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Bellville survives barn-burner with Sinton

SAN MARCOS - In a game that featured two teams that had proven to be bracket busters for predictions around the state, the Sinton Pirates and Bellville Brahmas played for the right to take on a Giddings squad that had knocked of Rio Hondo earlier in the day 42-28. In the end, it was the Brahmas of Bellville that continued their season with the 43-36 victory on the campus of Texas State University.

Sinton wasted no time taking the opening kickoff down the field and scoring on a 15 yard run by QB Josh Harrison. Less than two minutes had elapsed and the Pirates led 7-0. Bellville responded with an action-packed drive led by their impressive signal caller, Kyle Mueller. The drive stalled as they neared the endzone and when Bellville missed a 41 yd field goal.

Later in the first, the Brahmas started off strong moving the ball from their own 36 on 5 straight running plays down to the Sinton 21 and then uncorked a pass from Mueller to Spencer Honeycutt down to the 3. One play later, Quentin Runnels carried it across for the score. A blocked PAT left Sinton in the lead 7-6 with 3:45 remaining in the first.

The very first play after the ensuing kickoff, Harrison was sacked, fumbling the ball in to the hands of Bellville DB, Jake McNeil. Kyle Mueller couldn't find an open receiver on first down, was flushed out of the pocket and scrambled the 21 yards in for the score. A missed two-point conversion saw Bellville leading 12-7, still in the first quarter.

The action kept going when Reno Renden returned the kickoff to the fifty yard line, giving Sinton their great field position. Richard Orta capped off the drive with a short scamper in for the score. Once again, Sinton regained the lead 14-12. The Giddings coaches showed up to see the score, and see that lead last all of one play because Bellville's Quentin Runnels popped off a 76 yard TD run. Despite missing their third conversion, the Brahmas led 18-14 with just under 10 minutes to go in the first half.

Bellville stripped the ball from Sinton and had the ball back inside the Sinton 40 and the rout was on when Wayne Houston caught a short pass and ran it all the way for the score. Bellville finally hit a PAT and the lead extended to 11, 25-14. A quick three and out by Sinton gave Bellville the ball on their own 20. Bellville's Josh Browning got in on the action this time as he caught a pass wide open over the middle and outran defenders 56 yards for the score. (Bellville 32, Sinton 14)

Just as it appeared that Sinton was ready to fold up and head home, the Pirates put together an impressive scoring drive combined with a two-point conversion that cut the lead to 10 (Bellville 32, Sinton 22) which is where it remained at halftime.

The second half saw Bellville come out conservative, running down the field and kicking a FG to extend the lead to 35-22 over Sinton. The third quarter came to an end with each team adding another score (Bellville 43, Sinton 29)

With just over 3 minutes remaining in the game, Sinton again showed life when they stripped Billy Carter of the ball and proceeded to move the ball to Bellville's 9 yd line with three great passes and two QB runs up the middle. The zebras missed a pass interference call that would have give Sinton a 2nd and goal from the 4. The Pirates responded again with another scramble by Harrison had them 3rd and goal at the 3 with 1:46 remaining. A run up the gut by the fullback and the PAT cut the lead to 7 (Bellville 43, Sinton 36) setting up the onside kick with just 1:43 to go in the game.

Bellville recovered the onside kick after it bounced around for a while with 1:40 to go and Sinton with two timeouts remaining. Sinton got the ball back with 6 seconds left, but their last ditch hail mary came up short. Bellville moves on to face Giddings in the next round.

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