Before the game, first responders from Saginaw and EMS ISD were recognized in front of a standing ovation for all they do to keep our community safe. An Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter landed at the 50-yard line to the roar of the crowd to deliver the official game ball to Saginaw Head Football Coach Mike Peters.
It was a defensive battle early on, as neither offense could gain much momentum. The Rough Rider special teams unit struck first in the first quarter. Boswell lined up for a field goal after their drive stalled, and Malik McCoy burst through the line blocking the kick and Jonathan Lawson scooped up the ball and raced 84-yards for the score to put Saginaw ahead 7-0.
After Boswell took the lead at 21-7 in the first half, Morales calmly drove the Rough Rider offense down the field, finding Isaiah Verdun for a 22-yard catch to set up a field goal to cut the lead to 21-10. With the first half winding down, Morales found a wide-open Noam Ambriz for a 50-yard strike and score to cut the lead to 27-17.
In the second half, the Rough Riders kept working hard, getting touchdowns from Aiden Collier and Benny Cordova on a reverse but fell short on the scoreboard.
Despite the loss, the Rough Riders had several standout performances. Morales threw for 298 yards with two touchdowns and made several plays with his feet rushing for 26-yards, and extended several more plays to find the open receiver down the field. Collier was the leading receiver with 121-yards, while Cordova added 72-yards on seven catches. Kevin Roberts had 38-yards rushing.
Defensively, Saginaw had six quarterback hurries, a sack and six pass breakups. Frank Westmoreland led in hurries with two, and Chris Brewer had two pass breakups, including one to keep Boswell out of the endzone in the second half. Tyler Self chipped in a sack to pin the Pioneers deep in their territory early in the second half. Isaiah Quinones led the group with 10 tackles.
Saginaw will travel to Farrington Field on Friday, Sept. 1 to take on North Side. Kick-off is set for 7 p.m.
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