Lubbock High Stumbles in District Opener

Lubbock High received the opening kickoff and looked to break out early on offense. A pass to Braiden Dunkerson moved the ball down the field over 40 yards before Tascosa finally caught him. However, a penalty nullified the big gain, and that set the tone for the remainder of the contest. Lubbock High struggled to produce on offense all night, while Tascosa experienced no such struggles.

The Rebels scored early and often and quickly got on the board with just under 10 minutes remaining in the 2nd quarter. A rushing touchdown saw the Westerners down 7-0. Lubbock High had to punt on the ensuing possession, and Tascosa made a huge play. A defender off the edge blocked the punt and Tascosa took over deep in Lubbock High’s territory. Another quick touchdown from a pass down the middle saw the score 14-0 in a blink.

The Westerners finally broke through the defense on the next possession, but ran into a wall in Tascosa territory. Faced with a 4th down and short, Head Coach Juan Rodriguez rolled the dice. Dunkerson took the carry, but was met behind the line. The Westerners turned the ball over on downs, which led to another Rebel touchdown.

After another Tascosa touchdown later in the 2nd quarter, disaster struck once again. A kick in between the 2nd and 3rd levels of the kicking team hit the turf before the Westerners could field the kick. The ever-opportunistic Rebels’ special teams unit jumped on the loose ball to set up shop at Lubbock High’s 13-yard line. They scored just a few plays later. The Westerners headed to the locker room at the half, down 35-0.

Lubbock High played better in the 2nd half. Tascosa still found offensive production, but the Westerners limited the damage to three touchdowns. The Lubbock High offense finally found the end zone with under five minutes to play in the game. A quick pass deep in Tascosa territory punched the ball into the end zone to prevent the shut out. Lubbock High fell on Thursday night, 56-7.

The game against Tascosa just wasn’t Lubbock High’s night. Despite making a few plays here and there on both sides of the ball, mental mistakes on special teams held the Westerners back. Lubbock High has to execute at a high level to claim district wins in this tough district but is capable of righting course with some evaluation and practice.

The Westerners return to action on Friday, October 11, when Lubbock High squares off with one of their cross-town rivals, the Monterey Plainsmen. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.