Mark Nobles
Sports Editor
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ALVARADO — The Alvarado Indians opened the season at home on Friday night against the visiting Waco Robinson Rockets.
The home team churned out a 21-7 victory thanks to a stifling, hard-hitting defense and three opportunistic turnovers.
The Indians got on the board first in the middle of the first quarter with a Justin Conley 26-yard field goal.
The score was set up by an interception by Tyler Bates and a nifty 54-yard return to the Rockets 18.
The drive stalled, and Conley was called upon to kick the field goal.
The Indians scored again on a 23-yard Conley field goal early in the second.
They scored their first touchdown of the season with 2:30 left in the first half on a 3-yard burst by Zach Ripley.
They converted the two-point conversion on a quick out from Kenneth West to Wayne Onderdonck.
The Indians’ defense was completely stifling in the first half giving up only 24 yards rushing and 86 yards through the air while forcing two interceptions and one fumble.
The Rockets refused to go down without a fight, and came out gunning in the second half.
They scored on their opening drive with a 3-yard scamper by quarterback Chad Hollingsworth, cutting the Indian lead to 14-7.
The score was set up by a nifty 23-yard catch and run by Alex Rogers that set the Rockets up with a first-and-goal from the 3.
That was about the only sustainable drive the Rockets could muster against the Alvarado defense the entire game.
The Indians closed out the third quarter with a 9-yard pass to the corner of the end zone from West to Bates.
The Rockets never really managed to threaten again and the Indians ran the game out in the fourth quarter.
Alvarado will take on Springtown at 7:30 p.m. Friday at home with a chance to move to 2-0.
