The San Saba Armadillos delivered a commanding performance Friday night at Rogan Field—better known to fans as The Graveyard—shutting out the Holland Hornets 34-0 in a statement win that moved the Dillos to 6-3 on the season and 3-1 in district play. Not only was it a great Halloween night for the Dillos, the evening was special since it was Senior night.
From the opening kickoff, San Saba set the tone with a suffocating defense and an explosive ground game that Holland simply couldn’t contain. The Armadillo defensive line dominated the trenches, stifling the Hornet offense and keeping them scoreless for all four quarters.
The scoring started early in the first quarter when Jason Everett broke free on a thrilling 39-yard touchdown run, electrifying the home crowd. The extra point attempt by Brandon Gonzales was no good, but San Saba wasn’t done yet. Luke Tharp punched in a 4-yard touchdown run soon after, and Gonzales’ kick was true this time, putting the Dillos ahead 13-0.
Before halftime, Tharp found the end zone again, diving in from a yard out late in the second quarter to extend San Saba’s lead to 20-0 at the break.
The second half brought more of the same—relentless defense and powerful running. Tharp, who had a career night, struck again in the third quarter with a 42-yard touchdown run, giving him his third score of the game. Gonzales added the extra point to make it 27-0 heading into the fourth.
In the final quarter, Melvin Umble capped off the Dillos’ offensive showcase with a 2-yard touchdown run, and with another successful kick from Gonzales, San Saba sealed the 34-0 shutout victory.
Tharp led the offense with 23 carries for 171 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Everett added 99 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Umble chipped in 59 yards and a touchdown on just 3 carries.
Defensively, the Armadillos were unstoppable. Everett was a force on both sides of the ball, leading the defense with 13 tackles, including 2 for loss. Kaylub Roberts followed with 11 tackles and 4 for loss, while Juan Patino and Danny English each tallied 8 tackles and a stop behind the line. Ulices Mendoza added 7 tackles and 1 for loss, helping to preserve the shutout.
With their third district win, San Saba has momentum heading into the final week of district play. The Armadillos will look to finish strong when they travel to Mason to take on the Punchers this Friday night. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m.
Game Recap
1st Quarter
SS - Jason Everett 39yd. TD run (Brandon Gonzales xpt., No Good) SS - Luke Tharp 4yd. TD run (Gonzales xpt., Good)
2nd Quarter
SS - Tharp 1yd. TD run (Gonzales xpt., Good) Halftime score San Saba 20 – Holland 0
3rd Quarter
SS - Tharp 42yd. TD run (Gonzales xpt., Good) At the end of the 3rd quarter, San Saba 27 – Holland 0
4th Quarter
SS - Melvin Umble 2yd. TD run (Gonzales xpt., Good)
Final Score, San Saba 34 – Holland 0