La Vega Cruises Past Connally
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Updated: September 30, 2017
photos: Steve Thomas
Waco Connally has no answer for Waco La Vega
On Friday night, long-time rivals the Waco Connally Cadets and the #2 Waco La Vega Pirates squared off at Mac Peoples Stadium in Lacy Lakeview (a suburb of Waco.) Separated by just two miles, the two schools have squared off 81 times with La Vega leading the series 53-28. In recent years, the Pirates have been especially dominant going 9-4 in the last 13 meetings.
During that stretch, the Pirates won the 4A Division I State Championship in 2015 and have reached the playoffs every year since 2006. The Cadets last defeated the Pirates in 2014.
Friday night’s chapter in the rivalry series presented an especially big challenge for the Cadets. The Pirates entered the game at 4-0 following a dominant win over Mexia last week. Connally meanwhile entered the game at 1-3 coming off their first win of the season against Franklin last
week and also featured a relatively young squad.
In the first half, the Connally defense held the normal potent La Vega rushing attack relatively in-check. The Cadets allowed only 84 yards rushing and two touchdowns. For La Vega, senior running back Cameron Henry opened the scoring with a 15-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter. The Pirates missed the extra point attempt to bring the score to 6-0.
Henry found the end zone again late in the second quarter, and the Pirates converted the two-point conversion to take a 14-0 lead into halftime. Despite the Cadets’ defense holding the Pirates’ offense in-check, the Connally offense could not get anything going against the stingy La Vega defense. The Pirates held the Cadets to around 20 yards of total offense in the first half.
After struggling to get going in the first half, the Pirates three-headed monster at running back came awake in the third quarter. Senior running back Kemoche Hobbs added to the La Vega lead with a three-yard touchdown run on the opening drive of the second. After the Cadets muffed the ensuing kickoff, junior running back John Richards put the Pirates up 28-0 on a one-yard touchdown run. Richards scored again on the Pirates’ next offensive drive with a 64-yard touchdown run to put the Pirates ahead 35-0.
The Cadets used the wildcat and a heavy dose of senior running back Javion Dawkins to drive all the way to the La Vega 20-yard line early in the fourth quarter. However, on the Cadets’ first play in the red zone, La Vega junior defensive back Donta Stuart stripped the ball from sophomore wide receiver Korie Black and returned the fumble 76 yards to the end zone which put the Pirates up 42-0.
The lone score for Connally came late in the fourth quarter when the defense tackled Richards in the end zone for a safety to bring the game to its final score of 42-2.
With the win La Vega improves to 5-0 on the year. The Pirates have a bye week next week before travelling to Liberty Hill the following week to open district play. Connally meanwhile falls to 1-4 on the year. The Cadets also have a bye next week before travelling to Robinson to open district play.
by Steve Thomas
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