Canyon Lake football surges past Taylor to claim share of district title
CAPTION: Canyon Lake senior Chase Anderson gets a little help from his friends — the Hawks’ offensive line — as he races through a gap in the Taylor Ducks’ defense. The Hawks improved to 5-0 in District 13-4A Division I on Friday, Oct. 28, with a 42-24 win over Taylor. Photo by Daniel Clifton
The Canyon Lake Hawks earned at least a share of the District 13-4A Division I title Friday, Oct. 28, with a 42-24 win over the visiting Taylor Ducks.
But a share is not enough for the Hawks.
“We want it all,” said senior quarterback Hunter Anderson after the game. “We want 5-0.”
Securing that initial share and playing for the outright title didn’t come without some challenges from the Ducks (4-5, 1-3). Taylor scored two quick touchdowns in the the third quarter to go up 24-21 after the Hawks (5-3, 4-0) went into the half with a 21-10 lead.
The Ducks scored on the first drive of the third quarter when senior quarterback Ryan Valdez and sophomore Andrais Fisher teamed up for a 64-yard touchdown pass. Then on the Hawks’ initial drive of the second half, Taylor’s Marcus Johnson intercepted a pass setting up another Ducks touchdown.
And with just under nine minutes left in the third quarter, Taylor led, 24-21, and seemed to capture the momentum. However, it didn’t faze the Hawks.
“We just kept a steady head. We didn’t get too worried,” Anderson said. “A little deficit didn’t scare us.”
Head coach Charley Drum loved the way his team responded when Taylor jumped out to the 24-21 lead in the third.
“Our offense marched down the field for a score, and then our defense came up with a big stop,” he said. “We knew coming into this game that Taylor was a much improved team. They took Davenport (Wolves) to the last minute, and that’s a great team.”
The Hawks jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter off a pair of senior Helijah Johnson touchdown runs before Taylor got on the board with a field goal in the second stanza.
Canyon Lake sophomore James Garza bumped the score up to 21-3 with a touchdown run at the 6:34 mark in the second quarter. The Ducks cut into the lead with a touchdown of their own before the half.
After the two quick Taylor touchdowns in the third quarter, Canyon Lake regained the lead on a drive capped off by another Johnson touchdown run. They held the lead and built upon it the rest of the game.
On the next Ducks’ drive, they went for it on fourth down. The Hawks’ defense denied the attempt, giving the ball back to the Canyon Lake offense.
The Hawks added two more touchdowns on the night, both by Hunter Anderson, for the 42-24 win.
Along with the Hawks offense, Drum pointed out the defense really stepped up and stopped a potent Taylor offense capable of scoring quickly, as it demonstrated early in the third quarter.
The win now sets up a showdown Friday, Nov. 4, at Lampasas where the Hawks take on the Badgers (6-3, 3-1). Drum said a win over Lampasas secures a district championship for the Hawks while a loss means a share of the title.
The Badgers beat Marble Falls, 42-20, on Friday, Oct. 28.
The Hawks won’t look past the Badgers, a team that took Canyon Lake to the wire last year.
“It’s a tough place to play,” Drum said of Lampasas. “They’re a physical, physical, physical team.”
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