The Littlefield Wildcats’ varsity football team grinded out a tough win on the road on Friday night in Lamesa to take their seasonopener, 49-47. With the win, the Wildcats open the season with a mark of 1-0 overall on the year.
The Wildcats got the ball to begin the contest, starting at their own 24-yard line after a short kickreturn from Zane Champion.
The Wildcats looked to establish the run game early with Champion and Daniel Rojas, but Rojas was stuffed on third down by Lamesa’s Justin Toscano, bringing up fourth down from their own 28-yard line. Littlefield lined up to punt, but the snap would go to the upback, Ben Castillo, who plowed ahead ahead for a first down, taking it up to their 41-yard line for a fresh set of downs.
On first down, quarterback, Nate Castaneda completed a short pass to Jayden Barrio on the right side for a couple of yards and Rojas followed it with a run up the middle to make it third down on their own 46-yard line. Castaneda connected with Barrio again on a pass to make it fourth and one, and the Wildcats would draw Lamesa offsides on the next play, to give them first and 10 from the Lamesa 45-yard line.
On first down, Castaneda dropped back and found Champion streaking down the far sideline for a 45-yard touchdown pass with 9:18 to play in the opening quarter. The PAT from Barrio was good, making the score, 7-0.
Lamesa wasted no time finding an answer, as JD Rubio fielded the kick-off and returned it back to the Golden Tornadoes 40-yard line, as their offense came out onto the field.
A pair of runs by Deev Lugo set the Golden Tornadoes up with 1st and 10 at the 50-yard line and two plays later, Lugo broke loose for a run up the middle, making it first and goal from the six-yard line. Lamesa would score on the next play, as Daniel Ramos hit Rubio with the six-yard pass to make the score, 7-7, after the PAT from Joe Carpenter with 6:58 to play in the quarter.
Littlefield took over at their own 32-yard line to begin their next offensive possession, this time opening the drive with a pass to Barrio on the right side. Jonas Camacho got in on the running game for Littlefield and on third down, Castaneda connected with Barrio again, who picked up a first down, taking the ball up to their own 39-yard line.
Castaneda decided to keep it on first down, taking it across midfield to the Lamesa 42-yard line, before being brought down, moving the sticks again for Littlefield. Camacho carried the ball on first and second down and on the next play, Castaneda kept it, taking off to his left, before cutting it back across the field for a 33-yard touchdown run with 4:47 to play in the first quarter. The two-point conversion run by Sammy Saenz was good, pushing their lead to 15-7.
Barrio’s kick-off was high and short and it was misplayed by Lamesa, as the Wildcats recovered it to get the ball back for their offense, at the Lamesa 23-yard line.
Back-to-back runs from Blayton Soliz gave the Wildcats a first down at the 11-yard line, but the drive would stall out facing the Wildcats with fourth down. They elected to go for it as Castaneda dropped back and found Barrio in the endzone for the 12-yard touchdown with 3:26 to play in the quarter. The two-point conversion run by Saenz was stopped short, making the score, 21-7.
The Golden Tornadoes had a big kick-off return by Lugo called back on a holding penalty, giving them the ball at their own 35-yard line to begin their next offensive possession.
Ramos kept it himself on first down, before handing it off to Lugo on the next play, bringing up third and five from their 40-yard line. Ramos connected with Rubio on a pass to the left, before he was brought down by Jacob Silvas, but he was able to move the sticks giving Lamesa a first down at their 45-yard line.
Back-to-back runs by Lugo took the contest into the second quarter, with Lamesa having the ball at the Littlefield 37-yard line with first and 10. Lamesa would find the endzone a few plays into the second frame, as Ramos connected with Ty Martinez for a 16-yard touchdown pass with 10:19 remaining in the first half. The PAT from Carpenter was good, making the score, 21-14.
The Wildcats would answer after taking over at their own 23-yard line after the kick-off, as Rojas carried the ball on first down. Castaneda coonected with Champion on second down, as he took the ball up to their 37-yard to move the sticks for the Wildcats. After another Rojas run on first down, Castaneda dropped back on second down and went deep down the far sideline, connecting with Barrio for a huge gain to the Lamesa 16-yard line.
The Wildcats were quick to the ball, as Rojas carried it on backto- back plays, before Lamesa took a time out to talk things over with 8:47 to play in the half. Out of the break, Champion carried it in for a three-yard score with 8:23 left to play in the second quarter. The PAT from Barrio was good, making the score, 28-14.
Lamesa took over at their own 30-yard line and would chew up a little over five minutes off of the clock, but on fourth and one from the Littlefield 10-yard line, Ramos had his pass batted down by AJ Cantu for a turnover on downs with 3:47 to play in the half.
Littlfield took over at their own 11-yard line, but was unable to capitalize on the turnover, as they were forced to punt it away with 2:27 to play in the half.
Lamesa would drive down and close out the first half with a touchdown drive, as Ramos connected with Rubio for a 25-yard touchdown pass. The PAT was no good, making the score, 28-20, going into the locker room at halftime.
Lamesa got the ball to begin the second half, but they would be forced to punt with 9:53 left to play in the third quarter.
Littlefield took over at the 50yard line, and five plays into the drive, Castaneda kept it on a run to his right picking up a first down, before he suffered a late hit out of bounds, knocking him out for the remainder of the contest. Faced with first and goal from the 10-yard line, Saenz came in to lead the offense, keeping it on a run up the middle for a 10-yard touchdown run with 7:50 to go in the quarter. The PAT was good by Barrio, pushing their lead out to, 35-20.
A short kick-off was covered by Jakob Cervantes for Lamesa, giving them the ball at their own 32--yard line.
They wasted no time responding, as they put together a fiveplay, 68-yard drive, capping it off with a 34-yard touchdown pass to Cylius McCurley with 5:36 remaining in the third. The PAT from Carpenter was good, making it a onescore game, 35-27.
The Wildcat offense took over after the kick-off at their own 30yard line, looking to pick-up where they left off. Rojas carried the ball on first down, and Saenz hit Barrio with a pass on the right side, before keeping it himself on third down to move the chains for Littlefield, taking the ball up to their 44-yard line.
The Wildcats used a balanced attack to march the ball 56 yards, capping off the drive with a 29yard touchdown pass to Gabe Mata with 2:48 to play in the quarter. The PAT by Barrio was good, making the score, 42-27.
Lamesa answered with a 16-yard touchdown run from Lugo, followed by the Carpenter PAT to make the score, 42-34, with 1:34 to play in the third and the defense followed it up with a interception, as Saenz was picked off by MJ Johnson with 34.5 seconds to play in the quarter.
Lamesa would close out the third quarter with a touchdown pass, as Ramos hit McCurley deep over the middle for the 34-yard score. The two-point conversion run by Lugo was no good, slicing the lead to, 42-40, heading into the final quarter of play.
The Wildcats would take a little over two minutes off of the clock in the fourth quarter, as they put together a 71-yard drive, that was finished off by Soliz, who punched it in from four-yards out, stretching the lead to, 49-40, after the Barrio PAT.
After an empty possession from each team, Lamesa would string together a three- play scoring drive, as Lugo brok free up the middle for a 62-yard rushing touchdown with 3:36 remaining. The PAT was good, as Littlefield’s lead was cut to, 49-47.
Littlefield would lean on the run game to kill the clock, before going to the victory formation, as they held on to take the contest, 49-47.
Castaneda finished the game 1416 passing for 183 yards and two touchdowns, while Saenz finished four- of- seven passing for 47 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
In the rushing attack, Saenz led the way with 14 carries for 108 yards and one touchdown, while Castaneda added three carries for 72 yards and a score and Soliz tallied 11 carries for 51 yards and a touchdown. Champion also added one carrie for three yards and a touchdown, while Rojas chipped in 19 carries for 61 yards.
In the receiving game, Barrio hauled in 10 catche for 110 yards and a score, while Champion caught three passes for 54 yards and a touchdown and Mata added three catches for 53 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Castillo led the way with 11 total tackles, including three solo and one tackle for loss, while Saenz added 10 tackles, eight solo and Silvas finished with nine tackles, six solo and a sack. Uriel Ibarra also finished seven tackles, three solo, two for loss and a sack.
The Wildcats will host Denver City on Friday. Kick-off is slated for 7 p.m.