The Teague Lions have not played at home since the Malakoff game on August 30. They returned home to defeat the Groesbeck Goats 52-6 in a crucial game for potential playoff seeding.
The Lions have had trips to Mexia, Lorena, Hempstead and Grandview, along with an open week and the game at home was refreshing for players, coaches and fans.
Nemier Herod had 140 yards on only six carries, two of them for scores and Gelico Green neared a hundred with a pair of touchdowns to lead the Lions offense attack.
Groesbeck took the ball first and quickly were forced to punt. The snap went over the head of Garrett Gruell and he picked it up and the punt went straight into the air and the Lions took over at the Groesbeck 20. Freshman quarterback Jake Callahan passed to Herod for 15 yards to the five and Green finished the short drive with a five yard run to open the scoring. Roberto Escobedo added the extra point and Teague led 7-0 with 9:33 remaining in the first quarter.
The Goats could not get going on the next drive and the Lions began around midfield. Callahan handed off to Herod and, with the middle blocked up, bounced out to the right side and won the foot race to pay dirt on a 50 yard run and, with the Escobedo extra point took a quick 14-0 lead with still over half of the first quarter remaining.
The Lions defense got into the act on a Ty Abram interception and his return to the Groesbeck 17 yard line set the Teague offense up with a short field again. On the second play of the drive, Green scored on a 16 yard run over the left side of the line and the score was 21-0 when the first quarter ended.
The Teague special teams unit executed a perfect on sides kick and took possession at midfield. Escobedo tapped the ball and it trickled the ten yards and then he recovered it. They would commit their first turnover of the game on a snap that went by Callahan and was recovered by the Goats deep in Teague territory.
The Lions had another interception in the first half against the other freshman quarterback, Allen Lewis of Groesbeck. On a fourth and long, Lewis launched a pass deep and Herod picked it off at the Teague eight yard line. The Teague offense only needed five plays to add to the lead. Callahan completed a short pass to Drew Satterwhite and he turned it into a 41 yard touchdown with 11:09 remaining in the first half. Escobedo remained automatic with the extra point and the 28-0 lead.
The Groesbeck offense was able to pick up a big play and put points on the board. Lewis threw a high pass in the direction of receiver Beau Pagel and caught it and fought to the two yard line. Lewis then handed off to Terrell Conn for the two yard run with 9:17 remaining in the first half. The point after was blocked and the lead stood at 28-6.
Teague wasted little time in returning to the scoreboard on a Herod second touchdown run, this one on a 57 yard blast and a 35-6 lead. Groesbeck fumbled the kickoff and Kobe Lacey recovered it downfield and the Lions returned to the field and the drive ended in a one yard run by Abram and a 42-6 lead. The Lions added an Escobedo 24 yard field goal as time expired in the first half.
The teams agreed to a running clock in the second half so there were not many plays run by either offense the rest of the way. The Lions added a touchdown run of one yard by Juan Bernal and the extra point set the final score at 52-6.
The Grandview Zebras and Whitney Wildcats each had wins on Friday and continue to lead the district. There is a log jam with McGregor, Maypearl, Teague and West for the remaining two spots. The Lions (1-1) will head to McGregor to take on the 1-2 Bulldogs.
(Photos by Monte Calame)
