(Bastrop) – Navarro and Cuero square off in the UIL football playoffs for the eighth time in nine years on Friday when the teams battle for the 4A Division II Region IV championship at Bastrop Memorial Stadium.
Cuero has won five of the previous seven post-season meetings, with Navarro’s wins coming in the 2016 regional finals and last year’s bi-district round.
The Panthers handed the Gobblers their only loss this season back in Week 4 when Jaxen Monkerud nailed a late 30-yard field goal to clinch a 29-27 home win at Erwin-Lee Field.
Navarro is 10-2 in Rod Blount’s fourth season as head coach after finishing second behind Wimberley in District 14-4A-Division II and advancing through Smithville 45-35, Port Isabel 55-7, and Sinton 29-28 (OT) in the first three playoff rounds.
Cuero is 12-1 under second-year head coach Jack Alvarez. The Gobblers have won eight straight since coming up short to Navarro in September. After securing the District 13 championship, Cuero moved through YMLA 63-7, Rockport-Fulton 55-27, and District 14 champion Wimberley 46-36 in the first three rounds of the playoff bracket.
The aggressive Cuero defense, led by linebacker Sean Burks (233 tackles), has forced an eye-popping 38 turnovers this season with 22 fumble recoveries and 16 interceptions. Defensive back Dayson Varela has a team-high five interceptions, and linebacker Justin Banda comes in with five fumble recoveries.
Navarro survived the regular season meeting with the Gobblers despite turning the ball over five times. Blount says that number has to come down if the offense hopes to be productive enough to win the rematch.
“Ball security is number one, because they do a great job of taking it away,” Blount said. “But maintaining drives – you may be able get a little bit, but they’re not going to let you break that long run because they have so much speed, so we’ve got to be disciplined in how we do things, and make sure we’re picking up positive yards. We can’t have that slip-up and miss a block and lose yardage, or have that penalty.”
The Panthers enter Friday averaging 44 points and 448.8 yards per game, and eight yards per carry on rushing plays. Senior fullback Cole Mouser is the team’s leading rusher with 1,225 yards and 21 touchdowns. Sophomore halfback Antoine Mebane has run for 373 yards, three scores, and a walk-off two-point conversion in three playoff games.
Senior quarterback Nick Billings has thrown for 775 yards and 12 touchdowns while running for 431 yards and five scores. He has been coldly efficient in the playoffs, going 6-10 for 222 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions.
A Navarro defense with 29 takeaways on the year and a per-game average of 234.9 yards allowed is tasked with slowing down an explosive Cuero bunch on Friday.
Senior quarterback Jerry Rossett comes in with a .646 completion percentage, 2,329 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and just five interceptions.
Rossett has an array of weapons around him, including tailback Tycen Williams (1,647 rushing yds., 328 receiving yds., 30 total TD), and receivers Exavier Durhan (66 rec., 1,008 yds., 12 TD) and Lebron Johnson (42 rec., 858 yds., 4 TD).
Blount says recent game field reveals that the Gobblers are operating more efficiently than they did 11 weeks ago when they faced the Panthers in the regular season.
“What really stood out to me is the quarterback play,” Blount said of Rossett. “He’s doing a great job, a lot better job of running the offense, throwing a lot better football right now. It looks like he’s leading that offense, running it really well, and he’s kind of making it go right now.”
The Navarro – Cuero winner advances to the state semifinals to face winner of Friday’s Region III title game between China Spring and West Orange Stark.
Navarro and Cuero are slated for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff on Friday at Bastrop Memorial Stadium. The game will air live on KWED 1580-AM and Seguintoday.com. Pre-game coverage starts at 7 p.m.