San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Pryor, Rattlers claim 28-6A title
Running back’s 2nd-half surge breaks open game after points tough to come by early
In a game that determined the District 28-6A championship, Reagan sophomore running back Cole Pryor rushed 29 times for 208 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Rattlers to a 24-9 victory over Brandeis on Friday night at Comalander Stadium.
The Rattlers (8-2 overall, 8-0 district) won their second district title in three years. Brandeis finished the regular season at 8-2, 7-1.
Pryor scored all three touchdowns in the second half, allowing the Rattlers to break free from a 3-3 halftime tie.
“(Pryor) is a special player, and the offensive line got it going a little bit,” Reagan coach Lyndon Hamilton said. “We’re a second-half team, and we got it gelling a little bit and what a great finish on both sides of the ball.”
Pryor scored from 20, 16 and 24 yards. Friday’s performance put him at 1,148 yards for the season. Pryor has stepped up in the absence of senior running back Carson Green, who is currently not with the team. Green last played Oct. 15 against Johnson.
“I’m just trying to do the best I can, and try to follow all the seniors’ footsteps and follow the plan they laid before me,” Pryor said.
Pryor’s 20- and 16-yard scores came on the Rattlers’ first two possessions of the second half, putting Reagan in the lead 17-3.
Brandeis intercepted Reagan on consecutive drives after that, including one on its own 1-yardline that negated a probable touchdown. However, the Broncos only cashed in one of the turnovers — a 1-yard diving score from quarterback J.C. Evans that pulled Brandeis to 17-9 after a missed extra point with 4:37 in the fourth.
Reagan put it away on the following possession on Pryor’s 24-yard score.
From a practical standpoint, the game’s outcome didn’t matter. Both teams were locked into their seedings in the Class 6A playoffs.
Reagan had already secured 28-6A’s top seed for Division I, while Brandeis was already in as the league’s No. 1 seed in Division II.
“We talk about this every year,” Hamilton said. “We want to make a deep playoff run in December and win the district championship. Tonight, one of those came true, and now it’s time to go to work in the playoffs.”
Reagan nearly captured last year’s district title, but the Rattlers squandered a 33-14 lead and lost to Johnson 46-43 in a game that ultimately decided the 28-6A crown.
“This means a lot,” senior defensive lineman Matthew Quick said. “We had a tough loss last year and just coming back here just to retake what was ours (was great) because the district championship belongs at Reagan.”
The highly anticipated matchup didn’t generate much offense in the first half.
Each team produced a field goal for a 3-3 halftime score.
The Broncos capped the game’s first possession with a 33-yard field goal from Ryan Villasenor for a 3-0 lead.
Brandeis missed a chance for a 6-0 lead when Villasenor’s 29yard try was blocked.
The Rattlers tied it when Matt Velasco made a 17-yard field goal with 4:02 in the second quarter.
The Broncos stepped it up on defense after Pryor’s 29-yard run took the Rattlers to Brandeis’ 5. On second-and-goal from the 3, quarterback Caleb Cappuccio connected with Pryor on a quick inside pass. Pryor appeared headed for the end zone, but he was stopped about a foot short. Pryor’s rush on the next play didn’t gain anything, and the Rattlers opted for the field goal instead of going for a touchdown.