Steers overtake Lions in second half to win

FARWELL – Things didn't look all that good early for Farwell's football team on Friday night, but the Steers had a feeling their time was coming.

A late second-quarter touchdown gave New Deal a 10-point lead at the half, but Farwell blanked the Lions over the final 24 minutes and pulled away to a 40-30 victory in the season opener for both squads.

Senior running back Corey Stancell rushed for 138 yards and four touchdowns for Farwell, while junior quarterback Jonathan Armstrong threw for 199 yards and a score and ran for 97 yards and a touchdown in his first varsity start.

Farwell finished with a 441-384 advantage in total offense in a wide-open game which featured big plays and impactful penalties by both sides.

"That was a good win; they're a good team," Steers coach Darren Kelley said. "We learned a lot tonight. The best thing about this group is they like each other and they play hard for each other."

Farwell went three-and-out on its first three possessions and fell behind 13-0 as Lions sophomore quarterback Dallas Sumner fired scoring passes of 68 and 19 yards, respectively, to senior wide receivers Aiden Ysaguirre and Komer Vasquez in the opening stanza.

Armstrong, though, connected with senior tight end Jackson Wilbourn on a 34-yard TD toss on the second play of the second period before the game turned into a bit of a shootout.

Farwell pulled to 23-20 on a 3-yard run by Stancell with 30 seconds left in the half, but senior running back Slade Martin appeared to get momentum back for the Lions when he broke a 58-yard TD run on the first play following the kickoff.

Farwell's defense took over in the second half.

"Even when they scored that touchdown just before the half, we could tell they were getting tired," said Wilbourn, who also plays linebacker and handles placekicking duties for the Steers. "We really are proud of the fact that we're in good shape."

Stancell's 5-yard run got the Steers close midway through the third quarter, and he put Farwell ahead by going in from 23 yards out on the first play of the final canto. Armstrong then capped a 90-yard drive with a 7-yard TD run to make it a two-score game.

"It was great," Wilbourn said of the game. "It's a great way to start your senior year."

Kelley said this year's team may not have quite the talent of last year's squad, but he thinks its chemistry will go a long ways.

"I think we've got some really good guys," he said. "They aren't going to be the same (team) as we were last year, but I think they're going to have a good year."

Sumner went 16-of-26 through the air for 317 yards for the Lions, with Ysaguirre catching seven balls for 150 yards. Vasquez had a second touchdown catch covering 48 yards in the second segment.

In other Texas area season openers on Friday night:

Muleshoe 48, Littlefield 20 – The Mules cruised past their longtime rivals at home, piling up more than 600 yards of total offense.

Junior quarterback Nathan Martens went 15-for-25 through the air for 360 yards and three touchdowns – two to Ramzee Martinez and one to Sebastian Kirven. Martinez caught five passes for 100 yards while junior Yahir Quezada caught four for 151 yards and Kirven grabbed four for 62.

Martens added 131 rushing yards on eight carries. Senior Daniel Suarez had 121 yards and two scores on the ground, and sophomore Josue Sigala added 48 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, junior Aaron Morales was in on 16 stops (seven solos). The Mules forced five turnovers, with Martinez posting an interception and a fumble recovery.

Vega 39, Bovina 26 – At Bovina, senior quarterback Carson Brorman threw for two touchdowns and senior running back Jose Silerio gave the Longhorns the lead for good with a 2-yard scoring run late in the half.

Bovina led 6-0 early, and regained a 14-13 lead when senior Angel Lara converted a blocked Vega PAT try into a 2-point defensive conversion in the second stanza. Silerio made it 19-14, then gave Vega a two-score advantage on a 5-yard TD run in the third stanza.

Senior running back Braden Brorman caught a 4-yard TD pass from Casen Brorman early in the final frame, then added a 1-yard TD run later in the period.

Senior quarterback Daniel Herrera had a pair of 1-yard TD runs for the Mustangs, and tossed scoring passes of 29 yards to senior Miguel Lopez in the first quarter and 5 yards to senior Michael Nieto in the fourth.