#COVER1 Mix: The Progression Of Lake View And Why West Texas Shouldn't Sleep On The Chiefs

SAN ANGELO, TX — The Hereford Whitefaces struck early and often Saturday afternoon against Lake View.  

Healthy doses of running back Xavier Gonzalez and wide-receiver screens propelled them past the Chiefs to improve to 4-3.

Things started to get out of hand at the start of the game. Hereford’s defense forced a three and out on Lake View’s first possession.  

Wide-receiver Tye Davis returned the punt to the Lake View 41 where Hereford quickly found a recipe for success: handoff to Gonzalez up the middle or throw it outside on a quick screen.  

Lake View managed to force a 4th and 4 from the 35, but senior quarterback Britt Cave found Davis along the side line for a nine yard gain. Gonzalez picked up five on the next play before Cave threw a screen to Slader McCracken to put the ball at the 7.  Gonzalez took the next two snaps and pushed it to the 1 where Jaden Cano punched it in. 7-0 Hereford with 6:21 to go in the first quarter.

Another Lake View three and out gave them the ball back at their own 42. This time around, Gonzalez broke free on 2nd and 10 for a 50 yard run to the Lake View 8. A face mask penalty on the tackle moved it up to the 4. Two plays later, Cave dove up the middle on a sneak to extend the lead to 14-0 with 3:18 in the first.

A poor return on the kickoff gave the Chiefs starting field position at its own 19. QB Albert Rodriguez looked for Austin Bandy on first down, but the pass fell incomplete. Running back Joshua Torres picked up 5 on second down to make it a manageable third down try. The Hereford defense broke through the offensive line, though, and tackled Rodriguez in the backfield for an eight yard sack.

Hereford moved the ball well on the next drive, but its center snapped the ball over the head of Cave to force a 4th and 24.  

The teams traded punts until Cave connected with Davis on a 3rd and 16 from the Lake View 26. Cave was wide open in the middle of the field on a seam route and walked into the end zone. 21-0 Hereford.

Lake View’s first points came on the ensuing possession. Rudy Martinez gave them their best field position of the afternoon with a kickoff return to the 43. Rodriguez then found Bandy on a play-action slant for 12 yards. After an incompletion, Rodriguez heaved a high arching pass to a single covered Johnny Espinosa at the goal line. Hereford’s Davis made a good play on the ball, but Espinosa managed to tip it around a couple times before reeling it in for the 45 yard score. 21-7 Hereford at halftime.

All Lake View needed to make it competitive coming out of the break was a quick defensive stop and then offensive score.  

Hereford had other plans in mind. The Whitefaces moved the ball methodically down the field from their own 33 to the LV 43 until McCracken took another screen 43 yards to the house making it 28-7.

Lake View took no time to cut it back down to two possessions. 3 plays into the drive, Rodriguez dropped a beautiful dime to Espinosa along the right sideline. The sensational senior took off untouched into the end zone for a 77 yard touchdown. 28-14 halfway through the third.

That would be the last positive play of the game for Lake View.

Hereford drove down and made a 26 yard field goal on the next drive and followed it up with another defensive stop.

Gonzalez extended the lead to 38-14 on a 25 yard scoring scamper early in the fourth.  The last points of the game came on a Slade Rodriguez rush late in the fourth.  

Final Score 45-14 Hereford.

Lake View falls to 3-4 on the season heading into a bye week. They will start district play against Seminole on October 25.

Hereford improves to 4-3.