DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — Sharyland High wanted no part of a 0-2 start to District 31-5A play.
So the recipe for Friday’s 29-27 win over Mission Veterans Memorial was simple: Don’t let it happen.
Trailing 27-23 late in the fourth quarter, the Rattlers got a clutch 88-yard scoring drive, capped by Manny Campos’ 1-yard TD run with 2:17 left, before Jaylen Williams sealed the win with an interception of Patriots quarterback Diego Hernandez on fourth down in Sharyland territory with a little more than a minute remaining at Richard Thompson Stadium.
“I saw the ball in the air and my mind just froze,” said Williams, who intercepted Hernandez twice. “I just caught it. It wasn’t about anything I did, though. This was about the team win.
“If I had just gotten a deflection, I would be just as proud. This was a must-win for us.”
The Rattlers improved to 1-1 in 31-5A, 3-3 overall. The Patriots, meanwhile, dropped to 0-1, 3-2, in losing their district opener.
“It just shows we never give up,” said Campos, who rushed for 106 yards, 91 in the fourth quarter. “That’s what that fourth quarter showed. That was a perfect example of how much we want it.”
Mission Veterans’ final drive, with the Pats down 29-27, was a collection of heartache for its players.
Before Williams’ takeaway, Hernandez found Roman De Leon on a big fourth-down conversion to give the Pats a fresh set of downs just outside the red zone. But officials whistled a hold on the play, setting Mission Vets back 10 more yards and forcing a longer throw for Hernandez, with Williams waiting.
“Roman De Leon made a great play, Diego made a great pass and we get the holding call,” Mission Veterans coach David Gilpin said. “I didn’t see it, but I’m not saying it wasn’t there. But we could’ve been in field goal range at that point, and calls are a part of the game.
“It is what it is, and we can’t make excuses.”
Neither team played clean football. The Patriots had four turnovers and the Rattlers had two. The teams combined for 19 penalties and 147 yards.
Mission Veterans’ offense was more consistent, with Hernandez throwing for 353 yards and four touchdowns, while its defense stopped Sharyland more often than not, forcing four turnovers on downs and a punt, along with the two takeaways. But the Rattlers hung late.
Campos, playing quarterback for the first time of the night while starter Seth Carter moved to receiver, led the game-winning drive with ease, perhaps because Mission Vets was thrown off with the sudden new look.
“There was a lot of pressure on us,” said Carter, who threw for 248 yards and a touchdown, ran for a touchdown, and had a 77-yard kick return for a touchdown. “We know we’re a better team than what we’ve shown. We want to prove to the whole Valley we’re a lot better than what we’ve shown.”
Sharyland had trouble stopping Mission Veterans’ offense, until the game mattered. And its offense had trouble sustaining drives, until the game mattered.
“We knew winning tonight was so important,” Sharyland coach Ron Adame said. “It’s important to stay in contention for the district title. Being 0-2 was not in our thoughts. I’m proud of our boys.
“We found a way.”
PATRIOTS RUN WILD
The outcome marred admirable performances from Patriots players Hernandez, and receivers Bobby Tovar and Jacob Guerrero.
Tovar caught 10 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns, and also collected an interception. Guerrero caught two passes, both for scores, for 30 yards.
“I couldn’t ask any more of our kids from an effort standpoint,” Gilpin said. “I’m disappointed for them, not in them. It was a great effort from our kids tonight. We had an opportunity tonight and we let it slip away.”
WILLIAMS REIGNS
Williams, a senior defensive back, left his coach thrilled with his play Friday night in collecting interceptions Nos. 2 and 3 of the season.
On both interceptions, Williams made the right reads when Hernandez eyed Tovar and threw his way.
“He showed what he’s always been capable of,” Adame said of Williams. “He surfaced in a big key game and we’re hoping his confidence level rises from this. Not just him, but also the entire defense. We’ve lost close games, we’ve won close games and this is another example of our team showing up.”
UP NEXT
Sharyland High has a bye in Week 7. Its next district game is at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 16 at Roma.
Mission Veterans Memorial hosts Roma at 7:30 p.m. next Friday.