IGNACIO – The Ignacio High School football team opened the 2017 football season with a promising start, but a big third quarter for Ellicott bit the Bobcats’ hopes of picking up a big win.
Behind an interception and two-point conversion run by freshman Lawrence Toledo and a 49-yard touchdown pass from Trace Lovelace to Marcus Chapman, Ignacio built an 8-7 halftime lead against fellow Class 1A school Ellicott.
But Ellicott stormed back behind running back Thomas Huston in the third quarter to claim a 34-16 victory Saturday at Bobcats Stadium.
Ellicott (1-0) scored on its opening drive from the Ignacio 41-yard-line, with quarterback Chiante Stewart running for a 26-yard touchdown on the fourth play of the drive to give the Thunderhawks a 7-0 advantage.
Toledo intercepted a Stewart pass deep down the middle on Ellicott’s next possession, and Ignacio took advantage of field position from its own 49. IHS (0-1) needed only three plays to score with Lovelace’s deep ball to Chapman, and Toledo’s two-point conversion run gave the Bobcats a lead through halftime.
Ellicott wasted little time getting things moving in the second half – taking advantage of its coin-toss decision to defer. Starting from their own seven, the Thunderhawks went 93 yards in only four run plays, the last a 67-yard burst by Huston to give Ellicott a 14-8 lead.
A 61-yard run by Stewart put Ellicott on the board again in the third quarter, making it 21-8 before four minutes had run off the clock in the third quarter.
Huston needed only one play on the Thunderhawks’ next drive, running 45 yards for another score to make it 28-8 with 6:56 to go in the third quarter.
Turnovers haunted the Bobcats late in the third quarter and into the fourth, but the team’s defense solidified late. Persistence paid off for Ignacio in the form of a touchdown pass from Lovelace to Colten Jackson. Lovelace ran in for another two-point conversion to cut Ellicott’s lead to 28-16.
An Ocean Hunter onside kick attempt was unsuccessful for Ignacio. Ellicott took advantage and scored on a 45-yard pass from Stewart to Levi Lambrite. Ignacio blocked the extra-point attempt to keep the deficit at 34-16.
Stewart rushed for 164 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries and was 7-of-17 passing for 81 yards and a touchdown. He also threw two interceptions.
Huston totaled 167 yards on nine carries. Lambrite had 76 receiving yards on three catches.
Chapman snared four Lovelace throws for 99 yards, as the team’s new signal-caller unofficially finished 8-of-13 passing for 128 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
Up next for Ignacio is a home game Friday against New Mexico’s Crownpoint.
Herald sports editor John Livingston contributed to this report.
