Loara Goes on the Defensive to Hold Off El Dorado, 10-0

Sometimes, Loara Coach John deFries said, you’ve just got to rely on your defense.

And there’s no better time than on a night when leading rusher Billy Chavez couldn’t get going and quarterback Jeremy Ellis was sacked eight times.

The Saxon defense held El Dorado to 56 yards and made Miquel Gonzales’ first-quarter field goal and Chavez’s fourth-quarter touchdown stand up in a 10-0 Empire League victory Saturday night at Glover Stadium. The victory kept the Saxons (6-2, 3-0) in first place.

Chavez, who entered the game with nearly 900 rushing yards, was held to just 36 yards in 16 carries.

But his slippery 41-yard run after catching a screen pass on the first play of the fourth quarter provided a 10-0 lead for the Saxons and needed breathing room for the defense.

Ellis rolled right on the play and Chavez stayed in the left flat. The El Dorado defense chased Ellis, who dumped the ball across the field, and Chavez weaved his way through would-be tacklers for the score.

“We knew it would work,� Ellis said. “They flow with the roll-out and boot[leg] really well so we knew Billy would be open.�

The Saxon defense took over from there.

El Dorado (3-5, 0-3) had four drives in the fourth quarter and came up empty on fourth down each time. Loara also had three interceptions in the game.

“Our defense came up big,� deFries said. “We tripped ourselves up a bit on offense, but the defense came through.�

El Dorado’s defense also played well. Lineman Macky Bluth had four of his team’s eight sacks.

The Saxons came away empty on three first-half drives deep into El Dorado territory. Four Loara penalties and three El Dorado sacks helped end a drive that had reached the Golden Hawk 23-yard line.

Another drive ended when El Dorado defenders knocked away Ellis passes on third and fourth down from the El Dorado 10.

Ellis completed four of five passes for 56 yards and the Saxons drove to the El Dorado 14 just before halftime, but Gonzales’ 29-yard field-goal attempt hooked left with three seconds left in the half.

Gonzales gave Loara a 3-0 lead when he capped Loara’s first drive with a 27-yard field goal midway through the first quarter. That lead would stand the rest of the half.