KATY — Every time it looked like Port Lavaca Calhoun was primed to turn its fortunes, big plays went the wrong direction for the Sandcrabs. And so did their playoff run.
Junior defensive lineman Holston Deckard recovered a fumble midway through the fourth quarter to set up Calhoun with the ball at its own 36-yard line trailing by a field goal. Four plays later, La Vernia’s Aden Hajek intercepted quarterback Alex Parker’s pass at midfield.
The Sandcrabs got the ball back with under four minutes left in the game, but La Vernia quickly forced a turnover on downs with 2:29 left and ran out the clock to clinch a 24-21 win in the third round of the Class 4A Division I playoffs Friday at Legacy Stadium. Calhoun finished the season 7-6.
The Sandcrabs ended their season just shy of the state quarterfinals, seven weeks after beating La Vernia 22-20 in their District 15-4A-I opener on Oct. 11.
“We have a tough district,” La Vernia head coach Brian Null said. “It primed us. We couldn’t ever take a game off. A lot of credit goes to coach (Richard) Whitaker over there. He’s a class act guy, coaches them really well, and those guys play hard for him. They got us once this year, and we got them back.”
In the third quarter, Calhoun forced a punt near midfield trailing 17-14, but La Vernia punter Vincent Capparelli scooped up a botched snap and alertly flipped the ball to Kolby Gates, who ran 12 yards for a first down.
Sean Garza capped that drive with a 10-yard touchdown with 2:02 left in the third quarter, which proved to be all the scoring the Bears (10-3) needed.
A failed surprise onside kick attempt gave Calhoun a short field on its ensuing drive, and Parker ran for a 7-yard touchdown with 8:09 left in the game to pull the Sandcrabs within 24-21.
La Vernia sophomore running back Ty Carter rushed for 197 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries as the Bears amassed 319 yards on the ground. Garza rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.
Calhoun senior Darrik Salinas led the Sandcrabs with 12 carries for 113 yards and a touchdown. Parker added 79 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 22 carries as Calhoun rushed for 238 yards.
La Vernia started fast, winning the coin toss and electing to receive. Carter took the first handoff, cut to the left and raced down the sideline for a 72-yard touchdown to give the Bears a 7-0 lead.
Calhoun responded with a five-play, 73-yard drive capped by an 8-yard touchdown run from Salinas to tie the game with 9:36 left in the first quarter. Salinas had three carries for 57 yards on the drive.
La Vernia took five minutes off the clock on its next drive but stalled after a holding penalty in the red zone. Luke Green connected on a 30-yard field goal to take a 10-7 lead with 4:37 left in the first.
Following a Calhoun punt — the only one of the first half — the Bears put together another methodical drive, taking six minutes off the clock. On the 13th play, Carter dragged several Calhoun defenders and broke through for an 8-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 17-7 with seven minutes left in the first half.
Carter finished the first half with 140 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries.
The Sandcrabs pulled within 17-14 with 2:36 remaining in the second quarter as Parker, Calhoun’s quarterback, kept the ball for a 1-yard touchdown plunge.
A 20-yard run from Carter jumpstarted La Vernia’s final drive of the half, but Green’s 26-yard field goal attempt was tipped to end the first half.
The teams combined for two pass attempts in the first half, both by La Vernia.