Lytle Pirates Football defeated Medina Valley Creek View 21-18 after a storm rolled in Friday evening and forced the game to be postponed to Saturday morning. In the middle of everything, our starting quarterback, #3 Weston Jackson, experienced a heat-related issue that prevented him from continuing the game. We then loaded our kids onto buses to get them safely back home. It was a night filled with uncertainty, emotion, and adversity.
Then Saturday morning came. And we had a choice.
We could focus on everything that had happened to us — or we could GET BACK UP, grab the oar, and keep rowing.
Our kids chose to row.
They BELIEVED. They FOUGHT. They STOOD STRONG. And when adversity hit again — they DIDN’T FLINCH!
Without our starting quarterback, four different young men stepped into the QB position throughout the game: Angel De La Rosa, Burl Jopling, Matthew Wimer, and PJ Guillen.
Four players. Four different roles. One mission.
Nobody complained about what we didn't have. Nobody made excuses. They simply asked, “What does the team need from me?”
That was the story of our entire team.
Our defense made huge stops in huge moments, led by senior OLB Ethan Elizondo. Our kids were asked to play positions and serve in roles they weren't accustomed to — and they did it SELFLESSLY.
Our offensive line deserves tremendous credit. Ryan Hendrickson, Aidan Alvarez, Jose Dominguez, Rosendo Gonzales, Amadeus Del Toro, Mason Elizondo, and Kevin Vasquez-Gonzalez kept fighting and paved the way for our quarterbacks and running backs.
Behind them, Angel De La Rosa delivered an incredible performance: 26 carries, 301 rushing yards, and a touchdown, earning our Golden Oarsman Player of the Week.
But the numbers only tell part of the story.
Senior Seth Pierce made an unbelievable touchdown reception in the back of the end zone with 1:12 remaining in the first half on a pass from senior PJ Guillen.
Jose Dominguez showed tremendous toughness playing both OL and DL, and late in the game, Ethan Elizondo came screaming off the edge on a blitz, forced a fumble, and Jose recovered it.
Another punch. Another response.
Then came the final minute.
We were trailing with :51 seconds remaining.
No flinching. No panic.
PJ Guillen found Sophomore WR Burl Jopling, who took it down the left sideline and INTO THE END ZONE!
Game-winning touchdown.
There were :42 seconds left on the clock.
And Burl wears #42. You couldn't write it any better.
But what I am most proud of isn't the final score. I'm proud that our kids were punched — and got back up. They made mistakes — and kept rowing. They faced uncertainty — and kept believing. They were asked to sacrifice — and served one another. They experienced adversity — and refused to allow adversity to define them.
THAT is what Lytle Pirate Football is about!
This team is different because of its CONNECTION! This team is different because these kids are learning that when your boat hits rough water, you don't throw down your oar! YOU ROW HARDER!
Friday night tested us.
Saturday morning revealed us!
And what was revealed was a group of young men who are learning to Demand Growth and Deliver Belief, and who understand that when life punches you in the mouth — YOU DON'T FLINCH. YOU GET BACK UP. YOU GRAB YOUR OAR.
AND YOU KEEP ROWING!
I could not be prouder of our kids, our coaching staff, our families, our administration, and our entire Lytle community for the way they stood beside our team through an unforgettable 24 hours.
This was bigger than football.
Keep gROWing!
- Coach Trevino
