Oscar LeRoy - MRT.com/Midland Reporter-Telegram
STANTON - When Stanton got down by 10 points against rival Coahoma on Friday, senior Miguel Moreno said the key for his team was to keep pushing.
It also helped the Buffaloes that Moreno had a great all-around game.
Stanton not only stormed back to beat Coahoma, 30-17, in a key District 4-3A Division II game but Moreno played a huge part in the Buffaloes’ success.
Moreno, who plays quarterback, running back, kicker and defensive back, rushed for 136 yards on 20 carries, completed 2 of 3 passes for 54 yards and a touchdown, kicked a 34- yard field goal which tied the game at 10-all at the time, made three of four point after attempts, was credited with four solo tackles, four assisted tackles, two tackles for loss, three quarterback pressures, had a key sack, a forced fumble, a recovered fumble, blocked a punt and had the game-sealing interception with 2:40 remaining in the game.
Thanks to that great all around effort, Moreno is the Reporter-Telegram’s Area Player of the Week.
“It’s hard to put into words to how Miguel played,” said Stanton coach Cody Hogan about Moreno. “He was usually in the right place to make a play.
“Miguel is a very humble player, he would prefer to highlight the team over himself. He’s is a leader by example and we never have to worry about where he’ll be or what his effort level is. He is a great example of what a student-athlete should be.”
There’s no doubt that Moreno means a lot to the Buffaloes as Hogan said he only occasionally comes off the field while on offense to give him a breather.
Moreno also knows how much this game meant for the Buffaloes (3-4, 1-1) as the win kept the team very much in playoff contention.
“It’s a super big win,” he said. “It’s something neat to have in our season and hopefully we can build upon that win. After we got down by 10 points, we just kept pushing. With our O-line, that’s pretty much our trench and our base. As backs, we just had to push and get yards. We didn’t let our heads drop and we didn’t let the 10-point deficit get us down.”
Moreno said the way the team has fought back was something that they had done throughout the season.
Moreno said he could still play better than he did on Friday.
He credited his play on the defensive side to the coaches and their play calls. While on offense, he said he just tries to go as hard as he can when he’s running with the football.
The Buffaloes next turn their attention to a road trip to Idalou (6-1, 1-1), which is coming off a 33-10 loss to state-ranked Idalou.
“(The win) gives us a lot of confidence, but I don’t think we should be too big headed,” Moreno said. “Idalou is a good team and they play smash-mouth football like us. I’m hoping we can come out on top.
“Every day out here is a work day and I hope we can all come together as one and succeed as a team.”