We’ve made it to the final week of the regular season! In some ways, it feels like the season has blown by. Now, after ten weeks of hard-fought battles, it all comes down to one final chance for teams to leave their mark.
Some teams will take these results and immediately turn their attention to the playoffs. Others will walk off the field for the final time. Undefeated seasons hang in the balance. Playoff positioning is up for grabs. District titles will be won and lost.
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The drama of Week 11 is unlike any other, but only because of the stage set by Week 10′s events! Our Big Game Coverage (BGC) from the past week featured some incredible games, so let’s recap the biggest moments from the week that was in the Best of BGC.
On Instant Replay, we selected the best of the best, including highlights from Highlands, Holy Cross, Burbank, Southwest and Steele!
>> Click here to check out the Best of BGC from Week 10! <<
Be sure to check out all of the highlights from Week 10 as well:
The top five teams from last week’s rankings remain the same, but the other seven spots are in chaos after a fairly significant upset. Where does everyone sit with one week left to play?
>> See the full Week 11 rankings by clicking here! <<
BOERNE 34, SOMERSET 14
For the first time in program history, Boerne boasts an undefeated 9-0 record. They secured that mark with a convincing performance on the road in a hostile environment at Bulldog Stadium.
The Greyhounds (9-0, 4-0) powered out to a 14-0 lead in the second quarter thanks to a pair of touchdown passes from quarterback Jaxon Baize to Brooks Perez and Houston Hendrix. Somerset (7-2, 3-1) responded with a seven-yard touchdown run from Josiah Lugo that cut the deficit in half, highlighting a 24-carry, 168-yard effort on the night. But the Greyhounds answered right back with Baize’s third touchdown of the game to Braden Baize less than a minute later, and Boerne entered halftime with a 21-7 lead. Those two connected once again midway through the third quarter, as the Greyhound cruised to a convincing win in District 14-4A Division I.
Jaxon finished with 22 completions for 314 yards and four touchdowns. Braden, Hendrix and Perez all caught seven passes, as the passing game accounted for nearly all of Boerne’s offensive production. They’ll need to be sharp again this week. The Greyhounds will host Fredericksburg in their final game of the regular season with an undefeated regular-season record on the line.
STEELE 38, JUDSON 36 (3OT)
Whenever these two get together, magic happens. Steele has just been on the right side of it lately.
The Knights (9-0, 4-0) dominated the first half of their District 27-6A clash and led 14-0 at the break thanks to a pair of touchdown runs from star running back Jaydon Bailey. Judson (4-5, 2-2) clawed their way back into this one in the second half. Running back Nathaniel Stanley’s one-yard plunge cut the deficit in half in the third quarter, and quarterback Elijah Favela hit dangerous wideout Anthony Evans for a 10-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14 in the fourth quarter. Roughly two-and-a-half minutes later, Bailey scored his third touchdown of the night to give Steele a 21-14 lead with 5:31 left to play. There was too much time left. Favela found Evans again for a three-yard touchdown, and the Rockets forced overtime tied at 21-all.
Both teams traded touchdowns over the next two OT periods. Bailey scored twice for Steele, while Stanley and Evans found the end zone for Judson. Stanley carried the rock 31 times for 92 yards and a pair of scores, while Evans caught 17 passes for 143 yards and 3 TDs. The third overtime meant that teams would only try two-point conversions moving forward. Bailey capped a stellar night with a powerful conversion. He finished with a whopping 41 carries for 242 yards and five touchdowns, as the Knights took a 38-36 lead. The Rockets had a chance to answer back. A false start pushed their attempt back to the seven-yard line, and Favela was swarmed under by Steele’s defensive line on the ensuing play to end an epic struggle, as the Knights stormed the field. The District 27-6A title is theirs.
KERRVILLE TIVY 35, VETERANS MEMORIAL 31
The fourth quarter of this game was absolutely insane.
After trailing 17-0 in the third quarter, Kerrville Tivy’s offense found its rhythm in the second half. Quarterback Kale Lackey first hit Jackson Johnston on a jump ball in the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown, then Lackey called his own number two minutes later on a five-yard touchdown run to cap a 28-point rally that gave the Antlers an improbable 28-24 lead. Veterans Memorial pieced together an answer. With quarterback CJ Irving out for the game with an injury, the Patriots manufactured the go-ahead drive. Tayveon Warren rumbled into the end zone for an eight-yard score that gave Veterans Memorial the lead back 31-28 with 1:09 left to play.
That’s when Logan Edmonds changed everything. Edmonds fielded the ensuing kickoff, and the senior followed some great down-field blocking to return it 87 yards to the house. That proved to be the game-winning touchdown, as Kerrville Tivy (5-4, 3-2) earned a stunning victory and pulled even with Veterans Memorial (6-3, 3-2) in the District 13-5A Division II standings with one game to play. The Antlers scored all 35 of their points in the second half.
JAY 14, TAFT 13
Who saw this one coming?
Taft (7-2, 5-2) certainly started the game as you might expect. Quarterback Johnie Lott scored a two-yard TD with his legs to give the Raiders a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, but the Mustangs defense then shut the Raiders down for the remainder of the half. Quarterback Jackson Gutierrez tied the game on a 17-yard strike to Diego Quiroz late in the second quarter, and both teams entered halftime tied at 7-7.
Neither side found the end zone in the third quarter. Taft once again vaulted ahead 13-7 on another TD run from Lott midway through the fourth. Lott carried the ball nine times for 30 yards, while TJ Andrews carried it 19 times for 85 yards. But a missed extra point and a pair of costly interceptions gave Jay life. Jack Mota was the bedrock of the Mustangs’ ground game with 21 carries for 142 yards, and Gutierrez scored on a 12-yard QB keeper with 34 seconds left to play, as Jay (5-4, 3-4) stunned the then-No. 6 Raiders and made the race for the playoffs a little more interesting in District 29-6A heading into the final week.
The inaugural UIL Water Polo State Tournament was held at Josh Davis Natatorium on Saturday, and the historic event certainly lived up to the hype. The Brandeis girls and Boerne Champion boys both put on a show in their debuts on the sport’s biggest UIL-sanctioned stage, but there’s one goal -- one moment -- I’ll never forget.
Champion faced a five-goal deficit in the second half of their state final match against Clute Brazoswood. The Chargers were playing with several players in significant foul trouble and scrapping to keep their hopes of a state title alive. Then, in the fourth quarter, the offense started to started to click. Senior Emi Martinez capped a furious rally with a spectacular goal, and his fist pump brought the Champion crowd to their feet. A flag flew in the stands, held by standout basketball player Braden Baum. The deficit had been cut to three.
Unfortunately, the Chargers wouldn’t score another goal. It proved to be the final one of their first season. Champion didn’t bring a state title back home: they finished as state runners-up in a 19-10 loss. The vast majority of high school sports seasons end with teams unable to attain their ultimate goal. But the Chargers’ season was the farthest possible thing from a failure.
They were the first representative from our area on this uncharted stage, and they had united an entire city and community behind them. Seniors like Martinez have a unique opportunity to leave a lasting legacy. His goal didn’t feel like a dying ember in an unforgettable season, it felt like a spark towards something greater. It represented the heart of a sport that fought for acceptance and had captured the imagination, enthusiasm and passion of an entire region.
In the moment after Martinez’s goal, anything was possible. It still is. Champion was one of several area teams that helped set the tone for UIL Water Polo this season. I hope every senior gets to experience a similar moment in their careers.
Thanks for an incredible first ride, water polo. We’ll see y’all next year.
Here’s all the links to our high school sports coverage from the past week:
We’ll see you on Thursday night for the start of Week 11!
Andrew Cely, KSAT 12 Sports Producer and Reporter
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