A.D. Ibarra

-Cozel Foster-Veterans Memorial Stadium

The Eagle Pass Eagles and The Marshall Rams played the highest scoring game in local high school football history last Friday and going to overtime no less in a game not for the faint of heart where Sir Isaac Stanwick, TJ Mares and Dakota Kypuros stunning the visitors 54-51.

Before the game, The Eagle Pass News Gram spoke with both coaches on their prospective in this, the second meeting between the two teams. 

Head Coach Tim Williams said that even though they had a heart-breaking loss to Brennan in the district championship, much like The Eagles did against United South, his troops were ready for battle.

“This is what we’ve played for all year. We played these guys pretty close,” said the football coach, “we actually know what we expect from them because we played them early in the season. They ran a lot of option, they run the ball real good. They have a lot of team speed. They’re big, they’re physical. They’re fast. They’re a real well-coached football team. We have to be disciplined in what we do tonight.”

Head Coach Tom Gonzalez had the following to say about the importance of this game during pre-game warmups, “Our passing game has been pretty much on. TJ is feeling a lot better so he’s gonna run with ball a little more tonight, so basically what our fans have seen us do which is move the ball on offense is what we’re trying to accomplish tonight,” said Gonzalez, “Defensively we have to be very disciplined in the way we play. Someone has to take the running back, someone has to take the quarterback and someone has to take the pitch. If we can do that, we’ll be ok.”

The Rams and quarterback Drew Williams, Wide Receiver Trevon Butler and Slot Receiver Schay Maldonado did the most damage through the air scoring first on a 44 yard touchdown pass with 8:21 left in the first quarter. Then The Eagles struck next on a 26 yard TD pass to Kyle Gloria with 5:11 left in the first.

Then Quarterback Sir Isaac Stanwick scored his first TD 9:59 in the 2nd quarter on a 17 yard run, but the Rams and Trevon Butler scored next on the kickoff, a 90 yard kick return stunning the crowd. 

Former News Gram Player Of The Week Dakota Kypuros took it upon himself to answer right back on the ensuing kickoff by running back a 99 yard kickoff return of his own.

“Honestly I was going to fair catch it, but I looked back at the kickoff team in front of me and I noticed I had room. Once I took off to the right, I faked the reverse handoff and saw them all bite. So a big hole opened and after that, it was just green, nothing but green.”

Mares took it upon himself to win or go home and score he did on an 18 yard TD run with 4:48 to go in the third followed by another 25 yard TD run by Stanwick and two more scores by Mares.

But The Rams weren’t done, not by a longshot. The Rams struck on two pass plays, one from 63 yards out and the other from 17 before tying the game with 1:04 left in the game on a three yard run by the quarterback and the extra point tied the game at 48.

Then it was time for extra football. Luckily, Coach Gonzalez won the flip and chose to defend first and Coach Williams would have the ball. When asked what the conversation was at the 50 yard line, Coach G said, “Coach Williams is a class act, he basically told me that it was such a shame that one of us has to lose.”

The Rams were thwarted on their first overtime drive and kicked a 44 yard field goal to put them ahead 51-48, then Stanwick put the weight on his shoulders, advancing the ball deep into the red zone where TJ Mares took over scoring from three yards out for the win.

“The scoreboard looks real good Sir, No words, we put up a tough fight,” said Mares, “We came out strong, we got the “W” and Round II, here we go.”

“I wasn’t thinking anything, I just wanted to come out and play ball with my brothers,” said Stanwick, “I left everything out there ‘cuz I want to live another week for my boys.”

The gales take on the PSJA North Warriors tomorrow night at Shirley Field in Laredo.