WILD BATTLE IN OVERTON | Lovelady escapes after big second half
OVERTON – Playing in District 11 in Class 2A’s Division II is like trying to catch BB’s in the dark: it’s really hard.
The Overton Mustangs hosted state-ranked Lovelady Friday night, but Lovelady just had too much firepower. The Lions left Coach Chester Roy Stadium with a 44-29 win.
Overton (4-3) drops to 1-2 in that tough district road, but takes a break next week with an open date. The Mustangs will return with a road game against Alto on Friday, Oct. 24.
Overton stopped Lovelady on the Lions’ first drive of the game, but not on the second: Moises Vallejo punched it into the end zone on a 3-yard run, and Brady McCollough added the extra point for a 7-0 Lions advantage with 6:07 left in the first quarter.
The Lions forced Overton to go three-and-out, but a muffed punt would wind up in the Mustangs’ hands at Lovelady’s 26-yard-line.
Quarterback Rylan Holleman returned to Overton’s lineup after missing a couple of games with an injury. On second down, he connected with Jacob Osburn for a first down at the 16, then with Justin Weir to the 9. Overton got a little tricky two plays later, as Holleman tossed it to Weir, then Weir threw it back to Holleman, who scored. Jackson Furlow’s point after tied it up, 7-all, and then right before the end of the first quarter, Holleman turned around and intercepted Lovelady quarterback Cody James.
After the pick: a 23-yard scoring pass from Holleman to Osburn, who went 23 yards for the go-ahead score. Furlow was again money on the point after, and Overton had taken advantage of the turnover, up 14-87 with 9:29 left in the half.
The teams exchanged possessions, and then finally, Overton put together just a masterful drive over 97 yards, heavy on the ground game with Gabe Miller, Weir and Holleman.
Then, a surprise: another Holleman bomb to Osburn, who went 40 yards and scored. Overton was up by two touchdowns at halftime, 21-7.
Lovelady wouldn’t go away, though, and proved why they are ranked in the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football 2A-DI state top 10.
In the third quarter, James and Vallejo got the running game going for the Lions. Vallejo scored on a 10-yard run, with McCollough adding the extra point. With 6:48 in the third, Lovelady was down by just one touchdown (21-14).
The Lions executed a good onside kick and got it at the Overton 31-yard-line. They kept the ball on the ground, with Ejay Baker and Vallejo, who scored yet again, this time on a 9-yard run, still in the third.
This time, though, McCollough’s extra point missed, leaving the Lions down a point (21-20).
The kickoff after that score was a weird one, as the Mustangs didn’t field it. They let the ball bounce, and that allowed Lovelady to recover it, deep in Overton territory.
That resulted in no points, as Overton’s defense stood tall. Overton also had to punt on its next possession, and the game was still in a 21-20 score.
The Lions finally made their final drive in the third quarter count. Runs by Isaac Chaisson, James, and Vallejo got the Lions to the Overton 11, where Vallejo would punch it in yet again, his fourth touchdown of the night. The 2 point conversion was good, giving Lovelady their first lead since the first quarter (28-21). ON the final play of the third quarter, Chaisson picked off a pass, giving Lovelady the ball to end the quarter.
James found Patrick for a 25-yard scoring pass, and even though the extra point was missed again, Lovelady had built a 34-21 lead 11:12 left in the game.
The Mustangs punted on their next drive, and McCollough hit a 37-yard field goal (37-21).
Overton answered, scoring on an 8-yard run by Holleman (37-29 with 4:22 left, after the two-point conversion), but that would be all the Mustangs would get. James got free for a 40-yard touchdown, the game’s final score.
Holleman went 14-of-35 for 209 yards, the three touchdowns and one interception, ran for 95 yards and the TD on 21 carries, and had the defensive interception.
Weir had the throw to Holleman for the touchdown, caught six passes for 66 yards, and had eight tackles on defense.
Miller finished with 63 yards on 16 carries, and Osburn had just a huge night: 116 yards and two touchdowns on five catches.
Ivan Ransom had a catch for 15 yards; Landon Hill had one for 4 yards; and Holleman himself had a catch, the TD pass from Weir.
Gunnar Whitfield had 10 tackles, one for loss, and a sack. Hunter Klima had nine. Miller had seven – four of them for loss, and three sacks. Kason Hawkins had eight tackles, one for loss. Elijah Dorsey had a sack to go with four tackles.
