Bears beat Badgers by 1 point in overtime!




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La Vernia senior safety Zach Scott (4) brings down a Lampasas receiver Sept. 21 at Bear Stadium. The Bears won the game, 51-50, in overtime, bringing their record to 4-0.

The La Vernia Bears and Lampasas Badgers squared off in La Vernia Sept. 21 and the result was a football game for the ages, with the Bears taking a 51-50 victory in overtime.

La Vernia had not been behind at any point throughout the first three games of the season. That streak was broken, as the Badgers scored less than three minutes into the game. Lampasas was not content with a touchdown lead, and the Badgers dominated the Bears throughout the first quarter and into the second. They got two more touchdowns and a field goal, holding the La Vernia offense scoreless and taking a 24-0 lead.

“I just told them to keep playing,” said La Vernia Head Coach Chris Taber. “There was a lot of time left, and we needed to learn how to face and overcome some adversity.”

Senior quarterback Clayton Chadwick found sophomore Daryl Dulak on a 39-yard touchdown pass with 1:48 left in the half. The Bear defense forced the Badgers to punt, and Chadwick then hit senior Brian Beltran for a 6-yard touchdown pass with four seconds left in the half, to close the gap to 24-14.

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Senior Bear tackle Lance Kruse (63) blocks a Lampasas defensive lineman. La Vernia hits the road this Friday to take on Rockport-Fulton.

La Vernia used their deferred option from the coin toss to receive the ball in the second half, allowing them to pull to within 3 points on a Chadwick 5-yard touchdown run.

Lampasas scored again, but the Bears answered with a 39-yard touchdown pass from Chadwick — this time to senior Nick Schrader. Lampasas led 31-28 at the end of the third quarter.

The Badgers scored early in the fourth, but missed the extra point, to push their lead to 37-28. On the ensuing drive, the Bears fumbled, and the Badgers took that possession to open up their lead to 44-28.

With 4:54 left in the game, La Vernia needed several things to go just right to have an opportunity to tie the game, but Taber and his coaching staff kept focused.

“It starts with us as coaches keeping our cool and continue to try to put our players in successful situations,” he said.

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La Vernia junior running back Diego Mendoza (30) carries the ball up the middle against Lampasas defenders.

Chadwick found Schrader again for a touchdown, and the Bears completed the 2-point conversion to cut the lead to 8 points. The Bears attempted an onside kick and were able to retain possession on the Badgers’ 33-yard line. Two plays later, Chadwick ran the ball in from 12 yards out. The Bears went for 2 points again and converted on the attempt to tie the score at 44-44.

Both teams had one more possession each to try and break the tie, but time expired, sending the game into overtime.

La Vernia won the coin toss again and elected to have the ball first at the 25-yard line. Chadwick tossed his fifth touchdown pass to Dulak. The Bears kicked the extra point and took their first lead of the game 51-44. The Badgers took the ball on the 25-yard line for their overtime possession. It took 10 plays — including two fourth downs — but the Badgers scored a touchdown, and opted to attempt the 2-point conversion. When they sent out the offense and showed their formation, Coach Taber called a time out.

“I figured they were going to try to throw some sort of throwback, and they did,” Taber said. “Our kids played it perfect.”

Senior Rayne Wegehaupt fought through a block set by a Badger receiver and knocked down the Badger pass, securing the 51-50 overtime victory, and keeping the Bears undefeated at 4-0.

La Vernia hits the road to take on the 1-3 Rockport-Fulton Pirates this Friday. The game will kick off at 7:30 p.m.