The Cuero Gobblers scored 42 first-half points before coasting to a 56-21 victory over the Navarro Panthers on Friday. The Gobblers held the Panther’s Slot T offense scoreless until the third quarter.
“I think our team did really, really well tonight,” Head Coach Jerod Fikac said. “We came in and set a goal to win the line of scrimmage, and I think our guys won the line of scrimmage, no doubt. We were able to run the ball. I thought our defense played really well. We created turnovers. Offensively, we didn’t turn the ball over. I’m very proud of our team effort, right now, and how we played.”
The Gobblers opened the game with a 10-play drive, capped off with a one-yard touchdown on a direct snap to Walker Dietze. The score was 7-0.
Payton Helford was stripped by Conner Kubesch on the Panther’s first play. Jace Gamez recovered it.
Jaxxon Marie found Dietze for a 35 yard touchdown. The score was 14-0. The Panther’s next drive stalled in Gobbler territory. Jossiah Taylor smothered a receiver on a fourth down pass attempt.
Davyon Varela had five carries for 34 yards on the next drive. He scored on a 16 yard screen pass from Marie to make it 21-0.
Navarro opened up the second quarter with possession but were forced to punt. The Gobblers took over on their own 21. Varela took a handoff 79 yards to the endzone, making it 28-0.
The defense continued to dominate. On fourth and two, SeanDylan Salazar and Matthew Licon stuffed Kohen Blount for a loss.
After a couple of Dietze catches and Varela runs, Marie found the endzone on a rollout from the 11. The score was 35-0 with 6:26 left in the second quarter.
Facing fourth and 20, Navarro converted a fake punt. Tony Perez intercepted a Helford pass and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown, but an illegal block negated the return. The Gobblers had to punt but got the ball right back, when Dylan Trotti fumbled the ball on first down for the Panthers. Landon Pelot fell on it.
Jayce Guajardo then found Dietze for a 25 yard touchdown. The score was 42-0 at halftime. Navarro had the ball to begin the third quarter. Blount scored a one yard touchdown to make it 42-7.
The Gobblers went on another 10-play scoring drive, running four minutes off of the clock. Marie hit Kubesch on a screen from 10 yards out, making it 49-7.
Navarro committed their fourth turnover of the game. Kohen fumbled the ball and Tony Perez pounced on it.
Perez was rewarded with a few touches. He scored a nine-yard touchdown run to make it 56-7 with 2:54 left in the third.
Navarro scored twice in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late. J.J. Waz scored on two 28-yard touchdown runs to trim the lead to 56-21 with 7:41 left.
The sub varsity team closed the deal and the Gobblers were victorious. The final score was 56-21.
Of the performance, Walker Dietze said, “We had a great game, just all around team effort. We just played Gobbler football. That’s what it’s all about.”
Top Performers: Offense – QB Jaxxon Marie 15/20 182 yd 3 Td, 1 Rushing Td; RB Davyon Varela 19 car, 191 yd, 1 Td, 1 Rec Td; WR Walker Dietze 7 Rec, 115 yd, 2 Td, 1 Rushing Td. Defense – LB Jace Gamez 22 tackles FR; LB Matthew Licon 13 tackles 1 Sack; DB Tony Perez 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR.
