The #21 Springlake-Earth Wolverines found themselves in a hole early in a 72-32 road loss to the #21 Whitharral Panthers in the UIL high school six man football season opener Friday night.
Turnovers were a big factor in the win. Springlake-Earth lost four fumbles and were intercepted three times. Three of the Wolverine turnovers were for Panther touchdowns.
Whitharral’s Shamadrick Weaver ran the opening kick back 76 yards for a touchdown and a 6-0 Panther lead just 13 seconds into the game.
Springlake-Earth took over on the 40 and hammered downfield, eating up four minutes for the 40 yards before Jerry Gallegos ran into the end zone from the seven yard line.
Whitharral blocked a kick attempt by Micah Sanchez and the score was tied at six each with 5:56 left in the first quarter.
The Wolverines tried to pin the Panthers deep but Weaver again took the return from the six yard line all the way to midfield.
Weaver got the call on the next play and scampered another 40 yards for a Whitharral touchdown. Jack Griffin’s kick was good for a 14-6 Panther lead with 5:35 left.
That was the score when the first quarter ended with Springlake- Earth on the Whitharral 23 yard line and driving.
The Wolverines got to the Panther 13 yard line when they suffered the first turnover. Gallegos had the ball stripped on the five yard line and Whitharral’s Nomar Gomez recovered.
The Panthers didn’t take long to take advantage of the opportunity. They made three first downs on three plays, putting them on the Springlake-Earth 36 yard line. A 10 yard run by Weaver made it second down and five, then he followed up with a 26 yard run into the end zone for a 22-6 Whitharral lead after Griffin’s kick.
The Wolverines took over on their own seven yard line with just over eight minutes left in the quarter and worked their way down to the Whitharral five yard line before Gallegos scored again.
The kick was blocked, but a roughing call gave Springlake-Earth another shot, but they fumbled and Whitharral recovered for a 22-12 Panther lead with 5:04 left in the game.
The Wolverine defense stiffened on the next Whitharral drive, forcing the Panthers to face fourth down and 21 yards on their own 31 yard line. A punt from the shotgun surprise the Wolverines and pinned them on their own one yard line with 2:43 left in the quarter.
Springlake-Earth wasn’t done, however, as they marched 79 yards culminating in a Cain Tovar to J.J. Jarimio combination for 17 yards and a Wolverine touchdown. The kick failed, but the Panther lead was cut to four at 22-18 with just 45 seconds left in the half.
The third quarter opened with neither team able to move the ball into the end zone on their first possessions. Springlake-Earth was forced to turn over on downs at the Whitharral 15, while the Panthers lost their only fumble on the Wolverine 20 yard line. Springlake-Earth took over on their own 26 yard line with 4:11 left in the third quarter. Three plays later, they were facing third down and 14 yards on the Whitharral 34 yard line. That’s when the wheels came off the bus.
The Panthers’ Victor Saenz forced Slade Beerwinkle to fumble. Whitharral’s Gomez picked the ball up and rambled 46 yards for a 30-18 lead after Griffin’s kick. Panther Dylin Villegas intercepted Beerwinkle on the second play of the next Wolverine drive, setting up a Whitharral first down and 15 yards at the 20. Cason Wischkaemper did the honors on the first play of the drive for a 38-18 Panther lead.
The Wolverines’ next drive ended on the first play with another turnover, this time an interception by Brent Robinson, giving the Panthers the ball on the Springlake-Earth 37 yard line with just over a minute left in the third quarter.
A roughing call, an unsportsmanlike conduct and an offsides against Springlake-Earth put the Panthers on the Wolverine seven yard line with four chances, but only 19 seconds left in the quarter, setting up an unusual scoring opportunity.
Jeryn Ellard, under pressure, dumped the ball off to Jarret Fryar, who found himself in trouble around the five yard line, but was able to pitch the ball to Villegas who pushed his way into the end zone for a 46-18 Whitharral lead with just two seconds left on the clock.
The Wolverines and Panthers traded touchdowns to start the third quarter. Gallegos scored with 8:18 left to cut the Panther lead to 46-24.
The next Whitharral drive ended with a nine yard run from Kaden Smith and another successful kick from Griffin for a 52-24 Whitharral lead with five minutes left in the game.
A big 24 yard return by Gavin Gonzales set up the next Wolverine score. Beerwinkle found Derek Rosalez open for 26 yards and the final Springlake-Earth touchdown with 4:53 left in the game.
The Panthers started on the 40 yard line after an onside kick attempt by Springlake-Earth went out of bounds. Wischkaemper was stopped in the backfield for a four yard loss, then ran for 11 yards to put the panthers on the Wolverine 33 yard line.
Griffin hit Smith open for a first down and goal at the Springlake-Earth seven yard line. Wischkaemper got the call and gained four yards, but was forced out with an injury. It fell to Weaver to score the last offensive touchdown of the night with just two minutes left.
Whitharral’s defense finished the Wolverines with two more scores. The first was Gomez’ interception of a Beerwinkle pass intended for Rosalez from the Wolverine 19 yard line.
The next came on a fumble on the Springlake-Earth 35 yard line. Saenz scooped the ball and ran for the final score of the night.
The final Wolverine drive also ended on a fumble on the first play. Gomez was able to cover the ball, giving the Panthers the ball on their own 28 yard line with 23 seconds left in the game.
All that remained was for Whitharral to come out in the victory formation and take a knee.
Beerwinkle was 14-of-21 for 206 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions. Tovar was 1-for-1 for an 18 yard touchdown. Gallegos was 0-for-3.
Gallegos had 15 carries for 66 yards and three touchdowns. Tovar had three carries for 22 yards. Rosalez had two carries for 18 yards.
Roel Fuentes had six carries for 16 yards. Alex Alvarez had a 15 yard carry. Alejandro Gonzales had an eight yard carry.
Beerwinkle had a carry for no yards and Micah Sanchez lost three yards on his only carry.
Rosalez had four catches for 99 yards and a touchdown. Gonzales had four for 58 yards. J.J. Jaramillo had two catches for 35 yards and a touchdown.
Alvarez had as single 27 yard catch. Fuentes had three catches for five yards and Tovar had a catch that netted zero yards.
Fuentes had six tackles. Beerwinkle and Rosalez had 4½ each. Gallegos had four. Alvarez had three.
Jaramillo, Sanchez and Tovar had two each. Gonzalez and Tim Tovar had one apiece.
The Wolverines will host Valley on Friday night. Game time is 7 p.m.