(New Braunfels) — In a game both teams needed to win to improve their playoff odds, it was the Canyon Cougars who got off to a fast start in dispatching the Seguin Matadors, 48-14 on Friday night at Canyon High School.
The homecoming win for the Cougars moved them into a tie for third place in District 12-5A with the Matadors and Boerne-Champion at 3-2. The Mats have a tough path to the fourth and final playoff spot at the moment with losses to Champion and Canyon and with the top two teams in the district, Wagner and Smithson Valley left on their schedule. The Thunderbirds are 4-1 in district play, while the Rangers are 5-0.
Canyon got on the scoreboard first on Friday night with a 42-yard touchdown connection from quarterback Reece Deitrick to receiver Daniel Inman midway through the first quarter to go up, 7-0. Following a three-and-out by the Seguin offense, the Cougars scored on their next drive, capping it off with a Daniel Bastion two-yard touchdown run to make it, 14-0.
The Matadors would fumble on their next drive and Detrick would score on a one-yard TD run to extend the lead to 21-0. The Cougars would get the ball back one more time in the first quarter and would finish off another drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Detrick to Harry Hassmann to make the score, 28-0.
A couple of rushing scores by Matador running backs John Jackson and Devin Hall would be sandwiched around a Detrick to Jackson Kuenzi touchdown pass for Canyon to put the Cougars ahead 34-14 at the half. Canyon would keep the Matadors off the scoreboard in the second half and get a pair of rushing touchdowns from Jackson Regan and Elias Gonzalez to finish the scoring.
Jackson would extended his Seguin single season rushing record and remained on pace for a 2000 yard season in the loss. The senior had 185 yards rushing on 30 carries on the evening, giving him exactly 1600 yards on the season with two games left on the regular season schedule.
The Mats will play at Wagner next Thursday. The game has a 7 p.m. kickoff at Rutledge Stadium in Converse. Seguin will finish their regular season on Friday, November 3rd against Smithson Valley at Matador Stadium.