The Chaparral High football coaches are calling this season a success. Sure, the Cowboys didn’t make the playoffs — and the playoffs are the benchmark for measuring success.
But Chaparral finished with a 6-4 record, including two wins in the Southeast League, and of course against Eldorado for the fifth straight season in the Cleat Game. Last year, in their first season being promoted from the class 3A, Chaparral lost every game in the division, and lost in lopsided fashion.
The Cowboys closed the season tonight by erasing a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit against visiting Foothill for a 15-14 victory, scoring the winning points on a 2-point conversion pass from Nelson Jimenez to Robert Whitstone with 30 seconds remaining.
“Nobody thought we were going to win that game,” Chaparral coach Don Willis said.
Jimenez had two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to Jesus Casamayor to erase the deficit, helping set the table for the decisive 2-point conversion attempt. Initially, Willis planned to kick the extra point and force overtime, but changed his mind after consulting coaches.
“That’s a big win for us,” Willis said. “It’s good for our kids to go out with a win.”
Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21