GEORGETOWN — Wimberley High School had outscored opponents an average of 51-20 in the previous four playoff games, but on a mostly drizzly, and sometimes rainy, evening, the Texans were defeated by an explosive La Vega High School offense in a Class 4A Division II semifinal at Birkelbach Field in Georgetown on Friday, Dec. 13.
Wimberley (12-3 overall) took the kickoff and senior quarterback Cody Stoever had used nearly five minutes of the clock to take a 7-0 lead, when junior Maverick Jacobs scored on a 14-yard run. The La Vega Pirates didn’t take long to show off their powerful offense and tied the game on two pass plays with under six minutes on the clock. A Texans fumble on the ensuing kickoff return gave the Pirates good field position and on the first play, the team exhibited its ability and speed in running the ball 28 yards for a score. The lead was extended to 21-7 on a 33-yard pass play and Wimberley fell behind 28-7 on a 6-yard run early in the second quarter.
Nolan Waida received the Pirates kickoff and Stoever took matters into his own hands, carrying the ball 12 times for 79 yards on a 13-play drive culminating in a 3-yard touchdown run by Stoever to cut the Pirate lead in half 28-14. La Vega bobbled the kickoff, but recovered the ball and scored three plays later on a 9-yard run to make it 35-14, with 3:26 in the second quarter. Waida returned the Pirate kickoff to the 47yard line and with the Texans sophomore running back Josh Balanger not available, Stoever again dominated the ground game making it 35-21 after scoring on a five play 2-yard run, leaving 1:05 on the clock.
Wimberley’s Connor Michael intercepted a Pirate pass and a 53-yard touchdown pass from Stoever to Waida had the game down to a single score difference, but the touchdown was called back for an illegal man downfield and La Vega led 35-21 at halftime.
The Pirates wasted no time in scoring after receiving the kickoff to start the second half with Bryson Roland making it 42-21 on a 3-yard run. La Vega’s onside kick was successfully recovered by the Pirates, which used almost five minutes of the clock to score, extending their lead 49-21. Jace Morales returned the kickoff and the Texans got a break with interference called on a pass to Waida, putting the ball on the Pirate’s 20-yard line.
On the next play, Stoever ran 20 yards for the score, but a penalty had the touchdown called back. Stoever eventually scored on a 1-yard run to make it 49-28 after completing a 17-yard pass to Bryson Anderson.
The Texans tried their own onside kick before the end of the third quarter, but the Pirates recovered and on fourth down and three, scored on a 5-yard pass making it 56-28 with 6:12 on the clock. Morales had a great runback on the kickoff to the La Vega 32yard line where Stoever, in what would be his final game as a Wimberley Texan, connected with a 32-yard touchdown pass to Ty Thames for a 56-35 La Vega lead.
The Pirates would score again with 3:13 in the game. Wimberley couldn’t convert a fourth down and the Pirates took over on downs to run the clock for the win, advancing to the state championship game.
Stoever, who says a prayer after each game, said it was his 50th prayer.
“I give the Lord all the credit for giving me the ability to do what I get to do. I’m just playing to win games,” Stoever said in a 2022 interview, “and I want to win a state championship for this community.”
Each year, several hundred teams set a goal of reaching the summit or pinnacle of Texas football in that of winning a state championship. Only 12 teams in the whole state will accomplish that goal this year.
“I know this hurts and it hurts a lot,” head coach Doug Warren told a devastated team after the loss, “I’m so incredibly proud, and I know these other coaches are, too, of the journey it took to get here and that’s what it’s about. It’s about teamwork, fighting through adversity, loving your brother and it taking all of us to be a team. Don’t forget the journey. That’s what it’s about.”
This is the second consecutive year the Texans have been thwarted in the semifinals from making it to the state championship game. Stoever, who was named the 2023 News-Dispatch Player of the Year, has been the Texans starting quarterback since he was a sophomore and helped lead Wimberley to the state championship where they were runner-up, losing to Carthage in 2022. Wimberley won state championships in 3A Division I in 2005 and 3A Division II in 2011 and was runner-up in 4A Division II in 2019.
Wimberley had 297 yards of offense. Stoever passed for 116 yards and one touchdown and had 34 carries for 162 yards and three touchdowns. Bo Holman was five for five in point after attempts. La Vega totaled 517 yards of offense with 263 yards passing. Roland led the team with 24 carries for 189 yards rushing.
Wimberley junior Maverick Jacobs (No. 22) scored on a 14-yard run to give the Texans a temporary 7-0 lead as La Vega’s Cade Balch (No. 11) gives chase. PHOTO BY WAYLAND D. CLARK
PHOTO BY WAYLAND D. CLARK Wimberley quarterback Cody Stoever (No. 2) gets a good block from Jace Morales on La Vega’s Antwon Gude (No. 5) on a five play 46-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter.
