Rugged 26-6A shows off big games
Aside from Judson-Steele, drama filled other stadiums on Friday night
District 26-6A has earned the moniker as “Little SEC,” a nod to the quality and competitiveness of the league.
The watershed mark came in 2015 when Judson faced Smithson Valley in the Region IV-6A Division I final at Alamo Stadium and Steele and Clemens played in the Region IV-6A Division II final at the Alamodome.
If this past weekend was any indication, 26-6A should be another slugfest. Top-ranked Judson outlasted No. 3 Steele 51-48, Clemens edged Smithson Valley 15-7, East Central fended off San Marcos 42-38 in overtime and New Braunfels topped New Braunfels Canyon 47-21.
In the area’s highest-profiled game, Judson prevailed over the Knights in a contest in which the teams combined for 1,180 yards, scoring the game-winner on quarterback Michael Chandler II’s 5-yard run with 56 seconds remaining.
Yet it might have been a key defensive play that was the pivotal moment. Trailing 41-37 earlier in the fourth quarter, Judson stopped Steele on fourth-and-1 from the Judson 25-yard-line. The stop came four plays after Judson (4-0) was denied on fourth-and-2 from its own 33.
Had Steele scored a touchdown on the drive, the Knights would have led by two scores with 6½ minutes left. Instead, the Rockets marched 75 yards in seven plays for a 44-41 lead.
“It’s a testament to what we do each and every day,” Judson coach Rodney Williams said. “Some good things are going to happen. Some bad things are going to happen. Well, a lot of bad things happened, but that’s a testament to the Steele Knights.
They made bad things happened. But our kids hung in there.”
The same could be said for Clemens and East Central.
Clemens (3-1) came up big late to defeat Smithson Valley for the third straight season. Quarterback Max Didomenico connected with Andrew Edwards for an 11yard TD pass with 1:34 left to play. A successful 2-point pass gave the Buffaloes an 8-7 advantage.
Smithson Valley (2-2) marched deep into Clemens’ territory before turning the ball over on downs. Didomenico, a junior, appeared as if he was trying to run out the clock but instead raced 68 yards for a score.
Clemens (3-1) plays Steele (3-1) Friday at Lehnhoff Stadium.
East Central bounced back from missing a potential gamewinning field goal at the end of regulation to trip San Marcos. Running back DeAngelo Rosemond scored on a 5-yard run after San Marcos had kicked a field goal for a 38-35 lead in the extra session.
Minutemen break through
In 2017, Memorial was the feelgood story of the area landscape.
Under coach Kemmie Lewis, the Minutemen snapped a halfcentury of struggles, capturing their first district championship in their program’s half-century existence, snapped a 30-game district losing streak and a 21game overall losing streak during the landmark campaign.
The newfound success didn’t carry over to the 2018 season. Placed into a district with the likes of Kerrville Tivy, Boerne Champion and Alamo Heights during the University Interscholastic League’s biennial realignment and reclassification in February 2018, Memorial finished 1-9 a year ago after winning its season opener against Bandera.
The Minutemen finally tasted victory again, rallying to defeat Uvalde 12-7 in a District 14-5A II opener. Memorial forced two turnovers, including a 25-yard fumble return for a touchdown by C.J. Cardenas early in the third quarter for the game-winner. Joel Lozano scored the team’s other TD, a 5-yard run in the second quarter.