Posted: Sep 02, 2019

East View’s goal-line hold propels Patriots to OT win over Westwood

East View stopped Westwood on 4th-and-1 on the 1-yard line in overtime to seal a 42-35 win on the first night of the 2019 season at Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex.

Westwood, coming off a 4-6 season in 2018, scored a touchdown with 22 seconds left in regulation as junior R.J. Martinez connected with senior Oliver Yu on a 10-yard touchdown to eventually force overtime with the extra point conversion.

The momentum from that touchdown didn't stop the Patriots, who advanced to the playoffs in 2018 with a 6-5 record, falling 38-21 to Alamo Heights in the bi-district round, from scoring on the first play of overtime.

"We thought we could take advantage of the corners a little bit and we threw the ball up there — we've had it a couple times and didn't execute it," said first-year East View coach Jerod Fikac of the 25-yard touchdown strike from Jackson Coulson to Charles Ross. "Happened to be fortunate enough to get it right there in overtime."

Fikac returns to Central Texas after rebuilding one of the oldest high school football programs in the state, San Saba in West Texas, the last two seasons. A Wimberley assistant coach for 12 years before that, Fikac led the Armadillos to their first district championship in 27 years and their first trip to the state semifinals in program history in his second season in 2018.

"It's so great to be back in Central Texas and Georgetown is such a special place," he said.

As a head coach, Fikac hasn't lost a regular season game since 2017, having gone 10-0 in 2018.

"I'm just fortunate to be part of it," he said with a smile.

Westwood (0-1) missed an opportunity to take a two-touchdown lead in the second quarter after Martinez threw an 81-yard pass that put the Warriors inside the 5-yard line. But the Warriors fumbled on the next play, and East View drove down the field to score as the game was tied at half.

East View (1-0) scored two touchdowns right out of the gate in the third quarter and had Westwood on its heels. After being pinned at their own 1-yard line in the third quarter, things started to change for Westwood. The Warriors drove 99-yards and scored to cut into the lead and added another touchdown to tie the game. Tied at 28, the Warriors took a gamble on 4th-and-4 with a little more than six minutes to go but didn't convert, handing the ball to East View inside the 50-yard line. East View was faced with it's own fourth down on the following drive, but converted, leading to another Ross touchdown to give East View a 35-28 lead.

"Give credit to East View, they played really good," Westwood coach Anthony Wood said. "We were fortunate to get it in to overtime. We scored with 22 seconds left, so being able to do that gave our team some confidence going in. Then them hitting us big on the one play ... that's heartbreaking."

Coulson finished with 268 yard passing with four touchdowns, while his quarterback counterpart, Martinez, finished with 392 yards and three touchdowns.

Ross finished the night with eight catches for 68 yards, while Emarion Brooks finished with two touchdowns and five catches for 80 yards.