Kingsville – Texas A&M-Kingsville senior running back Raymorris Miller (Alief Elsik) had 187 yards on 24 carries, the most yards rushing in a single game for a Javelina since Larry Williams rushed for 246 yards against West Texas A&M in 2004, but it wasn't enough as the Javelinas lost to East Central Saturday night. Click here for stats. Click here for postgame quotes.
East Central defensive back Chris Mims intercepted two passes in the fourth quarter and quarterback Marcus Johnson completed 36 of 59 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Tigers.
The win improved East Central to 2-6 while the Javelinas fell to 1-6.
Nigel Cooper led the Tigers in receiving with nine catches for 93 yards while Kory Dowell had seven catches for 63 yards and a score.
A&M-Kingsville drove inside the East Central 40-yard line three times in the fourth quarter, but scored no points, turning the ball over once and turning it over on downs twice.
Clavens Charles had 191 return yards for Texas A&M-Kingsville, including a 61-yard punt return for a score.
East Central had 438 yards of total offense, just 122 in the second half, while A&M-Kingsville had 359 total yards, 185 of those in the second half.
True freshman kicker Christian Brom (McAllen) converted his first career field goal attempt on the second play of the fourth quarter to give the Javelinas their first lead of the game 17-14. Brom’s 25-yard field goal capped an eight-play, 62-yard drive.
But East Central, which was held to just 25 yards of total offense in the third quarter, responded with a 9-play, 76-yard touchdown drive to regain the lead with a touchdown with 11:33 left in the game. Johnson hit Nigel Cooper at the five yard line and flipped it to Larry Carter who executed the hook and ladder play to perfection for a seven yard touchdown and a 21-17 lead.
The Javelina offense responded by driving to the East Central 28-yard line, but couldn’t convert on fourth and four with 8:41 left in the game.
The Javelina defense responded with a three and out and a 27-yard punt gave the Hogs first and ten on their own 45-yard line.
Miller then turned in a short pass play into a 20-yard gain to the Tiger 35-yard line.
On third and 13, Garza completed a 19-yard pass to Ryan Lincoln to move the ball to the 19-yard line.
But on second down from the 15-yard line, Garza was picked off in the end zone by Chris Mims with 4:21 left in the game.
But as they did most of the second half, the Javelina defense forced another three and out and a 10-yard punt off the side of the foot of Tiger punter Justin Freshour gave the Javelinas a first and ten at the Tiger 37 yard line with 3:17 left in the game.
On fourth and two from the 29-yard line, Garza lost six yards on a busted play with 2:07 left in the game.
The Hogs got one last chance as again the defense forced another three and out and Clavens Charles 14-yard punt return gave A&M-Kingsville first and ten at their own 35 yard line with 1:38 left in the game.
But on the second play from scrimmage, Mims picked off Garza at the East Central 41 yard line to end the threat.
Down 14-7 at the half, Clavens Charles returned the opening kickoff of the second half 39 yards to the East Central 46 yard line. On the second play from scrimmage, Miller ripped off a 22-yard run to give the Hogs the ball at the Tiger 25.
But Garza was sacked for the fourth and fifth times on two of the next three plays and the Javelinas came up short on a fake punt and turned the ball over on the Tiger 27-yard line.
But the Javelina defense held thanks to a third down sack by Tyrell Herndon and Charles returned Justin Freshour’s punt 61 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 14 with 10:05 left in the third quarter.
Charles was at it again on his next punt return, taking it 18 yards to the Javelina 48-yard line, but the Hogs fumbled on the first play from scrimmage, giving the Tigers the ball at the 50.
But again the Hog defense held again, forcing the Tigers into a punt for the third consecutive possession after giving up 316 yards in the first half.
The game started off in strange fashion as East Central fumbled the opening kickoff, but Javelina quarterback David Garza then turned it right back over by throwing an interception on the first play from scrimmage.
The Tigers took advantage of the turnover by driving 71 yards in 13 plays with Jazz Holland scoring a touchdown on the ground from one yard out to give East Central a 7-0 lead four and a half minutes into the first quarter.
Johnson completed 5 of 7 passes for 34 yards and Mark Hodges broke off a 16 yard run to key the drive.
Later in the first quarter, Javelina punter Cody Smith pinned the Tigers back on their three yard line, but the Tigers responded with a 10 play, 97-yard drive culminating in an 11-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to Kory Dowell to give East Central a 14-0 lead with 2:17 left in the quarter.
Senior safety Gilbert Almanza picked off his second career pass on East Central’s first drive of the second quarter to give the Hogs some momentum.
The Javelinas drove to the East Central 21-yard line, but Garza was sacked for a 15-yard loss on third down and the Javelinas had to punt.
The drive Tigers then drove 75 yards to the Javelina five yard line, but safety Stuart Moffitt dropped Tiger fullback Thurman Blake for a loss of one on fourth and one to end the drive and keep the score at 14-0 with five minutes left in the half.
On third and seven from their own 20-yard line, Garza completed a 31-yard pass to freshman George Reyes to give the Hogs the ball at the East Central 48-yard line. On the next play, senior running back Raymorris Miller exploded through the middle of the line for a 48-yard touchdown run, the longest run of his career and the longest run from scrimmage for the Javelinas this season.
Javelina linebacker Arlen Childress then forced a fumble from a scrambling Johnson which was recovered by Jeff Edwards at the East Central 42-yard line with 2:12 left in the half.
On fourth and four from the East Central 36-yard line, but Miller was stopped for a yard loss to end the drive.
The Tigers ran 19 more plays in the first half than the Javelinas and out-gained A&M-Kingsville 316 to 174.
Johnson completed 22 of 30 passes for 220 yards and a score and ran for 38 more yards.
Garza completed 8 of 13 passes for 94 yards, but was sacked three times. Miller had 84 yards on 11 carries.
