Positives??? Negatives?? Pointers?? Anything helps.Thanks.
East Central quarterback Matt Ortega wasn't about to let his team's regular-season finale in his senior year end in disappointment.
So after an earful at halftime and a dose of reality, Ortega led his Hornets to a comeback victory over King, 20-14 Friday night at Hornet Stadium.
"I wasn't going to go out this way," Oretega said. "At halftime the coaches told us that this is not what we had worked for. This is not what we spent two-a-days for. This is not how our season should end. So we united and took it to them."
The win takes the Hornets (6-4, 4-2) into the playoffs for the second consecutive season. They will face Taft at 7:30 p.m. Friday at East Central.
As for King, (3-7, 2-4), its season is over. But after the first half, it appeared the Mustangs were headed into the postseason.
King had its chances. The Mustangs led 14-6 at halftime after controlling 80 percent of the clock in the first half with 162 yards rushing and scoring drives of 99 and 70 yards.
But two missed field goals in the second half led to scores for the Hornets. The first came late in the third quarter when Kelvin Butler powered in for a 2-yard touchdown. But the biggest play of the drive came eight plays earlier when punter Wesley Reynolds averted a near disaster. He picked up a botched snap, and rather than trying to kick the ball, he ran 15 yards for a first down to keep the drive alive.
"That play kept our season alive," Hornets coach Robert Walker said. "It was by far the biggest play of the game."
Maybe the season. But more big plays followed.
After King missed its second field goal, the Hornets went 80 yards in four minutes highlighted by Ortega's 34-yard TD run, which put East Central ahead for good with 4:52 to play.
"The blocking was great on that play," said Ortega, who finished with 132 yards passing and 72 rushing. "I just found the holes and made sure I got in."
King had one last chance to regain the lead, but did not answer as it went four-and-out on the ensuing possession when tailback Phillip Thomas was stuffed 2 yards shy of the first down.
It was a big turnaround for East Central's defense after a first half that saw the Hornets miss numerous tackles.
"We were playing dead in the first half," Walker said. "We didn't play like we wanted it."
Thomas finished with 109 yards rushing, but was held to only 30 yards on 10 carries in the second half.
"Our defense came together and decided to make some plays," Ortega said. "They did a great job of forgetting what happened in the first half."
East Central quarterback Matt Ortega wasn't about to let his team's regular-season finale in his senior year end in disappointment.
So after an earful at halftime and a dose of reality, Ortega led his Hornets to a comeback victory over King, 20-14 Friday night at Hornet Stadium.
"I wasn't going to go out this way," Oretega said. "At halftime the coaches told us that this is not what we had worked for. This is not what we spent two-a-days for. This is not how our season should end. So we united and took it to them."
The win takes the Hornets (6-4, 4-2) into the playoffs for the second consecutive season. They will face Taft at 7:30 p.m. Friday at East Central.
As for King, (3-7, 2-4), its season is over. But after the first half, it appeared the Mustangs were headed into the postseason.
King had its chances. The Mustangs led 14-6 at halftime after controlling 80 percent of the clock in the first half with 162 yards rushing and scoring drives of 99 and 70 yards.
But two missed field goals in the second half led to scores for the Hornets. The first came late in the third quarter when Kelvin Butler powered in for a 2-yard touchdown. But the biggest play of the drive came eight plays earlier when punter Wesley Reynolds averted a near disaster. He picked up a botched snap, and rather than trying to kick the ball, he ran 15 yards for a first down to keep the drive alive.
"That play kept our season alive," Hornets coach Robert Walker said. "It was by far the biggest play of the game."
Maybe the season. But more big plays followed.
After King missed its second field goal, the Hornets went 80 yards in four minutes highlighted by Ortega's 34-yard TD run, which put East Central ahead for good with 4:52 to play.
"The blocking was great on that play," said Ortega, who finished with 132 yards passing and 72 rushing. "I just found the holes and made sure I got in."
King had one last chance to regain the lead, but did not answer as it went four-and-out on the ensuing possession when tailback Phillip Thomas was stuffed 2 yards shy of the first down.
It was a big turnaround for East Central's defense after a first half that saw the Hornets miss numerous tackles.
"We were playing dead in the first half," Walker said. "We didn't play like we wanted it."
Thomas finished with 109 yards rushing, but was held to only 30 yards on 10 carries in the second half.
"Our defense came together and decided to make some plays," Ortega said. "They did a great job of forgetting what happened in the first half."
