Late field goal ends Falcons season in 6A DI area round

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SAN ANTONIO — Buda Johnson senior Joe Margiotta nailed a 32-yard go-ahead field goal with 1:44 remaining to hand Los Fresnos a 23-20 loss during a Class 6A DI area round contest Saturday at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

The defeat ends the Falcons season with a 10-2 overall record. The Jaguars advance to the Region IV-6A DI semifinals next week where they’ll take on Austin Westlake.

“We were extremely tough on this (senior) group,” Los Fresnos head coach David Cantu said. “We showed them tough love, but they’ve now set the standard of what is going to be Falcon football. This group of senior sends a message that we can compete with anybody in the state. Buda Johnson is a fantastic football team. I’m so proud of these guys for doing that.”

Explosive plays stole the show during the third quarter, with both teams roaring to life after a slow first half.

Los Fresnos quarterback Robert Pineda sparked a 28-point quarter between the two teams, leading the Falcons down the field with hard runs and timely passes before capping their drive of the period with a 3-yard touchdown pass to junior Ricardo Salazar. The touchdown grab marked the second of the day by Salazar, also scoring on a 14-yard reception during the second quarter.

“It feels amazing to be able to contribute like that today,” Salazar said. “Honestly, I love every single one of these guys. This group, we tried our best. At the end of the day, it is God’s will. It isn’t about what I do, but a whole team effort.”

Buda Johnson responded with a big play of their own, with Tim Mata returning the ensuing kickoff over 90 yards for the touchdown to tie the game at 13.

A 71 yard touchdown pass from Pineda to sophomore Diego Torres put the Falcons back on top with 6:13 left in the third, taking a 20-13 lead.

The Jaguars answered right back, with a 57 yard run by senior Kael Hatnot setting Buda Johnson up inside the 10. Hatnot finished the drive two plays later, rumbling in from six yards to tie the game 20-20 heading into the final period.

The defenses buckled down during the final period, with the two teams trading three straight punts during the fourth before a nine-play, 33-yard drive by Buda Johnson for the go-ahead score.

Los Fresnos got the ball one last time, but the two-minute drill fell just short, with the drive ending in a turnover on downs at Buda Johnson’s 41 to end the game.

“First and foremost, I want to thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ,” Pineda said. “Even if we didn’t get the outcome we wanted, I want to thank everyone on this team. We didn’t get that outcome, but the effort was amazing. I wouldn’t trade this team for the world. I love every single one of these guys. I love all my coaches. It was just an amazing feeling. You can’t even be sad about it because we tried so hard.”

Pineda led the Falcons offensively, completing 11-of-20 passes for 146 yards and three touchdowns, while also adding 127 yards on the ground. Torres chipped in 117 total yards and one touchdown, while Salazar hauled in three catches for 18 yards and two touchdowns.

Hatnot was the Jaguars’ top offensive player, rushing for 138 yards and two scores on 20 carries. Quarterback Zach Issak added 12 carries for 40 yards, while also completing 4-of-7 passes for 19 yards.

The Falcons finish the year as District 32-6A champions after finishing 4-0 in league play, their first title since 2015 and first outright title since 2008.

“We got a lot of kids coming back, but all that being said they’re going to have it even tougher now,” Cantu said. “We’re looking forward to that. A lot of these guys have been on varsity a couple of years already. We’ll see. We’re going to push them harder than ever before and hopefully raise the standard even more.”

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