Cardinals storm past Cisco for 58-40 win
The Trinity Valley Community College Cardinals have righted the ship.
After dropping their first two games to open the season, the Cardinals have now posted back-to-back wins – the latest a 58-40 thumping of the Cisco College Wranglers on the road Saturday night.
The win improved ninth-year coach Brad Smiley’s squad to 2-2 overall and 2-1 in Southwest Junior College Football Conference play.
The Cardinals are scheduled to return to action Saturday on the road to face the 16th-ranked Kilgore College Rangers (2-1) at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium in Kilgore. Game time is 7 p.m.
The Cardinals opened Cisco with an 18-yard touchdown run by quarterback Jerod Evans. Caden Novikoff booted the PAT?good with 9:11 remaining in the first quarter.
Evans finished with 65 rushing yards on 10 carries. He also completed 23-of-38 passes for 371 yards and a pair of scores.
Cisco would then score 13 unanswered point on a 32-yard pass and a 28-yard touchdown pass.
Cardinal running back Le’vonte Owens capped off the first quarter scoring with an 18-yard run to give them a 14-13 lead. Novikoff hit the PAT good.
The Cardinals extended the lead with 13:23 remaining in the first half as Jacorey Walker had a 79-yard interception return off quarterback Richard Lagow.
Cisco cut the deficit to 21-20 in the second quarter as Lagow had a one-yard touchdown run.
TVCC would then score 14 unanswered points as Evans found Derrick Willies on a 24-yard touchdown.
Evans would then find Nick Jones on an eight-yard touchdown pass for a 28-20 lead with 38 seconds remaining.
Cisco rounded out the first half scoring with a long kickoff return for a touchdown and the 35-27 deficit.
In the second half, the Cardinals opened with an X’zavien Ausborne 91-yard kickoff return with 14:45 remaining. Novikoff booted the PAT?for the 42-27 lead.
Lagow then found Nate Jones on a 61-yard touchdown with 13:02 remaining to get them to within 42-33 in the third quarter.
The Cardinals would get field goals from Novikoff of 31 and 19 yards to extend the lead back to double digits with 13:51 remaining in regulation.
Cisco scored its second special teams touchdown of the game with a 99-yard kickoff return.
The kick was good with 13:21 remaining for the 48-40 deficit.
Novikoff then added his third field goal of the game, this time from 42 yards out for the 51-40 lead with 10:22 remaining.
The Cardinals put the nail in the coffin late as Owens scored from one-yard out for the 58-40 finale.
For a second straight game, 10 receivers caught passes for the Cardinals, led by Willies with five for 137 yards and Andre Wilson with six for 97. Jones had 51 yards on four catches.
Owens led the ground game with 83 yards on 15 carries.
The Cardinal defense limited Cisco to 392 yards of offense, holding the Wranglers to 36 on the ground.
The Cardinals defeated Kilgore twice last year, winning 52-35 in conference play and 55-35 in the regional semifinals.
Saturday’s game will be Kilgore’s conference opener.
After dropping their first two games to open the season, the Cardinals have now posted back-to-back wins – the latest a 58-40 thumping of the Cisco College Wranglers on the road Saturday night.
The win improved ninth-year coach Brad Smiley’s squad to 2-2 overall and 2-1 in Southwest Junior College Football Conference play.
The Cardinals are scheduled to return to action Saturday on the road to face the 16th-ranked Kilgore College Rangers (2-1) at R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium in Kilgore. Game time is 7 p.m.
The Cardinals opened Cisco with an 18-yard touchdown run by quarterback Jerod Evans. Caden Novikoff booted the PAT?good with 9:11 remaining in the first quarter.
Evans finished with 65 rushing yards on 10 carries. He also completed 23-of-38 passes for 371 yards and a pair of scores.
Cisco would then score 13 unanswered point on a 32-yard pass and a 28-yard touchdown pass.
Cardinal running back Le’vonte Owens capped off the first quarter scoring with an 18-yard run to give them a 14-13 lead. Novikoff hit the PAT good.
The Cardinals extended the lead with 13:23 remaining in the first half as Jacorey Walker had a 79-yard interception return off quarterback Richard Lagow.
Cisco cut the deficit to 21-20 in the second quarter as Lagow had a one-yard touchdown run.
TVCC would then score 14 unanswered points as Evans found Derrick Willies on a 24-yard touchdown.
Evans would then find Nick Jones on an eight-yard touchdown pass for a 28-20 lead with 38 seconds remaining.
Cisco rounded out the first half scoring with a long kickoff return for a touchdown and the 35-27 deficit.
In the second half, the Cardinals opened with an X’zavien Ausborne 91-yard kickoff return with 14:45 remaining. Novikoff booted the PAT?for the 42-27 lead.
Lagow then found Nate Jones on a 61-yard touchdown with 13:02 remaining to get them to within 42-33 in the third quarter.
The Cardinals would get field goals from Novikoff of 31 and 19 yards to extend the lead back to double digits with 13:51 remaining in regulation.
Cisco scored its second special teams touchdown of the game with a 99-yard kickoff return.
The kick was good with 13:21 remaining for the 48-40 deficit.
Novikoff then added his third field goal of the game, this time from 42 yards out for the 51-40 lead with 10:22 remaining.
The Cardinals put the nail in the coffin late as Owens scored from one-yard out for the 58-40 finale.
For a second straight game, 10 receivers caught passes for the Cardinals, led by Willies with five for 137 yards and Andre Wilson with six for 97. Jones had 51 yards on four catches.
Owens led the ground game with 83 yards on 15 carries.
The Cardinal defense limited Cisco to 392 yards of offense, holding the Wranglers to 36 on the ground.
The Cardinals defeated Kilgore twice last year, winning 52-35 in conference play and 55-35 in the regional semifinals.
Saturday’s game will be Kilgore’s conference opener.