Veterans Memorial football outlasts Canyon Lake Hawks
The Canyon Lake Hawks jumped out to a 13-0 lead early in the first quarter, but the fast-paced Veterans Memorial Patriots ended the game with a 50-43 win on Friday, Sept. 15, at Rutledge Stadium in San Antonio.
Turnovers highlighted much of the first quarter with three fumbles and two interceptions, most of them going in favor of the Hawks.
However, Canyon Lake (1-3 overall, 0-0 District 13-4A Division 1) didn’t need a turnover to get on the scoreboard first. The Hawks took five plays to score the initial touchdown. Junior Carter Williams took the ball on a jet sweep to the left for a 47-yard run culminating with a touchdown.
The two teams traded a couple turnovers. But Williams grabbed an interception late in the first quarter to help get the Hawks back in their scoring ways.
After Williams’ interception, the Canyon Lake offense moved the ball down the field. Senior Justin Abbott exploded for a 36-yard run to put the Hawks on the Patriots’ 8-yard line. Then, he capped off the drive with an 8-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter for a 13-0 Hawks lead.
The Patriots (3-1 overall, 0-0 Distict 13-5A Division 2), however, were far from out of the game.
Veterans Memorial’s offense can — and does — score quickly.
The Patriots added two unanswered touchdowns to take a 14-13 lead. The Hawks bounced back, this time with Williams scrambling in from 44 yards out, giving Canyon Lake the lead back with a successful two-point conversion.
Once again, Veterans Memorial responded with two more touchdowns before halftime for a 28-21 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff of the third quarter, the Canyon Lake coverage team nabbed the Patriot return man in the end zone for a safety, cutting the lead to 28-23.
The Hawks forced a turnover and capitalized on it with Abbott busting out a 16-yard touchdown run for a 29-28 lead.
The score didn’t stand for long. The Patriots returned the favor with a 37-yard score followed by a two-point conversion for the 36-29 advantage. The Hawks would never regain the lead.
The Patriots added one more touchdown before the end of the third and went into the last stanza with a 43-29 lead. Canyon Lake’s Williams added a touchdown with 8:03 in the fourth, making it a 43-36 game.
But Veterans Memorial wasted little time in adding another score and stretching the lead to 50-36. The scoring continued with Canyon Lake adding one more touchdown, this time by junior Kaiden Lewis from two yards out.
Canyon Lake gets a short week as the East Central Hornets come at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21 to Hawk Stadium, 8555 FM 32 in Fischer. It’s the Hawks’ homecoming game.
Watch videos on Highland Lakes sports by going to Fierro’s YouTube channel and searching for The Broad Podcaster. Please like, subscribe and share.
