CL Hawks are getting Close in Loss, 19-14 to Liberty Hill
Canyon Lake keeps getting close to a break out game as Liberty Hill just got by in this Hawk game by the skin of their teeth, winning, 19-14.
The Hawks had just scored on a 17 play 75 yard drive when they recovered an on-side kick for another chance to drive a nail into the Panther cage.
With the ball on the Panther 14 yard line a Skyler Tscheope pass to Evan Schuller went just off his hands on the two yard line leaving Canyon Lake empty handed once again with a tough loss.
“We told them this would be the toughest game on our schedule,” Head Coach Charlie Drum said. “We played well in all three phases of this game and we just challenged them and let them know if they played like that then the wins would come.”
Canyon Lake took the first hit when Liberty Hill drove their opening drive for a touchdown.
A missed on-side kick to start the game had this Panther team setting up shop on their 47 yard line. Liberty Hill converted two fourth and one plays and then from the 29 yard line, quarterback Nick Hernandez took a convoy into the end zone, drawing first blood.
The Panthers would be stymied for the rest of the first half with a missed field goal, losing a fumble, a punt, and then
taking a chance on the Hawk 4 yard line with time for one play and being stopped cold.
Two players that had break out games was Drake Dallis and Tanner McGill on the defensive side of the ball. Haden Lee finished with double digit tackles (12) again this week as this Hawk defense continues to excel.
“We play like we are taught and we just trust our coaches,” Drake Dallis surmised. “You got glimpses of how we can play against a top dog and we can become a weapon.”
“The sideline was going crazy and we were doing all that we could,” McGill said pointedly. “We are becoming closer as a team and it was not just me, but the line pushed and gave us the opportunity to make plays….We had never prepared that much during a bye week.”
Canyon Lake finally broke loose on their fourth possession. This seven play drive was highlighted by a Josh DeVries 43 yard run and capped off when Tschoepe connected with DeVries from 16 yards out.
“I have to work harder and get off blocks more,” Receiver Schuller said. “I will give 110% all the time and it is going to show in practice.”
The Hawks were also stopped short one drive earlier when they reached the LH one yard line and a five yard penalty helped squash a chance for scoring.
Both teams were in a brawl as they retreated to their dressing rooms for half-time adjustments.
Liberty Hill had the ball for a total of four plays in the fourth quarter as the Hawks were helped out with an onside-kick after their score resulting in having the ball for more plays.
There were 25 plays run in a row as CL just fell short (literally) in taking this game from the home town Panthers.
On the scoring drive, Tschoepe lost 11 yards when he was sacked on a third down conversion attempt.
Looking at a fourth and 17 yards needed, Tschoepe found Schuller for another 23 yard pass play giving the Hawks another set of downs. The Hawks would score six plays later, needing just one touchdown to secure a win.
Tschoepe can be lethal passing the ball as his nine completions was the most since, CL’s loss to Boerne during the 2012 season.
Canyon Lake has had three games in a row where they have been inching closer and closer to what will surely become a win.
The ReSporter is reminded of Head Coach Bum Phillips of the Houston Oilers back in the ’70’s when Houston was fighting it out with Pittsburg.
His famous quote has a few words that can’t be repeated, but Coach Phillips basically said, that the first year Houston knocked on the door, second year they hit the door, and the next year they would kick the door in.
Canyon Lake is now at that time of year where they are going to kick the door down as they finish off this season’s campaign.
The Hawks had a game a year ago when they faced a district opponent that ran the same offense and that game was over before you would have a chance to say hello to your neighbor.
That contest was with Navarro and you could see how much better this Hawk team is understanding the offense as Navarro’s defense shut out Canyon Lake giving the Hawks nothing that whole night.
This game with Liberty Hill would be a good capsule for checking out how Canyon Lake has progressed since that game with Navarro.
Not only did the Hawks hold their own offensively and defensively, but Canyon Lake came within seconds and a few yards of pulling this game off.
“We proved to the district we can compete with anybody,” Quarterback Tschoepe said with confidence. “I’m excited on how we came back and that tells you about the future of this season….we still have a lot of good things that happened and those bad happenings we will learn from.”
“We lost this split decision, but we fought back and this is a fun group of players to Coach,” Charlie Drum closed. “If we play like that for the rest of this season and keep improving then we will be alright.”
Bum Phillips could not have said it better!
Go Hawks beat Bandera!!
1 2 3 4 Final CL Hawks (2-4) 0 7 0 7 14 Liberty Hill (4-2) 7 0 6 6 19 Scoring Summary: LHHS-Nick Hernandez 29 yard run (Lucas Rizzotto kick), 6:55, 1st CLHS-Josh DeVries 16 yard pass from Skyler Tschoepe (Mike Thorpe kick), 0:51, 2nd LHHS-Caleb Guerin 9 yard run (pat failed), 6:29, 3rd LHHS-Hunter Lindsay 66 yard run (run failed), 8:06, 4th CLHS-Hayden Dubois 1 yard run (Mike Thorpe kick), 2:31, 4th Game Stats Panthers Hawks Total Yards 336 305 First Downs 12 15 Rushing/Yards 39/308 56/208 Comp/Att/Int 1/3/0 9/14/0 Passing Yards 28 97 Punts/Average 2/45.5 4/29.2 Fumbles/Lost 1/1 0/0 Penalties-Yards 5-50 2-25 TOP 21:05 26:55 Passing Comp Att Pct Yds Int TD Skyler Tschoepe 9 14 .643 97 0 1 Rushing Att Yds Ave Lg TD Josh DeVries 20 90 4.5 43 0 Hayden DuBois 17 63 3.7 21 1 Robert Woods 14 59 4.2 10 0 Skyler Tschoepe 5 -4 -0.8 7 0 Receiving No Yds Ave Lg TD Evan Schuller 3 39 13.0 23 0 Josh DeVries 5 53 10.6 16 1 Robert Woods 1 28 28.0 28 0