By Sam Weiger / Contributor
A stout run offense gave Covenant some late-season momentum during a 41-30 nondistrict win over El Paso Cathedral on Friday at Miller Field.
Bennett Porter set the tone immediately for the Knights by returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown. The Irish had no answer early due to penalties, but scored on a safety when the Knights committed an errant snap.
However, Cathedral quarterback Pedro Chavez found Miguel Selbach for a 40-yard touchdown pass for a 9-7 lead early in the second quarter.
Without starting quarterback Ryan Hillner in the lineup, the Knights struggled to respond through the air, and the Irish took advantage. Chavez punched in another score on the following drive to extend the margin to 16-7.
That was when sophomore Clive Rowland became a game-changer for the Knights (3-4), finding opening after opening in Cathedral’s defense. With just over a minute left in the first half, Rowland reached the end zone, cutting the deficit to 16-14.
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That final minute was all Covenant needed to turn the tide. Shep McFarlane blocked a punt, setting up a rushing touchdown by Duke Black to give the Knights a 20-16 lead at halftime.
“All week we just talked about fight — fighting for each other, fighting for our seniors, fighting when our backs are against the wall,” said Covenant head coach Jacob Zinn. “I’m proud of my guys for doing that.”
After the break, Covenant’s Connor Evans began to dial up the pressure on Chavez. His pressures were frequent and crucial in the second half.
On Covenant’s next drive, Rowland went right back to work. He ripped a 33-yard run, followed by a 17-yard rush into the end zone to give the Knights a 27-16 lead. At the end of the third, Porter intercepted Chavez, putting Covenant in scoring position once again.
“Rowland and Black stepped up big,” Zinn said. “We’ve had some injuries the past couple of weeks, but we wanted to control the clock. We knew having our best athlete in Duke would get us where we wanted to go.”
Caden Kobza pounded the rock to Cathedral’s goal line, and Black punched in his third rushing touchdown of the night to put the Knights ahead 34-16. The Irish (2-4) responded with a run-heavy drive for a score, but consumed valuable time off the clock.
After a failed onside kick by Cathedral, Rowland carried the ball 50 yards to the Irish 10-yard line. That play, along with the ensuing touchdown run by Black, sealed the deal for the Knights.
“For the confidence of our kids, going into a big district game with a win is huge,” said Zinn, whose team will next face perennial power Dallas Christian. “Having momentum and hopefully getting some guys back healthy is huge for next week.”
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