Salado Eagles lost to the visiting Connally Cadets 39-21 in a turnover-riddled district game.
Brendan Wilson returned the opening kickoff 54 yards to the Connally 36 yard line, but the Eagles turned the ball over on downs.
The Cadets took advantage of the stop, scoring in just four plays thanks to runs of 30, 14 and 7 yards by Kiefer Sibley and a 15 yard run. Sibley scored on a 7-yard run. The PAT gave Connally a 7-0 lead with 8:45 left in the first.
The Eagles tied the game with 11:55 left in the half on a 1-yard dive by quarterback Luke Law. The score topped a nine-play drive highlighted by passes of 20 and 14 yard to Wilson. The Eagles were able to overcome a TD pass to Wilson that was called back for a block in the back theat left the Eagles with a first and 20 at the Connally 26. Townes Sather converted the kick.
Thanks to a 34-yard pass from Law to Korbin Konarik and a 10 yard pass to Wilson, Salado was able to take the lead with 4:02 left in the half. The Eagles drove from their own 17 yard line for a first and 10 at the Cadet 12 yard line. A blindside black called back a TD by Salado and a hold moved the ball all the was to the 32. Law hit Kase Maedgen for 9 yards and James Renick for 20 yards before handing the ball to Maedgen for a 3 yard touchdown. Sather converted the kick for a 14-7 lead.
The lead was short lived. Sibley took a hand off on the first play of the ensuing drive and dashed 84 yards up the middle to score with 3:46 left in the half.
Connally scored twice more before the half.
Ke’Are Riley intercepted Law’s pass and returned it 80 yards for a touchdown that was called back on a holding call near the Salado 32.
On the next play, Jamarion Vincent hit Jylon Nobles for a 42 yard touchdown with 3:22 left in the half. The PAT gave Connally a 21-14.
Kobe Black intercepted a Morgan Adams pass to set up a 25 yard pass from Vincent to Ke’Are Riley with 58 seconds left in the half. The PAT failed for a 27-14 halftime lead.
Riley intercepted a Law pass and returned it for a touchdown with 5:33 left in the third. The Cadets failed on a two-point conversion 33-14.
The Eagles closed the gap on a scrambling pass by Lincoln Hossfeld to Wilson for 55 yards with 3:39 left in the third. Townes Sather converted the PAT to bring the score to 33-21.
Dusty Rhiddlehoover recovered the onside kick for Salado at the Connally 48 and the Eagles drove to the Cadet 6 before Maedgen fumbled the ball into Connally hands.
The Cadets then drove 98 yars in 13 plays with Sibley scoring from the Salado 5 with 5:47 left ito play. The PAT failed and Connally held on for the 39-21 win.
Team Stat SHS CHS
First Downs 16 17
Rushes-Yards 37-106 35-285
Passing Yards 208 117
Comp-Atts 14-35 6-11
TD-INT 1-3 2-0
Fumbles-Lost 1-1 1-1
Penalties-Yds 8-80 5-50
Passing: Salado: Luke Law, 11-24, 143 yards, 2 ints; Lincoln Hossfeld, 3-10, 65 yards, TD; Morgan Adams, 0-1, int. Connally: Jamarion Vincent, 6011, 117 yards, 2 TDs.
Rushing: Salado: Kase Maedgen, 17-50 yards, TD, fumble; Hossfeld, 9-37 yards; Law, 11-19 yards, TD. Connally: Kiefer Sibley, 21-239 yards, 3 TDs; Vincent,11-46 yards; Ethan Els, 2-8 yards, Kobe Black, 1-2 yards.
Receiving: Salado: Wilson, 6-107 yards, TD; Maedgen, 4-38 yards; James Renick, 2-35 yards; Korbin Konarik, 1-34 yards; Morgan Adams, 1-(-6) yards. Connally: Jylon Nobles, 1-42, TD; Ke’Are Riley, 3-39 yards; Black, 1-29 yards; Sibley, 2-0 yards.
Special Teams: Kick Returns: Wilson, 2-72 yards;