The Springlake-Earth Wolverines’ varsity football team won a back-and-forth contest over the Spur Bulldogs, 50-42, in Lockney on Thursday night to claim the 1A Bi-district Championship.
With the win, the Wolverines improve to 8-3 overall on the season.
Spur won the coin toss and elected to receive to begin the contest. They took over at their own 27-yard line after a short kick-off return. They were able to take the ball into Springlake-Earth territory, but just outside the red zone, Cory Hamilton was stripped by senior, Roel Fuentes, and it was recovered by Cain Tovar with 8:20 left to play in the opening quarter.
The Wolverines took over at their own 19, but they would go four-and-out for a turnover on downs, as senior, Jerry Gallegos, was stopped short of the firstdown marker by Hamilton and Ace Walker with 6:29 remaining in the first quarter.
Spur got the ball back at the Wolverine 22-yard line and they were able to capitalize on the short field. Hamilton took a dive up the middle for a solid gain, but on second down, Gunnir Bateman’s pass for Ian Tagle fell incomplete, bringing up third and nine from the 11yard line. Bateman dropped back and tossed a pass out to his left for Jaxen Zarate for the 11-yard touchdown with 5:40 remaining in the first quarter. The kick was good, pushing their lead to, 8-0.
The onside kick attempt was fielded by Tyler Tanaro, as the Wolverine offense came back on to the field to start their next drive at their own 36-yard line.
Gallegos took a run up the middle for two yards on first down and a scramble by Gallegos on second down was called back for a holding penalty on the Wolverines making it second and 23 from their own 28-yard line. On second down, though, Gallegos’ hit Cain Tovar on the right side for a 62yard touchdown pass with 4:46 to play in the quarter. The kick by JJ Jaramillo was good, tying the game, 8-8.
The Bulldogs got a good kick return, but it was called back on a holding penalty, bringing it back to the Spur 13-yard line. The Wolverine defense held the Bulldogs to fourth and nine from their own 19-yard line, but on fourth down, Bateman hit Hamilton on a throwback to the right, as he took it down the Springlake-Earth sideline for a 61-yard touchdown with 2:58 remaining in the quarter. The kick after was good, making the score, 16-8.
Cain Tovar returned the Spur kick-off up the Springlake-Earth 35-yard line, but the Wolverines had nothing going, as Jaramillo was forced to punt it away on fourth down with 1:32 to play in the quarter.
The Wolverine defense stiffened as Spur took over at their own 19-yard line and on fourth and eight from the Bulldog 27-yard line, Bateman was sacked by senior, Dereck Rosalez, for a turnover on downs with 9.9 seconds to play in the quarter.
Gallegos hit Fuentes on a pass to the left on first down for seven yards to close out the first half and on the next play, Gallegos took a run to the right for a 12-yard touchdown with 9:53 remaining in the first half. The kick by Jaramillo was good, tying the game, 16-16.
Spur took over at their own 34yard line after the kick-off, but after driving the ball down inside Springlake-Earth territory, on fourth and 14, Bateman’s pass for Jaxen Zarate fell incomplete for a turnover on downs with just over seven minutes to play in the half.
The Wolverines took over at their own 27-yard line, but the drive stalled and Jaramillo was forced to punt on fourth and long with 2:56 downing the ball at the five-yard line.
Spur was able to capitalize, as Hamilton took a dive up the middle, breaking several tackles on his way to a 75-yard touchdown run with 2:44 remaining in the half. The kick was no good, as the holder was sacked by freshman, Froylan Agundiz, leaving the score, 22-16.
The onside kick was recovered by the Wolverines at their own 39yard line. The Wolverines ran an option to the right to Gallegos, but it was called back for a block in the back penalty, backing them up to their own 34-yard line. Jaramillo came in at spread back and used three runs to take the Wolverines down inside the Spur 10-yard line to set up first and goal. Gallegos capped off the drive with a run up the middle, spinning to his left before taking it into the end zone for the eight-yard score with 1:50 to play in the half. The kick by Jaramillo was good, putting the Wolverines in front, 24-22.
Spur took over at their own 25yard line after the kick-off and were able to drive down inside the Wolverine seven-yard line, but on second and goal with four seconds remaining in the half, Hamilton was brought down in the backfield by junior, Slade Beerwinkle to leave the score, 2422, with the Wolverines in front going into the locker room at halftime.
The Wolverines got the ball to start the second half and wasted no time finding the end zone as Cain Tovar fielded the kick-off, finding a seam down the Spur sideline for about a 55-yard kickreturn touchdown. The kick by Jaramillo was no good, leaving the score, 30-22.
Both teams had a turnover on downs on their next possession, but with the ball at their own 21yard line, Spur was on the drive again. They needed just four plays to find the end zone, as Bateman dropped back on first down and hit Tagle on a pass to the right for a 58-yard touchdown with just over five minutes remaining in the third quarter. The kick was blocked by Wyatt Hill, leaving the Wolverines in front 30-28.
The onside kick by Spur was muffed by Tyler Tanaro, but he was able to cover it at their own 30-yard line.
Springlake-Earth wasted no time answering the Spur touchdown, as Gallegos took a run to the right, breaking loose for a 50yard touchdown run with 4:52 to play in the quarter. The kick by Jaramillo was no good, leaving the score, 36-28.
The Bulldogs would respond, as they drove 61 yards, capping off the drive with a 28-yard touchdown pass, as Bateman found Hamilton on the throwback with 2:22 left to play in the third quarter. The kick was blocked by Agundiz, leaving the Wolverines in front, 36-34.
The Wolverines took over at midfield and Gallegos dropped back on first down and found Cain Tovar down the far sideline for the 40-yard touchdown pass. The kick by Jaramillo was no good, leaving the score, 42-34, with 2:08 to play in the third.
The Wolverine defense forced a turnover on downs with 13.2 seconds remaining in the third, as Hamilton was stopped at the oneyard line on fourth and goal, giving the Wolverines the ball back.
Fuentes took a dive up the middle on first down, to get the offense out of their own end zone, but the play was called back on a holding penalty. On the next play, the snap was bobbled and downed in the end zone for a safety by Beerwinkle, making the score, 4236, to end the third quarter.
Spur took over at the Springlake-Earth 35-yard line and was able to drive down the field and cap off the drive with a nine-yard touchdown run by Hamilton with 8:14 left to play in the game. The kick was no good by the Bulldogs leaving the game tied, 42-42.
The kick-off by Spur did not make it 15-yards, as Springlake-Earth took over at the Spur 36-yard line. Gallegos took a run to the right for a short gain, and after the play, the Bulldogs were flagged for an unsportsmanlike penalty, making it first and 15 from the Spur 16-yard line.
Fuentes took a dive up the middle to make it second and goal from the 12-yard line, but a run by Gallegos was called back on a holding penalty, backing them up to second and goal from the 22-yard line. The Wolverines took a reverse to the left for a big gain to make it third and goal from the fiveyard line.
Jaramillo was stopped for no gain on third down, but on fourth and goal, Gallegos was able to punch it in to the end zone for the five-yard score with 5:24 remaining. The kick by Jaramillo was good, making the score, 50-42.
Spur got the ball back, but they would turn the ball over on downs with just under three minutes remaining and the Wolverines were able to run out the clock to claim the Bi-district Championship, 5042.
The Wolverines will take on the winner of Follett and Nazareth, who played Friday night. Results were not available at press time. Time, date and venue are TBA.