The Skyline Newspaper

Photo: (L to R) Preston Watts, Randy Enriquez, and Jarrell Howard gang tackle against ETBU. Photo by Adam Dreyfus

Van Wagner's Kick, Gideon's Block Lift Lobos over Howard Payne

A kick and a slap caused Howard Payne pain...

...and lifted Sul Ross State University to a 34-31 double-overtime victory over the Yellow Jackets at Brownwood Saturday, Sept. 29.

Mike Van Wagner's, Bandera 28-yard field goal in the second extra session gave the Lobos the lead. Zach Gideon, Hallsville, blocked a 42-yard attempt when Howard Payne tried to force a third overtime.

Earlier, Van Wagner kicked his team into overtime with a 36-yarder with 1:53 to play. Van Wagner won American Southwest Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors, while cornerback Johnnie Williams, Hempstead, was named Defensive Player of the Week. Williams led the team with 13 tackles and broke up a pass.

Sul Ross, 3-2 on the year, won its first American Southwest Conference game against two losses. HPU fell to 0-4, 0-2, suffering its second overtime loss in as many weeks. Coach Steve Wright's team is idle this week, then faces Texas Lutheran University Oct. 13 in a 6 p.m. contest at Jackson Field. The Lobos edged the Bulldogs 33-31 Sept.
1 in a season-opening non-conference tilt.

Austin Davidson, Hallsville, tossed three touchdown passes and TJ Barber, Midland, rambled for 144 yards, including a 72-yard scoring burst, giving the Lobos a 28-17 lead entering the final quarter.

The 'Jackets stormed back into the lead with a pair of touchdowns, aided by a 51-yard punt return and a personal foul on a second kick.

Trailing 31-28 with 4:15 left, Davidson passed 13 yards to Jarrett Dickerson, Willis, for one first down and Barber raced 32 yards for another, setting up first and goal on the HPU 9. After a 10-yard loss on a running play and two incomplete passes, Van Wagner drilled the tying field goal.

Dominique Jones, Marlin, stopped Howard Payne's first overtime march with a second-down interception, but Van Wagner was wide left on a 48-yard field goal try.

In the second extra session, Barber moved the ball 15 yards to the 10 on two rushes, but a one-yard loss and an incomplete pass set the stage for Van Wagner's game-winning boot.

The Lobos stopped HPU on three straight plays before Gideon put a hand on Bullard's 42-yard field goal try. After a scramble for the ball, a fumble and a lateral, a 'Jacket player was tackled at the 10 to end the game.

"In the six years I've been here, this could be the biggest win we've had, considering all the things going," Wright said. He referred to injuries to several key players, and bouncing back from a disappointing home loss to win for the third time in four road outings.

"We had two freshman inside linebackers that stepped up and played extremely well," he said. "We dropped 11 catch-able balls, but Austin, Davidson, kept his poise and did not turn the ball over. We had a number of defensive players step up and make key plays, and TJ was TJ."

Barber, held in check during the first half, exploded in the second to record his second 100-plus ground game of the year. Davidson completed just 11 of 34 passes, but gained 232 yards through the air. Dickerson caught a 37-yard scoring pass, while freshman Carlo Dominguez, Ramondville, hauled in a 42-yarder and Jamal Groover, Cleburne, snared a 72-yarder.

Linebacker Fernie Acosta, El Paso Americas, had six tackles, two fumble recoveries and stopped a potential touchdown at the Lobo one with a 63-yard return of an interception. Jones had eight stops, Jamal Johnson, Odessa Permian, seven and Aubrey Lightheard, Flatonia, had a sack.

Dominguez, the Lobos' all-purpose threat, caught four passes for 59 yards, completed two of four passes for 41 more and punted 10 times for a 37.3-yard average.

Dickerson caught four passes for 100 yards and Groover added two for 104. Sul Ross played without injured receivers Jacob Warden, Bandera, and Joc Quise Brown, Temple. Linebacker Nate Graham, Odessa Permian, saw limited action due to a first-quarter injury.

Wright praised offensive coordinator Drew Bridges and defensive coordinator Ke Koa Kealoha for their adjustments.
"The adjustments they made on the fly helped to win that game," he said.

"We now have two weeks to get ready for a very tough opponent (Texas Lutheran)," said Wright, "but I feel we're not only consistently competitive, but that we have a chance to win every time we step on the field."

Lobo Tracks...Davidson's 1,202 passing yards and 13 touchdown passes raise his career totals to 6,571 and 50, closing in on marks held by Scott Kello (7,400 yards) and Larry Hill (52 TD)...Barber has gained 477 yards this season, lifting his growing record to 3,438. He also holds the career touchdown record with 35....Dominguez, who has already scored touchdowns rushing and receiving and added a touchdown pass, averages 40.1 yards on 28 punts....Van Wagner has booted five of nine field goal attempts and 17 of 19 extra points for 32 total....Brown has six touchdown receptions and averages 19.1 yards on 24 catches....Johnson and Jones have two interceptions each, while Graham, Acosta and Williams are the leading tacklers with 35, 32 and 30, respectively....Lightheard has two sacks among three tackles for losses, while fellow freshman Randy Enriquez, Pharr North, has four stops behind the line, as does Johnson.

Volleyball One of Three at ASC Crossover

Sul Ross State University won one of three matches during last weekend's American Southwest Conference volleyball crossover tournament, ending a nine-match losing skid.

Coach Rick Garcia's Lady Lobos trimmed the University of Texas-Tyler 3-1 in the Saturday, Sept. 29, first match at Richardson. They fell to host UT-Dallas 3-0 in the tournament finale.

Earlier, Sul Ross lost an ASC West Division contest 3-0 to host McMurry University Wednesday, Sept. 26, and dropped a 3-0 verdict to the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Friday, Sept. 28, in the crossover tourney's first match.

The Lady Lobos, 2-12. 1-8 in the ASC West, hosted Hardin-Simmons Wednesday, Oct. 3, 6:00 p.m., then return to the road with matches at Texas Lutheran University Friday, Oct. 5, 6:00 p.m. in Seguin and Saturday, Oct. 6, 1:00 p.m., against Schreiner University in Kerrville.

McMurry raised its season record to 10-1 with a 30-20, 30-25, 30-22 win over Sul Ross in Abilene. Stacy Macias, Fabens, registered nine kills and Melanie Valenciana, Odessa, seven for the Lady Lobos, while Elfida Olivas, Presidio, recorded 19 set assists and 11 digs.

Lyndi Cypher, Monahans, led the way with 19 digs. Bianca Espinoza, San Antonio, had 12 and Jennifer Harder, El Paso, and Carin Stocks, Stockdale, had 11 apiece.

UMHB defeated Sul Ross 30-27, 30-28, 31-29 in Friday's opener. Valenciana recorded 13 kills and Espinoza had 21 set assists and two service aces. Cypher registered 19 digs, Harder 18 and Macias and Stocks 10 each.

On Saturday, the Lady Lobos rallied for a 31-29, 27-30, 30-24, 30-25 victory over UT-Tyler. Valencians supplied the power with 12 kills and had 10 defensive digs. Cypher added 12 digs and Harder 10. Macias had five kills and four solo blocks, with Valenciana collecting two solo blocks.

UT-Dallas won 30-22, 30-15, 30-21 in Saturday's final match. Valenciana led the attackers with 11 kills, while Harder had 17 digs defensively. Espinoza recorded 16 set assists and 11 digs, while Stocks had 12 digs. Macias and Cypher had four kills each, and Cypher and Valenciana each served two aces.

Van Wagner, Williams ASC Football Players of the Week

Sul Ross State sophomore kicker Michael Van Wagner, Bandera, and sophomore defensive back Johnnie Williams, Hempstead, have been named American Southwest Conference Players of the Week.

Van Wagner, who won Special Teams honors, hit a game-tying 36-yard field goal with 1:53 left in regulation to force overtime with Howard Payne, then was good from 28 yards away for the game-winner in double overtime. He also booted four extra points in the 34-31 Lobo win. 4-for-4 on extra-point attempts in the 34-31 road win.

Williams, selected as Defensive Player of the Week, had a game-high 13 tackles, six solos and broke up a pass. He had four tackles in the last 7 minutes of the fourth quarter.