The Springlake-Earth Wolverines’ varsity football team suffered a tough loss on Friday, falling to the Petersburg Buffaloes, 40-35.
With the loss, the Wolverines fall to 2-1 overall on the season.
The Buffaloes won the coin toss and elected to receive to begin the contest, covering the opening kick-off at their own 28-yard line.
Daylan Parraz carried the ball on back-to-back plays to begin the drive, but the Buffaloes were hit with a holding penalty, backing them up to second and 23 from their own 20-yard line. Springlake-Earth junior, Froylan Agundiz, broke up the second-down pass from Lucas Rendon, as he was looking for Parraz, but on the next play, Rendon carried the ball to his left, but pulled up to throw, tossing a pass back to his right, as his receiver cut it up field for a big gain town to the Wolverine’s 11yard line to set up first and goal.
The Buffaloes would score on the next play, as Parraz connected with Corbin McWilliams in the endzone for the touchdown with 8:17 to play in the opening quarter. The kick by Parraz was no good, leaving the score, 6-0.
The Wolverines got a short return on the kick off from junior, Joshua Tovar, but a block in the back penalty during the return pushed them back to deep in their own end, as the offense took over for their first possession. Agundiz connected with junior, Kaleb Castillo, on a pass to the right, moving the ball across midfield to the Buffaloes 36-yard line to move the chains.
On the next play, senior, Nehemiah Castillo, carried the ball up around the left side, sprinting to the endzone for the 36-yard touchdown run. The kick by Josh Tovar was good, putting the Wolverines in front, 8-6, with 7:34 left to play in the first quarter.
The Wolverines tried an onside kick, but it was fielded by Parraz, who returned it down to the Springlake-Earth 23-yard line, setting the Buffaloes up with great field position. Petersburg engineered a nine-play drive that saw them facing a fourth and goal from the Wolverine 14-yard line, but Rendon hit McWilliams over the middle for the score making the score, 12-8, after the kick was blocked by Josh Tovar with 3:11 to play in the quarter.
The Wolverines fielded the kickoff as they got a big return from Josh Tovar, but the play was negated by a holding penalty during the return, backing the ball up to their own 16-yard line. The Wolverines were unable to get anything going on the drive as Agundiz’s pass on fourth and 10 fell incomplete looking for Castillo for a turnover on downs with just over two minutes remaining in the quarter.
The Buffaloes wasted no time capitalizing on the turnover, as they needed just three plays to find the endzone again. On second and 16 from the Wolverine 22yard line, Parraz dropped back and hit Saul Ruiz for the touchdown pass. The kick was good, pushing their lead to, 20-8, with just over a minute remaining in the quarter.
The Wolverines would strike back in a hurry, as Nehemiah Castillo fielded the onside kick attempt and returned it for a touchdown to try and ignite a fire under his team with a minute to go in the quarter. The kick was good, slicing the lead to, 20-16.
The Buffaloes took over at their own 39-yard line, as their next drive took the game into the second quarter, but this time the Wolverine defense would hold on fourth and 18, the pass intended for Parraz fell incomplete for a turnover on downs with just under nine minutes to play in the half.
Senior center, Tyler Tanaro, carried the ball on back-to-back plays to move the chains for Springlake-Earth to open the drive and Agundiz kept it himself on consecutive downs to set up first and goal from the three-yard line. Tanaro would punch it in on a three-yard run up the middle, making the score, 22-20, after Josh Tovar’s kick was blocked by the Buffaloes with 6:52 remaining in the half.
Agundiz kicked the ball out of bounds on the kick-off, but the Buffaloes elected for a re-kick and on the second-chance kick-off, the Buffaloes returned it 65 yards for the touchdown. The kick was good, putting them back in front, 28-20, with 6:44 to play in the half.
Springlake-Earth took over after the kick off at their own 39-yard line and after gaining just five yards, they faced a fourth and 10 just inside Petersburg territory. Agundiz kept it himself on the fourth-down play, taking it down to the three-yard line to set up first and goal. Tanaro carried the ball on a dive up the middle, but was stopped at the one-yard line to bring up second down.
On the second down play, a fumble in the backfield was covered by Agundiz, and on the next play, a touchdown run by Nehemiah Castillo was negated by a holding penalty, backing the ball up to the 16-yard line. The Wolverine offense was not phased, as Agundiz dropped back on third down and hit Timothy Tovar in the back of the endzone for the touchdown. A bad snap on the kick, resulted in a throw from Tanaro to Timothy Tovar for the one-point conversion, giving the Wolverines a one-point advantage, 29-28, with just over three minutes to play in the half.
The Buffaloes went backwards on their next drive, and were forced to punt it away on fourth down from their own 19-yard line with 1:23 remaining in the half. But, the Wolverines next drive was derailed, as Kaleb Castillo carried the ball to the right, but he had it stripped out by Parraz and it was recovered by McWilliams at the Buffaloes’ 27-yard line with just over a minute to play in the half.
The Buffaloes would put together a six play drive that was capped off with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Rendon, as he found Ruiz for the touchdown. The kick was no good, making the score, 34-29, going into the locker room at halftime.
The Wolverines got the ball to begin the second half, starting at their own 13-yard line after the kick-off. Back-to-back runs from Nehemiah Castillo made it second and nine from the Petersburg 30yard line and on the next play, junior, Donovan Stiggers, broke through the defense for the touchdown run with 8:37 left to play in the third quarter. The kick was no good, as the Wolverines clinged to a one-point lead, 35-34.
After each team turned the ball over on downs, Petersburg regained possession at their own 25yard line. On third and two from the Wolverine’s seven-yard line, Parraz broke through the defense for a touchdown, but it was negated by a holding penalty, backing them up to, third and 12 from the 17-yard line. The Buffaloes would be faced with a fourth and long, but McWilliams hit Rendon on a throwback play, as he cut it up the sideline for the score, making the score, 40-35, after the kick was blocked by the Wolverines with 1:58 to play in the quarter.
Late in the fourth quarter, the Wolverines would force a turnover on downs with 12 seconds to play, getting the ball back at the Buffaloes 39-yard line. A pass over the middle to Kaleb Castillo fell incomplete and on second down, Agundiz dropped back, before taking off up the middle, cutting the ball out to the right side, before he was stopped at the threeyard line, as the final whistle blew. The Buffaloes held on for the, 4035, victory over the Wolverines.
The Wolverines will resume action next Friday, Sept. 28th, when they travel to Happy to take on the Cowboys.
Kick-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.