Judson used an 18-point second quarter and held off Lake Travis’ comeback attempt to sneak away with a 25-19 win at Cavalier Stadium.
Both teams combined for two points in the second half – a Lake Travis safety on Judson’s first possession of the half.
Lake Travis’ defense rebounded from a dismal first half, allowing just 36 yards of offense in the second. Judson had 271 for the game.
The rust was visible for the Cavaliers, but that didn’t keep the Cavaliers from showing some signs of brilliance.
The Cavaliers (0-1) answered a Jo’Von Kyle touchdown with a 9 yard pass to Dominic Parker from Dominic De Lira with 6:01 left in the first half. The play was set up by a 81-yard kick return from Tanner Bush that started the Lake Travis drive from the Judson 19-yard-line.
On the ensuing Judson possession, the Cavaliers’ Will Von Doersten picked off Judson quarterback Raylon Austin-Ramsey to set up Lake Travis’ offense on the Judson 26-yard-line.
The Cavaliers couldn’t put the ball in the endzone, but did manage to take a 10-7 lead into the second quarter after a 23-yard field goal from Dylan Tracy with 3:10 left in the first quarter.
But the Rocket offense struck quick and often in the second quarter.
Judson (1-0) took no time to retake the lead on a 25-yard run from Austin-Ramsey within the first two minutes of the second quarter, putting the Rockets up 13-10 after a failed two-point conversion attempt.
The Cavaliers ran 10 offensive plays before a Shaun Nixon fumble set up the Rockets on the Lake Travis 30-yard-line.
Judson’s offense used the opportunity to score 12 points in under a minute to take a 23-17 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Brandon Sanders scored on an 8-yard run and after Judson recovered the onside kick, Austin-Ramsay found Michael Akal from the Lake Travis 35-yard-line two plays later.
Lake Travis’ offense, which had 226 total yards, was held to just 109 in the first half.
The Cavaliers attempt to comeback was faltered late in the fourth quarter as defense took over in the second half.
Nixon nearly ran in a pass from De Lira late in the fourth quarter from the Lake Travis 35-yard line, but was called out of bounds at the Judson 43.
De Lira, who was 23-of-32 passing for 147 yards, couldn’t muster up the same magic, throwing his second interception of the game with a little more than a minute left.
Both De Lira and Nixon left the game with injuries, but returned.
Nixon had 73 yards on 16 carries and led the Cavaliers in receiving with 39 yards on 5 catches.
Despite losing, Lake Travis only allowed eight Judson first downs, bud did have three turnovers.
The Cavaliers look to rebound next week when they travel to New Bruanfels to take on Canyon.
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