BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — Sharyland Pioneer and Mission High started upperclassmen at quarterback, but neither was on the field during his team’s final possession.
Mission High junior Damian Gomez was injured on the Eagles’ first offensive drive of the game, while Sharyland Pioneer senior Jacob Rosales came up gimpy after sliding on a quarterback run with 7:30 left in the third quarter. Both coaches were not certain about the extent of the injuries after the game.
The injuries pushed Mission High’s Jeremy Duran and Sharyland Pioneer’s Eddie Marburger, two of the youngest and most talented quarterbacks in the Valley, front and center. In the fourth quarter, Duran led the Eagles on their game-winning drive, which was capped on a 16-yard touchdown run from running back Horacio Moronta V. Mission High prevailed 21-17 on Thursday night.
“It was a straight run it up the gut play to just see what we could get,” Moronta V said. “I just had to keep my feet driving and try to score. Our O-line did a good job on that play.”
“The guys kind of knew what time it was, so we didn’t have to say a whole lot,” Mission High coach Koy Detmer said. “They went out there and got it done. The offensive line had a big performance down the stretch. We’ve got some young bodies in there. Then, of course, Jeremy (Duran) came in and did a good job of helping direct the team down the field.”
Duran’s first pass attempt of the game was picked off by Sharyland Pioneer defensive back Marco Oviedo. The Eagles’ next possession began with just over four minutes left in the opening quarter and ended with a Duran touchdown pass to running back Andrew Maldonado to slide Mission High (3-0) in front 3:45 into the second quarter.
Duran, a freshman, finished the game 13-of-17 passing for 173 yards, two touchdowns and the first-quarter interception.
“Tonight was great experience,” Duran said. “Our quarterback went down, and I needed to give my team a boost, because they’ve worked hard all summer. Coach (Detmer) told me to stay calm and play the way I’ve been practicing. I’ve mentally prepared all summer to be ready, if needed. That helped me progress into the season.”
“He’s a good young talent,” Detmer said of Duran. “We’ve seen that in him through practices and scrimmages leading up to this. This is why he’s at the level that he’s at for such a young player. We’re excited about him, but I’ve told our guys that we’re excited about all of them. We have multiple guys that can go in and do the job well. It was good to see that we didn’t miss a beat, even though we lost Damian.”
Sharyland Pioneer (1-2) connected on a first quarter field goal to take an early lead but fell behind by 11 points in the third. Marburger, a sophomore, found junior wideout Lavar Lindo in the corner of the end zone to pull within 14-9.
After a missed Mission High field goal, Marburger took a direct snap and galloped 41 yards to give the Diamondbacks a fourth-quarter advantage. Pioneer went for two and converted when a busted play led to Marburger throwing a tipped pass that somehow fell into the hands of Lindo, who scored two for the momentary 17-14 lead.
Trailing in the closing moments, the Diamondbacks faced a fourth-and-14 at the Eagles 15, but Marburger’s pass to receiver Luke Padilla couldn’t be corralled in the end zone.
Marburger finished 16 of 27 for 195 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.
“We had a deep post with our outside receivers, who had a hell of a game all night, and their DB made a good play,” Sharyland Pioneer coach Tommy Lee said. “It was a bang-bang play. It is what it is.”
The Diamondbacks failed to win in Lee’s first game on the sidelines at Tom Landry Stadium in 10 seasons. Lee’s father, Dave, coached the Eagles in the 1980s. Tommy coached Mission High to two playoff appearances during the mid-2000s.
“This is a special place for me, but I love what I’m doing where I’m at,” Lee said. “Sharyland’s my second home, but it’s special to come back here. I saw a lot of the same people that have been coming to games for the past 30 years. But I’m excited about where our program is headed.”