Big Spring Steers roll in Home Opener against Lubbock High cruise to 49-10 victory
On what they could only describe as a perfect night, the Big Spring Steers had their home opener for this 2021 football season this Friday night. The Steers were looking to keep the momentum rolling after a week one victory over the Vernon Lions. On this Friday night, they took on the Lubbock Westerners. The Steers were looking for what you may call a payback game as the Lubbock Westerners beat the Steers last year handily. Well, the Steers did just that as they put a beating on the Lubbock High Westerners 49 to 10.
This Friday night was all about the Steers. This team played a perfect game. His team played a complete game on both the offensive side and the defensive side of the ball. The Steers started this game out on fire. On the very first drive of the game, they forced a fumble on the Westerner's offense. Once the Steers got the ball, they wasted little time moving the ball down the field as it was only two plays before it was then, in my mind, the best QB in the entire district that scored on his first TD run of the game. If you 're not sure who I'm referring to, that would be one Gabriel Baeza, who scored the first TD of the game as he carried the ball across the goal line, making this an early 7-0 lead for Big Spring. The Lubbock High Westerners would fight back as they drove down and scored to tie this game up 7-7. The Lubbock defense stepped up again as they would hold the Steers to a punt. After the punt, the team from Lubbock drove down the field and put up a field goal to take the lead 10-7 with 2:07 left in the first quarter. It would be the Lubbock High Westerners that took that had the lead after one-quarter of play 10-7.
The Steers started the onslaught in this quarter of play. It began when Baeza scored a TD with 8:46 left in the second quarter, making this a 1410 game. The Steers' defense would then step up in the second quarter as they controlled the Lubbock offense, never allowing them to get into a grove. After getting the ball back, the Steers wanted to add on to their lead. The Steers' offense needed plays in bunches to work down the field with only a couple of minutes left in half. That is just what they did; they steadily worked the ball down the field until they lined up at their 12yard line with only 7 seconds left in the first half. Baeza found Eli Cobos to score again, making this a 21-10 game at halftime.
When the Steers went into halftime, enjoying a 21-10 lead. While for some teams, this may be a comfortable lead, it was not for Big Spring. The Steers kept the pressure on. On Lubbock's second drive of the quarter, the Steers forced a massive fumble in which they recovered. They took that fumble recovery and scored relatively quickly. Baeza had another TD pass to his favorite WR, Keagan Mitchell. Mitchell jumped up and made a fantastic catch for this TD that turned the game into a 28-10 lead with 5:47 to play in the third quarter. The Steers' defense came up once again as they stopped the Westerners and forced another punt. Once again, the Big Spring offense methodically moved the ball down the field, again picking this Lubbock defense apart. It would be the Steers that tacked on another TD as superstar QB Gabriel Baeza punched in another rushing TD from 1 yard away, making this a 35-20 lead with only 1:19left in the third quarter. The third quarter of play ended with your Big Spring steers in control of the action by leading 35-10.
As the fourth quarter of play began, the Steers had a healthy lead and just looked to control the clock and get out of this game healthy and with a win. It was the Steers' defense that shined in this quarter, as on Lubbock's first drive of the last quarter, it would be Keagen Mitchel who came up with an interception. The do-everything player would return the INT for a TD only to have it called back for holding during the return. The Steers then turned that INT into points, anyway. It was Baeza finding WR Keagen Mitchel for a 39-yard TD pass, making this officially a blowout at a score of 42-10. However, the Steers would not be done. It would be the defense that accounts for the last TD of the night when LB Rickey Escovedo intercepted a pass and returned it for a 62-yard touchdown, officially putting the nail in the coffin as the score was now 4910.
The Steers played a complete game from start to finish and on both sides of the ball this Friday. They showed off for the home crowd. It was a magnificent performance by QB Gabriel Baeza. He had 15 carries for 72 yards and 3 TD, 30/46 passing for 361 yards, and another 3 TD. That means the QB accounted for six total TD on the night. It was indeed a fantastic performance from the young man. Eli Cobos had an excellent game as he had eight catches for 119 yards with a TD, and he also kicked all seven extra points in the night. This was a fantastic performance by the young Steers. They are now 2-0 and in the young season and will travel to Monahans next week to take on a dangerous Lobo team who is also 2-0. This will be a big test for the Steers, a test I feel they are ready