BOSQUE SIX-MAN SPOTLIGHT: Week 7

Battle for the Bosque showcases two non-district showdowns: Kopperl nips Walnut Springs with last second field goal, Iredell burns Morgan, Cranfills Gap snaps losing streak

With the Battle for the Bosque continuing last week before Bosque County six-man district races begin, the resurgent Walnut Springs Hornets once again found themselves in the middle of a thrilling Bosque County rivalry showdown. But unfortunately for the Hornets, this one did not go their way.

In their final non-district tune-up, the surprising Kopperl Eagles made a case for being the frontrunner in District 10-1A, Division II with a dramatic, last second victory over Walnut Springs with a rare four-point field goal in six-man football.

In Morgan, the 14th-ranked Iredell Dragons left no doubt they will be the team to beat in District 12-1A, DII with a resounding victory over the Eagles. And the Cranfills Gap Lions snapped a three-game losing streak to build a little momentum before district play begins.

KOPPERL 32, WALNUT SPRINGS 28

Kopperl senior Christian Falk drilled a 25-yard field goal as time expired to give the Eagles a thrilling 32-28 victory over the resurgent Walnut Springs Hornets in a non-district Bosque County rivalry showdown last Friday night at Eagle Field.

Despite trailing 28-14 early in the third quarter, Kopperl (5-2) rallied to tie the score going into the fourth quarter. After a defensive stalemate lasted most of the final period, the Eagles mounted a last-minute drive to set up Falk’s game-winning, four-point field goal to stun the Hornets (2-5).

“It was a great win for Kopperl,” first-year head coach Ken Davis said. “Last year, we were 45’d by the Hornets and were determined not to let it happen again. Being 37-point underdogs gave us that little extra incentive to prove we were much better than last year.

“I thought it would be a high-scoring affair, but both defenses were stubborn in the red zone. The game was very exciting. And even though we were down two touchdowns late, the guys never quit and just kept on grinding out the yards until Christian Falk drilled his 25-yard field goal as time ran out.”

Walnut Springs senior Diego Muniz kept the Hornets on move, throwing two touchdown passes and running for another score, but it wasn’t enough. Muniz completed 10 of 17 passes for 163 yards and ran for a game-high 143 yard, connecting with Jesse Lamb and Luis Fraire on scoring strikes. Lamb also ran for a touchdown while catching five passes for 101 yards.

“I’ve lost two games in my 36-year career to a field goal,” Walnut Springs head coach Lonnie Flippen said. “We just got outplayed. I have been saying for a couple of years that Kopperl was going to be a team to beat in the future, and Coach Davis has them going right now.”

Involved in all of Kopperl’s scores, Falk rushed for two touchdowns and threw for two more scores, connecting with Kevin Eilers on both scoring strikes. Falk completed nine of 14 passes for 130 yards while rushing for a team-high 109 yards.

“Our offense moved the ball, but we did not seem to have it very much,” Davis said. “The Hornets controlled the game and had at least one drive of 13 plays. But defensively, we were in the bend but don’t break mode as we held them to four scores. Three times the Hornets were inside the 20, and our defense held on.”

With Walnut Springs on the brink of scoring the go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter, the Eagles rose to the occasion. With a first down and goal at the Kopperl five-yard line, Anthony Johnson threw the Hornets for a six-yard loss, Aerian Patterson came up with back-to-back sacks before Falk knocked away an apparent touchdown pass in the endzone. From there, the Eagles embarked on their game-winning drive.

“The last two weeks have really given the Eagles the belief that they have a chance to make a run at the playoffs,” Davis said. “Winning big at Mullin and beating the Hornets in the last few seconds has raised both the excitement and confidence level. We are looking forward to district.”

IREDELL 77, MORGAN 8

Sophomore Cole Heutzenroeder rushed for three touchdowns, freshman Gavin Vara scored three times, and sophomore Caleb Garland scored in three different ways as the 14th-ranked Iredell Dragons made quick work of the Bosque County rival Morgan Eagles, 77-8, on the road last Friday night.

Winning their sixth straight game, the Dragons wrapped up the victory at halftime by virtue of the 45-point mercy rule. Iredell (6-1) took control of the game early by scoring 30 unanswered points.

“Another week and another win,” Iredell head coach Luis Guereca said. “I’m proud of our team from top to bottom. We went to Morgan and played well. We are getting better each week and look forward to our bye week, and then getting ready for district play.”

After Morgan (2-4) got on the scoreboard late in the first quarter, the Dragons stormed to 47 more unanswered points to close out the contest at halftime. After catching a 60-yard touchdown pass from sophomore Adan Aguilar-Diaz in the first quarter, Garland returned a fumble recovery 25 yards for a score, and took an interception back 54-yards for another touchdown.

Vara rushed for two touchdowns and added another score on a 34-yard fumble return, while Heutzenroeder added a safety to his three rushing touchdowns. Defensively, Heutzenroeder led Iredell with seven tackles, followed by junior Westen Chandler with four and sophomore Caden Sweat with three.

“This week was a tough week for us,” Morgan head coach Chuck Wilson said. “Coming off of a close game last week and facing the 14th ranked Dragons, we could just never get anything going. This was our worst offensive outing of the year, and our defense continued to struggle. They were a very tough team, and we under-performed. We will take our bye week and be much better prepared for our District opener with Bynum.

CRANFILLS GAP 64, PRIDDY 18

Senior Blake Allen ran for three touchdowns and threw for another while sophomore Jake Cox tossed three touchdown passes as the Cranfills Gap Lions snapped a three-game losing streak with a convincing 64-18 victory over the Priddy Pirates last Friday night.

“It was a good team win, one that we definitely needed heading into the bye week,” Cranfills Gap head coach Adrian Benitez said. “Offensively, it was definitely an improvement from the previous weeks. Our blocking is slowly getting better, but there’s things all around that we need to work on.”

Senior Adan Flores led the Dragons (3-4) with 138 yards rushing and a touchdown along with three receptions for 66 yards and two scores. Allen rushed for another 121 yards while passing for 81 yards by completing four of four passes. Sophomore Diego Rodriguez threw a touchdown pass and caught a scoring strike as well, while senior Gabriel Falcon caught two touchdown passes.

Senior Jonathan Rodriguez and freshman Michael Green led the Dragons with seven tackles each, followed by sophomore Kake Herrera with six tackles along with Allen with six takedowns and a forced fumble.

“Defensively, we started off slow, but the guys picked it up and showed the physicality that I’ve been looking for all year,” Benitez said. “We have a lot of things to work on during the bye week, and hopefully get some guys back. But we know what’s coming the following week, and we’ll be ready when Walnut Springs comes to town.”