Mineral Wells Area News

Mineral Wells leaves it all on the field in home district loss

By DAVID MAY / Special to Mineral Wells Ara News

Score a touchdown from inside the 1-yard line. Make a couple of missed field goals. Haul in a couple of deep passes that slipped through receivers’ hands. If a handful of situations go differently, we have an entirely different story and, perhaps, outcome.

But they didn’t, leaving Mineral Wells on the short end of a hard-fought 21-0 district loss to the Brock Eagles, ranked second in Class 4A-2.

The Rams’ defense held the high-powered Eagles offense, averaging 45 points a game coming in, to just 14 points. An 87-yard punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter was the difference in an otherwise evenly played first half.

The loss dropped Mineral Wells to 5-2 on the season and 1-1 in District 3-4A-2. Brock remains undefeated at 7-0 and 2-0 in district.

“I’m proud of the way our kids fought,” said second-year Rams head coach Cody Worrell, who along with his father started Brock’s football program and built it into a perennial power. “We had a couple of mistakes in the first half that could have been the difference in the game. Not scoring on the inch-line. But man, I am proud of the way our kids played. They played their hearts out against a really good football team. We’re just super proud of them.”

The Rams don’t have time to dwell on what could have been. They have another tough opponent on Friday when they travel to play the Graham Steers, currently ranked 15th. Graham (5-1, 1-0) dismantled Bridgeport on Friday, 56-0.

Worrell hopes his team’s effort Friday will carry over this coming week and throughout the remaining schedule.

“We play like that we will be hard to beat, I don’t care who we are playing,” he said. “If we can get better and play like that, we are going to be just fine.”

The Rams opened the game on offense and, as they have done all season, engineered a long, clock-consuming drive. The game’s first play employed some “trickeration,” a reverse pass from Jackson Hicks downfield to receiver Kadin Kaspar that went for 42 yards. Kaspar was then on the receiving end of a 16-yard pass from quarterback Owen Gadd.

A successful sneak by Gadd on fourth-and-one at Brock’s 16 kept the drive alive before stalling at the Eagles’ 12. Rams kicker Michael Borjon narrowly missed a 29-yard field goal attempt, turning the ball over with nothing to show for an 11-play drive that used just over half of the first-quarter clock.

Brock’s offense struck for three quick first downs, but Mineral Wells’ defense stopped the Eagles’ march at midfield, forcing a punt.

The Rams’ second possession carried over into the second quarter. It included a 13-yard pass on third down from Gadd to receiver Preztynn Harrison to roll the chains. But the drive was halted at the Rams’ 44. A punt was fielded by the Eagles’ Colt Matlock at the 13. He crossed to the near side, then cut upfield and raced 87 yards to the end zone to give Brock a 7-0 lead.

The teams exchanged possessions leading to halftime.

As the Rams coaches did to open the first half, they rolled the dice to try catching Brock off-guard to open the second half. An onside kick attempt was recovered by the Eagles at Mineral Wells’ 39. Brock would get no benefit from the short field. Trying to convert a fourth-and-three from the 14, a pass fell incomplete and once again the Rams’ defense held.

Mineral Wells’ offense went three-and-out, punting the ball back to Brock. Starting from their 28, the Eagles’ offense needed six plays to reach the end zone for the first time thanks to a 35-yard romp by quarterback Brody Woods to make it 14-0 midway through the third.

The Rams began their next drive at their own 33 and, once again, embarked on a long drive that was aided by a roughing the passer call against Brock followed by a personal foul against the Eagles for a late hit out of bounds along the Eagles’ sideline.

The 15-play drive, with a mix of throws and runs, carried into the fourth quarter. A third-down sneak by Gadd had Mineral Wells first-and-goal with the nose of the football as close to the goal line stripe as possible without being a touchdown.

A false start and a tackle of Gadd for a loss sent the Rams backward to the 11-yard line. A third-down pass fell incomplete and Borjon missed his second field goal effort of the game, this time from 28 yards.

Still trailing 14-0, the Rams’ defense again rose up and held Brock to a three-and-out drive, setting the Mineral Wells offense up at its 33 with 9 minutes remaining. The drive’s third play saw Gadd injured on a hard tackle. He went out for one play and returned, only to throw an interception.

Brock took over at the Rams’ 44. Three plays later the Rams’ defense returned the turnover favor with cornerback Jaidun Fisher’s interception in the end zone to give the Rams new hope, two scores down with 5:11 to play.

Mineral Wells moved the ball from its 13 to the 30. Two incomplete passes and a run for no gain left Mineral Wells facing fourth-and-10. Gadd dropped back, scrambled to his right, and raced around the end toward the home sideline and the first-down stick, only to be stopped a yard short.

Brock then got a 41-yard touchdown run by Coty Farmer to seal the outcome with 2:19 left on the clock.

The normally potent Rams ground game was held in check by Brock. The Rams ran for just 62 yards, while Brock racked up 198 yards rushing. Mineral Wells ran 57 plays totaling 184 yards while Brock ran 41 plays totaling 236. Kaspar led Mineral Wells receivers with six catches for 74 yards.

The Rams were blanked on the scoreboard for the first time since the second game of the 2019 season, a span of 54 games.

Kickoff for Friday’s showdown at Graham is set for 7 p.m.