High School Football: Calallen's season ends with loss to Boerne in regional final

SAN ANTONIO — Calallen's hopes of returning to the state semifinals were dashed after Boerne scored 42 first half points and went on to capture a 49-19 Class 4A Division I regional final win on Friday at Alamo Stadium.

The Wildcats, who began the night unbeaten, suffered their first loss of the season after allowing a season-high in points to the Greyhounds and the most since Week 8 against Alice.

Boerne improved to 14-0 and advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 2004 to play Chapel Hill, a 24-21 winner against Kilgore.

Calallen was unable to overcome Borene quarterback Jaxon Baize, who finished with 214 yards through the air and three touchdowns.

The Wildcats also never recovered after McCoy Bruce opened the game with an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to give the Greyhounds the lead for good.

Luke Medina provided a spark for Calallen after running for 88 yards in the first half, including a 9-yard touchdown run to make it a 21-12 game.

But the Greyhounds went on to score 21 points in the second quarter, including two touchdowns on Calallen turnovers to take away any Wildcats momentum.

Boerne's final touchdown came with 6:53 left in the fourth quarter when TJ Derment scored on a 59-yard touchdown run.

Medina finished with 17 carries for 149 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Wildcats' offense and Alex Quitugua and Izaiha Reyna each recorded interceptions to lead Calallen's defense.

Key moments

The Greyhounds could not have asked for a better start after McCoy Bruce opened the game with an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Sonny Carpinello got the Wildcats back in it by scoring on a 3-yard touchdown run to cap a four-play, 83-yard drive for Calallen's first points. Boerne quarterback Jaxon Baize passed for three touchdowns, including two to his brother Braden Baize on throws of 31 and 53 yards to swing the momentum back to the Greyhounds. Luke Medina did his part by marching the Wildcats downfield twice before finally finding the end zone on a 9-yard run to make it a 21-12 contest. Medina scored his second touchdown on a 3-yard carry to open the second half. Calallen had two opportunities to make it a two-possession game, but Boerne came up with turnovers on both drives to shift the momentum. The Greyhounds went on to score on both turnovers — a 1-yard carry by Adam Hicks and a 53-yard interception for a touchdown by Koen Wolff.

Key players

Medina racked up 149 rushing yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns to lead Calallen. Quarterback Bryce Burnett completed 12 passes for 120 yards and Carpinello caught five passes for 55 yards and scored a rushing touchdown. Alex Quitugua and Izaiha Reyna each recorded interceptions to lead Calallen's defense. Jaxon Baize passed for a game-best 214 yards and three touchdowns and his brother Braden Baize caught five passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Greyhounds.

What the coaches said

Calallen coach Steve Campbell on getting behind early against Boerne: "They had their foot on the accelerator when they stepped on the field. They had a lot of big plays in the first half and it didn't seem like we had time to make adjustments because they were scoring so fast. The opening kickoff... That didn't help and it got the momentum on their side early. They're a great team and I give credit to them. They're well-coached and they have a lot of weapons."

What the players said

Calallen RB Luke Medina on his rushing game against the Greyhounds: "We all came out here ready for the game and I was ready to roll over these guys. We were in there but we just made too many mistakes and kept stepping on our own foot. But our run game was there the whole way. We're going to be ready next year."

Calallen RB/S Sonny Carpinello on playing his final game with the Wildcats: "I couldn't ask for a better group of guys to come out here and work every day with. We played against a phenomenal Boerne team and at the end of the day, both teams played extremely hard and I couldn't be more proud of these guys for fighting all four quarters."

Up Next

Boerne vs. Chapel Hill in a Class 4A Division I state semifinal matchup, 7 p.m. Friday, San Antonio Alamodome; Calallen's season ends at 13-1

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Calallen's season ends with loss to Boerne in regional final