Strong 2nd Half from Lubbock Estacado Wins "Red Raider Bowl"

After a defensive stop, Levelland immediately went to work to take the opening lead in the contest. The Lobos drove down the field and had the Matadors reeling. One of Levelland’s running backs, Ricky Rodriguez, later took a handoff into the end zone from just inside Estacado’s 20-yard line. After the extra point, the Lobos led 7-0.

Estacado responded almost immediately. On a broken play where Estacado put the ball on the turf, Cedric Ross picked up the loose football before he made it to the outside and sprinted all the way to the end zone for a Matador touchdown. A missed 2-point conversion left the score 7-6 with 7:41 remaining in the 1st quarter.

Estacado’s defense stepped up on the ensuing Levelland possession. After a deep ball moved the Lobos inside Estacado’s 10-yard line, the Matadors stiffened and did not allow Levelland into the end zone. Levelland kicked a short field goal to extend the lead to 10-6.

Neither offense broke through for the remainder of the 1st quarter and much of the 2nd. Levelland forced a turnover on downs before the Lobos missed a field goal on the other end of the field. The Matadors converted two 4th downs on the ensuing drive but also missed a field goal at Levelland’s 15-yard line. 

The Lobos had the ball back with just over three minutes to play before the half, but a stubborn Matador defense would not make it easy to score. However, two broken coverages on two plays allowed Levelland to move the ball quickly down the field. With just four seconds remaining in the first half, Ethan Salazar hit Gage Potter on a quick pass inside the 5-yard line. Potter initially was stopped outside of the goal line, but a long reach allowed him to put the nose of the football across the line. A missed extra point left the score at 16-6 as both teams headed to the locker room at the half.

Who knows what was said to the Estacado defense in the locker room, but the Matadors came out ready to play. After Estacado shut out Levelland on the opening possession, the Matadors’ big play ability came to life. Cedric Ross took a seemingly short gain to the left side of the field but reversed the field, made a couple of moves, and took the football for a 55-yard touchdown. Estacado cut into the lead but still trailed 16-14.

The Estacado defense showed up again on the Lobos’ second possession. Bobby Ross made his presence felt with more than one tackle in Levellands’ backfield. The potent passing attack that shredded the defense in the first half came up short again, and the Lobos had to punt.

Estacado had the ball around the midfield stripe with a chance to take the lead. The offensive line really started to impress their will on the Levelland defense. When the running backs touched the football, holes that were not present in the first half started to show up. The Matadors drove the ball to the 25-yard line before James Bozeman reversed the field on another short carry that turned into a highlight-worthy touchdown. After the successful 2-point conversion, Estacado led 22-16 with three seconds remaining in the 3rd quarter.

Levelland proved why they are 4-2 following the lead change. The Lobos went on an absolute march, covering more than 75 yards on a monster 15-play drive that took a solid eight minutes off the 4th quarter. Levelland converted more than one 4th down on the drive to retake the lead.

Estacado had just over four minutes to answer the score. With all the pressure on the offense, these boys delivered. Bobby Ross and Cedric Ross truly were the heroes on the night as they drove the ball down the field. With 1:23 remaining in the 4th quarter, Cedric Ross added to his highlight reel. At Levelland’s 38-yard line, Bobby Ross set a block on the edge that set Cedric loose. Cedric weaved in and out of Lobo defenders on his way to a 38-yard touchdown. However, a missed 2-point conversion left the Matadors with a 5-point lead. Levelland had one more chance to win with less than a minute and a half to play.

South Plains LIVE!’s Ryan Chadwick interviewed Cedric Ross after his big night. Watch that interview below:

Bobby Ross and the Matador defense stepped up one more time to claim a homecoming victory and a district win for their school. After a penalty and three straight incompletions, Levelland faced a 4th down and 15 yards to go. Bobby Ross came on a blitz off the edge and had a free run to the quarterback. Ross blasted Ethan Salazar for a sack to secure the Matadors their first district win, 28-23.

After the game, Head Coach Eric Ward gave his thoughts on his team’s growth up to this point in the season and had some nice things to say about the head coach and former teammate on the opposite sideline. Watch that interview below:

Lubbock Estacado (3-4, 1-0) returns to action on the road next Friday, October 18, when the Matadors travel to play another district matchup, this time against the Perryton Rangers. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Levelland has a week to recover from the close loss to Estacado but returns to action on Friday, October 25, when the Lobos host the Perryton Rangers.