By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
It was a picture-perfect November football Saturday afternoon as Roy/Mosquero Longhorns hosted the Gateway Christian Warriors for the 6-man State Football Championship in Roy to a large crowd on November 11.
The game turned out to be everything a Championship Game should be. Several lead changes, spectacular plays, and miscues but Roy/Mosquero had the stamina to prevail 46-38 and complete their own perfect season.
It was a clash of David and Goliath proportions as Gateway came into the game the back-to-back defending champion in 2021 and 2022. The Warriors had reeled off two separate undefeated seasons en route to those Blue Trophies and were undefeated at 10-0 coming into Saturday’s game.
As the game got underway Gateway took the opening kickoff and even though the Roy defense was stingy on the ground, QB Zach McCracken moved the Warriors downfield to a first and goal from the 5, but a couple of penalties and they faced a fourth and goal from the four. McCracken went back to pass and was chased and sacked by Ayden Clavel to give Roy the ball at their own 15.
Disaster struck quickly though for the Longhorns as on the first play from scrimmage, the ball was knocked out of Clavel’s hands giving the Warriors the ball first and goal at the 2. Eli Leonard went the two yards and the PAT by Maddox Jennings gave Gateway an 8-0 lead with just under 5 minutes left in the first quarter. Roy took the ball and moved down the field then faltered and was forced to turn the ball over on downs near midfield.
Gateway took the ball into the second quarter and turned the ball over on downs.
Roy finally sparked and took the ball to the end zone with an 8-yard run by Jackson Fudge for six. The 2-point kick by Fudge tied the game at eight. Gateway mishandled the kickoff and took over on the 3-yardline, but a personal foul penalty moved the ball out to the 19 and one play later Gateway fumbled with Ayden Clavel recovering the ball at the 20.
Four plays later Roy’s Clavel found pay dirt with a three-yard run at 6:00 on the second quarter clock. The PAT was no good and left the score 14-8. Gateway takes the kickoff and moves downfield only to have Jackson Fudge intercept a pass and take it over 40 yards for a pick-six score. Fudge had to catch his breath and kick the PAT making the score 22-8 with 4:29 left in the first half. For Fudge, it was his 10th interception of the season
Gateway gets back in the game with the help of a facemask penalty and a long pass down field. It’s topped off with a 9-yard pass play to Rayf Fulkerson. The PAT is good and makes the score 22-16 at 1:33 left in the half. Gateway’s kicker Maddox Jennings was an All-State kicker last year and boomed the kick through the endzone and when Roy started on their own 20, another disaster awaited the home team. After a 19-yard sack put the ball at the Roy one-yard line, a fumble in the endzone gave Gateway another golden opportunity with a first and goal at the one and they added another short TD. However, the PAT is blocked and leaves the game tied at 22 with less than a minute left in the second quarter. Roy moves downfield quickly in the final seconds of the second quarter, but two incompletions and the time expires.
The second half is just as action-packed as the first half was with Roy moving downfield only to turn the ball over on downs. Gateway seems a bit confused and has two delay of game penalties but goes to the air to Rayf Fulkerson for a 52-yard pass play for six. The PAT Kick was good leaving the Warriors on top 30-22 at 7:53 in the third.
Roy gets creative moving down the field with one play having two pitches but the drive appeared to have been stopped with a Gateway pass interception, but on the run back, Gateway fumbles and Roy recovers the ball at the Roy 27. Roy struggles to move the ball, then a spark hits as Jackson Fudge takes a 45-yard pass play in for six. The kick is good making it a tie game at 30.
The Roy defense has shined all year and they force Gateway to punt for the first time, but the punt is blocked giving Roy the ball on the Gateway 20. Two plays later freshman Brycen Barnes powers through the six yards for six more points. The PAT kick was partially blocked but hit a Gateway helmet and tumbled over the goalpost for two. That left the score 38-30 with 1:34 left in the third.
The score didn’t stay that way for long as on the ensuing kickoff, Gateway returned an attempted on-side kick for six and tied the game at 38 with the PAT. Roy then takes the kickoff at the Gateway 34. A personal foul on Gateway gives them a 15-yard gain only to have the a TD pass to Brycen Barnes called back on a holding penalty. But, Clavel and Fudge, both junior classmen, connect once again, and finish off the drive with a 29-yard pass play for six. The PAT is good making it a 46-38 ball game with three seconds left in the third quarter.
The fourth quarter goes defensive, and penalty-ridden with neither team making it down the field before having to turn the ball over on downs. As the clock winds down Roy has the football and moves down the field, but averts disaster this time as the ball is fumbled, but manage to get it back at the Gateway 11-yard line. As the buzzer sounds to end the game Roy’s earned its sixth 6-man championship in school history and first in 25 years.
Roy finished a perfect season at 12-0 including three playoff wins at home, and earned the Blue Trophy for Head Coach Donny Estrada and Assistant Coaches Jesse Estrada and Jerome Earle.
The 2023 Longhorn team had only 1 senior, Hunter Scott. Ayden Clavel, Jackson Fudge and Tagon Lopez were the junior classmen. Logan Martinez was the lone sophomore and freshmen were Ethan Hazen, Brycen Barnes, Charlie Smith and Thomas Deherrera. Suiting up for the State Champions were 8th graders Michael Lopez; Grant Fudge, Rhett Smith and Brigz Bell.
