The Granger Lions varsity football team’s season ended with a 43-23 loss to the Shiner Comanches in the regional round of the playoffs on Friday, Nov.
29. The Lions finished 9-4 overall and placed second 6-1 in district.
Both teams entered the game with dominant ground attacks, which were on full display as the Comanches scored first on a 20-yard rushing touchdown. Granger responded with a 76-yard breakaway run from junior running back Caleb Hobratsch and a successful twopoint conversion to take an early 8-6 lead in the first quarter.
Both defenses then traded stops before Shiner retook the lead on a 25-yard touchdown pass, making it 12-8 after a failed twopoint conversion. The Lions responded when Hobratsch scored his second touchdown of the night on a five-yard rush to give Granger a 15-12 lead in the second quarter.
Unfortunately for the Lions, it would be their last lead. The Comanches scored 31 unanswered points, dominating the rest of the game on the ground.
Offensively, the Lions seemed to run out of energy, as a team that averaged more than 50 points in its first two playoff games was nearly held scoreless in the second half.
Junior quarterback Wyatt Rochner threw his first touchdown of the game late in the fourth quarter on a 10-yard pass as the Lions fought until the end.
Despite the loss, Granger had another historic season, earning two playoff wins by a combined 83 points.
Hobratsch had one of the most impressive postseason performances in recent memory, accounting for 12 total rushing touchdowns in just three games. The future looks bright for the Lions, who are set to return most of their key players next season.
