SAN ANTONIO – The Sotomayor Wildcats were in control early in Thursday night’s fourth annual KSAT Pigskin Classic.
Led by junior quarterback Chauncey Moon, the Wildcats ran the ball for positive yardage on each of their first 11 plays on their first drive. Sotomayor’s possession ate up more than seven minutes of the first quarter and had the Clark defense gasping for air.
However, the Wildcats’ second false start of the possession appeared to be the break the Cougars needed. On a fourth down play with four yards to go inside Clark’s 20-yard line, senior captain Brett Garza knocked away a Moon pass headed for the end zone.
The fourth-down stop started a positive trend for the Cougars, who defeated Sotomayor, their Northside ISD rivals, 13-9 at Dub Farris Stadium.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Cougars’ (1-0) own run-heavy offense was given a lift thanks — ironically — to a 15-yard pass from senior quarterback Isaiah Santillan to junior wide receiver Reed Baldwin that moved Clark down to Sotomayor’s 15-yard line.
Two plays later, Santillan faked a handoff and went up the gut 17 yards for the game’s first touchdown with 1:51 to go until halftime. Kicker David Sem missed the extra point, meaning Clark held onto a six-point lead.
The Wildcats got on the scoreboard with a 26-yard field goal from Andre Gonzalez just 12 seconds before the half came to a close.
Sotomayor kept the good times rolling in the third quarter. Junior defensive back Eden Jackson picked off Santillan and provided great field position for the Wildcat offense to go to work from their own 45.
Junior Xavier Victor started the next Wildcat drive with a seven-yard run and ended it with a six-yard touchdown run. The score pushed Sotomayor ahead for the first time, 9-6, with 5:37 left in the third due to Gonzalez missing his own extra point attempt.
Though many in the stands did not realize it, the game’s outcome was decided on the next Clark possession.
The Cougars’ offense kept the Wildcat off balance more than it expected. Santillan showed off his arm, completing a 22-yard pass and later a 24-yard pass to junior wideout Elisha Johnson on the same drive. Those big plays pushed the Sotomayor defense backward to its 12-yard line.
Similar to the Cougars’ first touchdown drive, Santillan orchestrated another touchdown two plays later. The senior quarterback connected with another fellow senior, wide receiver Marcus Garza, for six points. Thanks to Sem’s extra point, Clark had a 13-9 lead with 24 ticks left in the quarter.
“They both did an outstanding job,” Clark coach J.L. Geist told KSAT 12’s RJ Marquez after the win, referring to Johnson and running back Xavier Canavis. “We know they’re really good football players, and if we can get them the ball, we try to.”
Thanks to some good fortune, the Clark defense held tight one final time on Sotomayor’s (0-1) last possession.
With the Wildcats inside the Cougars’ 35, Moon found sophomore Alijah McAdory wide open at the 15-yard line. However, McAdory, who called for the ball, could not hang on to Moon’s pass.
On Sotomayor’s last chance, a fourth-down play with under two minutes to go at Clark’s 33-yard line, tight end Angel Ramirez wasn’t able to haul in another Moon throw.
The Cougars kneeled down the rest of the game clock from there.
“We just wanted a stop,” Geist said. “Needed the defense to step up. They were really tired. That’s (Sotomayor) a really good football team. Very proud of the way our guys handled the end of the game.”
The Wildcats will next face Brennan on Sept. 4. The Cougars will meet Stevens, who dropped its season opener to Churchill, on Sept. 6.
Read more reporting and watch highlights and full games on the Big Game Coverage page.
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