After a slow start, Saginaw High School football subdued neighboring district rival Chisholm Trail in a penalty-marred game, 35-13, to wrap up an undefeated season here at Rough Rider Stadium on Nov. 8.
Quarterback Roman Morales was the catalyst, both running and passing. He ran and threw for a pair of touchdowns each, the latter both to Aiden Collier. Morales, a senior, rushed for 131 yards on 15 carries. He also threw for 160 yards completing eight of 12 with no interceptions. Neither team, in fact, turned the ball over.
Collier was the leading receiver for the Rough Riders with four receptions for 94 yards.
He was equaled by his counterpart, Omari Johnson, who caught six also for 94 yards for the Rangers in a losing cause.
The Rough Riders' (10-0, 8-0 in Dist. 5-5A, Div. I), having won their district, will host Azle next Thursday or Friday at a time to be determined.
Chisholm Trail (7-3, 5-3), which finished fourth place in district and thus collected the final playoff seed, will travel to Aledo on Friday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m.
The teams combined for 21 infractions for 158 yards. Chisholm Trail had the most with 14 for 93 yards.
Saginaw coach Mike Peters, while elated with the win, admitted it was not flawless.
"I think that we made a whole lot fewer mistakes," he said. "I think that we were able to convert on third downs and keep moving the sticks and keep the ball in our possession. I think those were huge things for us tonight."
He commented about the rivalry, noting that it had something to do with the intensity of play.
"It's a sister school," he said. "But it's a cross-town game. We play for a trophy. Usually, in those games, the guys who make the fewest mistakes, penalties, and turnovers have a good chance to win."
Of the penalties some of which helped lead to touchdowns by the opposition and halted otherwise promising drives, coach Ricklan Holmes of Chisholm Trail said, "Some were self-inflicted. Some of them had to do with human error.
Whether they would have affected the outcome, he added, "I can't say that it would, but I can't say that it would either. We lost a football game today, and we got to get ready for a football game next week."
His team burst out of the gate, taking the opening kickoff and driving 70 yards in only four plays for a 7-0 lead. Ethan Westover, who rushed 35 yards on the first play from scrimmage, finished it off with a run up the middle for 7 yards. It would turn out to be the Rangers' only touchdown just over a minute into the game.
Westover, who rushed eight times for 73 yards, was hurt on his team's initial drive of the second half, and did not return. The quarterback, Joey McGowen, was also injured late in the first half. He played on the same first drive of the second half but was replaced by Taven Fleming afterwards. McGowen is a senior and Fleming a junior.
The Rough Riders replied after the Rangers' touchdown drive with one of their own. Baker also scored from 7 yards out to end a 10-play, 83-yard drive. The key play was a 43-yard pass to Luke Roseberry, who made an over-the-head fingertip catch despite tight coverage to the 17-yard line.
The teams exchanged punts, but then Saginaw took the lead for good, 14-7, with 5:45 left in the first half. Collier, in figured big in both this and the next touchdown drive, caught it in the end zone from 17 yards out.
Chisholm Trail appeared to blitz, and with a lineman in his face, Morales nevertheless made the throw to an open Collier. Earlier, Morales made a 52-yard run to the Saginaw 22-yard line.
Roman Hernandez kicked the first of his two field goals, and the remainder of the Ranger points from 32 yards to make it 14-10, Saginaw. The Rangers had trouble sustaining drives for the remainder of the game.
They drove from from their 25-yard line to the Saginaw 9 where McGowen was injured had to leave. His team lost yardage on the next two plays and the drive stalled there.
Coming only 38 seconds before halftime, it appeared Hernandez's field goal would be the last score of the first half. Instead, Saginaw drove 75 yards in three plays to make it 21-10 before intermission.
Collier caught a perfect 37-yard pass over his shoulder in stride for the score. The senior also caught a 30-yard pass on the previous play. The score came with 28 seconds left after a timeout by Saginaw and a procedure penalty stopped the clock.
In the second half, Hernandez kicked a 42-yard field goal to pull within one score, 21-13, and the only points of the third quarter.
But Morales scored on touchdown runs of one and 17 yards to put the game away in the fourth quarter. They came at the end of 77 and 70-yard drives, respectively.