[VIDEO – Goldthwaite quarterback Jackson Patrick (12) fights through the tackle attempt of San Saba’s Drake Bryant (5) to gain a first down during the final drive of the Eagles’ 28-26 win in the 104th “Battle of the River.”]

 

The Goldthwaite Eagles ended three years of frustration against their oldest rivals, the San Saba Armadillos, with Thursday night’s 28-26 win in the District 4-2A Division football opener at Gordon Wood Stadium.

The Eagles had lost to the Armadillos by a combined score of 202-6 the last three years in the three most-lopsided margins in the 104-game rivalry.

Quarterback Jackson Patrick rushed for 217 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown, as Goldthwaite improved to 3-3 overall and kept San Saba winless at 0-6.

“San Saba has had our number the last few years, so this feels pretty good,” Goldthwaite coach Keith Virdell said. “They threw everything at us, and we had to adjust on the fly. The bubble screens hurt us some in the second half, but I feel like we did a pretty good job adjusting overall.”

Goldthwaite’s Seth Gardner scored on runs of 2 and 10 yards, and teammate Lane Evans added a 14-yard touchdown run.

“It’s a good win for my teammates and our community,” Patrick said. “I feel like we’ve worked hard and we’ve earned it.”

San Saba quarterback Lance Taylor completed 23 of 33 passes for 240 yards and two 6-yard touchdown passes to Tyler Johnson. But his final pass fell incomplete on third down, and on fourth-and-3 from their 47-yard line, the Armadillos failed on a fake punt as Goldthwaite’s AJ McCoy tackled Wesley Lackey just short of a first down.

Goldthwaite got the ball with 3:44 left, and after gaining two first downs, ran out the clock.

Leading 14-7 at the half, the Eagles extended their lead to 21-7 on the first play of the third quarter as Patrick scored on a 56-yard run.

But the Armadillos answered immediately as Franco Franco broke a 41-yard run that led to Taylor’s 1-yard touchdown run. The score pulled San Saba within 21-14 with 10:58 left in the third quarter.

The Eagles took possession at the Armadillos’ 38 after a failed onside kick didn’t travel 10 yards. Patrick’s 18-yard run set up Evans’ 14-yard touchdown run, and the Eagles regained the momentum with a 28-14 lead with 8:58 left in the third quarter.

Relying heavily on quick bubble screen passes, the Armadillos immediately came back. Taylor’s 6-yard scoring pass to Johnson finished a 68-yard drive, but Mejia missed the extra-point kick and San Saba trailed 28-20 with 5:27 left in the third quarter.

After a defensive stop, the Armadillos drove 59 yards, and Taylor threw another 6-yard scoring pass to Johnson — this one on fourth-and-1. The touchdown pulled San Saba within 28-26 with 10:50 to play, but on the two-point conversion run, Tegen Saiz was stopped just short of the goal line as the Eagles’ kept their two-point lead.

“We played better in the second half,” San Saba head coach Andreas Aguirre said. “We had success on the bubble screens. Our quarterback got the ball out quickly, and our receivers blocked well for each other. And we got some stops defense, but our special teams hurt us with the missed extra points.”

The Armadillos opened the game as if they were going to win in another blowout in the series that began in 1915. Lackey broke a 53-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage and San Saba enjoyed a quick 7-0 lead.

The Eagles survived a rocky first quarter that included Lackey’s quick touchdown, five penalties and a snap over the punter’s head. Goldthwaite regained its composure in the second quarter as Patrick broke a 58-yard run to the San Saba 5. Gardner’s 2-yard touchdown run tied the score at 7-7 with 9:15 left before halftime.

The Eagles converted an Armadillos’ fumble into a second touchdown. Taylor was stripped of the ball while attempting to pass, and Gardner recovered for Goldthwaite at the San Saba 19. Gardner’s 10-yard scoring run gave the Eagles to a 14-7 lead with 1:56 left before halftime.

***

Goldthwaite 28, San Saba 26

Score by Quarters:

Goldthwaite 0 14 14 0 — 28

San Saba 7 0 13 6 — 26

First Quarter

SS — Wesley Lackey 53 run (Reagan Mejia kick), 11:44

Second Quarter

G — Seth Gardner 2 run (Saul Vaquera kick), 9:15

G — Gardner 10 run (Vaquera kick), 1:56

Third Quarter

G — Jackson Patrick 56 run (Vaquera kick), 11:38

SS — Lance Taylor 1 run (Mejia kick), 10:58

G — Lane Evans 14 run (Vaquera kick), 8:58

SS — Tyler Johnson 6 pass from Taylor (kick failed) 5:27

Fourth Quarter

SS — Johnson 6 pass from Taylor run failed), 10:50

G’waite SS

First Downs 14 14

Rushes-Yards 50-324 15-94

Passing Yards 19 240

Total Yards 343 334

Comp-Att-Int 2-3-0 23-33-0

Punts 1-2 1-33
Fumbles-Lost 2-0 2-1

Penalties-Yards 8-52 10-100

Individual Statistics
RUSHING: Goldthwaite – Jackson Patrick 22-217, Lane Evans 11-63, Seth Gardner 6-24, Cutter Campbell 5-10, Carsyn Campbell 1-6, Luke Sanderson 4-4, Team 1-0. San Saba – Wesley Lackey 6-56, Franco Franco 2-38, Lance Taylor 7-0.

PASSING: Goldthwaite – Patrick 2-3-0 for 19. San Saba – Taylor 23-33-0 for 240.

RECEIVING: Goldthwaite – Cason Guthrie 1-16, Aaron Anzua 1-3. San Saba – Reagan Mejia 6-38, Lackey 5-79, Tyler Johnson 5-46, Franco 4-47, Drake Bryant 3-30.