CORPUS CHRISTI — Close again but still short again.
The Abilene Ruff Riders lost their fifth game by three or fewer points Sunday, as the Corpus Christi Hammerheads overcame a sluggish start and then held on to defeat the Riders 49-46 at American Bank Center.
Redford Borel led the Hammerheads with 49-yards rushing and three touchdowns while Wes Cooper completed a workmanlike 8-of-12 passes for 52 yards and another score for Corpus Christi.
The victory improved the Hammerheads’ chances to gain a playoff spot. Corpus is 6-6 and plays at home next week against 8-4 San Angelo. The Stampede-Express already has nailed down an Indoor Football League playoff berth.
Abilene fell to 2-11 and 0-6 in road games this year. Eight of the Riders losses have been 11 or fewer points, including a pair of three-point losses to the West Texas Roughnecks, which is host to Abilene on Saturday.
While the Riders have made a bad habit of giving up leads, they scored two touchdowns after falling behind 49-33 with just over five minutes to play. Robert Kent, who was 12-of-36 for 101 yards, passed 3 yards to Fred Howze for one score and went back to Howze for nine yards, with Omar Moreno taking on the extra point.
The Hammerheads were able to protect their 49-46 lead for the win.
Abilene got on the board first when the Riders’ Nate Jackson recovered a fumble in the Corpus end zone on the Hammerheads’ first snap from scrimmage.
On its next possession, Corpus Christi again coughed up the ball on its first snap but the Riders were unable to cash in and build on its lead.
Later in the first quarter, after stopping the Hammerheads, Abilene started from its 2 yard line and drove downfield, with Kent scoring on the final play of the quarter for a 13-0 lead after Moreno’s kick.
Abilene’s seasonlong scoreless quarter woes continued. The Riders failed to put points on the board in the second quarter while two fumbles set up CC scores. Redford Borel ran for a score and then recovered a fumble that set up Wesley Cooper’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Julius Eppinger. Stephen Moreno’s kick after the second TD tied the game 13-13 at halftime.
Corpus scored the first two touchdowns of the third quarter — both set up by Abilene turnovers — on touchdown runs to open a 27-13 lead but Abilene came back.
Ivory McCann ran back the kickoff 45 yards to end Corpus Christi’s 27-point run but the Hammerheads answered with Cooper’s 1-yard run at the end of the third quarter.
Abilene outscored Corpus Christi 26-15 in the fourth quarter but the Hammerheads always held at least a one-score lead.
In the fourth, Abilene again narrowed the gap, this time on a 16-yard scoring strike from Kent to former Hardin-Simmons baseball player LeJuan Edwards, making the score 34-27 with 10:13 left in the game.
Jason Lee gave Corpus Christi good field position, returning the ensuing kick to midfield. Two plays later, Borel scored from 12 yards out and Fillmore carried the ball in on the two-point conversion giving Corpus Christi a 42-27 margin.
Abilene answered with a 4-yard run by Kent but Corpus Christi responded with Eppinger’s 27-yard run out with 5:48 left in the game to make the score 49-33.
The Hammerheads hung on to win their fifth straight game at home.
Abilene had 186 total yards to 151 for Corpus Christi. Trae Ivory rushed for 54 yards and Kent 38 for the Riders, who had 102 rushing yards.
The Riders were hurt by five turnovers and 90 penalty yards.
