Tigers swept away by Lamesa Tornadoes, 34-8
By Melissa McCaghren
Slatonite GM
The Slaton Tigers hit a bit of a snag in their quest to finish strong in District competition, losing to the Lamesa Tornadoes 34-8 in the last home game of regular season.
Coach Lawrence Johnson summed it up in a sentence.
“We didn’t execute on either side of the ball and that is something our coaches are taking ownership in,” he said.
The Tornadoes struck first and fast, scoring on a 14-yard run in the first quarter.
They again scored single touchdowns in the second and third, one of a seven-yard run and one on a 15-yard pass.
In the fourth quarter, Lamesa would go on to score three more times: a touchdown on a 20-yard pass, a 30-yard field goal and an 84-yard fumble return for the Tors’ final touchdown.
Slaton would score its lone touchdown of the night in the last two minutes of the game.
Eli Perez scored on a five-yard run into the endzone to make the touchdown, while he then passed to Matt Vigil for the two point conversion.
“Eli and Elijah (Williams) both stood out offensively providing us a spark in different moments,” said Johnson. “Defensively, Tae Thompson lead our team in tackles and Landen Simmons also provided some key moments for us.”
Ayden Ramirez completed seven of 17 passes for 55 yards. He also had two interceptions.
Perez completed four of nine passes for 36 yards and had one interception.
Williams lead the rushing, going nine times for 54 yards.
Other leading rushers were Perez (four times for 31 yards), TJ Payne (three times for two yards), Ramirez (twice for eight yards), CJ Anzley (once for eight yards) and Andre Trotty (once for six yards).
Vigil lead receiving, catching the ball four times for 33 yards.
Also receiving were Eddie Betancourt (three times for 27 yards), Jacorien Doss (twice for 25 yards) and Williams (twice for six yards).
The team punted a single time for 38 yards.
On the night, the Tigers had a total of 200 yards, while the Tornadoes had 344 total yards.
Now, the Tigers will play the Shallowater Mustangs for their last game of regular season. The Mustangs are State ranked and currently undefeated in District.
Johnson said he’s preparing his team however to hopefully be an upset for Shallowater. “(We need to) get back to our base scheme and make sure we are all comprehending our responsibilities to execute consistently,” he said.
Also, fan support will be big in the game, even if stands can still be at 50 percent capacity due to COVID restrictions.
“Show up and be loud! They are a very sound and disciplined team who has earned a No. 3 ranking in the State,” said Johnson. “We need every type of motivation to swing the momentum in our favor.”
The Tigers will play at 7 p.m. Friday (Oct. 30) in Shallowater.
Those who cannot attend the game can listen to the game on KSSL Radio.
People can also view a live stream of the game on the Slaton Independent School District YouTube page, SlatonTigers.
(Editor’s note: game and time are accurate as of press time Tuesday, Oct. 27. Any changes or cancellations of the game will be listed on The Slatonite’s Facebook page, Slatonite.)
