Playoffs End Early for Blinn Football

            In a complete role reversal of the regular season match-up between the two teams, the Buccaneer defense couldn’t find a way to stop Trinity Valley’s offense, as the Cardinals pulled off a 59-38 upset of the number eleven ranked Bucs at Cub Stadium in Brenham.

The Cardinals jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead in the first quarter, driving 60 yards and scoring on a two-yard pass play.  The Bucs would then tie the score with their own 67-yard drive, capped by a 37-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Justin Tuggle (Alpharetta, GA, Boston College) to freshman wide receiver Xavier Maxwell (Humble).  Both teams would then force punts on the next possession, ending the first quarter with the score tied 7-7.

Trinity Valley opened the second quarter with an 86-yard touchdown drive to give the Cardinals a 14-7 lead at the 6:55 mark.  After the Cardinals scored again on a field goal, freshman wide receiver Philander Moore (Austin Bowie) took the kick-off 97 yards for a touchdown to close the gap to three points with just under a minute left in the half.  It was Moore’s fourth return for a score in the last two games, and sixth total of the season.  Unfortunately, the Bucs couldn’t take that momentum into half, as the Cardinals marched down the field in only three plays and scored on a 23-yard touchdown pass to give them a 24-14 halftime lead.

The Cardinals continued to capitalize on Buccaneer penalties and turnovers in the second half, as they scored on a 34-yard reverse following a fumble by freshman receiver Isaiah Battle (Cypress Woods).  The Bucs would answer with a 37-yard field goal by freshman Chase Holder (Dallas) after a 71-yard kick-off return by Moore.  After the Cardinals scored on another long drive to take a 38-17 lead, the Bucs marched down the field and scored on a 32-yard touchdown run by freshman running back Marion Grice (Katy) to close within two scores.  The Cardinals would score again at the end of the third after a crucial facemask penalty kept the drive going to end the quarter with a 45-24 lead over the Bucs.

In the final quarter, the Buccaneers would score quickly on a Tuggle keeper to make it a 45-31 game with 11:30 remaining, but Trinity Valley would score two consecutive touchdowns off Blinn turnovers to put the game out of reach.  The Bucs would score one last time in the final minutes on a 10-yard run by Grice, making the final 59-38.

With the loss, the Bucs finish at 7-3 on the season and will play the waiting game to see if they are offered a bid to a post-season bowl game.