Lubbock Estacado Wins Stubborn Defensive Battle Over Jim Ned

Neither offense moved the needle much throughout the first quarter and a half of the contest. Jim Ned had the most success but never managed to punch the ball into the endzone. However, the Matadors finally woke up with 8:35 remaining in the 2nd quarter. A mishandled snap saw Jim Ned put the ball on the turf, and LB Jaylen Matthews jumped on the loose ball.

With momentum and a short field in front of them, the Matadors finally broke the stalemate. Quarterback Christian Martinez threw a screen pass to Cedric Ross. Ross can fly down the football field with some serious speed, and he showed it in this play. He beat his man to the outside and outran everyone to the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown. Estacado led with seven and a half minutes to play in the second quarter.

The Matadors had one final opportunity to score near the end of the half.  Lubbock had the ball at Jim Ned’s 4-yard line with less than 10 seconds to play. Faced with a 4th down and four yards to go, Estacado went for it. Jim Ned’s defense stepped up to kill the drive with a sack.

A pooch kick to open the second half proved to be a genius move for Estacado. Jim Ned did not cover the ball up, and the Matadors pounced on the football to give Estacado a free possession. The Matadors quickly pushed the ball down the short field for the game’s second touchdown. A 3-yard touchdown run from Bobby Ross put Estacado up 14-0 with 10:05 remaining in the 3rd quarter.

Jim Ned finally found a working formula on offense with time winding down in the 3rd quarter. Instead of lining up with receivers out wide, the Indians brought in two tight ends to run a double-tight set. With the additional blockers on the interior, the holes blew wide open for the running backs. Jim Ned pushed the ball down the field on a long, arduous drive. With a 3rd and two at the Matadors’ 4-yard line, Jim Ned’s Aiden Ellis punched the ball into the end zone to narrow Estacado’s lead to 7.

After Estacado punted on the ensuing possession, it looked like Jim Ned had the Matadors figured out. The Indians ran the same two plays over and over as Jim Ned marched down the field. A touchdown almost seemed like a foregone conclusion until a fumbled snap over the quarterback’s head breathed new life into the defense.

The game came down to how the Matadors responded after being punched in the mouth on defense. Several times, Jim Ned looked like they captured the momentum and would take the lead. Estacado never backed down. The defense continued to make plays. Cedric Ross added another huge play to his already great game when he deflected a pass that would have most likely gone for a massive gain or even a touchdown. The Matadors’ unit stopped Jim Ned on multiple 4th down attempts as the 4th quarter wound away.

Jim Ned had a final chance to get the ball back with less than two minutes to play, but Estacado converted a 4th and one for a first down. Lubbock Estacado claimed victory in an excellent defensive game, 14-7.

After the game, first-year head coach and former Texas Tech Red Raider Eric Ward gave his thoughts on his team’s performance. Watch that interview below:

The Matadors improve to 1-0 on the season and stay home again next week when they host the Hereford Whitefaces. Kickoff in that matchup is scheduled for 7 p.m.