Hawks Start District Play with a Loss to Austin LBJ, 21-14
Ryan Rivali score put Hawks ahead, 14-7 going into halftime. (photo by Karen Holmes)
Canyon Lake improved from their loss last week but will need a little more to right the ship after just missing out on a win to open District 13-4A play against Austin LBJ, 21-14.
Let’s Go Hawks!!
“We talked all week about effort,” Head Coach Charley Drum started. “But we had a few mistakes and we just have to find a way to get off the field and we can’t have those mistakes against a team this good….we overcame some of those mistakes but we will just have to follow through.”
There was some good news in this set-back with a much improved defensive effort against a very fast Jaguar team in holding LBJ to 156 total yards of offense.
Much of that credit should be heaped upon a Hawk offense that controlled the clock for over 36 minutes in not giving LBJ’s offense much time with the ball while forcing two turnovers.
CL evened that turnover battle after a fumble returned for a touchdown, not fielding a kick-off and a high snap on a punt that gave the visitors a short field and first lead.
So, a defense that gave up just one drive for a score will go down as the best effort on that side of the ball this season.
Canyon Lake had all of their success offensively in the 2nd quarter in responding the Jaguar’s first score with a 16 play drive covering 61 yards that took over 9 minutes of the clock.
Go Hawks!!
This drive had The Lake converting three 4th downs with that last conversion being a Derek Wiatrek run from 3 yards out for the tying score, 7-7.
Wiatrek finished with 108 rushing yards while doubling up as a linebacker that had this player being a tired hombre, “I don’t separate how I think playing offense or defense all I want to do is give 100% no matter where I am playing and that is all I can do. We are improving every week and we are playing some good opponents and it will start in practice in playing better next week….we just have to give 100% in practices and give it our all.”
An interception for Hunter Anderson was giving it his all on that next Jaguar possession. Then a fumble on LBJ’s next possessions allowed CL to take the lead going 29 yards on 7 plays and a Hawk lead, 14-7 when Ryan Rivali took it in from 4 yards out right before halftime.
Canyon Lake did not respond coming out to start the 2nd half after a fumble on the Jaguar’s 14 yard line that was returned for a touchdown making that a 14 point swing and putting the home team in a hole.
Derek Wiatrek rushed for 108 yards in Hawk’s game against Austin LBJ.
A short kick-off that was not fielded by the Hawks gave LBJ another chance to score but the defense held and forced a missed field goal attempt.
Canyon Lake still had a slim lead, 14-13 but the ball but came up short by one yard on a 4th down that could not be converted deep in LBJ’s side of the field on the 25 yard line.
A quick score for the visitors when Andrew Mukuba ran it in from 59 yards out for what would be the final score in this nail-biter.
The Hawks still had 8:40 left to either tie or take the lead but a 4th down and needing 10 yards had the punt team called out. But a trick play had Tyler Pauly passing to Peyton McMullen and that trickery would convert this play and continue their march downfield.
“I was hoping we could execute to continue our drive,” Pauly said. On what the Hawks will need to do as this season continues? “It is all bout getting healthy and we need to clean-up our mistakes.”
The Hawks came up short on a 4th and 7 that gave Austin LBJ the ball with right at 3 minutes remaining.
More defensive good news had a defensive stand that gave your Hawks one last chance to make a mark. A first play 24 yard screen play with James Bates set up The Lake at the Jaguars 28 yard line but the Hawks could go no further as they came up empty on those final plays.
Go Hawks!!
Time will tell how tough LBJ will be when the district games mature more that will give an idea on how this year might play out.
But improvement on defense and only one penalty had CL well within striking distance for a turn around season.
Canyon Lake will welcome the Taylor Ducks next week for Homecoming and a chance to even their district slate.
Let’s Go Hawks!!
1 2 3 4 Final Austin LBJ 7 0 6 8 21 CL Hawks 0 14 0 0 14 Scoring Summary: LBJ-Donaldson 1 yard run (Sandoval kick), 4:09, 1st CLH-Derek Wiatrek 3 yard run (Dalton Stanley kick), 7:14, 2nd CLH-Ryan Rivali 4 yard run (Dalton Stanley kick), 0:23, 2nd LBJ-Sheff 87 yard fumble return (kick failed), 6:54, 3rd LBJ-Mukuba 59 yard run (Bellinger run), 8:39, 4th Team Stats Jaguars Hawks Total Yards 156 280 First Downs 9 21 Rush/Yards 23/148 67/256 Comp/Att/Int 2/5/1 2/5/0 Passing Yards 8 40 Punts/Average 2/39.5 1/53.0 Fumbles/Lost 1/1 1/1 Penalties-Yards 4-30 1-5 TOP 11:43 36:17 3rd Down Conversions 3/7 43% 6/18 33% 4th Down Conversions 0/0 00% 6/10 60% Passing Comp Att Pct Yds Int TD Peyton McMullen 1 4 .250 24 0 0 Tyler Pauly 1 1 1.000 16 0 0 Rushing Att Yds Ave Lg TD Derek Wiatrek 22 108 4.9 13 1 Ryan Rivali 14 42 3.0 14 1 James Bates 9 39 4.3 10 0 Jesse Horner 6 27 4.5 9 0 Shayne Moss 12 27 2.3 8 0 Peyton McMullen 4 13 3.3 13 0 Team 1 -16 — - 0 Receiving No Yds Ave Lg TD James Bates 1 24 24.0 24 0 Peyton McMullen 1 16 16.0 16 0
