Johnny Ball's 303 rushing yards plow Wimberley to win over Lago Vista in regional finals
Wimberley’s game plan in the second half Friday was simple — give the ball to Johnny Ball.
The Texans senior running back had had a noteworthy enough first half with more than 100 yards and a touchdown, but he was unstoppable after the break, averaging more than 16 yards a carry as he finished Wimberley’s 49-30 win over Lago Vista in a Class 4A Division II regional championship game at Hutto High School with 303 yards and five touchdowns.
“We come out here and give it all we got and this is the result,” Ball said. “I love my offensive line. They were just pushing them off the ball and a lot of runs up the middle and just inside the defensive end were there.”
Wimberley led 21-10 at halftime as Ball had a 35-yard scoring run, but in just 11 carries in the second half he compiled almost 200 yards and reached the end zone on jaunts of 21, 44, 49 and 6 yards.
“Ball doesn’t stop moving his feet,” Wimberley center and offensive line leader senior Kaedon Gonce said. “He’s breaking tackles constantly, and he’s the hardest runner I’ve ever seen play.”
The Texans ended with 411 yards on the ground and more than 500 yards of offense as quarterback Cody Stoever ran for 108 yards and threw for 118 yards and a score.
Stoever has been one of Central Texas’ breakout players this season with what he’s done with his arm, but Gonce noted he prefers it when the Texans keep the ball on the ground with him and Ball.
“I love run-blocking,” he said. “Driving back and finishing the defensive linemen — that’s real football right there is running the ball.”
In what was a District 13-4A Division II rematch of Wimberley’s 31-28 win on Oct. 28, most of Stoever’s damage through the air came on the game’s first play from scrimmage, as he hit Tru Couch on a 60-yard scoring strike to give the Texans a lead they would never relinquish.
Ball’s first touchdown run came midway through the first quarter and it looked as if the Texans (14-0) might push the game into a rout early, but they turned the ball over on downs twice deep in Lago Vista territory.
The Vikings (10-4) took advantage of the opportunity to hang around and pulled within 14-10 on Bowen Stobb’s 71-yard TD pass to Berend Kahlden.
That would account for nearly all their offense in the first half as Wimberley’s defense forced three three-and-outs and only yielded two yards rushing.
“Lago Vista is dynamic and we knew they could hurt us,” Wimberley coach Doug Warren said. “We got the ball out of (Stobb’s) hands and had them chasing us.”
Stoever crossed the goal line from 29 yards out to give Wimberley its two-score lead at the break and set the scene for the fireworks of the final two quarters.
Stobb’s 1-yard scoring plunge and 2-point conversion pass opened the third quarter and cut Lago Vista’s deficit to 21-18, but Ball’s first two touchdowns of the half essentially put the game away.
The teams traded scores the rest of the way, with Kahlden hauling in TD passes of 19 and 23 yards from Stobb and Ethan Helton for the Vikings.
Stobb finished with 188 yards passing and 100 yards rushing, while Kahlden had seven catches for 201 yards and three touchdowns — a performance that was only overshadowed by what Ball did.
“It starts with those five guys up front, but if you look at our offense, we’re pretty versatile and can hurt you in lots of different ways,” Warren said. “Tonight, (Ball) answered the bell and ran like a champion. He’s big, physical, fast and doesn’t want to be tackled, and that’s tough for a defense.”
A familiar opponent waits for the Texans in the semifinals in Cuero, as the Gobblers ended Wimberley’s season in the third round last year and the schools used to be district rivals.
“We’re excited,” Ball said. “We love playing them because they’re such a good opponent. We’ll get after each other — and I can’t wait.”
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Wimberley football defeats Lago Vista in regional finals
