Apaches Struggle to Find Rhythm in First District Loss

NAVARRO — The Gonzales Apaches stumbled on the road Friday night, falling 31-14 to the Navarro Panthers in their first district loss of the season. Costly turnovers and missed opportunities kept the Apaches from finding rhythm across all three phases of the game.

Head coach Lyndon Hamilton said afterward that the team simply didn’t perform up to its standards.

“We didn’t play good tonight—offense, defense, or kicking game,” Hamilton said. “We made too many mistakes, and in this district you’ve got to play well in all three phases. We didn’t play good in any of the three on the road, so we’ve got to go back to the drawing board, have a better week of work, and be prepared when the ball’s kicked off.”

Hamilton added that the coaching staff plans to focus on preparation heading into next week’s matchup against Wimberley.

“We’ve got to get better from start to finish, and we’ve got to do a better job as coaches preparing for the next challenge,” he said.

The Apaches entered Friday’s game with several players limited from prior injuries, including senior Keith Wade, but Hamilton emphasized that the team must maintain a “next man up” mentality.

“All of our guys have to make sure the next man is ready to play so no matter who’s on the field, we’re putting our best foot forward,” he said.

Despite the outcome, Hamilton thanked the strong crowd of Apache fans who filled the stands in Seguin.

“The community did come out, and we didn’t perform,” he said. “We apologize to the Gonzales community for not putting our best foot forward, and we’ve got to be better next week.”

Navarro capitalized on an Apache fumble just three plays into the game, turning it into a quick touchdown for a 7-0 lead with 9:53 left in the first quarter. Gonzales nearly answered later in the quarter when quarterback Luis Zuniga connected with receiver Damian Hunt on a deep pass, but the ball was intercepted near the Panther 6-yard line.

Ayden Ramirez sparked the Apache offense midway through the second quarter, running in a touchdown to even the score at 7-7. Navarro regained control late in the half after a long punt return set up a short field, scoring again to lead 14-7 at halftime.

A penalty early in the third quarter placed Navarro at the 8-yard line, and the Panthers punched in another touchdown to extend the lead to 21-7. They added a fourth-quarter touchdown to make it 28-7 before Zuniga connected with Hunt for a late Gonzales score. A Navarro field goal in the final minute sealed the 31-14 finish.

With the loss, Gonzales falls to 5-2 overall and 2-1 in District 13-4A-II, while Navarro improves to 2-6 and 1-3. As of October 18, Salado leads the district at 3-0, followed by Jarrell at 3-1. Gonzales currently sits third, just ahead of Wimberley in fourth at 2-1, while Lago Vista and Navarro are tied at 1-3 and Smithville remains winless at 0-3.

The Apaches will look to hold their top-three standing when they host Wimberley in a key district matchup on Friday, October 24, at Apache Stadium.