LYFORD — The Lyford Bulldogs didn’t look like a team riding a three-game losing streak on Friday night.
They dominated all aspects of the game from start to finish and cruised to a 61-0 victory over La Villa to get back on track before heading into District 16-3A DI play in a couple of week.
“La Villa came out here and played extremely hard, but we were just able to do what we do offensively and defense and special teams did a great job in the second half,” Lyford head coach Israel Gonzalez said. “I think this group has finally gelled and realized what it takes to come out and finish a football game and play four quarters.”
Lyford found the end zone twice in the first six minutes of play, setting a quick-scoring precedent it had no trouble living up to as the game went on.
Senior Javier Gonzalez was the star of the first half. He broke through tackles and showcased his speed to rush for three scores on runs of 43-, 27- and 92-yards.
Junior Joaquin Gonzalez also recorded a rushing touchdown and senior quarterback Chase Hinojosa hit junior Andrew Reyna for a 38-yard passing score to give the Bulldogs a comfortable 34-0 lead heading into halftime.
“(Javier’s) probably one of the better football players on this team,” Israel Gonzalez said. “He does a great job for us defensively and on offense. He’s definitely our work horse and the MVP to this part of the season.”
Not to be outperformed, the Bulldog defense and special teams put on a show in the third quarter. Joaquin Gonzalez scored twice in under a minute early in the second half—first on a punt return and then on an interception return.
Junior linebacker Ramsey Reyna quickly followed suit and returned an interception of his own. Lyford’s fourth touchdown of the quarter was the only offensive score, recorded by freshman running back Devon Mendoza.
Lyford has a bye next week and then will kick off its “second season” against Falfurrias. Javier Gonzalez said this win is what the Bulldogs needed to be able to put the rough start behind them and focus on their goal of a district championship.
“We took three losses in a row and it’s good to finally get a win and execute everything,” Javier Gonzalez said. “[Execution is] why I got to score so many times, because my linemen and my receivers blocked so well. This is the start of being on a roll. We’re planning to go 5-0 and win district and we’ll use this as motivation.”