Jose Alonzo (8) makes the tackle. (Photo by John Lee)
By John Lee
Senior Wide Receiver Jose Alonzo hauled in a touchdown pass from Senior Quarterback Jarren Hill and returned a kick-off for another on Friday night against the Perryton Rangers. But it wasn’t enough as the Pampa Harvesters (1-4) fell to the Perryton Rangers (3-2) at Zach Thomas Stadium at Harvester Field for the final non-district tune-up game. The Harvesters were on the wrong side of many penalty calls, to the tune of 107 on 11 dirty laundry calls.
“(Penalties) didn’t help us but that ain’t what got us tonight,” Head Coach Floyd White said. “We didn’t make the plays when we needed to make the plays. That falls on me. I’ve got to find a way to get these guys into better position. I didn’t do my job in order to get them where I needed to be. That’s going to fall on me and I have to wear that one...Right now we’re on the cusp of making those plays, but I got to give it up to (Perryton). That quarterback’s pretty dang good, he made a lot of folks miss in the phone booth. My hats off to Coach (Josh) Hernandez and the Perryton Rangers.”
The Harvesters first scoring drive started towards the end of the first quarter at the Pampa 34-yard line. Senior Running Back Max Neff took the rock for a dozen to move the chains and get the drive started. Neff had another carry of 11 yards before putting Pampa on the board with an 18-yard touchdown run. After the extra point by Sophomore Kicker Bryan Montelongo, it was 14-7 Perryton.
The Harvesters next scoring drive came after a forced fumble by Senior Linebacker Parker Webb, setting the Harvesters up at the Pampa 35-yard line. Neff moved the chains on the second play of the drive with a 19-yard run. Neff and Hill inched their way deeper into Perryton territory before a seven-yard run set Pampa up with a first down at the Rangers’ 20-yard line. Two plays later, Hill found Senior Wide Receiver Jose Alonzo for a 25-yard touchdown where the latter boxed out the defender like a rebound in basketball. After the extra point, it was 14-14 Pampa heading into the locker rooms for halftime.
“I can’t be more proud of a young man,” White said. “He had some stuff going on so he didn’t even get to play in the first varsity game against Iowa Park. He’s just slowly been biding his time and we told him that he’s eventually going to get one of those balls and have an opportunity.
“Early on he had some stuff that could have made his head fall down, but the resilience that young man has to bounce back and make that play (on the touchdown) and then the return later for a touchdown. You couldn’t ask for more from a senior.”
The Harvesters wasted little time getting on the board to start the second half, as Alonzo picked up right where he left off with a 72-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
The Perryton Rangers capitalized on the Harvesters miscues and took a 35-21 lead. The Harvesters next scoring drive started at the Pampa 25-yard line with 11:57 left to play. It took one play, a hand-off to Neff, for the Harvesters to go 75 yards to bring it back within one score.
The Harvesters’ offense had a hard time moving the ball against the Perryton defense late as the Rangers jumped out to a 49-28 lead. The Harvesters added a late score on a 25-yard touchdown run by Senior Running Back Reese Waldrip to make it a 49-35 game and give us our final.
The Harvesters will not have a game next week as it is their bye week, which White said the team will use to mend some of those bumps and bruises, as well as reflect, prepare and get to the next level.
“We definitely have a lot of confidence we can score points (despite starting 1-4),” White said. “We’ve just go to work defensively and do the things we do get those stops. We’re almost there, but we can’t live in the land of almost. We’ve got to live in the land of certainty. That falls on me and I’ve got to get these guys prepared over the next two weeks. But we also need to take care of some of those bumps and bruises.”
Dase Scott (32) makes the tackle for the Harvesters. (Photo by John Lee)
The Harvesters return to action when they host Hereford on Oct. 10 at Harvester Field at Zach Thomas Stadium.
“Anybody can beat anybody on any given night in our District,” White said. “I’m going to let the chips fall where they may. I can’t predict the future but I can tell you our boys are going to come out ready to play.”
Stat Roundup
Senior Max Neff had 255 yards on 29 carries and two touchdowns; Senior Reese Waldrip had 39 yards and a touchdown on two carries; Senior Jarren Hill had 30 yards on eight carries and Senior Parker Webb had 13 yards on five carries.
Jarren Hill was 2-5 for 25 yards and a touchdown.
Webb had a 25 yard grab; Alonzo had a 25-yard touchdown catch.
Alonzo had an 84 yard touchdown return; Neff had 76 return yards; Senior Caden Waldrip had 10 return yards.
Senior Dase Scott had seven tackles, a fumble and fumble recovery; Webb had seven tackles and a fumble recovery; Alonzo had 10 tackles; Senior Clayton Ward had four tackles; C. Waldrip had six tackles; Senior Andrew Waldrip had two tackles; Junior Zaiden Venegas had one tackle; Junior Cy LeBlanc had three tackles; Senior Gage Ayala had three tackles; Junior Ira Smith had a tackle; R. Waldrip had two tackles; Junior Connor McKinley had one tackle and Junior Carter McLaughlin had a tackle.
Area scores
Canyon 49, Pedra Vista Panthers 13
Dumas 37, Bushland 14
Borger 0, Dalhart 45
River Road 6, West Texas 50
Sunray 20, Canadian 69
Panhandle 41, Wellington 0
Wheeler 40, Sanford Fritch 0
Lefors 12, Kress 57
Seniors Ailany Baca, left, and Tristan Bagwell were named Homecoming King and Queen. (Photo by John Lee)