 67 Yards per Play 11.0 6.2 First Downs 15 24 First Downs Rushing 12 16 First Downs Passing 3 6 First Downs Penalties 0 2 3rd Down Conversions 2/12 (16.7%) 7/13 (53.8%) 4th Down Conversions 1/2 (50%) 1/2 (50%) Rush/Yards 37/474 53/260 Comp/Att/Int 6/10/0 6/14/1 Passing Yards 44 162 Yards per Pass 7.3 27.0 Punts/Average 4/28.8 3/47.3 Fumbles/Lost 2/0 4/3 Penalties-Yards 7-63 4-25 TOP 18:00 30:00 Passing Comp Att Pct Yds Int TD Peyton McMullen 6 14 .428 162 1 1 Rushing Att Yds Ave Lg TD James Bates 20 108 5.3 27 1 Helijah Johnson 11 106 9.5 24 1 Nic Rivera 4 26 6.3 13 1 Ethan Slater 11 19 1.5 8 0 Peyton McMullen 7 1 0.1 9 1 Receiving No Yds Ave Lg TD Nic Rivera 1 45 45.0 45 1 James Bates 1 30 30.0 30 0 Ethan Slater 1 28 28.0 28 0 Tyler Pauly 1 28 28.0 28 0 Kyle Yuill 1 19 19.0 19 0 Jeremy Greene 1 12 12.0 12 0
