Santos X 5
For the third consecutive week, Warhorse running back, kick returner, receiver, and whatever position he lines up in Ethan Santos increased his overall number of touchdowns in a single game by one.
Three weeks ago against Hondo, Santos scored three touchdowns at Barry Field.
Two weeks ago against Bandera, he scored four times.
Friday in Pearsall, Santos led the team once again with 5 total touchdowns. One score came on the game’s opening kickoff that he took to the house 88-yards after fielding at the 12-yard line. Another was on a 47-yard pass from quarterback Brady Hackebeil. The remaining three came from his main spot in the Warhorse backfield as he rushed for touchdowns of 9, 3, and 92 yards.
QBR
Not sure how the NFL and college football put together their quarterback ratings but I am definitely sure that Warhorse quarterback Brady Hackebeil had the highest possible score after going a perfect 4-4 for 111 yards and 1 touchdown. He did not throw an interception.
Devine’s run-oriented offense, and the fact that they got up by nearly 50 points by halftime, kept the ball on the ground instead of in the air as what might have been needed in a tighter ballgame.
Hackebeil hit Ethan Santos on a 47-yard strike for the game’s second touchdown. Hackebeil also connected with Santos later in the game for a 14-yard completion.
Haden DuBose had a Hackebeil reception for 27-yards and Aiden Zapata snagged a pass for 23-yards to keep the 100% pass completion ratio.
Two-stepping up
Good thing this was not a tight ballgame where all running backs had to be on-deck in order to secure a much-need district victory. Fullback Marcus Rodriguez halfback Xavier Contreras did not suit out due to an injury sustained against Bandera.
“We are upset that two of our backs were injured and could not play against Pearsall, but Brandon Martinez and Jonathan Weincamp stepped up and played very well for their first varsity try. The running backs continue to improve on blocking and ball security. I am very pleased with the guys’ intensity and focus as we move toward the postseason.
Big Nate
Nate Ramirez somewhat set up Santos’s 92-yard touchdown by picking off a Pearsall pass at the Devine five-yard line. The Maverick quarterback had rolled to his right and lofted the ball down the right hash toward a Pearsall receiver. Ramirez leaped high to get both hands on the ball, securing the interception and falling backwards to the four-yard line.
Ramirez later recovered a Pearsall fumble, giving him credit for two turnovers for the ballgame.
Huslin’ Horses
One of the nicer onside kicks the Horses have had all season followed Santos’s 92-yard score. Approaching the laid-back, teed-up ball from the middle of the field, Devine kicker Luke Friensenhahn pooch-kicked the ball high in the air with it hitting near the right sideline at the 37 yard line. Santos, coincidentally, batted the ball back toward the field of play as it was going to go out of bounds.
Hustling teammate Gabriel Esquibel secured the ball in bounds giving Devine possession. Two plays later, DuBose cashed in from 37-yards out.
C’mon Man
People may look at the final 68-14 score and think to themselves “Why did they have to run up the score like that?” If you were at the game or watched it while listening to Jimbo and Schmidty then you know that the Warhorses pulled the reins way, way back after the halftime break in which Devine led 55-7.
Warhorse running backs were not making second, third, or fourth attempts to break tackles to get into the end zone.
With the recent combining of the JV and Freshman teams and the moving up to varsity of a few players, the Horses have 12 players that can play the running back position. Each one of them went through two-a-days, each one of them goes through practices on a weekly basis.
Each of those 12 deserve a chance to carry the ball in a meaningful way, which the coaches have done an excellent job of this season.
If Devine would not have taken their foot off the pedal, this score could have been much more lopsided than the final score proved to be.
Team stats
Total yards Dev 570, Pea 123 First downs Dev 24, Pea 5 Rushing Dev 47-459-9.77-7TD, Pea 26-43-1.65-1TD Passing Dev 4-4-111-1TD-0INT, Pea 4-6-80-1TD-1INT Punting Dev 0-0, Pea 2-49-24.5, Fumbles-lost Dev 0-0, Pea 3-3 Penalties Dev 11-92, Pea 3-35.
Warhorse stats
Rushing Ethan Santos 11-224-20.36-3TD, Hayden DuBose 7-70-10.0-2TD, Aiden Zapata 10-59-5.9, Nate Ramirez 7-36-5.14, Brady Hackebeil 3-22-7.33, Jonathan Weinkam 3-18-6.0-1TD, Gabriel Esquibel 1-13, Brandon Martinez 3-10-2.22, Gus Puente 2-7-3.5-1TD Passing Brady Hackebeil 4-4-111-1TD-0INT Receiving Ethan Santos 2-61-30.5-1TD, Hayden DuBose 1-27, Aiden Zapata 1-23.
Score by quarter
Dev 23 32 0 13 = 68
Pea 7 0 0 7 = 14
Scoring summary
DEV–Ethan Santos 88-yard kickoff return (Hayden DuBose PAT), 7-0, 11:41, 1st.
DEV–Hayden DuBose 37-yard run (PAT failed), 13-0, 6:41, 1st.
PEA–Joey Ramirez 60-yard run (Rodriguez PAT), 13-7, 5:23, 1st.
DEV–Santos 47-yard pass from Brady Hackebeil (Santos two-point run), 21-7, 1:57, 1st.
DEV–Safety, punter punted ball out of back of end zone, 23-7, 0:56, 1st.
DEV–Santos 9-yard run (PAT failed), 29-7, 11:34, 2nd.
DEV–Santos 3-yard run (PAT failed), 35-7, 6:37, 2nd.
DEV–Santos 92-yard run (PAT failed), 41-7, 1:34, 2nd.
DEV–DuBose 12-yard run (DuBose PAT), 47-7, 1:01, 2nd.
DEV–Hackebeil 56-yard fumble return (DuBose PAT), 55-7, 0:28, 2nd.
DEV–Gus Puente 3-yard run (PAT failed), 61-7, 7:54, 4th.
PEA–Ramirez 66-yard pass from Matthew Hughes (Rodriguez PAT), 59-14, 7:37, 4th.
DEV–Jonathan Weinkam 12-yard run (Samuel Guardiola PAT), 68-14, 1:50, 4th.
By Jerel Beaty
Staff Writer
Warhorse tidbits, stats, & scoring summary
