Game 8

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=95 BGCOLOR="#336600" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="066005f0dwnplj.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>GOBBLER SPORTS</B></FONT><B>   </B><B>|     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="GOBBLER SPORTS"><U><B>home</B></U></A>   <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Game 1"><U>Game 1</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Game 2"><U>Game 2</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Game 3"><U>Game 3</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Game 4"><U>Game 4</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Game 5"><U>Game 5</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id41.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Game 6"><U>Game 6</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id42.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Game 7"><U>Game 7</U></A>   |   <B>Game 8</B>   |   <A HREF="id44.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Game 9"><U>Game 9</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id45.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Game 10"><U>Game 10</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id47.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Game 11"><U>Game 11</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id48.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Game 12"><U>Game 12</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id49.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Game 13"><U>Game 13</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id82.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Game 14"><U>Game 14</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>District Scores</B></div> <div> <B>Cuero 34\ Edna 7</B></div> <div> <B>Goliad 12\ Industrial 21</B></div> <div> <B>Halletsville 35 \Schulenburg 41</B></div> <div> <B>Luling vs Open</B></div> <div> <B>Gonzales vs Open</B></div> <div> <B>Yoakum vs open</B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=385 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> Game 8</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Gobblers hog-tie Cowboys 34-7</B></div> <div> <B>10/8/03</B></div> <div> <B>by Glenn Rea </B></div> <div> <B>Record Editor -</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >If there was a question about pecking order, Cuero’s Gobblers more than answered it Friday with a 34-7 win over Edna’s Cowboys. It was the Gobblers fourth win in a row and set the stage for their first district contest this week with Goliad. </FONT></div> <div> Coach Mark Reeve continues to credit the conditioning of the Gobblers as a key factor in their decisive wins over the past four weeks. Cuero has averaged 33 points a game in their last four outings while holding opponents to an average of 13. </div> <div> At Edna Cuero sent a clear message from the get-go. After taking Cuero’s kick-off, Gobblers Nick Taylor and Justin Robinson sacked the Cowboy quarterback on the first play. After losing ground on their first possession, the Cowboys punted to the Gobbler 45. </div> <div> With Matt Schumacher calling the plays, runningback Zach Gomez caught the first pass of the night for a 28-yard gain. Tailback Latrael Cooper moved the ball to Edna’s nine on his first run and then completed the distance on the next play to light up the scoreboard with Cuero’s first points of the night. The point-after kick missed its mark and Cuero settled for a 6-0 lead with eight minutes left in the opening period. </div> <div> The Cowboys used a couple of passes on their next possession to get into Gobbler country but Cuero shut down their offense on three consecutive plays to force the punt. </div> <div> In the final minutes of the first quarter, Cuero’s Larvell Roy and Matt Rauch dropped the Cowboy quarterback for a big loss on a third down play resulting in a another punt and the start of the second quarter. </div> <div> Cuero took control at their own 36. Nick Taylor dazzled Gobbler fans as he darted down the line taking Schumacher’s hand-off at full stride. As he cut up field, all the Cowboys could do was watch. He went untouched 64 yards for Cuero’s second score. Brandon Kuecker added the PAT and the Gobblers were up 13-0. </div> <div> The Gobblers lost the handle on the pigskin on their next possession giving the Cowboys a chance at the Cuero 22. Still they could not move the ball and tried a field goal from 30 yards out. The Gobbler pressure was too much and the ball missed its mark. </div> <div> With just over five minutes left in the first half, Edna took advantage of a short Gobbler punt to start a drive at Cuero’s 34. Facing a third and six, the Cowboys were successful with a half-back pass down the middle with a man open in the end zone. Their kick was good and the score was 13-7 with four minutes left. </div> <div> Giving up seven the points clearly upset the Gobblers. Starting at their own 10, Cuero put together a six play drive that resulted in another touchdown. Three consecutive passes moved the ball to the Cowboy 27. Two were caught by Gomez, one of them was a one-handed snatch that set up the TD. The other was a grab by tight-end Aaron Saenz. </div> <div> But again it was Cooper who wowed the fans with his speed. He blasted down the left side for 27 yards and the Gobbler score. Kuecker’s kick gave Cuero a 20-7 lead to end the first half. </div> <div> It wasn’t until the Gobbler’s second possession after the half that fans were brought to their feet again. Starting at his own 19, Cooper quickly moved Cuero into Cowboy country with a 44 yard gain on first down. </div> <div> Although a personal foul moved the Gobblers back, Schumacher took advantage of Cooper’s hot streak and sent him down the middle for a perfect pass that resulted in a touchdown. The clock showed 3:41 left in the third period with Cuero on top 27-7 after Kuecker’s extra point kick. </div> <div> The Gobbler defense continued its domination of the Cowboys even though Edna reached Cuero’s end of the field on their next two drives. Jeremy Ross, Gomez, Brady Urbanovsky, Dewonne Williams, Guajardo, Robinson, Dakota Williams, Rauch, Ben Mejia, Levon Munoz, Larvell Roy and Jennings Caraway were all credited with big plays forcing the Cowboys to give up the ball both times. </div> <div> Cooper showed no signs of slacking off in the fourth quarter. Just the opposite. With 8:40 left in the game, he took the hand-off on a first down play at Cuero’s 25 and blew past everyone down the left side for 75 yards and the Gobbler’s final score of the night. Kuecker added the PAT and Cuero settled for a 34-7 win. </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Cuero beats Edna for 4th win in a row</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>October 4, 2003</B></div> <div> <B>MIKE FORMAN</B></div> <div> <B>Advocate Sports Writer</B></div> <div> <B>EDNA</B> - Those seeking an example of the rapid maturation of the Cuero football team need look no further than Latrael Cooper. </div> <div> The junior running back rushed for 179 yards and three touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass to lead the Gobblers to 34-7 victory over Edna on Friday night at Cowboy Memorial Stadium. </div> <div> Cooper carried only 17 times, but scored on runs of 9, 27 and 75 yards, and had two receptions, including a 51-yard catch and run for a touchdown. </div> <div> "This is not the first time for Latrael," said Cuero coach Mark Reeve, who saw his team improve to 4-1 heading into next week's District 27-3A opener against Goliad. "Against Rockport-Fulton, he ripped them pretty good. Our other backs are playing defense so he's the one with the freshest legs on the team. The guy with the freshest legs has got to come through." </div> <div> Cooper put Cuero ahead to stay as he swept the right side from the Edna 9 for his first touchdown with 7:53 left in the first quarter. </div> <div> The Gobblers, who won their fourth straight game, extended their lead to 13-0 when Nick Taylor went 64 yards on a counter play. But Edna (3-2) cut the lead to 13-7 on a 31-yard halfback pass from Robert Gloria to Garrett O'Neal. Cooper gave the Gobblers some breathing room at halftime when he went through a hole on the left side for 27 yards and a touchdown with 1:32 remaining in the second quarter. </div> <div> Cooper helped the Gobblers put the game away in the second half by pulling in a pass from quarterback Matt Schumacher on the Cuero sideline and out-racing the Edna defenders 51 yards to the end zone. </div> <div> Cooper completed the scoring when he broke through another hole on the left side of the line and streaked 75 yards for a touchdown. </div> <div> "We came in with a positive attitude," Cooper said. "I was just trying to run hard. I have to give it up to my line. My line was doing it all for me." </div> <div> Cooper's performance helped Cuero overcome a number of miscues, including two lost fumbles and six penalties that forced it into poor field position. "We jumped offsides and we did some things," Reeve said. "But we're complicated. I think conditioning was a big key. I think some of our two-way players were fresher than their two-way players. We were able to take advantage of some things. " </div> <div> The Gobblers were able to exploit Edna's secondary, as Schumacher completed some key passes to his running backs. </div> <div> Schumacher, who was 6 of 9 for 160 yards, connected with running back Zach Gomez three times for 92 times. Two of the passes to Gomez came on third-and-long situations, and the third came on second-and-long and would have been a touchdown if Gomez hadn't bobbled the ball before stumbling and falling. </div> <div> "They were playing us in man coverage," Reeve said, "so that's where the mismatches were. Our backs were able to get away from their defenders." </div> <div> Edna had very little success on offense. The Cowboys managed only six first downs and 68 net yards. Edna quarterback Mario Soto was thrown for a loss or stopped for no gain on nine of the 11 times he carried the ball or attempted to pass. </div> <div> "We just couldn't get anything going," said Edna coach Mike Menefee, whose team opens District 28-3A play at Sweeny next week. "We're real, real young up front and we just blew some assignments." </div> <div> Edna's most effective weapon proved to be Gloria, who not only threw the touchdown pass, but also returned three kickoffs for 77 yards and four punts for 55 yards. </div> <div> But that paled in comparison to the production of Cooper, who left the game after his final touchdown run with 8:40 to go in the fourth quarter. </div> <div> "He's pretty dang good," Menefee said of Cooper. "You have to give coach Reeve a lot of credit. They're young, but they're maturing fast." </div> <div> <B>Cuero 6 14 7 7 - 34 </B></div> <div> <B>Edna 0 7 0 0 - 7 </B></div> <div> <B>First Quarter</B> </div> <div> <B>C -</B> Latrael Cooper 9 run (kick failed), 7:53 </div> <div> <B>Second Quarter</B> </div> <div> <B>C -</B> Nick Taylor 64 run (Brandon Kuecker kick), 11:36 </div> <div> <B>E -</B> Garrett O'Neal 31 pass from Robert Gloria (Patrick Lemke kick), 4:13 </div> <div> <B>C -</B> Cooper 27 run (Kuecker kick), 1:32 </div> <div> <B>Third Quarter</B> </div> <div> <B>C -</B> Cooper 51 pass from Matt Schumacher (Kuecker kick). 3:41 </div> <div> <B>Fourth Quarter</B> </div> <div> <B>C -</B> Cooper 75 run (Kuecker kick), 8:40 </div> <div> <B>Individual Statistics</B> </div> <div> <B>Rushing -</B> Cuero, Latreael Cooper 17-179; Nick Taylor 2-64; Dewone Williams 3-18; Matt Schumacher 4-11; Zach Gomez 2-3; Josh Guajardo 2-(-1); Courtney Williams 3-(-7); Larvell Roy 1-(-9). Edna, Larry Holmes 13-32; Anthony Mathis 7-15; Landon Turner 6-4; Robert Gloria 1-3; Steven Hermes 1-1; Mario Soto 11-(-37). </div> <div> <B>Passing -</B> Cuero, Schumacher 6-9-0 160; Russell Goebel 0-1-0 0; Edna, Soto 4-7-0 20; Gloria 1-1-0 30. </div> <div> <B>Receiving -</B> Cuero, Gomez 3-92; Cooper 2-53; Brady Urbanovsky 1-12; Aaron Saenz 1-3. Edna, Garrett O'Neal 1-31; Holmes 2-6; Derrick Bermea 1-9; Rashard Porche 1-4.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Edna out to end Cuero domination</B></div> <div> <B>October 3, 2003</B></div> <div> <B>MIKE FORMAN</B></div> <div> <B>Advocate Sports Writer</B></div> <bR> <div> Edna has not had much success against Cuero, but that didn't stop Edna coach Mike Menefee from agreeing to play the Gobblers when the teams were placed in different districts in the last University Interscholastic League realignment. </div> <div> "This game is a measuring stick of where we're at," Menefee said. "That's the reason we put Cuero in this spot. It helps us see where we're at heading into district." </div> <div> Cuero and Edna come into today's final non-district game, which is set for 7:30 p.m. at Edna's Cowboy Memorial Stadium, with 3-1 records. </div> <div> The Cowboys have defeated Refugio, Calhoun and Van Vleck, while losing to Yoakum. </div> <div> "We're not playing real well yet," Menefee said. "But I guess that's a good sign since we're making a lot of mistakes and still winning." </div> <div> The Gobblers have bounced back from a season-opening loss to Rice Consolidated and reeled off wins over Rockport-Fulton, Sealy and Sinton. "I think we're getting better every week," said Cuero coach Mark Reeve. "I think our offensive line is playing better and our defense is playing better. We're also getting better from the mental end." </div> <div> Menefee gives Reeve credit for getting a young team to develop so quickly. </div> <div> "They build on their mistakes," Menefee said. "They play good technique and they do a great job of running to the ball. They're real young, but coach Reeve has been patient and you can see them growing and maturing." </div> <div> Reeve has been impressed with Edna's ability to physically dominate its opponents. </div> <div> "They've got most of their defense back," Reeve said. "They also have a great running back and their quarterback is quick and does a good job of executing the offense. They might have the best defense we've played against." Menefee would like to see Edna's offense execute as well as the defense. </div> <div> "We need to do a better job with our blocking assignments," Menefee said. "We're getting after people, but if we block the right people it would be a lot better for us. Our effort is there, it just seems like sometimes we lose focus on what needs to be done. There have been times that if we can just get that one block, we're gone." </div> <div> The Cuero offense has experienced growing pains of its own. </div> <div> "We've seen a lot of improvement on offense but we still feel like we're probably about 50 percent as good as we can be," Reeve said. </div> <div> <B>NOTES:</B> Edna's Larry Holmes has rushed for 478 yards and three touchdowns, while Cuero's Zach Gomez has rushed for 438 yards and six touchdowns. </div> <div> Cuero offensive coordinator Richard Miller held a similar position at Edna last season. </div> <div> Cuero will host Goliad in its District 27-3A opener next week, while Edna will visit Sweeny in its District 28-3A opener.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>