by Moses Leos III
Not even a furious 29-point second half rally was enough for the Lehman Lobos to pull off the upset over the Austin Maroons Thursday at House Park.
An Austin touchdown with less than a minute left in the game sunk the Lobos in a wild 63-56 thriller.
Offense was at a premium as both teams combined for 1,068 total yards, 591 yards gained after halftime. The 119 combined points is the most ever scored in a game involving the Lehman Lobos.
Austin’s offense set the tone early. Led by quarterback Beau Kahlbacher, Austin jumped out to a quick 21-0 lead with 6:46 left in the second quarter. A 61-yard punt return touchdown from Maroon defensive back Devin Smith gave Austin a 28-0 cushion.
Lehman battled back, but was outscored 14-13 in the final 3:20 of the first half. The Lobos trailed 42-13 at intermission.
The Lobos responded with a flurry of points in the third quarter, outscoring Austin 28-6. Quarterback Jeremy Schilhab kick started the scoring salvo with a one yard touchdown run.
After an interception by Lehman defensive lineman Etiquio Mondragon, Schilhab tossed a 77 yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jay Sayles, cutting Austin’s lead to 42-27.
Lehman went on to tally two more scores following an Austin touchdown; it was highlighted by a 70-yard strike from Schilhab to Sayles.
The Lobos’ carried momentum into the fourth quarter. Follwing an Kahlbacher touchdown pass, Schilhab countered by capping off a 12 play drive with a 10 yard rushing score.
A successful onside kick recovered by defensive back Brett Wagner gave Lehman another chance to score.
Facing 4th and goal from the Austin 10, Schilhab side-armed a touchdown pass to Sayles, pulling the Lobos within one point. A trick play two-point conversion pass from Wagner to Schilhab gave Lehman a 56-55 lead with 2:22 left.
But Kahlbacher orchestrated one final drive, leading the Maroons 54 yards in 1:11; the drive capped off by running back Marcello Mendoza, who ran 12-yards for the go-ahead score.
Schilhab amassed 459 total yards — 324 passing, 134 rushing — and scored seven total touchdowns. In the process, Schilhab also became the first Lobo to rush and pass for 1,000 yards in a season. Sayles had 11 catches for 284 yards and four touchdowns.
Kahlbacher threw for 377 yards and five passing touchdowns. Four of Kahlbacher’s touchdowns were thrown to wide receiver Jacob Traudt, who had 233 receiving yards.
Correction: It was intially reported that Austin High drove 47 yards during it’s final fourth quarter drive. The Maroons drove 54 yards during that series. We apologize for the error.
