By Amira Van Leeuwen
HUTTO — The undefeated Wimberley Texans (14-0 overall, 5-0 district) took home another gold ball on Friday night after beating the Lago Vista Vikings (10-4 overall, 3-2 district) 49-30 during the fourth round of high school playoffs at Hutto Memorial Stadium.
“People doubted them, but this team never doubted themselves, and that galvanized this group,” said Doug Warren, Wimberley’s head football coach. “All they have ever done is go out every day and try to get better. They love playing with each other and for each other, and that’s what this team is about, is just strictly about love. And they go out there and love to prove people wrong.”
The Texans were the first to score after sophomore quarterback Cody Stoever threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Tru Couch. Senior kicker Gage Tumlinson kicked the extra point, and the Texans were up 7-0.
The Vikings failed to get a first down and were forced to punt. The ball landed on Wimberley’s 42-yard line and senior running back Johnny Ball scored on the first drive. The PAT was good, and the Texans lead widened to 14-0 with seven minutes remaining in the first quarter.
Ball, who had 22 carries for 303 yards, averaging nearly 14 yards per carry, contributed the other five touchdowns for the Texans.
Junior wide receiver Decker Sims returned the ball to the Vikings’ 16-yard line, which put them within scoring distance. But a resilient Wimberley defense made it impossible for the Vikings to score. They kicked a 31-yard field goal at fourth down, and the score was 14-3.
The Vikings scored again in the second quarter when senior quarterback Bowen Stobb threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Berend Kahlden. Kahlden carried it all the way to the endzone for a Vikings touchdown, and the PAT was good. With eight minutes left in the first half, Lago Vista trailed Wimberley by four points (14-10).
On the next possession, the Texans answered with a touchdown of their own and the PAT was good. The Texans were up at halftime (21-10).
With six minutes left in the third quarter, the Vikings scored another touchdown, and their 2-point conversion successfully kept them in the game (21-18).
But senior defensive end Hansen Collie recovered a fumble and took it to the endzone for another Wimberley touchdown, keeping the Texans up by 10 with a score of 28-18 at the end of the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Vikings scored two more touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough to make a difference in the end. Ball scored the night’s final touchdown to put the game away with a final score of 49-30.
Wimberley will face Cuero (13-1 overall, 5-0 district) at the Alamo Dome in San Antonio on Friday at 3 p.m.
Wimberley prays as a team after beating Lago Vista.
