By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — Within a matter of moments, Mission Veterans Memorial did what it had struggled to do for most of Friday night’s game against Sharyland Pioneer: score.
In his first start under center, freshman Landry Gilpin engineered two scoring drives with three minutes to play to rally the Patriots to a 21-14 win at Richard Thompson Stadium.
“Every drive we were doing up to that point was unsuccessful, but we were progressing,” Gilpin said. “Then at the end, everybody just thought it was time to stop progressing and actually do something.”
Even without their starting quarterback, the Patriots (5-2, 2-1) avoided losing for the second time in three games. Gilpin manufactured a six-play, 69-yard scoring drive that ate up 1:35 off the clock, tying the game at 14 with 1:41 to play.
And after blocking a punt on the ensuing sequence, Mission Veterans scored three plays later on Gilpin’s 16-yard run.
“Everybody blocked amazing,” said Gilpin, who threw for 140 yards on 20 of 36 passing, while rushing for 65 yards. “They opened up holes. Almost nobody touched me (on those two scoring plays). I couldn’t ask for better teammates right now.”
The win comes on the heels of Mission Veterans losing starting quarterback Diego Hernandez for the season after tearing a ligament in his left ankle in Week 7. In his first start Friday, Gilpin was admittedly nervous, trying to keep his team in the playoff hunt.
Early on, he struggled. The freshman scrambled at times and lost yardage in several instances. But as the game progressed, Gilpin hit his stride.
“Everybody told me it was time to step up,” he said. “It was time to go.”
“So to have a dramatic win like this, it’s amazing. It means everything.”
BIG PLAYS
On their first six drives, the Pariots had three 3-and-outs, an interception and a fumble. But with 2:05 to play in the opening half, Bobby Tovar returned a punt for 41 yards to tie the game at 7.
It was one of a handful of big plays Mission Veterans needed to stay in the game. They blocked two punts Friday, including one late in the fourth quarter that helped set up the go-ahead TD. And they scored on two punt returns, though one was called back, to win for the fourth time in five games.
“Defensively, special teams — we made big plays,” coach David Gilpin said. “They just really, really competed.”
BATTERED
Sharyland Pioneer (6-2, 2-2) was missing middle linebacker Joe Garza with what coach Jason Wheeler described as a leg contusion. The Diamondbacks also lost quarterback Alejandro Ramirez, who came back after sitting out last week’s game against Edinburg Vela to nurse a hip contusion.
The senior completed 7 of 11 passes for 40 yards and an interception (his second of the season) before limping off the field midway through the third quarter Friday. He watched the remainder of the game sitting on the trainer’s table before supporting himself on crutches.
“It’s a tough loss, but we had our opportunities,” Wheeler said. “I thought we fought well. We just couldn’t put it away.
“It’s a hell of a football game, I just don’t like being on the losing side of it.”
UP NEXT
Mission Veterans will host Valley View on Oct. 23, while Pioneer takes on Sharyland High on the same day.