By Moses Leos III.
In the second straight week of dramatic finishes at Shelton Stadium – this time on the winning side – the Lehman High Lobos kept their playoff chances mathematically alive with a 24-21 victory over the Seguin Matadors Thursday night.
Lehman quarterback Jeremy Schilhab (9) leaps over the goal line in Leh-man’s Thursday night game against Seguin at Shelton Stadium. (Photo by Rafael Marquez) |
It was an important win for a team struggling to gain its footing on the gridiron.
After a scoreless first quarter, Lehman began the second by dominating the ground.
Quarterback Jeremy Schilhab and wide receivers Malcolm Turner and Tyler Hyss scored the game’s first points. They later took advantage of a Matador fumble to take a 14-0 lead with less than six minutes before halftime.
Schilhab, who ran in both touchdowns in the first half, felt last week’s performance against Alamo Heights bolstered confidence.
“After last week, we felt we could beat anyone up front,” Schilhab said. “We could play physical and run the ball on people.”
Turner noted the team’s ability to play to their strengths.
“We are going with the flow right now,” he said. “If running the ball works, and we win, we’ll do it … if we are pass team, we’ll throw it.”
The good vibes were short lived. Seguin rallied, aided by backup quarterback Sheldon Whitson, who replaced injured starter Walker Franz in the second quarter.
Whitson regularly found open space, using his feet to outrun the Lobos.
Lehman head coach Todd Raymond felt the defense was in position, but struggled to make necessary tackles to stop Whitson.
The Matador quarterback led two touchdown drives before halftime, tying it 14-14 at halftime.
The Lobos defense worked on adjusting to Whitson, whose running ability was a surprise.
“We were ready [to defend the] pass, but they kept running up middle and we couldn’t stop it,” linebacker Stephen Hidrogo said. “After halftime, we aligned to it, kept composure, and stopped them.”
Hyss said the defense worked on bringing additional pressure, both from linebackers and defensive ends. It worked initially, as the Lobos forced a three and out to start the second half.
The Lobos regained the lead off a 41-yard field goal by Chris Piedra in the third quarter.
However, struggles to stay composed helped Seguin throw a counter punch.
The Matadors concocted a 13-play, 82-yard drive, aided by 30 yards in unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on Lehman. It led to third string quarterback Henry Young running in a five-yard touchdown to give Seguin a 21-17 lead
Raymond was unhappy with players unable to keep their cool.
“We had two [penalties] where we lost our composure, and allowed them to take the lead,” Raymond said. “That is unacceptable. You can’t do that.”
Yet, the defense responded by halting Seguin early in the fourth quarter. It gave the offense a chance to recover.
For Schilhab and the offense, the message was clear: They needed to execute to pull off a win.
With the aid of a strong offensive line, the Lobos used the effective speed of Schilhab and Hyss to slash the Matador defense. Hyss capped off a 61-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown run to give Lehman a 24-21 lead.
Seguin had one final shot to steal the Lobos’ glory. But the defense held firm, forcing an incompletion on fourth and 15 to quell the Matadors’ final threat.
Raymond was happy with the win, but understood the need to regain focus if the team has hopes of upsetting Kerrville Tivy next week. Improving the pass game, along with limiting mental mistakes will be important.
But for one night, the team was happy they pulled out a big win – the first against Seguin.
“It feels great to win,” Schilhab said. “Now we have to win out [to] make the playoffs. That’s all we really want.”
Lehman travels to play Kerrvilly Tivy on Friday night. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
