Warhorses fall to Central Catholic 28-2

The Warhorses simply could not add any points to the scoreboard after an errant snap on a Central Catholic punt attempt sailed over the punter’s head and out of the back of the end zone for a safety with 4:47 left in the first quarter. Missed opportunities throughout the game by the Warhorses, mostly due to either a turnover or an untimely penalty, proved costly as Devine’s early 2-0 advantage could not be built upon as the game continued.
“We did a lot of good things both offensively and defensively,” stated Head Coach Paul Gomez. “It was a shame that we weren’t able to capitalize on some of the opportunities that we had in the red zone. The offense has progressed, but we aren’t getting the points to show for it.”
“Our defense is doing all it can, but they have been put in some tough situations. The opponents have had short fields much of the time, which makes it even tougher to get stops. We have the one non-district game left to get things going more smoothly and we are going to do all we can to get this thing going in the right direction.”
Opportunities missed
#1 – The biggest opportunity missed occurred on the game’s first drive. A 35-yard touchdown completion to split out Brogdon was negated due to the Warhorses not having enough men on the line of scrimmage when the ball was snapped. The illegal formation was directly after a Warhorse timeout, which makes this missed opportunity sting a little bit more.
Before the penalty, however, Devine had strung together a nice 9-play opening drive to get the ball into Button territory. Having that touchdown stand would have been a huge boost to the team’s outlook for the remainder of the game.
#2 – The Warhorses had a chance to make the game much tighter going into halftime. Devine had the ball at the Central Catholic 46 yard line and were only down 14-2 with 25 seconds remaining until halftime. Buttons linebacker Marshall Dickinson stepped in front of a Schmidt pass attempt at the 30 yard line for an interception, returning it to the Devine 44. A late hit penalty called on the Warhorses gave the Buttons the ball at the 29 yard line.
Two plays later, with 10 seconds left in the half, Chavez connected with Toralbo to bump Central Catholic’s lead to 21-2. Being able to narrow the gap to 14-9 or 14-10 would have given the Warhorse offense a sorely needed shot in the arm going into the break.
#3 – Devine’s defense forced the Buttons to punt on the opening possession of the second half, and got the ball on their own 18 yard line. On the 19th snap of the long drive, the Warhorses faced a 4th and 2 from the 14 yard line. Trying to beat the play clock, they took the snap and darted up the interior of the line of scrimmage. As the measuring sticks signaled enough yardage was not gained to keep the drive alive, the Warhorses had let yet another golden opportunity to score slip through their grasp.
Central Catholic scoring summary
• Jarrrett Torralbo 14-yard pass from Nick Chavez (Franco Querido kick), 1:23, 1st
• Jay Yount 3-yard run (Querido kick), 5:27, 2nd
• Toralbo 3-yard pass from Chavez (Querido kick), :10, 2nd
• Ty Williamson 84-yard pass from Chavez (Querido kick), 11:40, 4th
Offensively
Rushing for the Warhorses were Grant Collins (24 for 104), Connor Schmidt (6 for 28), Luke Torres (4 for 21), Bulldog Ramirez (2 for 5), Noah Brogdon (1 for 7), Matthew Ornelas (1 for 1) and Jose Fargason (1 for 1). Those totals add up to 39 carries for 167 yards for 4.28 yards per carry.
Schmidt completed 5 of 10 passes for 35 yards. Brogdon caught 2 passes for 9 yards, Kyler Brown had 1 reception for 5 yards, and Chase DuBose had 2 for 21 yards.
Defensively
The Warhorse defense continues to impress. Central Catholic had difficulty running the ball against the stingy interior of the Warhorse defensive line. The Buttons carried 26 times for only 115 yards. Giving up 4.42 yards per attempt against a team that had bigger offensive linemen and quicker offensive threats speaks volumes for the toughness and determination by the Devine defense.
Central Catholic had success in the air, however. Quarterback Nick Chavez completed 9 of 12 passes (67%) for 197 yards and 3 touchdowns. Eighty-four of those yards came on the 4th quarter strike to wide receiver Ty Williamson who got past a diving Devine defender to take the ball untouched into the end zone.
This is the first game the defense has not been able to produce a turnover. Central Catholic fumbled once but was able to recover the loose ball.
Senior spotlight
Seniors Matthew Ornelas (aka Matty Ice) and Jose Fargason (aka Fargie) were asked about their roles as key members of the Warhorse defense and how they are approaching their final season. An added bonus this week is a senior spotlight on Head Cheerleader Paige Pickell. Just as Matty Ice’s and Fargie’s teammates count on them for various roles, Pickell is counted on just as greatly from the rest of her cheerleading squad.
Matty Ice – RB/OLB – My role on the defense is to make sure I do my part and trust my teammates to do theirs. Every week, the coaches stress flying to the football on every play, so I see hustling and going all out as a big role. Our defense is best when we fly around, and play together as brothers.
My main responsibility is getting the defense lined up correctly, and doing what I am coached to do. Our coaches put us in the right position to make plays, so it is our responsibility to be coachable. Each snap, I go over my rules depending on what defense we are aligned into, and prepare what to expect that may come my way.
My goal for the Hondo game is to gain some momentum going into the Lytle game. Having a win going into district can help us achieve a district championship, and it starts with Lytle.
Fargie – LB – I see my role as being there for my team when they need me. When a coach has to get onto one of the players for something, I try to pick them back up because I know how that feels. There is nothing really important about me by myself; I am nothing without my brothers!!!
The best thing about playing linebacker is I am responsible for helping my team get lined up. The pressure of being a linebacker is hard but I am glad I have it because I stay focused on each snap. I know my team can trust and count on me. We continue to reach our goal of becoming closer as a team.
Paige – HC/Captain – I am very excited to cheer this season. It is a bittersweet feeling knowing that my six years of cheering is soon ending but I am nothing but happy to be captain this year.
I decided to pick gold uniforms to wear in place of the white ones; it just so happens that September is ‘gold month’ for children with cancer. All of September, we have been wearing gold uniforms and selling programs with all of the proceeds going straight to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
Mrs. Petty has made a positive impact on my life. She has pushed me to be my best for four years. She has encouraged me to be a good captain as well. I can never thank her enough for everything she has done for me in high school.
Up next
Devine hosts Hondo Friday night at Warhorse Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30pm.
By Jerel Beaty
Staff Writer