Lubbock Coronado stuns Azle in the fourth quarter to end Hornets’ magical season
The Azle Hornets’ magical season came completely unraveled in the final 6:35 of their 5A Division I area round matchup with Lubbock Coronado Friday afternoon as the Mustangs scored the game’s final 21 points at Wildcat Stadium for a 41-34 victory to advance.
Azle (10-2), making its first post-season appearance since 2014 and riding a 10-game win streak, lined up for a game-winning field goal with four seconds left, but the Mustangs’ Jaylen Turman broke through and blocked the kick and Ke’Vondrick Carr capped off the win with a 70-yard return as time expired.
The Mustangs (10-2) will face the winner of Saturday’s Denton Ryan vs. El Paso Del Valle matchup in the regional round at a site and time to be determined.
Azle had taken what seemed like a commanding 34-20 lead after quarterback Drey Owen finished off a 12-play, 5:17 drive with an 8-yard scoring run with just 6:35 left in the game. The Hornets had a chance to add to that lead moments later when they recovered a Mustang fumble on the kickoff, but failed to advance the ball and had to give it back.
That was all the opening Coronado needed as Mustang sophomore quarterback Sawyer Robinson, who completed 36 of 51 passes for 328 yards, found TCU commit Blair Conwright for his 14th catch of the game on a 54-yard bomb. The Hornets were then stopped deep in their territory and a blocked punt turned into a safety to cut the lead down to 34-29.
Another stalled Azle drive set up the first opportunity for Coronado to take a lead, and the Mustangs did just that as Jon Hernandez out-fought the secondary for a 23-yard catch and a 35-34 advantage. But with just 43 seconds to work with, the Hornets got the ball back and marched smartly down the field to set up the potential game winner.
The Hornets scored on their first possession of the game with a 12-play, 87-yard drive that Jonathan Lester capped off with a 1-yard run. The first of three first-half extra point attempts was missed and Azle led 6-0.
Midway through the second quarter, Azle was driving again, but the Mustangs’ Charlie Robinson stepped in front of an Owen pass and set up Coronado with an 11-play, 71-yard drive that tied the score at 6-6 after a blocked PAT.
A 16-yard punt into the wind put the Hornets just 46 yards away from taking the lead, which they did on an Owen-to-Eric McAlister crossing pattern. But again, the extra point attempt failed. Coronado drove to the Azle 21 just before halftime, but a fourth down pass into the end zone failed.
THE GAME WAS OVER WHEN…the final buzzer sounded.
PLAY OF THE GAME: Robinson’s 54-yard bomb to Conwright ignited the Mustangs’ comeback, and Hernandez’ leaping 23-yard grab to give Coronado its first lead.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Robinson accounted for 285 yards of offense, completing 36-of-51 passes for 328 yards and two scores along with 57 yards on the ground. Conwright caught 14 of Robinson’s 51 passes for 152 yards and a score.
UNSUNG HERO OF THE GAME: The Azle trio of quarterback Drey Owen and running backs Billy Copeland and Conner Smith combined for 262 yards on the ground.
This story was originally published November 23, 2018 at 3:07 PM.