.png)
LOCKHART — The Bastrop High School varsity football team fought hard but came up just short last Friday night as the Bears were defeated 28-17 on the road against 5A-2 District 13 foe Lockhart High School.
The Bears under head coach Jake Griedl already had a steep hill to climb heading into this game against the Lions as they were without their top three quarterbacks with freshman Weston Nielsen, junior Quintaelyn Joyner and senior Braden Tuck all out. However, Bastrop rose to the challenge as junior standout wide receiver Keyshon Moore moved to quarterback and engineered a run-heavy offense.
With 2:20 left in the first quarter, Bears junior running back Ladainian Merino took the handoff from Moore and burst 46 yards for the rushing touchdown to give Bastrop a 7-0 lead. It was a defensive battle in the first half but Bastrop took a 10-7 lead in the second quarter thanks to a 33--yard field goal from junior kicker Isaac Dugger, a lead that would hold heading into halftime.
After the Lions took their first lead of the night, Moore and the Bears’ offense had an answer late in the third quarter as he kept the ball himself and scampered for a 52-yard touchdown run to give Bastrop the lead right back at 17-14.
Bastrop was unable to get much more going on offense after they gave the lead right back to Lockhart late in the third quarter and then the Lions’ defense held strong the rest of the way in the fourth quarter. Moore finished the night with 21 carries for 157 yards and one touchdown run, while Merino had 23 carries for 132 yards and one score on the ground.
The Bears (5-4 overall, 2-3 in district) will next host Liberty Hill High School this Friday night and then will have a bye the week after. Bastrop currently is on the outside looking in for the No. 4 playoff seed and will likely need some help to get into the postseason.
