Canyon Lake Wins Nail Biter over Blanco, 26-21
Canyon Lake wins Nail Biter over Blanco, 26-21 in the opening game of the
Running Back Eduardo Covarrubias getting some valuable real estate
Canyon Lake played a close game against Blanco again. What else is new?
The last four games have all been by seven points or fewer.
“Typical Blanco game,” Head Coach Charley Drum sighed a breath of relief. “This team is tough, tough, tough and they proved that they have a solid football team that can execute.”
“This was an ugly win, but it is better than a loss. A lot of kids haven’t played much and have not been in these situations.”
Blanco was Canyon Lake’s first loss five years ago and now Blanco was the game where the Hawks reached the .500 winning percentage.
Coach Drum has now won his inaugural game.
The game started off with a 77 yard 17 play drive. Canyon Lake did not give the Panthers an offensive snap until 3:36 seconds left in the first quarter.
Fifteen running plays with Senior Eduardo Covarrubias and Casey Coffee gaining 18 and 47 yards respectfully.
Covarrubias finished with 123 tough yards on 23 carries.
“I will try harder after practice and not get tired,” a gassed Covarrubias surmised. “All we have to do is flip a switch.”
Blanco could only muster three offensive plays and a punt. That offensive drive was short because of a five yard movement penalty leaving the Panthers needing 15 yards for a first, they came up one yard short.
Interesting stat considering that would be their last penalty and Canyon Lake would take the penalty mantle for the rest of the game.
How about 14 penalties in all, with a couple that could not be counted since CL decided to have two flags on the same play. Or Blanco would refuse a penalty since their offense gained more yards than the penalty was worth.
Eighteen flags in all and the Canyon Lake fans could of called the infractions. There was not much to gripe about with all this laundry on the playing surface.
The Hawks won the offensive yardage battle, but gave up 107 yards in penalties to offset their offensive advantage.
The defense had a decent game as Senior Isaac Pruna finally gave the fans a glimpse of his potential for this season. Pruna finished with as many tackles as CL had flags thrown on them….a lot.
Isaac Pruna in on the Tackle
Canyon Lakes next drive resulted in a touchdown in the second quarter. The Hawks chewed up 68 yards of real estate in eight plays. CL also overcame two penalties in this series.
Coffee had 33 yards, Covarubbias with 24 yards and Daniel Camarillo 21 yards receiving.
The fourteen point lead looked pretty comfortable, until Colton Childress crashed the Hawk party scoring with just 43 seconds left in the half. Pulling the Panthers to a reachable deficit, 14-7.
This drive also had a very costly penalty that helped a 20 yard running play become 35 yards after an unsportsmanlike penalty, helping the Panthers set up shop on Canyon Lake’s 22 yard line.
Now CL found themselves in a typical Blanco game where they controlled all the statistics but one and a seven point lead was all the dominance in stats could muster.
It got worse, when on the opening second half kick-off, Childress raced 80 yards for the tying score with only 12 seconds gone in the quarter.
Special teams, the third part of a football trinity, did not board the CL bus in the school parking lot which caused much angst for the Coaches.
Special Team Breakdowns:
All but one of the kickoffs had a Canyon Lake penalty.
Extra point was blocked.
Penalty on a two point conversion.
Allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown.
Allowed a 22 yard punt return which resulted in a Blanco score, their go ahead touchdown.
The Hawks did respond to that kickoff return with a nifty pass by Branson Belcher to Daniel Camarillo. This pass play went for 69 yards with a perfect throw and catch.
“Good pass,” Receiver Camarillo said. “I go out there full speed every time. We will build on what we have and we will have some things to clean up.”
Then Blanco had a short field after allowing a 22 yard punt return to (you guessed it Childress) to the Hawk 27 yard line.
A four play drive for the Panthers had the visiting Hawks looking at the score being behind by one point. (Have we mentioned how the special team allowed a blocked kick?)
Once again Canyon Lake responded with a 68 yard drive with 63 of those yards coming through the air.
“They (Blanco) started packing the box,” Coach Drum said. “We beat them over the top…the passing game is going to help us.”
First play went to Doug Hubnik for 43 yards, as he waited for the ball for an eternity. helping CL set up their next set of downs on Blanco’s 25 yard line.
A Covarrubias fumble that resulted in a seven yard loss was eradicated when Camarillo caught the ball on a slant for 20 yards and another first down at the 10 yard line.
Covarrubias, Coffee, and Belcher each had a hand on the next three runs and a Hawk lead 26-21.
“We have to improve….a lot more that i thought,” Quarterback Belcher started. “A game like this gives us more motivation.”
Canyon Lake could not convert their extra point as another penalty had the visitors on the eight yard line instead of the three. This penalty made the offense one dimensional being that close to the end zone.
The pass was incomplete.
Blanco would not go away as they started on their 25 yard line and proceeded to run out the clock while driving 71 yards in 13 plays.
With three seconds remaining, Blanco was on the Hawk’s nine yard line making them one dimensional. A pass would be the logical choice.
Enter Canyon Lake with a penalty, allowing Blanco to now have their last play moved closer to paydirt.
That penalty had the Hawks having to plan for a pass or a run.
Quarterback Branson Belcher
Has The ReSporter mentioned that Canyon Lake had 14 penalties in the game?
That final play had the manicure business in Canyon Lake with a great job opportunity for this coming week. With two timeouts, one by each team, there were plenty of fingernails losing a nervous battle.
“I was doing a whole lot of things,” Belcher said in response to what he was doing waiting for the last play. “Praying, biting my nails, and having a heart attack.”
Pruna said, “I don’t have any fingernails left.”
Covarrubias interjected, “Missing finger nails.”
The play was a corner pass play to an open Panther that went through his hands.
With no time left on the clock, Canyon Lake won by the skin of their teeth. Which might also mean some business for some lucky dentist too.
1 2 3 4 Final CL Hawks 7 7 6 6 26 Blanco 0 7 7 7 21 Scores: Hawks-Branson Belcher 1 yard run (Jake Robinson kick), 3:36, 1st Hawks-Eduardo Covarrubias 4 yd run (Robinson kick), 4:41, 2nd Blanco-Childress 2 yard run (Elrod kick), 0:43, 2nd Blanco-Childress 80 yard kick off return (Elrod kick), 11:48, 3rd Hawks-Camarillo 69 yard pass from Belcher (kick blocked), 9:54, 3rd Blanco-Marshall 4 yard run (Elrod kick), 7:49, 4th Hawks-Belcher 1 yard run (pass failed), 4:15, 4th
Stats Hawks Panthers Total Yards 351 221 First Downs 15 12 Rushes/Yards 38/179 33/148 Comp/Att/Int 6/7/0 8/13/0 Passing Yards 172 73 Fumbles/Lost 1/0 0/0 Punts/Average 2/44.0 3/35.7 Penalties-Yards 14-107 1-5 TOP 27:23 20:37
Passing Comp Att Pct. Yards TD Int Branson Belcher 6 7 .857 172 1 0
Rushing Att Yds Ave Lg TD Covarrubias 23 123 5.3 21 1 Coffee 11 55 5.0 16 0 Belcher 4 1 0.3 3 2
Receiving No Yds Ave. Lg TD Camarillo 3 110 36.7 69 1 Hubnik 2 54 27.0 43 0 Coffee 1 8 8.0 8 0
