Shiner makes key second-half defensive stops
in 34-14 win over Iola
Tuesday, December 18, 2025
by Mark Lube, Gazette Sports Editor
Shiner Gazette Sports Article | Game Statistics | Shiner Football | Shiner Comanche Sports
GIDDINGS - Second half defensive effort, including a key fourth-quarter stop, got Shiner over the line.
Brody Popp (second from left) initiates a tackle while Clayton Fric (second from right) and Tyler Harvey (right) arrive to help. all photos by Mark Lube
[ click any photo to enlarge ]
The Comanches move onto to the 2A-DII regional finals / state quarterfinals after a 34-14 win on Black Friday afternoon ( November 28, 2025 ) at Giddings's Buffalo Stadium against the Iola Bulldogs.
"We have really been working all week on staying low (line), having the linebackers fly down holes. We were able to do that during the fourth quarter and have some big plays to seal the deal," defensive lineman / tight end Charlie Clifford said.
"Our second half, especially the fourth quarter, defense was key. Iola had a good offense and we struggled with them. They were going to be physical and come right at us. They have been able to move the ball all year," Comanches head coach Daniel Boedeker said.
"Our biggest thing was we wanted to keep them out of the end zone. We did a good job of that. The biggest thing was getting those fourthdown stops, putting them in third-and-long situations, and getting the ball back for our offense."
Despite scoring one touchdown in the first half, Iola was able to effectively move the ball. In the second half, Shiner tightened up, allowing just one score.
Landen Christensen and the rest of the Shiner offensive line push back Iola during first-half action in Giddings. Shiner won the game 34-14.
"Iola were able to win the line of scrimmage in the first half; we understand the other team will sometimes win the LOS but we just ask our kids to figure out ways to win those one-on-one battles," Boedeker said. "Credit to our kids they found a way to win those battles."
Like in the previous round against Brackettville, Shiner got a lucky break on the third quarter kickoff.
The Comanches booted the ball into the wind where it slowed down, not going all that far and Shiner was able to recover at the Iola 42. The field position led to the first touchdown of the second half.
"Things like that are huge this time of year and that special-teams play changed the momentum of the game," Boedeker said. "We came out in the second half in a battle and were able to get that turnover on the kickoff and go down and score."
After recovering the live ball on the kickoff, Shiner went 42 yards in five plays. Clayton Fric had a huge 29-yard run from the Bulldog 39 to the 10. Three plays later, Jarvis Williams scored on a naked bootleg to the right. Quincy Jones ran for a twopoint conversion and a 28-7 Shiner lead.
Shiner stalled on their next offensive drive and had to punt, having to endure a special-teams mishap of their own as the snap went way over the head of punter Jacob Nerada and he was forced to get on it at his own 7. However, Iola rushed two times for 3 yards and on the third play, a 15-yard penalty moved the ball back to the 18. Shiner forced an incomplete pass by quarterback Tyler Elliot on fourth down to gain possession.
The Comanches went three and out, and Iola started at the Shiner 43, going 11 plays in about a four or fiveminute drive, scoring on a 2-yard run by Elliot with 8:38 left in the game to cut Shiner's lead to 28-14.
Head coach Daniel Boedeker sends in signals to players on the field while "student assistant coach" Bode Werner also observes the action.
On the next possession, Shiner could not get a spark going but pinned the 'Dogs inside their own 20. Elliot got Iola to the 41 but had two straight incomplete passes and attempted another pass on fourth down. He could not escape and was sacked for a loss of 8 yards by Clifford.
Jones went up the middle on the fullback-dive play from the Iola 33 to the 18 and Fric scored on the next play with the same kind of play for a 34-14 after the two-point conversion failed.
Iola tried to stay in the game with another fourthdown conversion with just over two minutes left but lost 2 yards on a run and gave the ball back to Shiner to run out the clock.
Shiner took the opening kickoff from their 30 to inside the 'Dog 30 in a drive that lasted over six minutes. However, Shiner killed its chances with a lost fumble. Iola gave the football right back at its own 23 after a 3-yard run. The Comanches overcame a holding call to go up 6-0 on a 6-yard run by Jones.
The 'Dogs went up 7-6 after a pass from Elliot to Jack Smith of 16 yards capped a four-minute, 70-yard drive.
Shiner regained the lead with a 15-play, 70-yard drive in nearly seven minutes. Jones had a 24-yard run to start the drive and ended things with a 2-yard run at the 5:12 mark of the second quarter for a 14-7 lead after Fric's two-point run.
Shiner went ahead 20-7 after stopping Iola on a 4th-and-2 play at the Comanche 36.
The Comanches needed just two plays to score with Williams running his favorite end-of-first-half play, a home run strike to Jones, this one going for 65; the two-point run failed as Shiner led 20-7 with just 13 seconds until halftime.
GAME STATISTICSShiner 34, Iola 14 Friday, November 28, 2025, 2:00 p.m. Buffalo Stadium, Giddings TX SCORING SUMMARY 1 2 3 4 F Iola 7 0 7 0 -- 14 Shiner 6 14 8 6 -- 34 SCORING DETAILS: First Quarter S - Quincy Jones 6 run (kick failed), 4:39 1Q. I - Jack Smith 16 pass from Tyler Elliot (Brek Roberts kick), 0:15 1Q. Second Quarter S - Jones 2 run (Clayton Fric run), 5:12 2Q. S - Jones 65 pass from Jarvis Williams (run failed), 0:13 2Q. Third Quarter S - Williams 7 run (Jones run), 9:35 3Q. I - Elliot 2 run (Roberts kick), 8:38 3Q. Fourth Quarter S - Fric 18 run (run failed), 3:58 4Q. TEAM STATISTICS: Iola Shiner First downs 13 14 Rushes-yards 36-101 42-183 Passing yards 69 109 Passes 7-14 5-8 Total plays-yards 50-170 50-292 Penalties-yards 2-20 5-33 Fumbles-lost 3-2 2-1 Punts-aver 1-52.0 2-36.0 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS: Rushing I: Tyler Elliot 14-36, Adrian Garrett 13-36, Austin Cavillo 7-26, Brody Vaughn 2-3. S: Clayton Fric 13-76, Quincy Jones 17-75, Jarvis Williams 9-18, Tyler Harvey 3-14. Passing I: Elliots 7-14-0-69. S: Williams 5-8-0-108. Receiving I: Cavillo 3-36, Vaughn 3-17, Jack Smith 1-16. S: Jones 2-71, Jake Simper 1-16, Boe Boehm 1-12, Charlie Clifford 1-10.
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Mark Lube is the sports editor for the Shiner Gazette.
Contact him at 361-594-3346 or mark.lube@lavacacountytoday.com |
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