By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
The Los Fresnos Falcons ran into a freight train when they faced Northside Brennan in the area round Saturday at Farris Stadium in San Antonio.
The unbeaten Bears (12-0) cruised to a 63-10 victory, ending Los Fresnos’ season at 7-4. Even though it’s over, the Falcons felt they had much to be proud of.
“When you have a combination of athleticism like Brennan has and great coaching and a certain mojo they’ve got, it’s tough. Early on they got momentum, and it was difficult to stop,” Falcons coach David Cantu said. “(Falcons players) put L.F. football where it’s been in the past. To be the team that does that is difficult, because it takes a lot of persistence and sacrifice. They did all the little things right to create this kind of season, which was a special one.”
Brennan scored on five of six first-half possessions to take a comfortable 35-0 lead by halftime. Junior quarterback Ashton Dubose led the effort, accounting for four touchdowns.
Dubose put the first points on the board with a 10-yard rushing touchdown. Then he tossed three straight touchdown passes, two to senior receiver Chase Campbell and one to junior receiver Aaron Dubose. Sophomore running back Jason Love tacked on a 1-yard rushing score after Ashton Dubose connected with senior Marvin Hill on fourth down.
Los Fresnos started blitzing often to slow the Bears with aggressive pressure, holding Brennan to a field goal attempt that was missed just before halftime. Senior linebackers Greg Jones and Samuel Burton rushed Ashton Dubose out of the pocket and recorded good tackles.
“I felt great,” Jones said. “I was just out there playing with my brothers, trying to give it my all and keep this train going. Unfortunately ended up with a loss, but we played our hearts out. Would’ve liked a better result, but I wouldn’t want to be here with anyone else.”
As the Falcons headed to the locker room, the large fanbase stood and cheered for their team. Announced attendance was more than 2,800, with a hefty portion of those supporters cheering in maroon and gold. Cantu said it was their consistent support that kept Los Fresnos fighting during the second half.
“When we were down 35-0 and our whole entire crowd gave them a standing ovation, I got chills and the kids understood what that was all about,” Cantu said. “The second half was about playing for all these people who came to support them and love them. Not getting overly frustrated, staying together, staying united (was important in the second half). It’s difficult against this kind of team, but the kids kept a good mindset throughout.”
The Falcons scored twice during the fourth quarter. Senior quarterback Matthew Padilla ran hard throughout the contest and got the chains moving in the second half, using his speed to beat Brennan on the edge. Padilla spoiled the shutout with a 13-yard rushing touchdown, then sophomore kicker Jose Contreras nailed a 38-yard field goal.
Senior running back Hector Muniz broke off some big runs during the second half. Senior receivers Edsson Picazo and Cody Taylor blocked well to aid Padilla and Muniz when running to the outside. Brennan’s defensive front kept Los Fresnos from finding much success running up the middle.
The Ashton Dubose show continued in the second half as he added three more touchdowns to his stellar game. He notched a 52-yard rushing score and two touchdown passes to Campbell and Jaheim Lard. Brennan tacked on a late rushing touchdown with subs playing during the fourth quarter.
Senior linebacker Santiago Cruz and junior defensive backs Tyler Turner and Malik Tolbert, along with Brennan’s physical D-line, led the Bears defensively. Brennan recorded three turnovers, all interceptions, from Tolbert, Turner and Gavin Ramos. Turner’s pick was on a heave to the end zone to end Los Fresnos’ first trip to the red zone in the third quarter.
RJ Limon, Jayden Moreno and Ethan Gonzalez also played well defensively for the Falcons. Jones and Burton continued to make their presence known to the very end. Senior linebacker Fernando Pino recovered a fumble during the fourth quarter, setting up the field goal.
Los Fresnos is graduating a substantial number of playmakers, and the impact they had on the program to help the turnaround in Cantu’s first year is undeniable.
“Coming into this season, we knew we were going to have to turn things around because the past couple years have been mediocre at best. I feel like we did that,” Jones said. “We were building blocks, so hopefully the next players that come through here will have something to build on.”