Indians work hard until the end with new coaches

    The Ganado Indians narrowly lost to the Schulenburg Shorthorns in their last game of the season with a final score of 21-14.
    Defensive coordinator Johny Lesak said this game was like any other in district. “They fought till they had nothing else to give. I've never had a group of kids that tried as hard as these kids do. They responded positively to the adversity this season and stepped up when they needed to.”
    Representing the Indians at the toss were seniors Brandon Lister, Austin Eastlick, and Israel Cruz. The Indians referred to the second half, putting them on defense to start the game.
    The Shorthorns were able to move the ball down the field, eventually crossing into Indian territory. On defense, every run was stopped by a tribe of Indians, save for an individual tackle by senior right tackle #62 Garreth Bundick. Eventually, the Shorthorns set up on the Indian seven-yard line, and Schulenburg moved the ball into the end zone, putting them on the board. The point after touchdown was good, bringing the score to 7-0.
    The kick-off was returned by senior wide-receiver #8 Dalton Service to their own 49-yard line. The first plays were hand-offs from junior co-quarterback #11 Matt Bridges to junior running back #22 Garrett McCann. McCann would eventually get the first down in Shorthorn territory. A carry by junior running back #4 Matthew Sterling a few plays later would bring the Indians to the red zone. The clock ran out with the Indians on the 16-yard line in a fourth-and-seven situation. Upon the completion of the first quarter, the score stood 7-0, Schulenburg.
    The second quarter began with an Indian turnover on downs, but in an early play, Sterling intercepted the ball, bringing out the Indian offense quickly. Despite attempts, the Indians were forced to turn the ball over once again. The Shorthorns went with Lara, and he was brought down by senior #9 Jacob Foltyn. The next Shorthorn carry got the first down before being tackled by Bridges and junior #3 Cameron Lambert along with a few more Indians. The Shorthorns were pushed back on the next run by senior #52 Ross Fowler and McCann, bringing out second-and-twelve. Eventually though, Schulenburg would move the ball across the goal line, scoring once more. The PAT was good, bringing their lead to 14-0 over the Indians. For the remainder of the half, the Indians couldn’t score. The board continued to read 14-0 as the clock hit zero.
    The third quarter began with the Indians receiving. The squib kick was returned by Sterling to the Indians’ own 34-yard line. The hand-off from Bridges to McCann resulted in a gain of four for second-and-six. The next play was a sixty-two yard touchdown run by McCann, putting the Indians on the board for the first time. The extra-point by junior #18 Jorge Campuzano was good. The score was brought to 14-7, Schulenburg with 11:05 to go.
    The Shorthorn kick-off return was tripped up by Foltyn at Schulenburg’s own 30-yard line. As the Shorthorns ran the ball, the tribe continued to pile on with the tackle. The final Shorthorn offensive play attempt was a pass swatted to incompletion by Foltyn. The Shorthorns were forced to punt, the ball landing on Ganado’s 11-yard line. The first plays of this run were executed by Sterling, but the first-down came with a carry by McCann. A 34 yard run by Sterling earned another first down, crossing into Shorthorn territory at their 38 yard line. A few more runs by McCann closed the gap, but the penalty against Schulenburg resulted in a five-yard gain for the Indians and a first down. Another penalty a handful of plays later gained another ten yards for the Indians. More runs by Sterling and McCann got the Indians to fourth-and-two. The pass to senior tight end #85 Mark Macha scored another Indian touchdown. Campuzano’s PAT was good, the score now tied at 14-14 with 2:55 remaining in the third quarter.  
    The kickoff was returned to Schulenburg’s own 37-yard line. Their offense managed to gain ground, but a personal foul against Ganado’s defense allowed the Shorthorns to cross over into Indian territory for an automatic first down. In a play shortly thereafter, the Schulenburg offense fumbled the ball, and it was picked up by junior Indian #54 Michael Malek. The Indians couldn’t do much with the time remaining, so as the clock hit zero, the score remained tied at 14-14.
    The final quarter began in Shorthorn territory with a first down run by McCann. A carry by Foltyn got another first down at the 20-yard line. Despite the rushing gains, an incomplete pass by Bridges to an Indian receiver forced a Schulenburg takeover. The Shorthorns were on offense for only a short while. Some Indian tackles and flag helped to slow Schulenburg down, but they still moved the ball to the end zone. The PAT was good, putting the Shorthorns in the lead against the Indians 21-14 with 4:01 to go in the game.
The squib kick was returned by Lambert to the 50-yard line. Short carries by Foltyn and McCann and an incomplete pass to senior #1 Caleb Thedford forced a turnover on downs. With as little time as there was remaining, neither team racked up another point; therefore the final game of the Indian season closed with the close 21-14 loss.
    Service said that this final game was very hard fought on both sides. “Each team was trying to get edge over the other. We had several drives die short of the goal line. If we could have finished those drives, we would’ve ended up on top for sure.” Service goes on to reflect positively on the team’s season, despite the record. “Even though we have had all the setbacks that we did, the team kept fighting until our last play.”
    This was the Indians’ first season with the new coaching staff. Bridges remained optimistic as he reflected on their first Indian season together and looked forward to next year. “These coaches, for one, changed out whole attitudes about the season. They’re great coaches, and they are going to get this program turned back around. I expect us to improve, get stronger, be faster, and have more participation come next season.”
    The Indians finished with a season record 3-7 and a district record of 0-5.