Mistakes pile as Apaches football season ends

ROUND ROCK — One key factor in winning any football game is winning the turnover battle. Playing against a team like Lorena, the Gonzales Apaches needed to do just that.

“We didn’t need to make mistakes because they are the best team I’ve ever seen on capitalizing on mistakes,” Gonzales’ head coach Kodi Crane said, “and they did that.”

Lorena did exactly that as they capitalized early on against the Apaches, beating down Gonzales 48-3 in the bi-district round of the playoffs.

“We made some crucial mistakes early in the football game,” Crane admitted. “We made three huge mistakes early in the football game and now you’re playing from behind. That’s a fast football team, team speed. We made those mistakes and got behind and with the way they play, they’re not going to let you ‘home run’ it. We could never get it all the way in the end zone.”

On the Apaches’ second offensive play of the game, Josh Calvin was stripped of the ball, with the Leopards recovering the fumble. Lorena went on to score on that possession. Gonzales then gave up a 94-yard punt return on their next possession and finally went three-and-out, allowing Lorena to score their third touchdown in as many possessions.

“We didn’t tackle very good, at all,” Crane. “I don’t know why. It’s hard…we slipped a lot. The first half, I remember three or four times that we were right there and just slipped and fell down. We didn’t tackle well. [Lorena is] a good football team, that’s a district champion in the Waco district.”

Lorena would finish the half up 28-0 and the ball to start the second half.

On the opening third-quarter kickoff, the Apaches were called for a facemask to bring Lorena up to their 24. The short field allowed the Leopards to score their fifth touchdown of the night to go up 34-0.

The Apaches lone score came near the end of the game, when Gonzales’ Hunter Swisher returned a kick for 70 yards to take it to the Lorena 16-yard line. The Apaches were unable to punch it in the end zone, so senior kicker Rogelio Sanchez booted a 31-yard field goal to cut the lead to 48-3.

The Apaches will be losing many seniors including top players like Aaron Hunt and Wade Miller (who have played in nine playoff games as Gonzales football players) and others that have made an impact such as Josh Calvin.

“It’s an outstanding class,” Crane said. “I think their commitment level was outstanding, the way they [worked] in offseason this summer. Their dedication to the game and their knowledge of the game and the only reason they have that knowledge is because they spent the time and studied and learned. All the prognosticators picked us not to be in the playoffs this year and come and make it to the playoffs and that's the hardest thing about this football season is saying goodbye.”

“Alex Ortiz,” he continued, “this kid is going to go defend our country in the military, there's not a greater human being...Jason Velasquez-Banda, how far did Joshua Calvin come this year? Goodness. He grew leaps and bounds. And Aaron [Hunt] and Wade [Miller] and “Hometown” [Joseph Gonzales] and I'm going to leave somebody out but I don't mean to but just over and over...they weren't selfish. It was, since I’ve been here, the best meshed team that we've had. They enjoyed being around each other and our young kids have a really high bar that they're going to have to get up to follow in their footsteps because they were outstanding.”

The Apaches end their season 5-6 overall with a 2-3 record in district.