42 point second half propels Texans

Following a great defensive effort in the second half, the Wimberley Texans outscored the Raymondville Bearkats 42-14 during the second half to win the Area Championship in a 63-35 victory.

Despite giving up 21 points in the first half, the defense held the explosive Bearkat offense to just seven points in the second half.

“We knew they (Bearkats) had some speed and explosive players,” Head Football coach Doug Warren said after the game. “The defense in the second half was lights outs and got after them.”

The first quarter turned into an offensive firework show kicked off by a Moses Wray 54 yard touchdown run on the Texan’s first drive of the game. And that was just the start for Wray, who would go on to compiled one of the best rushing games in Texan history.

Raymondville then responded quickly as Bearkat running back Justin Cantu raced for the 57-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7-7.

After the Bearkat touchdown, the Texans drove down the field and scored again as Cooper McCollum found Kennedy Strange for the 23-yard touchdown pass to retake the lead at 14-7.

The Texan touchdown was quickly answered by Raymondville as running back Zaraivion Armendarez took off for the 56-yard touchdown run to tie the game back up at 14-14. The back and forth game continued.

Wimberley would score another long touchdown drive before Wray scored his second touchdown of the game to retake the lead at 21-14.

Following the kickoff, the Texan defense finally put a stop to the Raymondville offense forcing a fumble to give the ball back to the offense.

However, the Texans failed to convert the turnover into points turning the ball over on a failed 4th.

Raymondville was able to use the momentum change in their favor driving all the way down deep into Texan territory before Bearkat quarterback Jayson Cantu scored on a one-yard run to tie the game at 21-21.

Following the score, both defenses held the opposition’s offense in check and ending the first half tied up at 21-21.

After Raymondville received the second-half kickoff, the Texan defense held firm and forced the Bearkats to punt.

The Texan offense was unable to do anything following the punt as the drive ended following an interception by the Bearkat defense.

However, on the next play, the Texan defense came up with one of their biggest stops on the game and forced a fumble to give the ball back to the offense.

This time the offense took advantage of the turnover and turned it into seven points as Wray scored his third touchdown of the game to retake the lead at 28-21.

The lead didn’t last long, however, as the Bearkats scored again following the Armendarez 63-yard run to tie the game back up at 28-28.

The Texan offense put together another successful drive going deep into Bearkat territory and into the RedZone. The Texans scored again as McCollum found Christian Marshall for the 11-yard touchdown pass to put Wimberley back up at 35-28.

The Raymondville offense stormed back in an effort to tie the game but faced 4th down at midfield.

With arguable their biggest stop of the game, the Texan defense stuffed the explosive Bearkat offense on 4th down and gave the ball back to Wimberley.

On the very next play, Wray ran for a 38-yard touchdown run to give the Texans their first two-possession lead of the game at 42-28.

On the ensuing kickoff, Bearkat running back Justin Cantu returned the kickoff 80 yards for the score to keep the game at a one-possession game at 42-35.

Following the kickoff return, the Texans made another long drive going deep in Raymondville territory before McCollum hit Marshall for his second touchdown catch of the game and to extend the lead at 49-35.

After forcing the Bearkats to punt again, Wimberley scored again as McCollum forced Raymondville to jump offsides and found Jaxon Watts for the 32-yard touchdown pass to put any hope to rest for a Bearkat comeback.

The Texans scored again late in the fourth quarter as Wray ran it in from 40 yards out to extend the lead at 63-35 and ending the game.

The running game was the high point for the Wimberley offense, which ran for 363 yards topped by Moses Wray’s 284 yards rushing and five touchdowns.

“We have a lot of weapons out there,” Warren said. “We can throw the ball…but we take what the defense gives us and the defense was giving us the run game…the young man (Wray) carried the ball well tonight and he is a big load, he’s tough to bring down and he got stronger as the game went on.”

With the win, Wimberley advances to the Regional Semifinal round and will play the Rockport-Fulton Pirates this Friday at 7:30 at Beeville’s Veterans Memorial Stadium.