Lobos’ prediction-defying at new level
Run to state tournament just latest high-wire act for Langham Creek
Langahm Creek isn’t supposed to be here.
Then again, the secondseeded Lobos probably weren’t supposed to win the last four rounds of the playoffs, either.
Yet, here they are as first-time state tournament qualifiers.
The Lobos upended highly regarded Deer Park, which had lost only one contest all season going in, in back-to-back outings in Games 2 and 3 to clinch the Region III-6A championship at UH’s Schroeder Park.
“Our district is the toughest district in the state of Texas,” coach Armando Sedeño said.
“When you look at the Cy-Fairs and the Cy Ranches, and they won state three out of the last (nine years), we knew coming out of that district that we were well-(prepared).”
They certainly proved that in the Region III playoffs.
After taking care of Nimitz, they ousted Houston ISD’s top team, stateranked district champion Westside, in the second round, reigning 6A champ Cy Ranch in the quarterfinals, top regional contender Pearland in the semifinals, and Deer Park, the top-ranked team in the country, in the final.
The last four series all went three games.
It all added up to the school’s first trip to state and a feeling Sedeño summed up succinctly after the clincher.
“Just think about a big boy eating some chocolate cake with ice cream,” said Sedeño, the Lobos’ 26thyear coach whose only other state appearance came in 1984 with current 4A team Brownfield.
The Lobos didn’t look state-bound in Game 1.
They trailed 5-0 in the top of the fifth Thursday when inclement weather forced them to suspend play to Friday morning, and they were no better coming back the next day,
eventually falling 9-0.
Sedeño said they simply had to put the game behind them, and fast. They played Game 2 Friday night.
“You just flush it,” he said. “We told them, we said, ‘Flush it.’ Anytime something bad happens, you flush it, and so we flushed it, and … we took our Kaopectate and came back to work the next (game).” The night game was tied 2-2 going into the bottom of the seventh.
Then right fielder Taylor Fischer singled and stole second, and Gabriel Amaro came off the bench to supply a pinch-hit single for a 3-2 walk-off victory, forcing a decisive Game 3 Saturday afternoon.
And that one was all Lobos. They jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second on an uncharacteristically shaky Deer Park defense with aggressive base-running, then held on for a shutout win behind pitchers Garrett Lax and Brady Perez.
Sedeño said the turnaround came down to key adjustments after Game 1.
“We videotape all our games, and so we were able to watch and see what we were doing wrong, and we said we need to change it because that (playing tentative) wasn’t who we were,” Sedeño said.
What they are now are state semifinalists.
And they did it by handing Deer Park (37-3), which started 35-0, its second and third losses of the season.
“The first game we played a little bit hesitant, and they were in our minds with the 36-1, seriously, and we tried to play it off, but the reality is that has an impact on your mind,” Sedeño said.
“Everybody’s telling you you’re not supposed to win, everybody’s telling you that you’re playing the No. 1 team in the country, and the No. 1 team in the state of Texas, but you cannot worry about that.”