Whirlwinds kicker Leo Mendoza scored a Field Goal in overtime to secure the victory for Floydada against the Sundown Roughnecks on October 7, 2022. (Ryan Crowe/FCR)
FLOYDADA – The Floydada Whirlwinds are 1-0 in district after topping the Sundown Roughnecks in overtime Friday night at Charles Tyer Stadium by a 37-34 score.
The Whirlwinds started the game with a drive that ended with an Andres Mendoza QB keeper for a touchdown, trading scores back and forth with the Roughnecks to go into halftime trailing by a 13-14 score. They came out in the third and scored twice, adding a touchdown in the fourth for a total of 34 points to Sundown’s 28 with just seconds left in regulation.
Sundown was able to get into their end zone as time ran out, but missed the extra point that would have sealed their victory, setting up the Whirlwinds overtime victory on the leg of kicker Leo Mendoza. After the game Coach J.R. Compton told the team they had some issues on all sides of the ball, but pointed at the scoreboard as he told his players “Look at the bottom line, we pulled out the victory!”
Compton was also was quick to heap praise on Leo Mendoza for his late-game heroics, saying the kicker came through when he was needed. “At some point everybody’s going to have the opportunity to be a hero, and when that knock on the door comes, you get the chance to answer it, and he did.” Compton also praised the team for getting Floydada’s first victory over the Roughnecks, specifically for the Seniors.
Up next, the Whirlwinds travel to New Deal to face a Lions team that beat Tahoka on Friday night by a 40-2 score. Next week’s game kicks off at 7:00 p.m.
