The defending 2A D1 state champion and No. 2 ranked Ganado Indians (10-1, 6-0) enjoyed a blowout victory in last Thursday’s bi-district playoff contest. They faced off against the Three Rivers Bulldogs (4-7, 3-3) at Taft Greyhound Stadium in Taft and cruised to a decisive 55-0 victory. This week’s area playoff game will be played against the Thorndale Bulldogs (8-3, 4-1) Friday at 7 p. m. in Rockdale. The game was originally scheduled to be played Thursday night in Bastrop. The decision to move the game site and date was made Tuesday morning due to the high chance of thunderstorms in the area. Despite the scheduling change, Ganado head coach Josh Ervin said not much will change with his club’s preparation. “I think it’s going to be business as usual this week. We’ll have an extra day to get ready, but we’ll have the same approach,” coach Ervin said. Last week, Indians senior Austen Peña piled up 211 all-purpose yards and scored six touchdowns for Ganado. He rushed for 82 yards on six carries and hauled in five receptions for 129 yards. Peña is a wide receiver by trade who has filled in at running back when needed this season. It is the first year Peña has ever had any varsity snaps at the running back position. “It just speaks to his leadership qualities to learn a new position so quickly. He’s always ready to produce no matter where he lines up. He can even line up at quarterback, too,” coach Ervin said. Another standout performer for Ganado’s offense last week was sophomore quarterback Landyn Arriaga. He completed 9-of-12 passes for 190 yards and two scores and also rushed for a team-high 139 yards on 11 carries and two more touchdowns. Freshman defensive lineman Kole Bures also made his presence felt on the defensive side of the ball. Bures produced two sacks for a Ganado defense that allowed just 114 yards of total offense. “Kole is a very good athlete that can get off the ball very quickly and make plays,” coach Ervin said. One of Ganado’s standout performers along the offensive line is freshman starting left tackle Connor Todish. Coach Ervin believes Todish is very coachable and works hard to execute his blocks with proper technique. Todish’s contributions to the Indians offense has been a key factor in Ganado’s success. The freshman also plays as a reserve along the defensive line. “He’s taken this opportunity for extended playing time and just ran with it. He plays at a high level and improves every week. As for Thorndale, they come into the ballgame after last week’s 42-7 victory over Moody. It was Thorndale’s fifth straight win with their last loss coming on Oct. 10 at home against Mason. During the regular season, the Bulldogs placed second to Mason in District 14. Thorndale has rushed for 1, 571 yards and scored 23 touchdowns on the ground this year. Coach Ervin said it will take a disciplined defensive effort to contain the potent Thorndale rushing attack. “We are going to have to read our keys and our eyes in the backfield. They have a quick group of running backs that can make people miss,” coach Ervin said. “They execute on offense very well and their quarterback is a very accurate passer.”.
https://victoriaadvocate.com/2025/11/19/ganados-gameday-moves-to-friday-coach-ervins-approach-remains-the-same/
