LSG’s 2011 Games Of The Year #8
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Updated: July 24, 2012
2011 Texas High School Football Games of the Year
Once again, we went through more than 200 finalists when choosing our top 25 and once again, it was tough to decide. You’ll remember from our show that breaks down some of the “Games that Didn’t Make the Cut,” that there were many great games that didn’t make it into this Top 25.
#8 (Refugio -- 36, Cisco -- 35)
82-6, 91-6, 72-0, 73-0, 74-0. No this isn’t Madden, these are all real scores from regular season games Refugio won during the 2011 season, earning an average margin of victory of nearly 50 points. (If you haven’t seen the ESPN OTL video highlighting the wild scores, take a look here.)
Just 48 more points separated Refugio and the national scoring mark of 903 set by Albamarie, N.C. in 2000.
An undefeated Cisco team met an unchallenged Refugio Bobcat team in Cowboys Stadium in Arlington for the Class 2A Division II Championship game. Their daunting task: keep it close. Surprisingly Cisco did just that.
Cisco set the tone early by making a goal line stand to start the game, sacking Bobcat QB Travis Quintanilla on fourth and goal. Using a flea-flicker 41 yard pass along the way, the Loboes directed the ensuing 5 play, 79 yard drive to the promised land via a Hayden Lewis 22 yard run and took a very early 7-0 lead.
After the kick off, Refugio needed just two pass plays to take the ball to the Cisco 6 yard line. However the Loboes did not break easily, holding on first, second, and third down before finally allowing a Bobcat TD on fourth down from a Quintanilla 1 yard pass to Class 2A Player of the Year, Lynx Hawthorne. The first quarter ended all knotted up at 7-7, however Cisco had the ball on the 4 yard line to start the second quarter.
The opening play of the 2nd quarter was a Mason Reed 4 yard TD run. A botched snap on the PAT gave the Loboes a 6 point lead. It didn’t take long for Refugio to answer and take their first lead of the night - just 28 seconds on 3 plays covering 74 yards to the endzone. It was looking like a battle as Refugio, accustomed to blowout victories, only managed a 14-13 lead at the half.
Cisco used their second successful flea-flicker pass of the day to score a TD on fourth down with 7:39 left in the 3rd quarter. They regained the lead 19-14 after yet another missed PAT. Refugio answered by scoring 22 unanswered points, and looked poised to take another lopsided victory as was their custom.
However down 17 midway through the fourth quarter, the Loboes were not going down without a fight. The ensuing kickoff was taken 86 yards for a TD by Reed, electrifying the Cisco faithful and inspiring a valiant comeback effort. After forcing a Bobcat punt deep in their own territory, Cisco pulled within 3 with 4:10 remaining in the game on a Lewis 2 yard TD run.
Now a 36-33 ballgame, the Cisco defense needed to hold strong to have a chance at winning the State Championship. Three straight sacks of Quintanilla gave Refugio a 4th and 22 on their own 10 yard line.
What Refugio Coach Jason Herring did next was one of those daring calls that can either make you a champion or come back to haunt you. Instead of punting and risking a blocked kick, Herring instructed senior WR Hawthorne to run out of the back of the endzone for an intentional safety, playing the field position battle. Down 36-35 with just 2:28 to go in the game and starting from their own 34-yard line, the Cisco offense now would be forced to drive the field only needing a field goal to take the championship.
The Lobo potential game winning drive stalled at the Refugio 43 yard line with 1:02 to go in the game. On 4th down and 3 to go, Cisco ran its "go to" play for Lewis, however he was stopped about a foot short of the first down. Refugio, used to coasting comfortably, had won the game of inches. The last 58 seconds were milked by the Bobcat offense and the celebration began in front of 10,456 fans. Coach Herring not only picked up the Class 2A Division II State Championship by leading his Bobcats to a perfect 15-0 record, but also led all levels of play at Refugio to a 41-0 overall record, capping off a dominant year.
| by Taylor Brasher www.lonestargridiron.com |
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