Lorena withstands Gatesville's charge for first district win, 21-19
GATESVILLE — It figures to be a fight every night in District 12-4A Div. II, and this one went right down to the final bell.
Give the Lorena Leopards credit, though, they showed a tough chin.
Lorena withstood Gatesville's rally to claim a key district win, 21-19, on Friday night at McKamie Stadium.
Sophomore quarterback Jaxon Blancett ran for a pair of touchdowns for Lorena (2-5, 1-1) in the win.
The Hornets (3-4, 0-2) gave themselves a shot when Amos Phillips scored with 5:17 to play, cutting the gap to 21-19. But Lorena's Brody Deleon made a heady tackle on the ensuing two-point conversion try to preserve the lead for the Leopards.
After a scoreless first quarter, Lorena struck first blood early in the second on Blancett's 7-yard scoring scamper. But on the very next possession, Gatesville bounced back in a hurry, as Gehrig Keeton found Grady Keeton, and the receiver covered 56 yards on his way to the house.
Lorena was not deterred, regaining the lead on Deleon's 20-yard TD run at the 5:50 mark of the second quarter. That brought the score to 15-7, Leopards, after Blancett's two-point run, and that was the margin at the halftime break.
After Gatesville's Rayshon Smith scored on a 17-yard jaunt in the third, Lorena got a second TD run from Blancett early in the fourth quarter on a 10-yard run.
Next week Gatesville will travel to China Spring in a battle between two teams desperate for their first district win, while Lorena will host Connally.
— Brice Cherry
