MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — By scheduling Laredo Alexander, Sharyland High coach Ron Adame felt the non-district collision offered his team the best challenge to help get ready for a competitive District 31-5A battle.
On Friday, the Rattlers certainly experienced that, losing 36-35 to drop their first regular-season game since 2011.
Sharyland High (3-1) very much seemed primed to win its 27th consecutive regular-season game, including 24th under Adame. But Alexander (3-1) made the best of a fumble recovery midway through the fourth quarter to snap a three-game losing streak to the Rattlers that stretched back to 2009.
Sharyland High quarterback Lance Madden was brilliant running the ball, tallying 247 rushing yards on 15 attempts, scoring three times, and completing 16 of 26 passes for 166 yards and one touchdown. But he was ultimately overshadowed by Alexander’s signal caller, Aaron Swain.
The three-year starter connected on 22 of 38 attempts for 277 yards, hooking up with Travis Allen (15 catches, 195 yards) three times for scores.
It was Swain’s run game, however, that ultimately pulled the team ahead. After recovering a fumble on a Loredo Guerra (7 catches, 58 yards) reception, Alexander marched 49 yards on five plays, with Swain featured four times. His 13-yard scamper, however, pulled the Bulldogs ahead 36-35, with 7:13 left to play.
Alexander milked the rest of the clock, including giving up a down with seconds left in the game. Swain heaved the ball as clock expired.
The comeback erased memories of what was otherwise a game largely controlled by Sharyland. Madden came up with plenty of big plays, earning first down after first down. The senior directed a 10-play sequence that swallowed up four minutes of the game clock midway through the fourth quarter.
But Madden’s pass to Guerra, which was fumbled, gave Alexander the momentum in needed, especially after a missing extra-point attempt earlier in the game that appeared like it would haunt them with the clock winding down.
Alexander, however, turned the corner in the fourth quarter, when Mario Garcia’s 31-yard field goal brought the Bulldogs to within 35-30 with 11:00 to play.
As it attempted one less drive with the game on the line, Sharyland committed two penalties for a total of 20 yards, including a false start call that set the Rattlers back to a 1st-and-25 from the 37.
BIG PLAYS
In a game as closely contested as Friday’s, Sharyland High needed any stops it could get. The Rattlers received that from their special teams, which blocked a point-after attempt, stuffing Laredo Alexander on a kick and then stymying it on a run after the botched attempt.
The stop prevented the Bulldogs from tying the game, as Sharyland High maintained a 14-13 edge with 1:41 to play in the opening quarter. Despite trading touchdowns from the rest of the half, Sharyland held a 28-27 edge at intermission.
Later in the third quarter, the Rattlers’ Beto Ruiz came up with a tip on an Alexander fourth-down punt, giving Sharyland the ball at the 36-yard line. Four plays later, Madden scored on a 56-yard run to give his team a 35-27 advantage with 3:49 to play in the period.
FAMILIAR CONNECTION
Three-quarters of Laredo Alexander’s offense this season has come from its aerial attack. The same held true Friday, with Swain passing for 170 of his team’s 209 offensive yards at halftime.
Swain, who completed 13 of 25 passes by intermission, found Allen three times in the end zone Friday for scoring receptions of 2, 22 and 3 yards. Through two quarters, Allen had hauled in 124 yards on eight catches, including a 60-yard reception on their second-t0-last drive of the opening half, which ended with Swain finding Allen on a 3-yard score with 0:41 left.
HISTORY
Sharyland High and Laredo Alexander met for the fourth time since 2009. It was the third such non-district battle between the two teams. The Rattlers are 3-1 during that stretch.
They beat Alexander 22-14 last year and 59-21 in 2012. In 2009, Sharyland won 46-13 in the opening round of the playoffs.