The final numbers look much like Monterey football games of the past, with big rushing yardage and key defensive stops at the end of each half.
The feeling might also be the same afterward, but the confidence gained from Friday’s 42-35 win over San Angelo Central at Lowrey Field could have far-lasting effects.

A Plainsmen team that was searching for some answers coming into the night found some in the running game and in its gut, rallying from an early two-touchdown effort then holding off a furious Central rally at the end.

Monterey running back Alberto Delgado, right, runs for a touchdown against San Angelo Central's Willie Brown, left, in the third quarter against Friday night at Lowrey Field. Friday, September 18, 2009 (Photo by Geoffrey McAllister/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)

“What the offense wasn’t getting early in the game, the defense was letting loose a little bit,” first-year Monterey coach Todd Pearson said. “Then we kind of switched roles, and I think we helped each other out in the end. We fought for each other and became a better team for it tonight.”

The win puts the Plainsmen (2-2, 1-2 in 2-5A) back in the early hunt for a playoff spot, but also gives them some momentum heading into the bye week, something that will be needed with consecutive road games against Midland and Amarillo on the horizon.

But if the Plainsmen can get the offensive production they put forth against the Bobcats (0-4, 0-3), then they’ll at least have a chance to build on Friday’s win.
“I think there’s still a lot of room for improvement but this gives us a good feeling going into the break,” said quarterback Sam Teague, who rushed for 156 yards and two touchdowns and also threw for a score. “We know there’s a lot of things to work on but you’ve got to feel good going into the break with a win.”

Monterey can also go in with the knowledge of what it feels like when the offense is hitting on all cylinders, something that has come only in spurts through the first three games of the season.

Monterey defensive back Jordan Vestal, left, intercepts a pass from San Angelo Central quarterback Logan O'Bryan with 0:22 seconds left in the first half Friday night at Lowrey Field. Friday, September 18, 2009 (Photo by Geoffrey McAllister/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)

The Plainsmen as a team finished with 296 yards on the ground, and Teague was effective through the air, throwing for 108 yards and completing 5 of his 6 throws in the second half.

In fact, the Plainsmen finished with two 100-yard rushers as Thomas Walker added 102 yards, including a 70-yard touchdown run that helped get Monterey back in the game after Central had taken a 14-0 lead through the first 91/2 minutes of the contest.

That’s also when the defense started making plays. Jordan Vestal had two of Central quarterback Logan O’Brien’s three interceptions, and after the Bobcats scored on three of their first five possessions, the Plainsmen held them on three straight series, allowing the offense to rally for a 35-21 lead late in the third quarter.

“We’d been down 14-0 many times already this year,” said Vestal, whose pick in the end zone at the end of the second quarter preserved a 21-all tie at the intermission. “We just had more big plays than they did. We know what it feels like to come back and we just didn’t give up.”
Central came out of the gates hot, stopping Monterey’s first drive and capitalizing on its own. The Bobcats got a 3-yard touchdown run by Casey Klepac and a 1-yard run by Alex Lara to grab a 14-0 lead with 2:25 left in the first quarter.

Monterey came back, getting Walker’s 70-yard scoring burst and a 6-yard run for a score by Ashton Cerka to pull to within 14-13.

An 11-yard screen to Lara pushed the lead back to 21-13, but Monterey quickly answered on a 44-yard touchdown grab and two-point conversion by Arrius Holleman to tie the game at 21.

Central was driving and in position for a field goal, but O’Brien threw off his back foot under duress and Vestal snared the ball in the end zone with 12 seconds left in the half.

Monterey then took the lead for good in the third quarter by taking advantage of Central miscues. A 64-yard run by Teague 3 minutes into the half put the Plainsmen up for good at 28-21, then Monterey recovered the ensuing kickoff that the Bobcats allowed to roll around at the Central 25. That led to a 2-yard Gerard Clay touchdown run and a 35-21 lead.

“We’re not good enough to overcome the mistakes we’re making,” first-year Central coach Brent Davis said. “We let the ball roll on the ground on the kickoff … and that’s stuff we just can’t do. We’re finding ways to lose them; we’ve got to find a way to win and that just comes with doing it.”

Despite the mistake, the Bobcats has a good chance to send the game to overtime,

Trailing 42-28, a 76-yard catch and run by Casey Klepac put the Bobcats at the Monterey 3, and O’Brien hit Lara on the screen from 5 yards out on fourth-and-goal to pull to within 42-28 with 53 seconds left. The Bobcats proceeded to recover the onside kick at the Monterey 46, and two scrambles by O’Brien put Central at the Plainsmen 24.

But with time winding down, two heaves into the end zone fell incomplete, allowing the Plainsmen to escape with the much-needed victory.

“It’s huge for us right now,” Pearson said of the win. “Going into the bye it gives us a chance to revitalize our spirits and get our bodies healthy and do things we need to do to get ready for the next opponent. But mentally and emotionally it’s huge, moreso than anything else.”

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MONTEREY 42, SAN ANGELO CENTRAL 35
SA Central 14 7 14 7 — 42
Monterey 7 14 0 7 — 35
First Quarter
SAC—Casey Klepac 3 run (Luke Guevara kick); 8:33
SAC—Alex Lara 1 run (Guevara kick); 2:15
MON—Thomas Walker 70 run (Phillip Armendarez kick); 2:05
Second Quarter
MON—Ashton Cerka 6 run (kick failed); 10:03
SAC—Lara 11 pass from Logan O’Brien (Guevara kick); 5:45
MON—Arrius Holleman 44 pass from Sam Teague (Holleman pass from Teague); 4:30
Third Quarter
MON—Teague 64 run (Armendarez kick); 9:00
MON—Gerard Clay 2 run (Armendarez kick); 4:40
Fourth Quarter
SAC—Klepac 18 run (Guevara kick); 7:04
MON—Teague 9 run (Armendarez kick); 2:20
SAC—Lara 5 pass from O’Brien (Guevara kick); :53
TEAM STATISTICS
SAC MON
First downs 21 15
Rushes-yards 44-305 31-296
Passing yards 173 108
Comp.-att.-int. 16-28-3 7-13-0
Punts-avg. 2-27.5 4-38.0
Fumbles-lost 2-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 5-35 5-40
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: SA Central, Alex Lara 21-135, Darius Long 6-89, Logan O’Brien 13-50, Casey Klepac 4-31; Monterey, Sam Teague 14-156, Thomas Walker 6-102, Ashton Cerka 4-18, Arrius Holleman 1-11, Demitri Gambles 4-10, Gerard Clay 1-2, Adrian Guzman 1-(-3).
PASSING: SA Central, O’Brien 15-27-3—165, Sean Marrow 1-1-0–8; Monterey, Teague 7-13-0–108
RECEIVING: SA Central, Klepac 9-138, Lara 4-28, Long 2-16, Marrow 1-(-1); Monterey, Holleman 5-100, Gambles 1-10, Jordan Vestal 1-(-2).