Published 6: 10 am Saturday, November 22, 2025 ENNIS Behind big plays and bigger momentum swings, Carlisle bested Alvord 41-23 in the Class 2A-DI area championship game on Friday night. “I’m extremely proud of our coaches and our kids,” said Carlisle’s head coach Clay Baker. “You can’t doubt these kids’ hearts coming from a team that wasn’t even picked to make the playoffs, who won one game last year and now we’re one of the final four in the region and getting to practice on Thanksgiving, which is always a coach’s goal when the season starts.” Carlisle is the sole playoff team left from District 8-2A after De Leon downed Frankston, 76-46, and Hamilton beat Mildred, 27-14, in other 2A-DI area round action on Friday. Behind QB Tony Ibarra’s passing attack and their disruptive defense, Carlisle surged ahead of Alvord early. “We knew coming into it that these guys have one of the best front sevens in the region. We knew we were going to have to throw the ball and throw the ball early to try to loosen them up in the box to open up the run game,” said Baker. “I thought Tony threw the ball really well. I thought our receivers did a good job of getting open and I thought our offensive line did a good job of protecting him, too.” Two defensive stops bookended Ibarra’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Joseph Mejia. A 54-yard strike to Ivan Garza helped the Indians maintain momentum into the second quarter, where Garza shed tackles on a 20-yard reception for a 14-0 lead. Alvord answered with a Zane Fuentes touchdown run, but Carlisle struck back with a clever reverse-pass trick Mejia to Garza to Ibarra for a short score. With just 14 seconds before the break, Juan Diaz forced a fumble and Mejia recovered, leading to a 37-yard field goal by Garza for a 24-7 lead. The Indians went on a six-minute march in the third quarter, capping that drive with a two-yard scoring run by Elvis Hernandez. Jayden Nardozza’s tipped ball led to a diving interception by Garza, continuing Carlisle’s defensive dominance. Alvord mounted a furious late push. Fuentes broke away for a 75-yard touchdown run and QB Dalton George hit Zane Smith on a 51-yard scoring strike after a successful onside kick, cutting the margin to 34-23. But Carlisle crushed the comeback when Chase Roland forced a fumble and Diaz recovered, soon leading to Ibarra’s one-yard keeper for the final touchdown. Maddox Henderson sacked George and Bryan Garza blocked George’s last pass for a turnover on downs. “We’re playing really, really good at the right time and catching fire,” Baker noted. “I think these last two games have been two of the best all-around games that we’ve put together.” Carlisle (7-5) will take on Hamilton (10-2) in the Region 2 semi-final at 3 p. m. Friday at Corsicana High School. Most Popular 1 2 3 4 5.
https://thehendersonnews.com/2025/11/22/carlisle-shocks-alvord-wins-2a-di-area-championship-41-23/
Carlisle shocks Alvord, wins 2A-DI area championship 41-23
