Plainsmen Power Past El Paso Franklin in Homecoming Win

The Plainsmen made their mark early. After a few exchanges, the offense capitalized on an explosive play and seized their first lead of the game. Quarterback Luke Arrington handed the ball to senior running back Kyree Baxter, who sprinted the distance for a 61-yard touchdown rush. After a successful kick, Monterey led 7-0.

After a takeaway by Monterey’s defense, the Plainsmen added to their advantage. Arrington found junior receiver Cam Taylor for a 35-yard touchdown. Another successful kick put the Plainsmen ahead 14-0 with 1:40 left in the 1st quarter.

Later in the 2nd, with Franklin trying to put something together at the Cougar’s 41-yard line, the Plainsmen managed to secure a fumble. The offense thanked the defense with more points. Franklin’s defense stepped up, but the Plainsmen secured a 23-yard field goal and led 17-0.

The Cougars responded almost immediately. After a handful of first downs, the Franklin offense saw themselves against the Monterey defense, but this time, in the red zone. A huge stop by the Plainsmen had the Cougars at 4th and 2 with the ball on the 4-yard line. Senior quartrerback Jayden Villa called his own number and rushed for the 4-yard score. A successful kick put the Cougars on the board but the Plainsmen still led 17-7.

With only a little over a minute left before halftime, the Plainsmen needed a response headed into halftime. With the help of some leftover timeouts and a deep pass to junior receiver Q Boyd, the Plainsmen moved into field goal range. Monterey nailed the field goal with 3 seconds to spare. Monterey led Franklin 20-7 at halftime.

El Paso Franklin took over the momentum early in the 2nd half with a Monterey fumble on the opening kickoff. After a short drive, junior running back Ernie Powers punched the ball into the end zone for a touchdown.

A defensive battle ensued throughout the 3rd quarter until Monterey’s offense finally broke into the Cougar’s red zone. However, inside the 10-yard line, another fumble killed the offensive momentum. Luckily, the defense stepped up. Under pressure, Franklin’s Villa threw an errant pass to avoid a sack. There was no receiver in the area, and an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone resulted in a safety for the Plainsmen. Monterey led 22-14 headed to the 4th quarter.

In the 4th quarter, Monterey shifted to a ball-control strategy and didn't look back. The Plainsmen used two extended drives to eat up much of the remaining time on the clock. At the 21-yard line, with 4:45 left in the 4th quarter, Arrington threw a dart to Taylor for his second touchdown of the night. Monterey pulled away, 29-14.

The Plainsmen's defense decided they needed one more accolade on the night. Cougars QB Villa's tried a slant route to a covered receiver. It was tipped and then intercepted by Plainsmen sophomore cornerback Terance King. King almost returned the INT for a pick-six but fell just short at the 1-yard line. 

Arrington and the rest of the offense trotted back onto the field to finish the job. With only one yard to go, Dez Williams dove over the Cougars’ defensive line into the end zone for his first touchdown of the night.

With less than three minutes left on the clock, the Cougars attempted a last-gasp comeback, but the remaining time on the clock trickled away. The Plainsmen secured their first win of the season on homecoming night, 36-14.

Lubbock Monterey’s Head Coach, Judd Thrash, spoke on his team’s performance down the stretch. Watch that interview below:

The Lubbock Monterey Plainsmen (1-2) hit the road on Thursday, September 19, to square off against the 6A Odessa High Bronchos (1-1). Kickoff is slated at 7:00 p.m., in Odessa at historic Ratliff Stadium.