Mission Veterans Shuts Out Eagles 28–0 in Conway Clash

MISSION — Mission Veterans started its season in convincing fashion Friday night, shutting out the Mission Eagles 28–0 in the annual Battle of Conway at Tom Landry Stadium.

The Eagles had an early chance to score when quarterback Alejandro Cano guided a drive deep into Patriot territory, but linebacker Daniel Moreno’s fumble recovery turned the possession into nothing. Moments later, two-way senior Ryan Guerra broke free for a 40-yard touchdown run, giving Veterans the lead at the end of the first quarter.

Quarterback Roman Reyna found his rhythm in the second. He connected twice with receiver Benji Martinez, first on a long gain and then on a touchdown strike to extend the margin to 14–0. The Eagles’ final push before halftime ended when Patriot defender Eric Barrientos intercepted Cano in the redzone, preserving the shutout.

The Patriots didn’t slow down after the break. Reyna opened the third quarter with a scoring pass to Edgar Hernandez, then added his third touchdown toss of the night in the fourth to Fabian Ruiz, sealing the 28–0 victory.

“It’s hard to win a game, much less a rivalry game,” head coach David Gilpin said. “Twenty-eight to nothing is not a score I expected. I thought we’d play well, but the kids exceeded what I imagined.”

Reyna credited the effort around him for the shutout win. “We came out here and executed,” he said. “The linemen blocked, the receivers ran their routes, and that made my job easier. If we keep that up in practice, we’ll keep having success.”

The victory moves Mission Veterans to 1–0, taking both bragging rights and early momentum out of Tom Landry Stadium. Mission falls to 0–1 and will look to regroup in Week 2.