Sinton Ends La Grange’s Football Season in Area Round
The Leps led early, and then rallied late, but it was not enough.
La Grange’s football season ended Friday in a 49-20 loss to the No. 8-ranked Sinton Pirates in the second round of the playoffs at Converse Judson’s D.W. Rutledge Stadium.
La Grange had come into this game riding a four-game win streak, but Sinton’s physical defensive front limited the Leps to only 13 total yards rushing.
“Football is a physical game,” said La Grange head coach Matt Kates. “I thought we were playing pretty physical the last few weeks, but it was a different level tonight.”
Forced to the air, the Leps had success through the passing game, throwing for 297 yards, including 243 by senior Clay Wolff.
Wolff threw a 66 yard touchdown pass to Bravion Rogers and a 61-yard score to Dana Baker.
Both passes were highlight-reel-worthy catches by the receivers – Rogers making a bobbling catch of the ball sandwiched between defenders, and Hall’s a one-handed snag. Both those catches also cut the Sinton lead to two touchdowns, but La Grange could never get closer.
La Grange lost three fumbles, which also proved to be costly.
“We got to play the No. 8-ranked team in the state and we felt like we competed with them,” said Wolff. “We can feelproud of ourselves and we gave it all that we had.”
The Leps end their season with a 7-5 record –a three win improvement from last year when they missed the postseason.
“It was a great accomplishment to get here to round two, but you win some and you lose some,” Baker said.
“I feel like this team overachieved considering where were picked at the beginning of the season (5th) and what happened last year. People counted us out, but we finished second (in district), we came together at the right time,” said La Grange senior linebacker Kadyn Hall.
Sinton (11-1) advances to the regional semifinals where they will face Navarro (9-2).
The game started off with a bang for the Leps. Jakobe Wilkerson opened the game with a 35-yard kick-off return, followed by a 37-yard pass from Bravion Rogers to Andrew Faske.
That set up the Leps with a first and goal at the Sinton three-yard line.
It took three more plays, but La Grange finally scored on a two-yard rollout keeper by Wolff.
The Pirates answered with a touchdown of their own on their first possession and Sinton never trailed again.
Sinton was led by the Galvan brothers, senior twins. Quarterback Rene Galvan ran for a team-high 197 yards. His brother Rylan Galvan ran for 143 yards and four touchdowns.
“The way those two run the football, you can tell they don’t like getting tackled,” Kates said.
“They were a smash-mouth football team,” Hall said. In all, Sinton rushed for 394
In all, Sinton rushed for 394 yards.
Friday’s game marked the end of the high school football careers for 23 Leps seniors (11 of which were starters).
“All those early summer mornings when nobody wanted to get up, all the grueling days during the year. You work for this 12 months a year but it’s hard to let go for good,” Wolff said.
“From top to bottom, those seniors kept showing up. We call ourselves a family and it really is, and it’s led by seniors,” Kates said. “Bunch of great kids that are going to go on and be great people.”
But the Leps will return leading rusher Bravion Rogers, leading receiver Jaxon Cooper and a host of other starters towards a 2022 season that will include realigned districts and regions (which will be announced in February).
“No doubt the future is bright and we’re going to keep moving forward,” Kates said.
Scoring summary
First Quarter
LA GRANGE – 9:40, Clay Wolff 2 run (Brendan Maddox kick)
SINTON –4:11, God Pyeatt 17 pass from Rene Galvan (Landen Longoria kick)
Second Quarter
SINTON – 8:11, Jerek Sanchez 14 run (Longoria kick)
SINTON – :32, Rylan Galvan 5 run (Longoria kick)
Third Quarter
SINTON – 10:05, Rylan Galvan 2 run (kick blocked)
LA GRANGE –9:50, Bravion Rogers 66 pass from Clay Wolff (kick failed)
SINTON – 1:52, Braeden Brown 11 run (Cooper Dockens conversion pass from Ruben Magana)
LA GRANGE – 1:37, Dana Baker 61 pass from Clay Wolff (Maddox kick)
Fourth Quarter
SINTON – 10:47, Rylan Galvan 23 run (Longoria kick)
SINTON – 6:19, Rylan Galvan 1 run (Longoria kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATS
Rushing – La Grange: Bravion Rogers 8-18, Ryder Imhoff 3-5, Clay Wolff 3-(-2), Dana Baker 1-(-2), Team 1-(-6). Sinton: Rene Galvan 19-197, Rylan Galvan 24-143, Jerek Sanchez 9-42, Braeden Brown 2-12.
Passing – La Grange: Wolff 15 of 22 for 243 with 2 TDs, Rogers 2 of 2 for 54 yards; Sinton: Rene Galvan 4 of 8 for 70 yards with 1 TD.
Receiving – La Grange: Bravion Rogers 4-90, Dana Baker 3-77, Jaxon Cooper 3-60, Andrew Faske 1-37, Jaden Williams 3-18, Ryder Imhoff 2-12; Sinton: Rylan Galvan 1-28, Pyeatt 1-17, Kaden McCoy 1-17, Brown 1-9.