By Dane Daniel | FOR THE A-J

Sometimes the warmup session extends a little longer than pregame. For Coronado, that warm-up lasted about 30 minutes into its season opener Friday against El Paso Franklin.

After falling behind 16-0, the Mustangs used a key turnover to get on the board with just over four minutes left in the third period. From that point on, it was all Coronado as the Mustangs queezed by the Cougars 22-19.

“None of our receivers started a game last year, and it took us a little time to get everything going,” Coronado quarterback Rick Henderson said. “In the second half we seemed to settle in and I got a little more composed and made a lot better reads. That and the great play of our defense was the key tonight.”

Franklin's Daniel Corral, left, recovers a fumble as his teammate tackles Coronado's Sterling Jones, center, during the second quarter Friday night at Lowrey Field. Franklin scored the first touchdown of the game on the following drive. (Geoffrey Mcallister / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)

Henderson will have to ice his arm today after completing 29 of 48 passes for 271 yards. Greg Allen snagged 12 of those for 117 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown to tie the game at 16 with less than a minute left in the third period.

After going for it on fourth and 2 from the Mustang 32 with more than nine minutes left and the game tied at 16, Henderson was sacked, giving Franklin the ball at the Mustang 27. The Coronado defense stiffened, holding Franklin to a 33-yard field goal with seven minutes left.

Coronado then managed its longest drive of the night, traveling 80 yards in 11 plays. Aided by a personal foul and a pass interference call, Coronado took its first lead when Cameron Owens found the endzone from 3 yards out.

Franklin’s Eric Grado fumbled on the ensuing drive and Coronado’s Dayton Arterburn recovered, effectively closing out the game for Coronado.

“In the second half, I did a lot better job of spreading the field and Allen, (Keith) Scioli and our tight ends did a great job of finding open spots,” Coronado coach Butch Henderson said.

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Franklin quarterback Joshua Valenzuela, after having a 110-yard third period, went cold in the final quarter, going just 3 for 11 for 21 yards. Neither team had much of a ground attack to speak of with Coronado amassing 50 yards while the Cougars had 80.

Franklin was first to break through offensively, waiting until 0:19 left in the first half before Valenzuela hit Christopher Valtierra from 23 yards out.

Valenzuela and Valtierra hooked up again midway through the third, this time from 15 yards out.

Franklin’s other two scores came courtesy of a bad snap from Coronado resulting in a safety and a 33-yard field goal from Daniel Moreno.

CORONADO 22, EL PASO FRANKLIN 19

EP Franklin 0 7 9 3 – 19

Coronado 0 0 16 6 – 22

Second Quarter

EPF-Christopher Valtierra 23 pass from Joshua Valenzuela (Daniel Moreno kick) :19

Third Quarter

EPF – Valtierra 15 pass from Valenzuela (Moreno kick) 7:46

EPF – Safety Punt Snap out of endzone 6:38

COR – Keith Scioli 10 pass from Rick Henderson (Ryan Carpenter pass from Henderson) 4:13

COR – Greg Allen 31 pass from Henderson (Cameron Owens run) :52

Fourth Quarter

EPF – Moreno 33 FG 7:20

COR – Owens 3 run (kick blocked) 3:30

TEAM STATISTICS

EPF COR

First downs 13 18

Rushes-yards 28-84 28-50

Passing yards 193 271

Comp.-att.-int. 14-31-0 29-48-0

Punts-avg. 8-32.3 4-40.0

Fumbles-lost 3-1 3-3

Penalties-yards 9-88 6-55

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Franklin, Joshua Valenzuela 13-53, Joe Damian 11-50, Daniel Moreno 3-(-26), Christopher Valtierra 1-5; Coronado,Cameron Owens 16-62, Kale Dudding 1-11, Darius Petrie 1-4, Henderson 10-(-27).

PASSING: Franklin , Valenzuela 14-31-0-193; Coronado, Henderson 29-48-0-271.

RECEIVING: Franklin , Valtierra 6-74, Damian 3-50, Bernadino Quintanar 2-33, Christian Cyr 1-0; Coronado, Greg Allen 12-117, Keith Scioli 3-31, Stephen Hazuka 3-23, Kale Dudding 3-36, Dayton Arterburn 1-16, Sterling Jones 1-15, Brandon Valderaz 2-14, J.J. Johnson 2-12, Owens 3-10, Trevor Payne 1-4, Brennan Johnson 1-0.