The Teague Lions spotted the Tolar Rattlers 13 points, and the comeback fell short on Friday night in Tolar. The long trip for the Lions evened their season record at 1-1 on the young season.
The game last season was a close contest, and the Rattlers left Teague with a long winning field goal on the last play of the game. The 2025 version was primed to be a classic and it did not disappoint.
The Lions took the ball first and on the second play from scrimmage, Teague running back Ny’Land Coaster had the ball ripped from his hands and the Rattler defense pounced on it and took over at their 39-yard line. They needed three plays to travel 39 yards and scored on a Dacen Watkins quarterback keeper from 42 yards away. The extra point, which would prove to be the difference in the game, was good and the Rattlers led 7-0 still early in the first quarter.
Teague went back to work on offense and the drive stalled and the Lions dropped into punt formation. The punt was bobbled and covered but it was a turnover on downs, and the Rattlers took possession at the Lion 29. This time they needed only one play for Kelvin Murray to run through the Teague defense for the touchdown and take a 13-0 lead. The extra point was no good and the Rattlers held that lead midway through the first.
Both teams played with a stingy defense throughout the remainder of the half. Defenders Tripp Egbert, Jaden Cole, and Mario Cuevas made plays behind the line of scrimmage and would not let the Rattlers maintain any drive. The Lions committed their second turnover in the first quarter, but the defense held true.
Tolar stopped another first half drive with an interception at midfield, and the Rattlers went on a long drive with a lot of penalties, and the Lions forced a punt. The rush on the punter forced it to travel short and Brayden Leija grabbed it out of the air in stride and raced 73 yards for the punt return touchdown. The point after was no good but the Lions trimmed the lead to 13-6.
The teams exchanged turnovers on downs to open the second half. On the second possession of the half, Tolar picked up a first down but the next play, the pass was tipped by Leija and into the hands of Cole. He returned the interception 46 yards down to the one-yard line and two plays later, Coaster plunged in from one yard out and cut the Rattler lead to one. The all-important extra point attempt was blocked, and the Rattlers held the 13-12 lead.
The ball control offense only allowed the Lions to have one more possession on the night and moved from the Teague 20 down to the Rattler 30. On fourth down from there, Garrett Walker’s pass to the goal line was just off the mark and the ball went over on downs. Tolar ran the remainder of the time off the clock to preserve the 13-12 win.
Teague (1-1) will return home next Friday night to take on the Ferris Yellowjackets in the third warm up prior to the district contests beginning on October 10.
(Photos by Jessica Risken)
