The Teague Lions built a 21-7 halftime lead and held on for a key road win over the Groesbeck Goats 27-21 at Groesbeck Stadium on Friday night.
Groesbeck had dropped their first game with a loss to the West Trojans last week evened the record at 1-1. The Lions had the open week in the first set of games and lost to the Grandview Zebras 35-13.
The Lions put together a game plan that focused on running the football and they stayed true to the game plan and it paid off. Gelico Green became the workhorse on the offensive side of the ball with a huge night. He carried 26 times for 128 yards and two tough runs for touchdowns. As a team, the Lions had 51 carries for 231 yards.
The Goats took the ball first and hit the big play. Following a good kickoff return, the Goats started at their own 47-yard line. Senior quarterback Ty Hale handed off to his classmate and running back Ameer Lee. Lee moved through the Lion defense and darted up the near sideline for a 48-yard run to the Teague three-yard line. It took three plays on the goal line to score when the Teague defense stiffened. Hale finished the drive on a fourth down plunge from the one and the Goats put points on the board first. Dylan Rand kicked the extra point and the Goats led 7-0 with 9:47 remaining in the first quarter.
Both defenses began setting the tone for the remainder of the quarter. On the last play of the first quarter, senior quarterback Zack Satterwhite handed the ball to Green and he bulldozed his way for the seven-yard touchdown. Roberto Escobedo tied the game with the extra point.
Groesbeck was held on their next possession and the punt set the Lions in good field position. The Lions ability to run the ball forced the Goat defense to put several up closer to the line of scrimmage. Satterwhite took to the air and threw over the Groesbeck defense to Connor Smith. The short pass and longer run completed the 46-yard pass play and the Lion took a lead they would not lose the remainder of the night. Escobedo added the extra point with 9:37 remaining in the half.
The Goats gained some momentum with the offense but a short pass to Jesse Salinas was knocked free and Brady Welch covered it before it went out of bounds at midfield.
Teague added a touchdown in the final moment of the first half. Satterwhite under pressure hit Rodney Kuykendall in the end zone for the 19-yard score. The lead grew to 21-7.
The Lion defense had to hold on at the end of the half. The Goats moved down the field with Hale completing passes to Rand and Lee. The reached the ten-yard line with only seconds remaining. Hale completed a pass inside the five-yard line as the time expired and the Goats came away with no points on the drive and the Lions led 21-7.
Teague took the ball to open the second half and it was the time they truly established some muscle in the interior lines. Green and Azaya Patrick alternated on the drive and move the ball downfield. They converted two third downs to keep the drive alive and they consumed over half of the third quarter clock. Green pushed through for the one-yard run and the lead stretched to 27-7 after the failed extra point.
Groesbeck had been stifled on offense for most of the night and the were able to open things up the second half. On their first possession of the second half, Lee broke loose on a 43-yard run to cut into the Teague Lead. Rand added the point after for the 27-14 score.
The Goats defense took care of things and Satterwhite was hit on a third down pass attempt. He left the game for a play, but the Lions needed a punter. Jeremiah Redic came on to punt and his punt trickled down and was touched down at the one-yard line.
Groesbeck had 99 yards to go to get to within a touchdown. Using the passing of Hale, the running of Lee and the receiving of Rand, the Goats moved down the field in four minutes and capped off the 99-yard drive on a five-yard connection from Hale to Jake Pringle to cut the lead to 27-21 with 3:34 remaining in the game.
The Lions recovered the on-sides kick and immediately got a 28-yard run by Green into Goat territory. A couple of plays later, Green fumbled the exchange and the Goat defense recovered with 1:20 to go and a six-point deficit.
The Groesbeck offense had a couple of passes that hit the ground and the Goats faced a fourth down. Hale scrambled to his right and threw the pass to Lee and it bobbled up in the air and was caught by Lee moving away from the first down marker, he was stopped short and the Lions got the 27-21 win.
West and Grandview continue to lead the district with a pack of teams behind them. Teague will return home for a game against the McGregor Bulldogs. It will be homecoming in Teague and the Goats take to the road for a date with the Grandview Zebras.
