Edna continues playoff journey

by Millie Diaz    The Edna Cowboys were victorious again at Memorial Stadium in Victoria against the Goliad Tigers with a final score of 21-14, and earned the title of Area champs in Conference  3A-D1 Region 4. Without a doubt, the game was filled with cheers, excitement and everything else that's associated with a Friday night football game.
    Athletic Director and Head Coach Huey Chancellor said the team gave a great effort. “It was a challenge to play a highly ranked team, but we played a clean game and there were no turnovers and no dropped balls,” he said. “It was a fun game to be in and a fun game to coach. Not to mention a fun game to win.”
    The 'Boys won the toss and elected to receive, and #12 Issac Shelton caught the Tiger kickoff to start the game. As per the usual, #18 quarterback Landon O'Connor, #4 DeOntae Jones and #7 Marquis Broussard started their way down the field towards the end zone. #55 Fabian Garza kicked the ball across the field before it was Goliad's ball. #11 Cade Orsak made a strong stop before Goliad ran for a touchdown and then was called for holding and pushed back 10 yards.
    The Tigers tried again to make a touchdown, but #44 AJ Garcia, #20 Alvell Robinson and #34 Dillon Littleton kept stepping into their plans. The Cowboys recovered the Tiger ball at the 19-yard line and tried to do their thing. A pass inference was called on Goliad from a pass intended for #6 Marquis Bates. The 'Boys kept doing their thing, and Broussard made some strong moves to stop the Tigers from scoring. At the end of the first quarter neither team had scored.
    A prime pass to Bates from O'Connor at the one yard line made the fans erupt, and then Edna was pushed back five yards for a false start. It wasn't long before the Cowboys scored with 9:03 left in the second quarter and #60 Aaron Padilla made the extra point good.
    #14 Xavier Palacios, Padilla, and Shelton each stopped Tigers on the way down the field. Shelton intercepted a Tiger pass in one play, before Broussard ran around 70 yards to get a touchdown with 6:48 left in the second quarter. Once again, Padilla kicked the extra point and made the score 14-0 in the 'Boys favor.
    The Tigers scored with 2:50 left in the second quarter, but not without Tyler Ramsey, Garcia, Robinson and #32 Jordan Norman stopping Goliad hard on the way, The score was 14-7 at halftime. Edna's Padilla attempted a field goal but it wasn’t good.
    Both teams kept pushing back and forth down the field and the Tigers slipped through some 'Boys and made a touchdown with 5:59 left in the third quarter. Tied at 14-14, the game energy rose for both sides, and the 'Boys defense and offense stepped up to earn a win in the fourth quarter.
    Littleton said the amount of energy on the field was intense when the game was tied up. “Not only from us players, but from the fans from both sides. Heading the play call from our middle linebacker Logan O’Connor was just a vague voice,” he said. “Our adrenaline was all laid out rushing throughout the field.”
    Broussard, Littlleton, Jones, and O'Connor went to work. Tyler Ramsey, Shelton and #50 Noah Ortiz also had a hand in taming the Tigers, but there wasn't a play on the Tiger end that Litttleton or Broussard couldn't stop. Especially Littleton. The final touchdown for Edna was by Broussard with a pass from O'Connor at the 9:12 mark in the fourth quarter, making the score 21-14.
    The Cowboys made sure the score stayed the same, and Goliad ran out of time-outs, causing the 'Boys to choose a victory formation and let the clock run out. The students of Edna high along with the fans ran out onto the field to congratulate the victors. Everybody shared in the victory and taming of the Goliad Tigers.
    Broussard had 23 carries for 231 yards and two touchdowns, Jones had 10 carries for 55 yards and three catches for 13 yards. Landon O’Connor had four for six with 46 yards, five rushes for 19 yards and a touchdown. Bates had one catch for 33 yards. Defensively, Littleton had 14 tackles and Shelton had one interception and seven tackles.
    Chancellor said this Saturday is going to be a good game. “Ingram Moore has a good quarterback and runs the offense, so we’re going to have to be good defensively, but we have a good quarterback too. They will be playing similar to Goliad and will run the ball, so we’re expecting that. I don’t want to give away any secrets,” he smiled. “But we’re going to be ready to play .”
    The Cowboys, now 7-5, will face Ingram Moore, 10-2, as a visiting team in the Regional playoffs in New Braunfels on Saturday, Nov. 29. Kickoff time is set for 6:00 p.m.