By Tim Fleischer
Editor-in-Chief
Drew Bird’s interception of Bryan Rudder quarterback Xavier Ramirez’s pass at the Salado 43 yard line with 5:54 left in the game led to a 38-yard Daniel Chtay field goal with 2:59 left to play, giving the Eagles a 38-28 win on the road.
A minute into the fourth quarter, Rudder recovered a Salado fumble at the Eagle 41-yard line and Ramirez connected with Nate Figgers for 21 yards before finding Kevin Holmes for a 21-yard strike with 9:49 left to knot the score at 28-28.
The Eagles answered with a scoring drive of 13 plays (including defensive penalties for offsides and encroachment and a Salado false start. Facing fourth-and-1, Kase Maedgen gave the Eagles a first down with a 3-yard run. Luke Law found Caden Stricklan for a 31-yard touchdown. Chtay connected on the point-after kick for a 35-28 lead with 6:09 left to play.
Rudder was the first to score, taking the opening kick off and driving 72 yards in seven plays. Nate Scoutron scored on an 8-yard run and Antonio Gonzales converted the pint-after for a 7-0 lead.
The Eagles answered on the second play from scrimmage, a 57-yard bomb to Seth Reavis. Chtay made the score 7-7 with 9:01 left in the first.
It would be almost two hours before either team scored, as lightning in the area kep the teams off of the field until 9:30.
Salado recovered a fumble at their own 24-yard line to set up an 11-play scoring drive, capped by a 14-yard pass from Law to Reavis. Chtay kicked the PAT for a 14-7 lead with 10:13 left in the half. Law connected with Strickland for 38 yards to get deep into Ranger territory.
Ramirez moved Rudder down the field with a 23-yard pass to Holmes to get to the Salado 33. He hit Holmes again, but Holmes coughed up the ball and Dusty Rhiddlehoover recovered it at the Salado 26 to set up an eight-play scoring drive. Law hit Roman Law for a 12-yard touchdown strike with 6:53 left in the half. Chtay kicked the extra point for a 21-7 lead with 6:53 left in the half. Law hit Reavis for a 38-yard pass during the drive.
Rudder closed the lead in the final minutes of the half, driving 74 yards in 15 plays. Ramirez found Martin for a 21-yard touchdown with 1:14 left in the half. Gonzales made it 21-14.
After swapping possessions to start the second half, Salado went up 28-14 on a 10-play, 48-yard drive. A defensive pass interference set Salado up for first-and-goal at the Rangers’ 7-yard line. Maedgen bulled to the 2-yard line where Law dove in to score on a third down play with 5:56 left in the third. Chtay gave the Eagles a 28-14 lead.
Figgers caught a 38-yard touchdown pass from Ramirez and Gonzales converted the PAT to narrow Salado’s lead to 28-21 with 3:15 left in the third.
Law was 18-of-33 for 342 yards and 4 TDs. He ran in a TD as well. Reavis was again his favorite receiver, catching six passes for 183 and two TDs. Strickland caught four passes for 68 yards and a TD. Wilson caught three passes for 47 yards. Kase Maedgen caught two for 16. Morgan Adams caught a pass for 15 yards and Roman Law caught two passes for 13 yards and a TD.
Maedgen led the Salado runners with 24 carries for 83 yards. He had a 38-yard touchdown called back because of a blindside block downfield with 1:32 left to play.