MAVS CAGE COUGARS

By Manuel Azocar III - Sports Writer/Managing Editor | August 30, 2023

PEARSALL MAVERICKS FOOTBALL

PEARSALL ROLLS BUT MISCUES, PENALTIES SLOW MAVERICK OFFENSIVE SCORING

Pearsall rolled out of the gates in impressive fashion but still suffered through some week one hiccups in routing San Antonio South San West Campus 40-6 last Friday at Bobcat Stadium.
The Mavericks scored in four play on their opening possession and tallied touchdowns on each of their first three possessions but had three touchdowns called back on penalties and saw two others dropped in the endzone in a contest that could have been even more grossly mismatched.
“We had a good start to the game,” PHS Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Ruben DeLeon said. “As a staff, we expected some first game jitters and sloppy play, that comes with the territory at the start of the season. But we had a little more than expected considering how we played our first two scrimmages.”
The defense was stout throughout, allowing only a single long touchdown play late in the second half while the offense, for the most part was clicking on all cylinders, except for the odd possession when nothing would go right.
“Offensively, we were our own worst enemy at times with penalties and missed opportunities,” the coach said. “We had two touchdowns called back due to holding and another with an illegal man downfield. Of those three big miscuses, we were still able to come back and score on one of those possessions.
“Leaving points on the field, those are things that need to be cleaned up moving into next week’s game. Defensively, the boys played fast and capitalized on West Campus mistakes throughout the night. As a team we need to grow from our mistakes and strive to be better.”
Quarterback Elijah Luna ran for a pair of scores for Pearsall and added two touchdown passes to Andy Enriquez and Tristan Ellis.
Early turnovers were the catalyst for Pearsall jumping out to a huge lead but miscues kept the game relatively within striking distance into the second half.
Luna went in from five yards out on the Mavs’ opening possession. A fumbled punt put Pearsall at the West Campus nine-yard line. Pearsall scored on one play but it was called back on a holding penalty. Luna then connected with Enriquez to make it 14-0.
The Cougars then turned it over on downs on their own 33 and Pearsall once again hit with the quick strike, this time one play as Eddie Martinez went the distance but another hold negated the play.
Kingston Martinez then added the first of his two touchdowns late in the first from six yards out as the Pearsall lead went to 20-0.
Another West Campus fumble set up the Mavericks at the 22-yard line. Luna hit Curtis Saenz out in the flat and the speedy wideout went in for the score but an ineligible player downfield call eliminated the touchdown.
A fourth Cougars turnover set up Pearsall at the 26-yard line but the team went backwards from there on a series of miscues. That drive ended with a dropped reception in the endzone as the half expired.
Martinez added a third quarter 20-yard scoring run while Luna connected with Ellis on a 64-yard strike. Ellis took the short pass and hit the sidelines, tip-toeing the distance to break the game open and make it 34-0 early in the fourth.
Luna capped the scoring with a short run with 2:39 remaining following West Campus’ fifth turnover.
In a lopsided affair, Pearsall finished with 322 yards of total offense and 15 first downs while Julian Hernandez’ defense limited the Cougars to 59 total yards, 60 yards of which came on their only scoring play, and a single first down.
Luna accounted for 188 yards of offense and four touchdowns. He also had one interception on a pass that deflected off a number of players’ hands. He carried nine time for 81 yards and two scores and went four of ten passing for 107 yards and two scores.
Martinez added 64 yards on ten carries and two scores while Eddie Martinez added 43 yards on six carries and had a touchdown erased by penalty.
Pearsall will be on the road once again this week as they take on the San Antonio Cole Cougars Friday at 7 p.m. Cole is 1-0 this year after earning a 48-28 win over SA Memorial in their opener.