Southwest Holds Off Seguin in Hard-Fought Win, 33-26
Last night, I had the chance to catch the Southwest Dragons take on the Seguin Matadors in what turned out to be a scrappy, back-and-forth battle. The Dragons came into the game undefeated, and Seguin made sure they had to fight hard to maintain their perfect 11-0 record.
Southwest got things rolling early. Tyson Deen wasted no time, breaking off an electric 80-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, leaving the Seguin defense grasping at air. He wasn’t done either—just minutes into the second quarter, Deen turned on the jets again for a 91-yard touchdown that made the crowd erupt. Southwest was already looking to run away with the game!
But Seguin wasn’t about to roll over. Late in the second quarter, quarterback Corey Dailey led a gutsy drive capped off by his own 5-yard touchdown run, bringing the halftime score to 14-7. Suddenly, it was clear: this was going to be a fight.
The third quarter was really busy. Seguin started with a field goal from Gabe Hernandez to cut the lead to 14-10. Southwest responded with a 1-yard plunge from Noah Manzano and then a beautiful 49-yard touchdown pass from AJ Franco to Pablo Alvarado after recovering an onside kick. Unfortunately for Southwest, they missed both extra points bringing the score to 26-10...but Southwest still in the lead.
On the next drive, Seguin's Dailey connected with Lane Seidenberger for a short touchdown pass and then hit Seidenberger again for the two-point conversion, pulling Seguin within 8 at 26-18 heading into the final quarter.
By the fourth, the game was becoming a nail-biter. Dailey kept things rolling for Seguin with another short touchdown run, followed by a nifty two-point conversion pass to Nik Henry. Just like that, the game was tied up, 26-26.
But when the Dragons needed a hero, Deen delivered—again. With just over two minutes left, Deen sealed the game with a 23-yard touchdown run, his third score of the night and an Angel Rodriguez Escoto extra point, setting the end game score of 33-26 .
The crowd went wild, and Southwest’s defense held strong to close out the win.
Breaking Down the Stats
Southwest leaned heavily on their ground game, and why wouldn’t they with Deen running like that? Six carries. Two hundred and eleven yards. Three touchdowns. That’s just absurd. Franco didn’t throw often, but when he did, he made it count—like that gorgeous 49-yard strike to Alvarado.
Seguin deserves a lot of credit, though. Dailey played his heart out, throwing for 148 yards and a touchdown while rushing for two more scores. Running back Ian Moreno also had a solid night, grinding out 134 rushing yards on 27 carries. Seguin’s balanced attack kept Southwest on their heels all game.
Pre-game: Southwest Dragons Team Captains lined up
Final Thoughts
Southwest showed their resilience in a hard-fought win over Seguin. While the Dragons gave up more first downs (20 to Seguin’s 11) and faced challenges slowing Seguin’s offense at times, they rose to the occasion when it mattered most. Their playmakers stepped up, and they found a way to secure the victory.
Seguin played with heart and determination, pushing the undefeated Dragons to the edge. Taking a team like Southwest down to the wire is no small feat, and Seguin’s effort shone through in every drive and tackle.
Seguin's Ayden Avila stopped by the Dragon's defense
For Southwest, the perfect season stays intact at 11-0. The team has momentum, confidence, and the grit to keep going deeper into the playoffs. Last night was a valuable test and a reminder of the work that lies ahead, but if this group keeps refining their play, the possibilities are exciting.
Next week, they head to Corpus Christi for a match up against the CC Veterans Memorial Eagles, ready to keep their season alive.
All in all, was an action packed game as expected in the playoffs. Here's to another on the books and more to come!
tHE GOODS
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