Industrial Cobras lose Bi-District title in close game

    Five years in the making the Industrial Cobras found themselves in Bi-District play against the Luling Eagles, only to lose in a very close game, with a final score of 28-27. Both teams met at a neutral location in Bastrop at the Bastrop Cedar Creek Stadium. The Cobras came into the match-up fourth in District 3A Division I.
    Athletic Director and Head Coach Kensey Allen said the Cobras played with heart and never gave up.
    “We were down 21-0 in the second quarter and then were able to score right before half time and then scored 22 unanswered points to tie it up. Our defense played fantastic in the second half, we just came up one point short,” he said. “A big call did not go our way in the fourth quarter and then we had a missed extra point. You cannot narrow the loss down to just those two plays though. We just gave up too much in the first half and then just could not move the ball offensively in the second half.”
    For many of the Snakes this would be the last time they wore their Cobra gear and took the field to uphold their pride, which has instilled core values each would carry with them after the game’s end.
    A great ambience filled the air as the award winning Golden Cobra band played the school song as the Cobras marched onto the field. It was clear the young men were filled with the passion and desire to succeed for their parents, fans, and alumni, who were hopeful with anticipation of a victory.
    The Cobras received to begin the first half of play. #28 Avery Milner came up on the return for a few yards to start the Cobras 1st and 10 from their own 32-yard line. Cobras were then three and out for their opening drive and were forced to punt.
    A 40-yard punt by #25 Trevor Ressman put the Eagles on their own 20-yard line. Four and a half minutes into the first quarter the Eagles jumped out to a quick lead. The next series of plays for the Cobras were stopped short as the Eagles recovered a fumble but the Industrial defense quickly put an end to any of the Eagle efforts for another touchdown.
    In the start of the second quarter the Cobras ate away the clock pushing up the field across the 50-yard line into Eagle territory. After a few more hard fought yards the Cobras were forced to punt away the ball in which the Eagles placed seven more points on the board placing the Cobras in a bit of a predicament.
    The Cobras began looking for answers and found strength in each other as they began to fight back. From their 40-yard line the Cobras drove 60 yards as #11 Logan Gabrysch connected to Milner for 35 yards and #29 Jay Sandoval punched it up the gut to the Eagles two-yard line. Gabrysch finished it off with a quarterback keeper to end the first half, Eagles 21, Cobras 7.
    The Cobras kicked off to start the third quarter and quickly shut down the Eagle offense. Industrial’s offense took the field and a pass was picked off, which gave the Eagles another chance.
    Their chances were foiled when Cobra defenders broke through their offensive line and knocked the ball out of the Eagles quarterback hands. The ball was then picked up by #54 Devon De Los Santos for a Cobra touchdown with the point after achieved by #83 Alberto Pineda.
    After that the Cobras began to quickly catch up.
    The Cobra defense took control of the field with #64 Dylan Hempel sacking the quarterback in the backfield and #10 Brock Werckle scored with another touchdown and the extra point from Pineda to tie up the game 21-21.
    Cobra defense remained in control as Milner picked off another Eagle pass on the next series. The Cobra offense was forced  to punt and the Eagles scored quickly, giving them a seven-point lead.
    Not to be derailed or outdone the Cobra special teams blew up the field and gave Milner enough room to sprint 80 yards for a Cobra touchdown. The PAT kick sailed left just missing the uprights and gave the Cobras a one point deficit to make up.
    For the next three minutes of the fourth quarter the Eagles and the Cobras battled back and forth with neither team giving an inch and both wanting it all.
    A break came for the Cobras during their punt to Luling when an Eagle player touched and dropped the punt, leaving the Cobras to recover. As the Cobras tried to catch their second wind they began their final drive.
    The Cobras inched forward as the final minutes were drawing down. Several passes were battled and knocked down bringing up a fourth and 10.
    With only one thought on everyone’s mind, Go For It, the Cobra offense set up linemen in the three-point stance while receivers stayed set up on the line. Gabrysch yelled the count and silence filled the stadium as the bodies hit and the ball was released.
    An Eagle defender tipped the ball and knocked it loose from the receiver. With 1:15 left in the game the Eagles kneeled to finish, final score 28-27.
    The Cobras finished 2-9 on the year. Allen said Luling did a great job and as a team, the Cobras had to tip their hat to them because they made good adjustments when they needed to.
    “It was a disappointing loss for us, but believe me our boys have nothing to hang our heads about. We started on Aug. 3 as a team that had everything to prove and nothing to lose. Our boys continued to improve week by week and turned into a good football team by the end.
    “Our seniors did a great job leading us and took it upon themselves to get this program headed in the right direction,” said Allen. “I am very proud of the year that we had and the progress the boys made. They really started playing together and believing in each other. We went from a winless team to a play-off team for the first time in five years, and then came up one point short of a Bi-District title.
    “The atmosphere here has begun to change around our program and it is all thanks to these kids. They have made the decision to believe in what we are doing and dedicated themselves to doing the things that make you successful and our coaching staff could not be more proud of them and what they accomplished,” he ended.