After a one-year playoff absence, the Cobras returned to post-season action Friday night in Luling against Blanco. The Panthers defeated the Cobras 48-23, advancing to the second round of the playoffs and eliminating the Cobras.
“I thought we played good in moments,” Cobra Head Football Coach Matthew Luddeke said. “I thought we struggled in moments, but the kids fought until the end and I was proud of them.”
Blanco received the ball to start the game and scored quickly on their first possession behind an offensive line and quarterback that ran a hurry-up offense—a scheme that continued throughout the game.
“This was one of our better games this season,” senior offensive lineman Fred Smith said. “There were definitely some things we didn’t do quite right on, but overall, I’d say we did pretty good.”
After Cooper Francis went down with a shoulder injury during the second half, sophomore Tyler Barnett stepped into the quarterback position. Francis went three for nine, throwing 33 yards with a 31-yard-pass to senior Ryan Riddle. Barnett went four for 10, throwing 58 yards with a 17yard-pass to senior Ga’Ziah Lopez.
“I think we evenly spread the running and passing game out,” Barnett said. “And we definitely did better on our passing.”
With new players in key positions, and new personnel in the coaching department, the Cobras pieced it together to record three district wins, which earned them a spot in the playoffs. The team, including the coaches, is relatively young, so more growth is expected in the coming years.
“Since coming in, Luddeke has made a lot of changes,” Smith said. “It’s different, and I think it’s made the program more cohesive.”
The changes made by Luddeke and his coaching staff created a positive, team atmosphere this year. There were many moments of excitement this season, giving Cobra fans plenty of opportunity to cheer for their team—as was evident by the strong turnout of support for the team in Luling Friday night where Industrial fans outnumbered the supporters from Blanco.
“I’m proud of the way the season went, and I think we grew a lot,” Luddeke said. “I still think we have a lot of room to grow, but I like where we are. I thought our seniors did a good job of adapting to a brand new staff, considering they had a change last year late, but I was proud of our team and I look forward to growth in the future.”
Although the Cobras finished the season with a losing record, there were a lot of great things that happened this year.
