Tigers top Wildcats, eye showdown with Hornets
WEIMAR — Chance Parker scored on a two-yard dive with 30 seconds to play, and the Thrall Tigers (5-1 overall, 2-0 District 13-2A D1) survived a furious second-half comeback Friday night on the road to edge the Weimar Wildcats (4-2, 0-2) by a score of 38-35.
“Our kids committed last spring and in the summer, and withstood injuries, and this win tonight shows this team is a family,” said Thrall head coach Aaron Vanecek.
It was the Tigers’ offense that drew first blood. Using a combination of runs by Braylon Hernandez and Parker, and a first-down pass from Parker to Steven Walker, the Tigers moved 40 yards to the Wildcat 30. From there, Parker went to the air again, hitting a leaping Tyler Bonkowski over the outstretched hands of a Weimar defender, for the score.
Weimar fumbled the ensuing kickoff to set up the Tigers’ next score. Facing a fourth and 20 at the Wildcat 35, Parker went to Bonkowski again on a nearly identical play to the first score. Bonkowski out-jumped the defender again for the 35-yard score and a 14-0 Tiger lead with 7:48 to play in the opening quarter.
After Weimar closed the gap to 14-6, the Wildcats were in business again deep in their end of the field, but quickly moved into Tiger territory. However, Thrall’s Landon Gregory picked off the pass and raced down the Weimar sideline for a 68-yard picksix. The point after gave the Tigers a 21-6 lead with 6:19 remaining in the half.
Disaster then struck again for Weimar as CJ Kelm scooped up the loose ball and raced 63 yards for the Thrall score. Alejandro Estrada’s fourth extra point gave the Tigers a 28-6 halftime lead.
As the second half got underway, Weimar’s slot-T offense finally got to work and went on a 14-play, 81-yard drive capped off by a short Dreylon McMillian touchdown run to make it 28-13.
McMillian found paydirt again on the Wildcats’ next drive. He dived in from a yard out to cap an 8-play, 51-yard drive that made the score 28-20 with 9:52 to play in the game.
Thrall bought itself some breathing room on its next possession. The Tigers recovered a muffed punt return by the Wildcats and set up shop at the Weimar 23. The Tigers would get a 34-yard field goal by Estrada with 6:45 on the clock to make it 31-20.
Weimar was far from done. On their next series, big runs by McMillian and Wyatt Lacina moved the ball to the Thrall 13. On second down, Huxton Kloesel found Lacina in the flat for a 13-yard score that cut the lead to 31-28 with 5:34 to play.
After holding the Tigers at the Wildcat 30 on the next defensive series, Weimar put together its go-ahead drive. It took just five plays for the Wildcats to find the end zone. The key play of the drive was a 61-yard pass from Kloesel to Zach Norrell, that moved the ball to the Tiger 11. Lacina scored on a one-yard run around left end with 1:27 to play to give the Wildcats a 35-31 lead.
Thrall had one final shot and a 56-yard pass from Parker to Gregory gave the Tigers firstand- goal at the nine. Runs by Parker and Kelm moved the ball to the two and set up Parker’s game-winning run.
“That final drive means everything,” Vanecek said. “They never quit, and this drive changes everything going into the Holland game next week.”
Thrall High School varsity football junior quarterback Chance Parker outruns the opposing defense for a huge gain on Sept. 22 during the Tigers’ 28-21 victory at home against Flatonia High School. Photo by Larry Pelchat
