It might not have been pretty, but the Sharyland High Rattlers dug deep and scored twice late to grind out a 30-20 win over Mission Veterans in their District 15-5A DII opener Thursday at Richard Thompson Stadium in Mission.
“Mission Vets is a great team and has got a great coaching staff. Kids played hard all the way until the end and we were just fortunate enough to make a couple plays there at the end and get the lead and then extend it,” Sharyland head coach Craig Krell said.
The Rattlers (4-3, 1-0) started the game rolling on all cylinders and built a 16-0 lead early in the second quarter after a pair of short touchdown runs from Santiago Longoria and a safety caused by a low snap on a punt in the Patriots’ end zone.
Then, the Sharyland offense stalled.
Mission Veterans (1-6, 0-1) fought its way back into the game by riding its running game of Ben Martinez and Alejandro Garza and defense spearheaded by linebacker Aiden Uribe.
Uribe ended one Sharyland drive with a pick at the goal line during the second quarter, defensive back Nathan Rodriguez came up with an interception on a last second heave to end the first half, and defensive back Quinten Valverde returned a third quarter interception for a Patriots’ touchdown to give Mission Veterans a 20-16 lead midway through the third quarter.
The Rattlers, who had success moving the ball all night but collapsed a couple times over midfield, finally broke through when they needed it most.
Facing a 4th-and-goal at the Mission Veterans 22-yard line, Sharyland quarterback Calvin Harris dropped back and looked off safeties to his right before throwing a dart to split the two-deep coverage to receiver Bruno Cavazos, who out-muscled a pair of Patriots’ defenders to get into the end zone to take a 23-20 lead with 4:30 left in the fourth.
“I knew we needed a play to happen and I’m just thankful my team supports me,” Cavazos said. “It wasn’t the prettiest win but in the end we finished and did a good job as a team.
“You just have to slow everything down and make it your own game,” Harris said about the game-winner to Cavazos. “Bruno is one of our guys so I knew he could catch that.”
Mission Veterans had one last chance pinned at their own 3-yard line before a turnover on downs ended their hopes and led to a 3-yard touchdown run from Sharyland’s Abram Carrasco for the final 30-20 margin.
Mission Veterans’ two offensive touchdowns came off an 18-yard touchdown run from Garza in the second quarter and a 34-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Cameron Sarinana to receiver Jordan Rodriguez, which made it 16-13 early in the third quarter.
Next for Sharyland is a matchup against Alice (3-3) at 7 p.m. Friday in Alice.
Mission Veterans enters its bye week and will return to district action on Friday, Oct. 25 versus Alice in Alice.