The San Saba Armadillos hit the road for a long trip to Katy on Friday night but showed no signs of fatigue as they steamrolled the St. John XXIII Lions with an emphatic 56-7 win. The Dillos showcased dominance on both sides of the ball, improving their season record to 2-2.
San Saba set the tone early, with senior standout Luke Tharp breaking free for a 23-yard touchdown run on the opening drive. Although the extra point was blocked, the early score was just a preview of the offensive explosion to come.
The Dillo defense followed suit, stifling the Lions with multiple three-and-outs and a key turnover in the first quarter. Tharp, playing both sides of the ball, forced a fumble with help from Jayden Aguirre, then recovered it himself. On the very next play, Tharp electrified the crowd with a 63-yard touchdown run. A successful two-point conversion — a pass from JJ Romero to Jason Everett — extended the lead.
Everett kept the momentum rolling with a 21-yard touchdown run to close out the first quarter.
Brandon Gonzales added the extra point to make it 21-0.
The second quarter brought more of the same. Tharp added an 8-yard touchdown run, followed by another Gonzales PAT. Everett capped off the half with his second touchdown of the night — this one from 11 yards out — with Gonzales again good on the extra point.
St. John XXIII found a spark with a kickoff return for a touchdown late in the second quarter, putting them on the board just before halftime. But at 35-7 heading into the locker room, the damage had already been done.
The second half was all Armadillos. Tharp opened the third quarter with a 65-yard sprint to the end zone — his fourth touchdown of the night — and Gonzales remained automatic with the kick. Enrique Mendoza joined the scoring with a 32-yard touchdown run later in the quarter, and Gonzales made it 49-7 heading into the fourth.
Clayton Meador capped the night with a 12-yard touchdown run in the final frame, and Gonzales’ seventh successful extra point sealed the 56-7 victory.
Offensive Leaders:
• Luke Tharp: 15 carries, 296 yards, 4 TDs
• Jason Everett: 4 carries, 44 yards, 2 TDs
• Clayton Meador: 3 carries, 42 yards, 1 TD
• Enrique Mendoza: 3 carries, 39 yards, 1 TD
• Brandon Gonzales: 1 catch, 24 yards; 7/8 on PATs
Defensive Standouts:
• Danny English: 12 tackles, 6 TFLs, 2 sacks
• Clayton Meador: 11 tackles, 3 TFLs
• Kolton Pierce: 7 tackles, 5 TFLs, 1 sack
• Melvin Umble: 6 tackles, 2 TFLs
With the win, the Armadillos even their record at 2-2 and build momentum heading into next week’s road matchup against the Hamilton Bulldogs. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Friday in Hamilton.
Game Recap
1st Quarter
Luke Tharp 23 yd. TD run (Brandon Gonzales xpt., No good) Tharp 63 yd. TD run (JJ Romero to Jason Everett 2pt conversion, good) Everett 21 yd. TD run (Gonzales xpt., good)
2nd Quarter
Tharp 8 yd. TD run (Gonzales xpt., good) Everett 11 yd. TD run (Gonzales xpt., good) SJ XXIII KO return for TD (xpt., good)
Halftime score San Saba 35 – St. John XXIII–7
3rd Quarter Tharp 65 yd. TD run (Gonzales xpt., good) Enrique Mendoza 32 yd. TD run (Gonzales xpt., good)
At the end of the 3rd quarter, San Saba 49 - St. John XXIII–7
4th Quarter
Clayton Meador 12 yd. TD run (Gonzales xpt., good)
Final Score, San Saba 56 – St. John XXIII–7
All photos are courtesy of Kayti Lackey