In a rivalry that stretches back over a century, the San Saba Armadillos and Goldthwaite Eagles renewed their fierce “Battle of the River” this past Friday night. Despite a strong second-half surge, the Armadillos ultimately fell short, dropping the matchup 34-49 in front of a packed Eagle stadium brimming with history, pride, and high-energy football.
The game kicked off with momentum firmly in the Eagles’ favor. Goldthwaite struck first on a 1-yard touchdown run, followed by a successful extra point. Their offensive rhythm continued into the second quarter with a 12-yard touchdown pass and another good PAT, quickly putting San Saba in a 0-14 hole.
The Armadillos found life after a spectacular 34-yard reception by tight end Danny English, which set up a 3-yard touchdown run by Jason Everett. Kicker Brandon Gonzales drilled the extra point, trimming the lead to 7-14. But Goldthwaite responded in a flash with a 47-yard touchdown run, though their extra point attempt failed, leaving the score at 7-20.
San Saba’s defense showed signs of fight when Jayden Aguirre snagged an interception to halt a promising Goldthwaite drive. Unfortunately, the Eagles’ defense returned the favor with a pick of their own, setting up another touchdown drive. A successful 2-point conversion extended Goldthwaite’s lead to 7-28. They added one more touchdown before halftime, sending the Armadillos to the locker room trailing 7-35.
But if the first half belonged to Goldthwaite, the second half was the stage for a fiery Armadillo comeback attempt.
San Saba opened the third quarter with a determined drive capped by a 4-yard touchdown run from Luke Tharp, with Gonzales again accurate on the extra point (14-35). Goldthwaite responded midway through the third with another score (1442), and tacked on their final touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter (14-49).
From there, it was all Armadillos.
Jason Everett ignited the crowd with an explosive 83-yard touchdown run, his second of the night. Gonzales remained perfect, adding the extra point (21-49). Luke Tharp followed up with a 36-yard touchdown sprint, and Noel Vega nailed the PAT (28-49). Then, with time winding down, Graden Lebow punched in a 5-yard touchdown to bring San Saba within 15 points (34-49). The rally showcased grit, talent, and heart—but ran out of time.
Despite the loss, the Armadillos had several standout performances:
Offensive Leaders
• Jason Everett – 14 carries, 207 yards, 2 touchdowns
• Luke Tharp – 11 carries, 144 yards, 2 touchdowns
• Graden Lebow – 3 carries, 11 yards, 1 touchdown
• Danny English – 1 reception, 34 yards
Defensive Leaders
• Luke Tharp – 13 tackles
• Graden Lebow – 8 tackles (2 for loss)
• Melvin Umble – 8 tackles (1 for loss)
• Jack Stewardson – 5 tackles (1 for loss)
• Jayden Aguirre – 1 interception
With the loss, San Saba drops to 1-2 on the season, but showed plenty of fight in the second half. They’ll look to bounce back on the road next week as they travel to Katy, Texas, to take on the St. John XXIII Lions.
Game Recap 1st Quarter
Goldthwaite TD (xpt, good)
2nd Quarter
Goldthwaite TD (xpt, good) Jason Everett 3 yd. TD run (Brandon Gonzales xpt, good) Goldthwaite TD (xpt, no good) Goldthwaite TD (2 pt. Conv., good) Goldthwaite TD (xpt, good) Halftime score San Saba 7 – Goldthwaite 35
3rd Quarter
Luke Tharp 4 yd. TD run (Gonzales xpt., good) Goldthwaite TD (xpt., good) At the end of the 3rd quarter, San Saba 14 - Goldthwaite 42 4th Quarter
Goldthwaite TD (xpt., good) Everett 83 yd. TD run (Gonzales xpt., good) Tharp 36 yd. TD run (Noel Vega xpt., good) Graden Lebow 5 yd. TD run (Vega xpt., no good) Final Score, San Saba 34 – Goldthwaite 49
Photos by Kayti Lackey