Seminoles celebrate Labor Day with three victories

There wasn’t a whole lot of laboring on Labor Day for three Deer Park Seminoles youth football teams Monday afternoon as the Sophomore, Junior and Senior Seminoles all improved their positions in the South Texas Youth Football Association standings.

The Senior Seminoles continued their strong getaway from the starting gates when six different players scored touchdowns in coasting to a 48-6 win over the Galveston Hurricanes at Clyde Abshier Stadium.

The Junior Seminoles finished their opening three possessions with touchdowns en route to a 29-0 victory over the Hurricanes.

The Sophomore Seminoles had the biggest scare of the day, but a one-point, second-half lead mushroomed into an eventual 26-12 victory over the Hurricanes.

The Senior Seminoles, making their first appearance at Clyde Abshier Stadium after playing their season opener at the Deer Park North campus two weeks ago, scored every way possible including the defense registering a safety for the opening points of the game, before also collecting a pick-6 and a scoop-N-score.

No, the offense didn’t take the holiday off. Quarterback Gavin Johnston had arguably his best game yet, throwing for two touchdowns and running for a third. As if that wasn’t enough, Johnston kicked three two-point conversion kicks. The team took a knee after its last two touchdowns.

Both touchdown passes were dazzling throws and catches. Jim Gonzalez II caught the first, a 61-yard heave that stopped some blossoming Hurricanes momentum in its tracks. The Galveston squad had just scored their one touchdown, a kickoff return worth 50 yards and then forced the Seminoles to eat a fumble 11 yards back from the line of scrimmage. Gonzalez also registered the pick-6, good for 45 yards.

But then came Johnston’s touchdown pass and it was all downhill from there as the advantage improved to 22-6 with 4:38 left in the first half.

The second TD pass was a well-run pass route into the end zone from nine yards out to Jace Thorne for the team’s fifth touchdown late in the first half.

“It was Skittles Right which is the play we call it. It’s a little out route. I just cut across the slant and then Gavin hit me on that route,” said Thorne, celebrating his first touchdown reception of the season, while expressing surprise that he was pretty wide open.

Setting up the score was Johnston’s second sweetest pass of the afternoon, a 33-yarder to Grant Smith.

Adan Morales accounted for the team’s opening eight points. “Tank” as he’s affectionately called along the Seminoles sidelines, was credited with sacking the Hurricanes quarterback in the end zone for the safety and then he scored the team’s first offensive touchdown, a 34-yard run, dragging two or three Galveston defenders into the end zone with him.

During the Hurricanes’ second possession, Morales and Colin Wagers combined for a 15-yard sack and two plays later, Tank was sacking the quarterback again, putting his teammates on offense.

“Tank is definitely one of our assets. He’s a pleasure to coach. He works really hard,” head coach Jeraco Johnston said.

Wagers tallied the scoop-N-score, good for 44 yards to make it 42-6 in ending the first half.

“All our kids showed up. We played decent football today. We still have a ways to go. We have a lot of work to do to finish out the season. I’m proud of the twos stepping up today. I’m happy for my offensive linemen. They got some carries in. We’ve got to give them the ball every once in awhile for all their hard work and dedication,” Johnston said.

SOPHOMORES

Hudson Sexton rushed in the neighborhood of 50 yards after Galveston had cut the score to 13-12, including a run around the left side that inflated the lead back to 19-12.

“I think it was good blocking by the wide receivers. I did my job and the wide receivers did their job so we did the right thing. I shouldn’t have gotten caught from behind a couple of times. I should have run a little faster,” Sexton said.

He ran just fast enough on the PAT that created the final score. With five minutes left, he scooted to the right. A Hurricanes defender had his fingers right up against Sexton’s jersey but couldn’t grab hold.

The other star late in the game was Luke Nunn. After the touchdown that made it 19-12, Nunn recovered the ensuing squib kick. After an incomplete pass on first down, Nunn had his number called and the 9-year-old ran up the gut thanks to a tremendous hole between the tackles for a 43-yard score.

JUNIORS

Quarterback Davis Horton scored 16 points, including a pair of first quarter touchdowns in sparking the team to the easy STYFA victory.

With boys like Joshua Cruz, Nathaniel Arteaga, Colton Cain and Josiah Castillo providing protection up front, the Seminoles ground attack rushed for close to 200 yards.

Thanks to the ground game, the contest was all but over at halftime and the Seminoles leading 21-0. But the defense did its part. On the Hurricanes’ first snap from center, the team fumbled and Montgomery Bowser recovered.

Four plays later, the Seminoles owned a 13-0 advantage as Jacob Hood ran for 25 yards and Horton ate up the last 25 yards with 1:46 remaining in the first quarter. Hood also had a 21-yard gallop that set up Horton’s first score, a five-yard scamper.

Aaron Coronado was another defensive standout. Galveston’s ground game was spinning its wheels in the first half and Coronado was the reason why, causing negative yardage plays of three and four yards.

Jayton Landingham scored the team’s third touchdown, a two-yard run that finished a six-play, 53-yard drive. The only pass play was an eight-yard toss to Ethan Mixon.

Landingham may have also turned in the best run ever witnessed at Abshier Stadium. The kid broke 19 tackles en route to a 30-yard scamper that deposited his teammates almost in the red zone. A Horton run of 13 yards and an unnecessary roughness call did put the team in the red zone at the six. Four plays later, Horton was scoring his second TD.

ravery@hcnonline.com