Criminals fall in final minutes to Southwest
Yuma High will have to ask itself if only, if only, after dropping a tough game in the closing minutes to Southwest (CA).
The Crims led for most of the game only to fall 14-7 after a wild series of events.
Yuma High (1-3 AIA) led 7-6 in the final minutes after a Bryan Escamilla touchdown run in the first quarter. The Eagles just missed a 32-yard field goal with 2:30 left in the game, and all the Crims needed to do was run out the clock.
Instead, they went threeand-out and on the punt the snap was bobbled. Southwest (2-2) picked the ball up in a goal line situation.
“We had other opportunities and we didn’t capi- talize,” Yuma High coach Curt Weber said. “We had other opportunities. We didn’t push. We didn’t get a first down that could have ended the game.”
The Eagles would go on to score on the second play after the sudden change and take a 14-7 lead with just under a minute on the clock.
Escamilla, who was just moved to quarterback for Yuma, was able to help his team respond with a couple of runs to the sideline.
As a last-ditch effort he connected with senior receiver Tyler Hamilton for 38 yards, and that set the
SW: 2-2 overall YHS: 1-3 overall
Crims up at the two-yard line with six seconds left in the game.
Escamilla got the call on the next play and his sneak run was called down within inches of the goal line.
“I think the kids are so emotional right now,” Weber said. “I think that will take care of itself. I think they feel like that they’ve been jobbed, for a lack of a better word.”
Escamilla led his team with 121 yards on 23 carries and a touchdown. As