BY Doug Hensley l For the A-J

Lubbock Christian High School and Ralls matched running attacks Friday, and the Eagles’ ability to make the key plays gave them a leg up in a 25-14 victory at Lena Stephens Field.

Lubbock Christian's Michael Sanders (21) scores a touchdown against Ralls' Chris Mata (21) during their game Friday evening at Lubbock Christian. (Merissa Ferguson/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)

LCHS kept its record unblemished, thanks to a balanced ground game that saw the Eagles jump to a 12-0 lead in the first quarter and then spent the rest of the game keeping the Jackrabbits at arm’s length.
“The thing that really stands out is I never felt comfortable,” Eagles head coach Hutch Haley said after his team improved to 4-0. “Even when we were ahead 18-0, they forced a punt and went down and scored.”

Lubbock Christian put the game away with a masterful drive that chewed up more than nine minutes of the second half. The Eagles took over at their own 20 with 2:23 left in the third quarter and methodically moved 80 yards in 17 plays to a 4-yard touchdown run by Taylor Timmons. The ensuing point-after kick by Jordan Hoffman gave LCHS a 25-6 lead with 5:15 left in the game.

“That drive that made it 25-6 was the key,” Haley said. “They came right back, broke a big play and scored quick. Our long drive was a key, that and getting off to a great start early.”

Ralls (1-3) was remarkably efficient on offense in the second half, but the Jackrabbits only saw the ball twice. The first drive early in the third quarter covered 77 yards and almost six minutes and culminated in a 1-yard run by Miguel Velasquez, who finished with 172 yards on 27 carries.

A two-point conversion attempt failed, but Ralls was within 18-6 before LCHS answered with a drive. Even after falling behind 25-6, the Jackrabbits pushed one more score across, going 64 yards in six plays over just more than two minutes. Velasquez provided the key play on a 36-yard run, and John Taylor scored from 4 yards out with 3:04 left in the game.

Michael Sanders recovered Ralls’ well-executed onside kick, and the Eagles snuffed out the final three minutes.

“I thought we did a great job controlling the ball,” Haley said. “The key was not only controlling the clock but we were able to get it into the end zone.”

Lubbock Christian took a 6-0 lead at the 7:07 mark of the opening quarter on a 15-yard run by Sanders and then pushed the lead to 12-0 with 35 seconds remaining in the first stanza on a beautiful end-around by Jalen Moore, who got several great blocks down the sideline that provided a clear path to paydirt.

The Eagles made it 18-0 in the final minute of the second quarter, when they pushed 91 yards in 14 plays to a 13-yard touchdown pass from Moore to Jordan Hoffman.

LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN 25, RALLS 14
Ralls 0 0 6 8 — 14
Lubbock Christian 12 6 0 7 — 25
First Quarter
LCH — Michael Sanders 15 run(kick failed); 7:07
LCH — Jalen Moore 54 run(run failed); 0:35
Second Quarter
LCH — Jordan Hoffman 13 pass from Moore(kick failed); 0:55
Third Quarter
RAL — Miguel Velasquez 1 run(run failed); 2:27
Fourth Quarter
LCH — Taylor Simmons 2 run(Hoffman kick); 5:15
RAL — John Taylor 4 run(Corey Salazar run); 3:04

TEAM STATISTICS
RAL LCHS
First downs 15 17
Rushes-yards 39-244 42-233
Passing yards 3 44
Comp.-att.-int. 1-2-0 4-5-1
Punts-avg. 1-29 2-28
Fumbles-lost 1-1 0-0
Penalties-yards 5-40 2-20
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Ralls, Miguel Velasquez 27-163 1 TD, John Taylor 8-48 1 TD; Lubbock Christian, Michael Sanders 21-83 1 TD, Taylor Simmons 14-67 1 TD.
PASSING: Ralls, Velasquez 1-2-0—3,; Lubbock Christian, Hunter Haley 3-3-0—31, Jalen Moore 1-2-1—13 1 TD.
RECEIVING: Ralls, John Taylor 1-3; Lubbock Christian, Jalen Moore 2-27