Coming off of a strong showing last week, defeating Cedar Ridge 26-14, the Timberwolves took a trip to San Angelo, TX, to face off against San Angelo Central on Friday, Sept. 13. San Angelo is one of the top teams in West Texas, according to MaxPreps, and that was clear throughout the whole game. 

After making several adjustments following their loss to Vandegrift in the season opener, the Timberwolves showed up to San Angelo ready to fight. The Wolves scored early in the first quarter when a pass from junior QB Ryder Hernandez connected with junior WR Gunnar Abseck, giving the Wolves a 7-0 lead. The score after the first quarter doesn’t show that the defense was on top of their game, but the black rain was bringing the heat, all game. The secondary had their strongest game of the season, as S Tammer Alzer, and CB’s Caden Combs and Kiyon King all had their fair share of pass break ups.

The second half began with the Wolves in the lead, 21-14. The third quarter was a defensive showdown, as no points were allowed on either side. The game was obviously going to be a nail-biter down to the last seconds, as the fourth quarter was the most exciting quarter of Cedar Park football so far this year. With just a few minutes left in the game, the Wolves trailed 28-21, and the San Angelo quarterback took control of the game and drove down the field to give the Bobcats the lead, 35-21. 

The chances seemed very slim for the Timberwolves to come back for the win, but sure enough, Cedar Park’s momentum picked up and it wouldn’t slow down. Hernandez made multiple connections to Abseck and WR Preston Scott on multiple third and fourth down conversions, and Hernandez lead the team to a clutch touchdown, bringing the score to 35-28. 

The next thing that the Wolves had to convert was an onside kick. Abseck was able to recover the kick, giving Hernandez and the Wolves one last shot to take the game to overtime. Abseck and Scott were catching absolute dots from Hernandez, driving down the field with less than a minute on the clock. Hernandez eventually connected with junior WR Josh Cameron to tie up the game, 35-35, and send it to overtime.

“I just knew we needed to score and score quick,” Abseck said. “[Hernandez] and I have a good connection, and I know where he wants me on the field. I find the grass and let him throw me open. I trust myself in those situations because we practice it throughout the week, so it felt normal to play well later in the game.”

The Wolves began overtime on defense, and within just a few plays, the Wolves were able to recover a fumble after pressuring the opposing quarterback out of the pocket, forcing him to lose control of the ball. The Timberwolves had everything going in the right direction, and Hernandez and the offense stepped back onto the field for the last time that night. Scott and Abseck kept making clutch catches, and Hernandez kept on driving the Bobcats defense back toward their own end-zone. The Wolves then lined up within the 15 yard-line, and none other than senior TE Brock Johnson ran the ball in for the win, giving Cedar Park the 41-35 victory.

“My mindset before the final play was just to put it in the endzone for my brothers and the community that came to watch,” Johnson said. “We battled hard all night and made a big comeback and it felt really good. Scoring the game winner was very in the moment. I couldn’t have scored without my [offensive] line up there.”

Come support the Wolves this Friday at Gupton Stadium, as the Wolves look to break apart Katy Cinco Ranch at home.