Green Valley squeaks by Chaparral

Green Valley football coach Brian Castro hoped his team would give its homecoming fans plenty to celebrate Friday night, but instead the eighth-ranked Gators provided quite a Jekyll and Hyde show.

After dominating the first half, Green Valley fizzled in the second before holding off a late rally to defeat Chaparral, 14-8.

Noah Hawthorne rushed 18 times for 115 yards for Green Valley (4-1, 1-1 Southeast League), scoring one touchdown on the ground and another on a first-half reception. Nearly all the Gators’ highlights came in the first half, when they racked up 172 yards while holding the Cowboys to 6 yards and one first down.

“Our defense played lights-out football,” Castro said. “They keep us in games. But the offense has got to do their part. It seems like every week they play just well enough to get by for a win.”

Hawthorne gave Green Valley a 7-0 first-quarter lead when he capped a nine-play opening drive with a 5-yard touchdown catch from Garrett Castro. After forcing a fumble, the Gators needed one play to extend their advantage to 14-0 on a 12-yard run by Hawthorne with 10 minutes, 40 seconds left in the first half.

But that was it for the Gators, who appeared lethargic the rest of the way.

Brian Castro credited the Cowboys.

“They’re a well-coached team,” said Castro, whose team managed 43 second-half yards. “They’ve got some athletic dudes, and they’ve put themselves in position to have some success. When that happens, you end up with a score like this.”

After failing to advance the ball past midfield in the first half, the Cowboys completed a three-play, 50-yard drive with a 23-yard sprint down the left sideline by Meshach Hawkins to make it 14-6 with 9:36 remaining in the third quarter.

They got closer early in the fourth, when an intentional grounding call on Garrett Castro resulted in a Green Valley safety to make it 14-8 with 10:21 to play.

But Green Valley’s defense had the last word after Chaparral had a first-and-goal opportunity from the 2-yard line midway through the quarter. The Cowboys were forced backward and ultimately missed a 37-yard field goal attempt.

“Our defense sometimes bends,” Brian Castro said. “But they find a way not to break.”

Garrett Castro completed 10 of 20 passes for 82 yards to help the Gators, and teammate Bryson Bogues had six receptions for 55 yards.

Hawkins led Chaparral (2-2, 0-1), rushing eight times for 65 yards.