By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
PREMONT — The Lyford Bulldogs opened their season against a team with three games and two wins under its belt in the Premont Cowboys.
But it was the Bulldogs that looked more in sync and in control Friday night as they earned a one-sided, 33-7 victory in Premont.
“Proud of our kids, man. Proud of the way they came out and performed today,” Lyford coach Israel Gonzalez said. “We preached to our kids, ‘It’s us against ourselves.’ We knew Premont was a good football team, we knew their record, but we concentrate on doing our job. … We’re proud of what we did, but we’re by no means where we need to be.”
The Bulldogs opened a 21-0 lead during the first half primarily due to the passing game. Senior quarterback Cayleb Klostermann distributed the ball to a number of receivers, but his connections with senior Matt Sanchez and junior Diego Guerra were especially beneficial.
Klostermann and Sanchez connected for the first touchdown of the Rio Grande Valley’s 2020 football season on a 27-yard pass during the first quarter. The play was set up by a big run from senior Gavino Morales, who rumbled for 23 yards on a third-and-long situation, then converted on fourth down.
The duo of Klostermann and Sanchez connected on another big play during the second quarter as the receiver hauled in a pass with two defenders on his back. The play led to Klostermann’s second touchdown pass of the night, this time a 21-yard strike to Guerra. Senior Devon Mendoza found the end zone on a 2-yard rush to make it 21-0 at halftime.
“We didn’t feel rusty, which was surprising,” Klostermann said. “We knew Premont had a jump on us with the weeks they’ve been playing, but we felt good. Our passing game was involved much more than last week and the run game was still there, so it’s comforting knowing you always got that. There’s stuff to fix, no doubt, but we’re proud of how we played.”
The Bulldogs wasted no time getting back in a groove after the break. Less than one minute into the second half, Premont brought pressure and forced Klostermann to roll out to his left, but he kept his eyes downfield and hit Guerra for a 49-yard passing touchdown.
“Elusiveness is something that’s pretty rare with quarterbacks, so I’m happy I got that,” Klostermann said. “You don’t plan on it, it’s a broken play kind of thing. You just find what works, and I think I’m good at that. But we drew up a lot of good plays that were effective.”
Lyford’s large lead sparked an uptick in the run game, and Morales cashed in at the end of the third quarter with a 19-yard rushing score to make it 33-0.
As flashy as the offense was, Lyford’s defense earned its fair share of praise from the large crowd. Senior linebackers Tony Rowland and Julio Cantu were a dominant pairing in the box to lead the way for the Bulldogs.
Senior defensive end Louis DeVries, senior defensive lineman Rene Paredez and junior Benji Gonzalez also were key contributors as the Bulldogs came within 48 seconds of earning a shutout.
“Tony Rowland, defensive line … man, Tony Rowland. Tacklin’ Tony’s what we call him. He’s a great kid,” Gonzalez said. “Coach Jaime Guerra, our defensive coordinator, and our defensive staff put a great plan together. The defensive coaches put the kids in the right spot, and the kids went out and did their job. Defense was a strength for us last year and this is a senior group coming back, so we expect our defense to be solid.”
Premont used a heavy dose of senior running back Lukus Rogers during the second half, but when the Cowboys broke up the monotony, Lyford made them pay. Mendoza intercepted Cowboys sophomore quarterback Dos LaFuente as he heaved a pass downfield early in the fourth with his team trailing big.
After keeping the Cowboys from reaching the red zone for much of the night, Premont junior running back J.T. Torres broke free in the final minute of play for a 50-yard rushing touchdown.
A plethora of penalties, primarily on the offense, was the only real blemish on the night for Lyford. Though he did see some things to work on, Gonzalez said Friday’s win was a good start to the season.
“We got a lot of execution stuff to work on. You could tell it was our first game, a lot of penalties and stuff to clean up offensively,” Gonzalez said. “Defense did a great job, gave up a cheap one at the end. But we’re proud of our kids and proud to represent the 956 and get the wave started.”