Shiner gets revenge, pops Falls City
December 5, 2003
Christine Justice
San Antonio Express-News
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VICTORIA -- Shiner entered Friday's Class A quarterfinal game against Falls City looking for revenge.
The Comanches got it, but not without a fight.
Shiner (13-1) defeated the Beavers 16-14 in front of approximately 5,000 fans at Memorial Stadium, and avenged its only regular-season loss.
"It wasn't so much revenge," Shiner coach Steven Cerny said. "We just knew we had to play good to beat them. We knew we had to come out and play ball tonight."
Falls City (13-1) beat the Comanches 7-0 on Oct. 31 in a game that decided the District 30-A championship.
The Comanches showed early Friday they wouldn't be kept out of the end zone again.
On the third play of the opening series, Shiner's Trey Curtis sacked Falls City's B.J. Sixto, knocking the ball loose. Shiner's Steven Evans recovered and returned it to the 1-yard line. On the first play of the Comanches' next drive, quarterback Garet Pustka dove into the end zone.
"We had one turnover to start the game," Falls City coach Mark Kirchhoff said. "That's what happens when two great teams play. We got the screen pass called, they blitz. If we throw it, it might be six (points) the other way because they don't have anybody there. But we don't quite get it off and they force a turnover down on the 1-yard line and get in."
It was the only touchdown in a first half dominated by defenses. The teams had 161 yards of total offense combined in the half. All of Shiner's 76 yards came on the ground, while 64 of Falls City's 85 total yards came through the air.
The defenses held tough through the second half. Shiner's defense held Falls City to minus-18 rushing yards in the second half, but the Beavers' defense and quarterback gave them hope.
Sixto, who passed for 248 yards, accounted for two fourth-quarter touchdowns. The first -- a 45-yard pass to Derek Sturm with 11:01 remaining -- put Falls City on the board for the first time. The second, a 1-yard run, got the Beavers within two.
But Shiner's defense held on its final drive, ending the Beavers' state-title hopes.
"They're heartbroken," Kirchhoff said of his players. "We got knocked out of the playoffs last year and our seniors made a commitment to get back. They worked for 13 months to get here.
"They set a great example for our young kids. A lot of people, when we got down 14-0, could have checked it in against a club like Shiner. We came down and they made some plays. That's just Shiner and us."
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