Leopards turn back Bovina

BOVINA - New Home would never proclaim it had figured out the Bovina Mustangs in Friday night's District 2-2A Division II tilt.

The box score said otherwise.

After a dominant Mustangs first quarter, it was all New Home the rest of the way as the Leopards scored 21 unanswered to topple Bovina 21-14.

Freshman Caleb Cook threw for 173 yards and two scores, and the Leopard defense held its own after quickly falling behind 14-0.

"I didn't do a very good job of getting us ready to play from the beginning," New Home coach Jon Ward said. "We came out with a little bit of nerves. We settled in after those first two drives.

"Hats off to Steven Keys, our defensive coordinator. He was able to keep those guys calm and we were able to make stops when we needed."

Early on, a Bovina blowout was brewing. Darian De La Rosa, who rushed for 198 yards, opened the scoring with a 3-yard run and set up the Mustangs' second tally with a 75-yard sprint to the New Home 2 before quarterback Angel Lara punched it in a play later.

But the Mustangs' offense was mostly punchless the rest of the way, posting just 88 yards and four first downs over the final three quarters. The first two drives, by contrast, produced 157 yards and eight first downs.

"They didn't do anything differently; we just didn't execute," Bovina coach Coby Emery said. "It was a classic case of getting up big and hitting the lull. It happens at every level."

After holding Bovina to a pair of three-and-outs to start the second quarter, the Leopards (6-3, 3-0 district) started to build offensive momentum midway through the period as Alex Vitolas' 5-yard run capped an eight-play drive. Bovina (4-6, 3-1) nearly got into halftime with a touchdown lead, but a batted pass on New Home's fourth-and-goal found its way into Brody Emert's hands for a 15-yard score with 33 seconds left.

Aided by a facemark penalty, the Leopards quickly got to midfield on their first third-quarter possession before Cook found Jackson Raines on a 45-yard touchdown pass. Neither team got inside the red zone for the rest of the night, except for the final New Home possession following an interception at the Bovina 23.

The first two drives saw De La Rosa carry the ball 11 times for 137 yards. His final 20 carries produced 61 yards.

"We knew he was going to get his spots and be successful," Ward said of De La Rosa, "but what we really wanted to do was make sure he didn't have very many cutback lanes. That's where they get a lot of their big plays."

New Home, seeking its first playoff win as an 11-man team this season, can win the title outright with a victory at home on Friday over Sudan.

The Mustangs have a bye week to close out the regular season, and simply have to wait to see who they're facing in the playoffs. Emery said it should be either Seagraves or Wink.

Panhandle 36, Farwell 35 - At Panhandle, the Panthers scored twice in the final quarter, overcoming a 21-point, second-half deficit and a huge game by Farwell sophomore running back Corey Stancell to claim the District 1-2A Division I title.

Stancell paced a 413-yard ground attack for the Steers (7-2, 3-1 district), carrying 27 times for 269 yards and four touchdowns. Senior Carlos Castillo added 131 yards on just 11 attempts and scored the team's other TD.

For the game, the teams combined for nearly 1,000 yards of total offense, with Farwell posting a 535-437 advantage. The Panthers (4-5, 4-0) gained 273 yards through the air and had three touchdown passes.

Both teams close the regular season on Friday, but Panhandle already owns the district tiebreaker over the Steers.