Smithson Valley defeats Veterans Memorial: Live Texas high school football semifinal updates recap

Rangers blast Chargers to nab UIL 5A Division I state championship berth in raucous Corpus Christi

Author:
Andy Buhler, SBLive Sports
Updated:
Dec 11, 2023 3:44 PM EST
Original:
Dec 8, 2023

Smithson Valley (13-1) faces Brownsville Veterans Memorial (12-2) in the state semifinal round of the Texas high school football playoffs on Friday.

The game kicks off at 7 p.m. (central time) in Buccaneer Stadium in Corpus Christi, and the environment is expected to be a lively atmosphere. Tickets sold out in minutes.

smithson valley brownsville veterans memorial texas uil state semifinals 2023 blake purcell WBP02551

The winner advances to the UIL Class 5A Division I state championship game on Saturday morning at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, where it will face the winner of Aledo and Forney.

Follow South Texas correspondant Ivan Palacios (@ByIvanPalacios) for updates from the ground in Corpus Christi. Refresh this post for the latest updates and developments in the live game thread below.

The game is being streamed live on the NFHS Network (subscription required).

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FINAL: SMITHSON VALLEY 49, VETERANS MEMORIAL 21

Smithson Valley junior running back Daniel DeHoyos takes a handoff during the first half of the UIL 5A Division I state semifinal at Buc Stadium in Corpus Christi on Friday night.
Photo by Blake Purcell

Refresh for latest.

FOURTH QUARTER

-- Don't call it a ... Veterans scores a third fourth quarter touchdown. (49-21, Smithson Valley | ))

-- Chargers are on the board. QB Michael Montoya shakes free of a closing pocket and finds senior wideout Gerry Gomez. (49-7, Smithson Valley | 11:53)

SECOND QUARTER

-- The excitement around the matchup has not met reality in Corpus Christi. Junior running back Daniel DeHoyos' lightly-contested short run nets the Rangers another six. (35-0, Smithson Valley)

-- Smithson Valley begins the quarter in the red zone with a two-score lead and scores right away. (21-0, Smithson Valley | early)

FIRST QUARTER

-- Diego Davila busts out a 56-yard return to bring Smithson Valley inside Veterans Memorial's 10 yard line in the final seconds of the first quarter.

-- Rangers again. Cole Freund hammers the right edge on a sweep to put Smithson Valley up two scores. (14-0, Smithson Valley | 2:19)

-- Smithson Valley is first on the board. Brad Sowersby finds the edge around the right side on an outside sweep and finds the endzone. (7-0, Smithson Valley | 6:56)

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