Mineral Wells Area News

By DAVID MAY / Special to Mineral Wells Area News

ARLINGTON – Early on Thursday, Mineral Wells appeared headed for an easy win over Quinlan Ford. They ended up needing an onside kick to go their way inside the final minute to secure a 34-28 victory at Choctaw Stadium in Arlington.

The win moves the Rams to 4-0 on the season. As in the previous three games, Thursday’s outing showed flashes of how good Mineral Wells can be, and resurfaced some of the same problems the team needs to correct – mainly turnovers.

With a stomach bug going around, the Rams caught another case of “fumbleitis.” After looking dominant in the game’s opening minutes to take a 14-0 lead, Mineral Wells coughed up the football three times and threw an interception in 18 minutes spanning the first and second quarters.

Still, the Rams took a 27-21 lead into halftime.

“The first half, good gosh. We just couldn’t hold on to the football,” said second-year Rams head coach Cody Worrell. “We were fortunate to be up six points at halftime with all of the mistakes we made. We still made some mistakes in the second half. We couldn’t get anything consistent offensively going, which was frustrating, but give them credit. They were 3-0 coming into this. Their defense played really well. Those kids played hard and they did a good job.”

The Panthers took the opening kickoff and went three-and-out as the Rams defenders came out playing fast and hitting hard. Safety Kayden Montalvo stuffed a second-down run for no gain and cornerback Jaidun Fisher broke up a third-down pass to force a Ford punt. 

On its first offensive possession, the Rams did what they have done many times this season – effectively and efficiently drive the ball downfield for a score. Starting at the Panthers’ 42, the Rams ran eight plays, ending with a 1-yard score by running back PR Mendez. Two big plays on the drive were a 16-yard run by quarterback Owen Gadd and a 23-yard pass to receiver Preztynn Harrison to set up the scoring play. Gabriel Borjon converted the point-after kick for the early 7-0 lead.

The Rams defense forced a fumble on the Panthers’ second play of the next possession, with junior defensive end Trent Yowell recovering on Ford’s 30.

It took just one play for Mineral Wells to cash in as Gadd hit Harrison, a Texas Tech commit, for a 30-yard score and a 14-0 lead just 5 minutes into the game.

Operating out of its Flexbone offense, the Panthers executed one of several successful reverses on the night, this one going for 79 yards on the first play of the series to pull Ford to within 14-7.

On the ensuing kickoff, returner Montalvo lost his handle on the ball and Ford recovered at the Rams’ 44. But the Rams’ defense refused to let the Panthers prosper from the miscue, thanks in large part to Yowell’s punishing sack of Ford signal caller Raythen Capps for an 11-yard loss.

The Rams’ offense got the ball back at their 34. A 19-yard run by fullback Trayvon Berkins was followed by another Montalvo fumble. A Ford reverse went for 25 yards followed by a 26-yard TD run to tie the game at 14 with 2:09 remaining in the opening frame.

“If I had any hair I’d pull it out,” Worrell said afterward. “I was really frustrated. I thought our kids played well coming out of the gate. We were up 14-0 just like that, and then just like that it was 14-14. So it was just one of those things where … it was crazy. I thought we had a chance to go out there and blow them out, I really did think that, and we let them back in the game with fumbles and penalties.”

On Mineral Wells’ next possession, Gadd threw an interception for the third Rams turnover in about 5 minutes, handing Ford the ball at the Rams’ 31. The Panthers were flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and then went nowhere before punting.

Taking over at their 11, Mineral Wells got a 16-yard Fisher run then tried giving the ball back, fumbling again but this time recovering it. On second-and-10 from their 25, Gadd and Montalvo connected for a 75-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter and a 21-14 lead.

Ford took the ball to the Rams’ 14 but rather than go for a field goal they tried to convert on fourth-and-5 and were stopped short by the Rams’ defense to come away with no points.

From the Rams 12, Montalvo ripped off a 58-yard run to Ford’s 30. Four plays later Fisher slashed around the right side of the line and into the end zone from 18 yards out for a 27-14 lead. Worrell opted to go for a two-point conversion, a run into the line which Ford’s defenders stuffed. 

“We were just trying to catch them off guard,” Worrell would later explain. “They (Ford) had their daubers down and I thought it was on me to take that chance and get that going. It didn’t work out.”

As it turned out, it could have proven a costly decision. Worrell said he considered trying for another two-point conversion on the Rams’ next and last touchdown of the game.

“I did think about it but I didn’t want to chase it if we missed it,” he said. “I would have done it if we had gone up three scores.”

Trouble would strike again for the Rams. The defense forced a Panthers punt after three plays, but Kaidan Kaspar ran up to try and collect the kick only to have it hit off his hands and then bounce off his chest for the fourth Rams turnover of the opening half.

On the next play, Ford’s Mason Tigue ran in from 26 yards out to make it a 27-21 game in Mineral Wells’ favor. The teams traded possessions before the halftime whistles blew.

“We got to get it fixed,” Worrell said of the Rams’ turnover issues. “We can’t have the ball on the ground that many times and expect to win games.”

The Rams’ second possession of the half saw a 73-yard, nine-play drive culminate in an 11-yard touchdown by Mendez, his second score on the night. The 4-minute drive included a 39-yard run by Montalvo. Borjon’s successful point-after put Mineral Wells on top 34-21 with the third quarter winding down.

The turnovers caused the Rams’ defense to spend more time on the field, but still they held strong into the early minutes of the fourth, forcing consecutive Panthers punts. But with just under 7 minutes remaining and a two-score lead, the Rams offense was unable to gain a first down and gave the ball back to Ford with 5:02 left.

With the ball at Mineral Wells’ 48, Ford ran 11 plays, converting two fourth-down plays to keep their drive and hopes alive. The Panthers scored from four yards out with 43 seconds left in the game, down six at 34-28. 

Attempting an onside kick, the Panthers illegally touched the ball before it traveled 10 yards, giving it to Mineral Wells and allowing the Rams to run out the clock and seal the win.

Aside from Ford’s last touchdown, Worrell complimented the defensive effort on a night that saw them frequently under pressure and on the field – Ford ran 59 offensive plays.

“Especially in the second half I thought we played really well defensively,” Worrell said. “They scored there at the end. We were tired, and we couldn’t get a first down on offense. We needed a first down to keep the defense off the field and they couldn’t get it done. We were just gassed.”

Montalvo ran for 126 yards on 13 carries (9.69 ypc) and had another 86 receiving yards on the night. Gadd was 8-of-12 passing for 158 yards and two TDs with the one interception. The Rams offense totaled 382 yards on 49 plays.

Dealing with a nagging injury, Harrison saw limited action, finishing with two catches for 53 yards and one touchdown.

Defensively, junior linebacker Jackson Hicks led the Rams with six tackles, including four tackles for a loss, while assisting on eight other tackles. Ford was 0-of-11 on third downs but they were 3-of-5 on fourth down conversion attempts. The Panthers offense racked up 282 rushing yards and 346 total yards.

Worrell said playing in the former home of the Texas Rangers, converted into a football and special events venue, was a good experience for the players and fans. 

“Our kids were fired up as soon as they saw the stadium,” he said. “It’s a cool venue. Our kids don’t get to play in stadiums like this. It gives them a taste of a big-time stadium atmosphere. It was huge for us.”

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