Pflugerville Weiss Dominates Manor

By Chris Doelle
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Updated: October 23, 2021

Pflugerville Weiss vs Manor Steve Thomas 102321

photos: Steve Thomas

Pflugerville Weiss Uses Strong Second Half to Knock Off Manor

What a difference a year can make. Last year, the Pflugerville Weiss Wolves and Manor Mustangs finished 5th and 6th respectively in District 11-5A DI. Weiss finished the season 3-6 overall and 3-4 in district, and Manor finished 2-6 overall and 2-5 in district. In their first-ever meeting last year, the Wolves held on for a 41-36 win over the Mustangs. This year, both teams entered Friday night's game in Manor tied for first place in the district at 6-1 overall and 4-0 in district. Both teams featured prolific offenses with tremendous speed and stout defenses. While the teams were evenly matched, the Wolves proved to be the more opportunistic team. Throughout the game, the Wolves took advantage of several Manor lapses and pulled away in the second half for a 44-19 win.

In the first half, Weiss drove the ball deep into Manor territory; but the Manor defense held strong and forced Weiss to settle for kicker Oscar Jaramillo’s 21-yard field goal. On the ensuing kickoff, however, the Manor returner simply backed away from the ball; and the Wolves recovered the ball at the Mustang 16-yard line. The Mustang defense held strong and forced the Wolves back to the around Manor 30-yard line, but a facemask on Manor gave Weiss a fresh set of downs at the Mustang 12-yard line. Shortly thereafter, Weiss receiver Lorenzo Diggs caught a four-yard touchdown pass to put Weiss up 10-0. Early in the second quarter, running back Isaiah Crosby put the Mustangs on the board with a 14-yard touchdown run. Weiss appeared poised to respond following the touchdown, but the Mustangs stopped running back Daelen Alexander short of the line to gain on fourth and inches. Shortly before halftime, Weiss defensive back and former Manor player Kevin Ledesma jumped the route on Manor quarterback Jayson Zardavets’ pass and returned the interception to the end zone for a touchdown.

On the opening drive of the second half, Manor running back Quentin Joyner broke free for a 52-yard touchdown run; but the Mustangs missed the extra point attempt. Unfortunately for the Mustangs, that was as close as they would get the rest of the game. Following the Manor touchdown, Daelen Alexander broke free for a 52-yard run of his own; and the drive culminated in a 16-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Dior Bradfield to receiver Price Morgan. On the Wolves’ next drive, Bradfield connected with receiver Jeremiah Robinson for a 25-yard touchdown pass. Later in the third quarter, Bradfield connected with receiver Micah Gifford for a 17-yard touchdown pass; but the Wolves missed the extra point. Early in the fourth quarter, Bradfield connected with Gifford again for a 30-yard touchdown pass to give Weiss a 44-13 lead. Later in the fourth quarter, Zardavets connected with receiver Micah Collins on a nine-yard touchdown pass for the games final score; and the Mustangs failed the two-point- conversion attempt.

After the game, Weiss Head Coach Steve Van Meter praised his team’s effort, especially in the second half. While Van Meter thought that Manor was more physical in the first half, he believed his side was more physical by far in the second half. Micah Gifford indicated that the he and his teammates were playing with a chip on their shoulders as they felt that people were counting them out against Manor. Kevin Ledesma indicated that he also took extra motivation from playing against his former team. With the win, Weiss improves to 7-1 overall and 5-0 in district. Next week, the Wolves will travel to Gupton Stadium in Cedar Park for a pivotal showdown with the Cedar Park Timberwolves (5-3, 4-1.)

Manor, meanwhile, falls to 6-2 overall and 4-1 in district. After the game, Head Coach James Keller expressed disappointment in his team’s performance, especially in the second half. Regarding the third quarter, Keller said that his team didn’t respond well to the adversity facing them. However, he also stressed the importance of his team learning from their experience and recovering from it as his team still has plenty for which to play. Next week, the Mustangs travel to House Park in Austin to face the Austin Anderson Trojans (2-6, 1-5.)

by Steve Thomas