CL Hawks Survive the Weiss Wolves, 21-20
Canyon Lake High School Running Back James Bates (#28) explodes through the Weiss defensive for a long rush.rr[Photo Credit: Mark Robinson / MJR Photography / www.mjrphotog.com]
The CL Hawks survived a wolf pack in eked out this contest and 2nd win by one point, 21-20.
“We survived,” Head Coach Charlie Drum said with a sigh. “It was wild and no-one could put it any other way. It is good to go 2-0 but we had too many penalties on both sides of the line.”
Canyon Lake has never won two games in a row by a touchdown or less and both of those victories were helped by a Hawk Defense that continues to clamp down on their opponent’s run game, in giving up just 86 yards combined this season, which comes to 1.6 yard’s per attempt.
“This game will give us confidence and we just found a way to win,” Coach Drum continued. “Winning close games will help us in district.”
Special Teams played a part in this victory in scoring that first touchdown on a blocked 32 yard field goal attempt and 70 yard run to the end zone.
This play was a first in Hawk Annals, by being the only TD that was a result of a blocked field goal. In fact, this play was not just your ordinary set of happenings.
1) To say it was blocked would indicate a Hawk player or players were able to penetrate the offensive line and get to the kicker before the ball could sail to the uprights.
Cody Kline and Jeremy Greene after a Survival Win over Weiss.
Not on this play: The ball was kicked successfully, except this Weiss player was just able to send the ball to a host of blocking players at the line of scrimmage.
2) To say it was picked up by a Hawk player (Jeremy Greene) that would have a clear sailing to the end zone would not be an accurate assessment of this play either.
Greene picked the ball up and traveled bout 20-25 yards and before a Weiss player would be able to get a tackle, Greene was able to see ‘Johnny on the Spot’ Cody Kline trailing the play bout 5 yards for the pitch and run down the sideline finishing the play with a Hawk score and lead that would never be relinquished.
“I was turning around and I looked up and saw white,” Greene said when talking about his pitch to Kline. “I think I played him last year (the player he was able to get by after picking up the ball) on his short jaunt. “This was an emotional game and we will be tightening up to help perfect our play.”
Kline would also chime in, “It is my job on field goals to follow behind if the kick is blocked and hope no one catches him…then it was, oops, the ball was in my hand and I just ran but I was not expecting that to happen.”
Sometimes it will be those ‘Oop’s plays that can give a team enough for a win. This Oops was for a score and win.
Ben Crisp one of many lineman for the Hawk Nation.
On the next Weiss possession the Wolves would score with just 10 seconds left in that first half. This score would be the result of the Wolves QB, Jaylen Sapenter, completing 4 consecutive passes and after converting a 4th down play on a Hawk offside’s penalty setting up score two plays later, 7-6.
Those half-time stats were evened out with that Weiss drive with CL holding a 139 to 138 advantage on total yards gained in those 24 minutes of play.
“We were really focused and this became a mental game,” Center Ben Crisp said after this battle in the trenches. “We had the same energy and this was a fight for sure…we will just have to get rid of those mental mistakes and do better in the red zone but that will depend on our offensive line.”
Battle is the best word in describing these two schools for this game.
Canyon Lake’s first drive to start the 3rd quarter was the only vintage slot-T drive on this night taking just 5 plays for 39 yards and a Hawk, 14-6 lead. Ryan Rivali made the corner and saw the goal line 24 yards later for this tally.
The Hawks were able to spread the ball to several runners with good results and Peyton McMullen would have his best rushing night at QB finishing with 46 yards that had some scrambles for positive yardage and keeping the chain moving.
“This was a tough game,” McMullen said. “We will be able to carry the momentum to a victory….this was a good football team and we will practice hard this next week in getting ready for Wimberley.”
Way to Go Hawks!!
Weiss followed suit and had a 3 play drive, with a 72 yard catch and run by Zane Tipton, but the Wolves 2 point conversion was not successful giving CL a, 14-12 lead.
The next 8 possessions had Weiss and The Lake with 5 consecutive punts going into the 4th quarter.
Both teams would alternate turnovers next when Weiss intercepted (or stripped) the ball and just 2 plays later, Canyon Lake’s Alex Hardin recovering a fumble on the Wolves 16 yard line.
Up to that Weiss turnover there would be 7 minutes remaining on this back and forth tennis match and CL clinging on a 2 point advantage but able to see the goal line. It would take the Hawks just 3 plays to score with Rivali on a 10 yard scamper that was followed by workhorse Derek Wiatrek finishing this drive with two carries and a score, 21-12.
That Nash Young point after would play a huge role in giving Canyon Lake a two score lead over the Home Team.
A muffed kick-off return had the Hawks setting up shop needing 29 yards for those finishing touches.
After taking 5 minutes off the clock and converting 2 fourth down plays, Ethan Slater would get the rock on the 7 yard line before another Wolf stripping attack and 96 yards later, this contest would become a nail biter, 21-20.
Let’s Go Hawks & Beat the Texans!
Canyon Lake finalized this game when Wiatrek 4 yard gain on 3rd down and 3 yards needed allowed the Hawks to form the ‘Victory Snap’ and a chance of meeting Wimberley undefeated.
This Weiss team would remind those Hawks Old-Timers of Canyon Lake’s 2nd year of competition as all of those first year beatings not being so easy for their opponents on that 2nd try.
Survival of the fittest for The Lake will now set the stage for a classic, Battle of the Devil’s Back Bone, with the Texans coming to the Hawk Nest mirroring CL’s, 2-0 record.
“On our next 3 practices we will need to win on all 3 of them in getting ready for Wimberley,” Kline closed on CL’s mindset for the Back-Bone Trophy.
Be there this next Friday for Homecoming and Go Hawks — Be Loud!!
1 2 3 4 Final CL Hawks 0 7 7 7 21 Weiss Wolves 0 6 6 8 20 Scoring Summary: CL- 32 yd FG attempt blocked recovered by Greene ran 30 yds pitched to Kline for 40 yds (Young kick), 3:07, 2nd WW-Zane Tipton 2 yard run (kick failed), 0:10, 2nd CL-Ryan Rivali 24 yard run (Nash Young kick), 9:39, 3rd WW-Jackson Sandlin pass to Jeremiah Robinson 72 yds (pass failed), 9:14, 3rd CL-Derek Wiatrek 1 yard run (Nash Young kick), 7:17, 4th WW-Stewart Miller 96 yard fumble return (Sandlin pass Askew), 2:30, 4th Game Stats Wolves Hawks Total Yards 230 315 First Downs 10 17 Rush/Yards 22/46 59/285 Comp/Att/Int 8/22/0 2/11/1 Passing Yards 184 30 Punts/Average 6/38.5 3/34.7 Fumbles/Lost 3/2 2/1 Penalties-Yards 11-78 4-30 TOP 14:02 33:58 Passing Comp Att Pct Yards Int TD Peyton McMullen 2 11 .181 30 1 0 Rushing Att Yds Ave Lg TD Derek Wiatrek 23 88 3.8 12 1 Ethan Slater 13 75 5.8 14 0 Ryan Rivali 10 60 6.0 24 1 Peyton McMullen 7 46 6.6 16 0 Jesse Horner 4 9 2.3 5 0 James Bates 2 7 3.5 6 0 Receiving No Yds Ave Lg TD Jeremy Greene. 2 30 15.0 21 0
