Fort Stockton’s boys of fall kicked off their first official Friday night football game in El Paso. The Panthers took on a tough El Paso Austin squad who put up a four quarter fight, but the Panthers came out victorious. Fort Stockton defeated El Paso Austin 21-13. 

"We are very proud of the kids, they showed what Team Never Quit is about, we faced all kinds of adversity, and we just keep overcoming it and fighting for each other,” Head Coach Jeremy Hickman said. 

Offensively the Panthers were led on the field by veteran quarterback Senior Marco Garcia. In his second year leading the charge, Garcia came out guns-a-blazing amassing one touchdown, six completions, and 72 rushing yards. 

Corbin Luna made his presence known by tallying 133 rushing yards, while Isaiah Velasquez added 48 rushing yards. 

With the “Team Never Quit” mantra engrained in each athlete’s subconscious, the Panthers pulled off a come from behind win after a game changing interception by Sophomore Gerry Diaz. He was able to provide the Panthers with a shift of momentum and the team was able to cash in a victory! His reception added 11 yards for the Panthers. 

"We are built to win games in the second half.  We pride ourselves in being tougher in the second half than our opponent,” Hickman stated. 

Other offensive leaders include Alonso Galindo 10 yards on two receptions, Fabian Silva five yards on two receptions, and Kasch Norman five yards on one reception. 

"We are proud of the Offensive Line and their ability to be coachable, make adjustments, and create some big running lanes in the 2nd half,” Hickman said.

Defensively Ejay Ortiz had a standout night recording 11 tackles. Allan Leyva added seven tackles and Gerry Diaz had two tackles with one sack. Evian Acosta was a huge contender in the victory and had a great night of defensive line play. 

“We are very proud of the Defensive side of the ball getting better and better throughout the game.  We are young on defense and I felt like we grew up tonight."

With the victory in El Paso, the Panthers are now 1-0 on the season. "This was a great example of complementary football within a team. The offense and defense both did what they had to do in order to win the game. Our kids played hard, and played to represent Fort Stockton the right way.  I was especially proud of our overall fight, and refusal to back down from a big, tough opponent."

The Panthers will look ahead to Friday, September 1 when they take on the Alpine Bucks. To stay up-to-date with the football team, feel free to visit the team’s Facebook page.