Antelopes survive first half surge

The Whiteface Antelopes had to overcome a second quarter surge from the O’Donnell Eagles to take a 62-36 win and sole possession of the UIL Class 1A-1, Region II, District 5 High School Football Championship last Friday in O’Donnell Whiteface opened with the ball, starting on the O’Donnell 27 thanks to a big kick return from Jeremias Chavez. Ethan Kauffman took them down to the Eagles’ 22-yard-line with a strong first carry, then Jeremiah Rendon found Julio Borunda open for the first touchdown of the night just over a minute into the game.

The two-point kick failed as the kicking game would be problematic all night, but Whiteface led, 6-0.

The Antelopes scored again with 2:44 left in the first quarter on a 72-yard run by Kauffman on the first play of a drive. The kick was good and Whiteface led, 14-0.

O’Donnell’s next drive started on their own 34-yard-line, but was promptly moved back to the 24-yard-line by a holding penalty.

The second quarter began with the Eagles driving on the Whiteface 26-yard-line at second down and 10 yards.

An eight-yard run from Caden Hernandez made it fourth down and a yard. That’s when Martin Baeza hit Tyler Bundy for a 17yard touchdown.

Eufemio Ortiz made the kick to cut the Antelope lead to 14-8.

Whiteface took over, engineering a drive that ate up nearly four minutes of the clock before culminating in a one-yard touchdown run by Kauffman and a 20-8 lead.

That lead was short-lived, however, as Tyson Bundy ran the Whiteface kick back 46 yards for a touchdown, cutting the Antelope lead to 20-14.

Whiteface made the score 26-14 after another hard drive. Starting on their own 36-yard-line with 4:42 left in the first half, the Antelopes marched down field until they reached the O’Donnell three yard line.

This time, Borunda got the call for a run into the end-zone with 1:10 left on the clock.

O’Donnell answered on their first play from scrimmage with a 43 yard touchdown from Tyler Bundy. Whiteface now led, 26-22.

The Antelopes took over on their own 30, but got nowhere as the half-time buzzer sounded on an incomplete pass from Jeremiah Rendon to Jeremiah Soliz on fourth down and 15.

Whiteface got a big break to open the third quarter when Gavin Baker recovered their onside kick at the Antelope 37yard-line.

Borunda ran the ball in for a touchdown and a 32-22 lead on the first play from scrimmage.

The Eagles answered, however, with a 45-yard run from Hernandez on their first play from scrimmage, cutting the Whiteface lead to 32-30.

That was as close as O’Donnell would get.

Whiteface scored on a 30 yard run by Kauffman for a 40-30 lead, then took the ball again when Jaxon Heflin recovered a Tyler Bundy fumble on the O’Donnell 31-yard-line.

Four plays later Kauffman crossed the goal line again, this time from the three yard line, for a 46-30 Whiteface lead.

The Antelopes forced O’Donnell to turn over on downs on the next possession, taking over on their own 31-yard-line. Kauffman scored again on the first play from scrimmage for a 5430 Whiteface lead with 4:36 left in the third quarter. The Eagles’ last score came on their next drive on a seven yard run from Hernandez.

Whiteface took over on their own 35-yard-line with 3:33 left in the third quarter and were at first down and goal at the Eagles’ fiveyard- line when the quarter ended. A false start penalty moved them back to the 10-yard-line, but that just gave Kauffman more running room as he rambled in for the touchdown and a 62-36 lead seconds into the fourth quarter.

O’Donnell threatened once more. They made it all the way to the Whiteface two-yard-line on third down. Brighton Scoggins tackled Baeza and recovered the fumble he created, giving the Antelopes the ball on their own 11-yard-line with 4:47 left in the game. Whiteface went to their running game, eating up the clock until they could take the victory formation with just under a minute left. Jeremiah Rendon went 4-for-10 passing for 40 yards and a touchdown. He also had a single carry for minus five yards. Kauffman had 25 carries for 288 yards and six touchdowns. Borunda had 13 carries for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Scoggins had six carries for 33 yards Borunda had two catches for 28 yards and a touchdown.

Chavez had a 13-yard catch and Scoggins had a single catch for minus one yard. Scoggins had six tackles. Chavez and Borunda had five each. Kauffman had four. Auscar Gandara had 3 ½. Joel Fortner had two. Noah Rendon had 1 ½. Heflin had one.

The Antelopes will face Van Horn next Friday for the Bi-District playoff in Rankin. Game time is 6 p.m.