Apaches knock off La Grange

GONZALES — The Gonzales Apaches (4-2, 1-0) needed to establish the run, hit on their deep threats and win the turnover battle to knock off a La Grange Leopards (0-5, 0-1) football team they haven’t beat since 2007.

“Check, check, check,” Gonzales Head Coach Kodi Crane said after their 23-13 win at home against the Leopards Friday night.

“We came out with some different formations to establish the run,” he explained. “The best part of their football team — they’re a good football team — but the very best part of their football team is run-stopping defense, so as the game wore on, they figured us out and we had to go in the air and Trevion [McNeil] just made some outstanding catches and Garrett Rickman made some great throws and our offensive line protected.”

Rickman found McNeil twice in the end zone, once on a 39-yard throw and another time on 25-yard throw.

Before hitting McNeil on those throws, the Apaches established the run, using a running-back-by-committee approach as six different athletes carried the ball, including Rickman on a few called plays, combining for 35 carries for over 100 yards.

“We have some kids that can carry the football,” Crane said. “Elijah Holiday is a newcomer, we wanted to get him in the football game and get him some quality carries. Kalub Carrizales has been our main horse, he ran really hard and got after it. James [Martinez] is always James, he ran hard and got two, maybe three first downs when we had to have them. Ja’Corveon Walton is a great change up. We have a lot of people that can run the ball, so I think it’s a neat deal to be able to run some two-back, to be able to do other things.”

Defensively, the Apaches were expecting #2 Parker Gage to start at quarterback. Gage suffered a broken collarbone at the beginning of the season. However, La Grange had #14 Brock Gardiner and the Apaches used various looks to pressure him and force multiple turnovers including a sack with a minute to go in the game.

McNeil came up big on the defense, snagging an interception right after La Grange recovered an onside kick.

“Trevion has a knack for the ball, both offensively and defensively,” Crane said. “Especially at passing situations, we wanted to have him on the field.”

Despite a few situational football gaffes, Crane knows how important the win was against a more-than-able La Grange football team, even with the zero in their win column. In what looks like a wide open district, the Apaches took one step forward toward not only a playoff bid, but perhaps a district championship at the end of the season.

The Apaches travel to Columbus to take on the Cardinals (0-5, 0-1). Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.