Lake Travis Slams the Door
From the moment the rain began falling at Heroes Stadium, Lake Travis looked unfazed by the conditions. The Cavaliers responded to United’s punch with a barrage of their own, piling on 27 unanswered points and cruising to a 41 to 7 win in the Class 6A Division I regional semifinal.
The loss ends United’s season at 10 and 3, marking the eighth time since 2004 that the program has hit double-digit wins under head coach David Sanchez. A victory would have delivered the first third-round playoff triumph in Laredo history, but Lake Travis proved too steep a hurdle.
Instead, the Cavaliers advance to the regional finals carrying a 13 and 0 record into a heavyweight showdown with fellow unbeaten San Antonio Johnson. It will be Lake Travis’ ninth trip to the fourth round since 2015, another chapter in a storied era that includes six state titles and a decade-plus of deep playoff runs.
United Shows Life, but McBride and Company Take Control
Lake Travis jumped ahead early with two touchdown throws from Luke McBride, but United clawed back with a five-play scoring drive sparked by a defensive three-and-out and capped by Luna’s bomb to Garcia-Perez.
It would be the Longhorns’ only scoring possession of the night.
McBride answered with another pinpoint touchdown pass before running back Vann Hopping punched in a 22-yard score, stretching the halftime margin to 28 to 7. By the break, Lake Travis had outgained United 233 to 97 and controlled every inch at the line of scrimmage.
Buck Leads a Defensive Clinic
United’s normally electric offense, a group that averaged thirty seven points per game during the season, found no room against a Lake Travis defense anchored by TCU commit Carter Buck.
The six foot six pass rusher, already the program’s single-season sack leader, added four and a half more and blew up drive after drive. Each one of his sacks forced a punt, including both opening possessions of the first and second quarters.
United moved the ball into Lake Travis territory multiple times in the second half but came away empty, with a tipped-ball interception in the end zone ending their final threat.
Final Numbers and Final Thoughts
Luna, one of South Texas’ most productive quarterbacks, finished with 154 passing yards. Garcia-Perez hauled in eight grabs for seventy nine yards and the team’s lone touchdown.
Colt Lozano added fifty six receiving yards and became Laredo’s all-time leader in career receiving yards with 3,481. Luna ended the night one touchdown shy of the city’s single-season record.
Despite the lopsided score, Sanchez praised his senior class for lifting United to another memorable season and pushing the program deeper into November once again.
