An early lead wasn’t enough for the Lehman Lobos to hold down the Del Valle Cardinals in a 62-20 loss Friday at Shelton Stadium.
Lehman (0-6, 0-4 in district play) came out strong defensively with an interception by junior Keon Bailey, which later turned into a touchdown.
A 45-yard touchdown run by Lehman wide receiver Bryant Lewis gave the Lobos a 6-0 lead early in the first frame.
But Del Valle responded with a pair of first quarter touchdowns that gave them a 14-6 lead. The Cardinals then scored 20 more points before halftime to take a 34-6 lead at intermission.
Del Valle levied three more touchdowns in the second half aided by a balanced attack.
Lehman tried to counter by changing its quarterback in the game. The Lobos went with Lewis, who had been playing as a wide receiver early in the contest.
But Lewis believes better execution and not making as many mistakes is what the Lobos must strive for.
“We need to not shoot ourselves in the foot. It’s the little things,” Lewis says.
Lobo head coach Bruce Salmon said Lehman was successful in some areas during the game, but the team must work on stringing them together.
Salmon said Lehman needs to “play more consistently.”
“We are still growing and we are proud of the kids that are sticking through it,” Salmon says.
Junior Micah Torres-Whitmer said the Lobos had started at a “low place” but have ascended from there.
“It is not the place that we want to be at, but we always keep going and improving,” Whitmer said. “The only thing we can do is move forward and focus on the next opponent.”
Lehman will play rival Hays Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Shelton Stadium.
