What was once a promising fourth quarter ended in heartbreak for Lion football, dropping a 25-22 home game Friday to Bridge City.
With seven minutes remaining and down by one at 17-16, the Lions decided to go for it on fourth-and-two from the Cardinal 34-yard line. Taylor Haynes took a handoff and sprinted through the hole, leaving all redbirds behind him to take the lead 22-17 with an unsuccessful two-point conversion.
The Lion defense, which had played well, forced a three-and-out. Livingston was held to the same result, but received a roughing the punter penalty, extending their drive. Yet, it would stall once again, and the ensuing punt would be blocked.
That allowed Bridge City to take over from The Lion 46 yard line with 2:07 remaining on the game clock.
Cardinal senior quarterback Hudson Hoffman led a drive downfield, connecting on three passes, the final an 11-yard strike to put his team back up by three with a two-point conversion.
Excellent kickoff coverage pinned the Lions back at their own 11 yard line. The next four plays produced nothing positive for Livingston, ending their chances after a turnover on downs.
“That one stings because there were so many controllables and so many self-inflicted wounds,” Lion coach Tucker Carter said. “Special teams errors and selfish penalties resulted in giving them one more opportunity to score, and they took it. That's the frustrating thing of telling the kids. The things that we harp on the most are the things that show up in the most critical times. We have to finish a four-quarter game, because we are right on the brink of playing with anybody, so that is the most frustrating part. I'm proud of the kids’ fight and their focus early on.”
The Lions began the scoring on their first drive when junior kicker Dorian Ortiz hit a 35-yard field goal.
Bridge City answered late in the first quarter with two touchdown runs by Josh Luna for 29 and 47 yards. The junior tailback would end the game with 170 yards on 22 totes.
Livingston took their first drive of the second quarter and moved quickly with a no-huddle offense. The final two plays saw quarterback Jax Ruiz hit Uriah Tatum for 20 yards, then place a shot down the sidelines for 30 yards and a touchdown to Zayden Martin.
The sophomore signal caller began the game 7-for-10 with 90 yards and a touchdown. He would end 11-for-23 with 121 yards.
Ortiz booted another field goal, this time from 40 yards to make it a 14-13 score at the half. His final attempt was good from 37 yards, midway through the third quarter.
“He is really good and really kind of come into his own after working with Coach (Frank) Fox, being a weapon for us,” the coach said. “That is a big part of playing all three phases – having a kicker we can put out there and score points.”
The competitive game shows the progress the team has made, but Carter said his group has no interest in moral victories.
“A moral victory is something we do not talk about. We felt like we should have won the football game. Credit (Bridge City) and their staff for getting it done, but we are here to win.”
