KERRVILLE, Texas - The McMurry War Hawks wrapped up their 2026 season on a high note Saturday afternoon, coming back from an early deficit to beat the Schreiner Mountaineers 37-26 in American Southwest Conference play. Quarterback
Carson Roper led the way with 364 total yards, and McMurry outscored Schreiner 23-13 after halftime to end the season with a strong finish.
Schreiner struck before the McMurry offense took the field, returning the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, though a missed extra point kept the score at 6-0. The War Hawks moved the ball effectively in the opening frame, marching into Mountaineer territory twice—including a 10-play, 52-yard drive sparked by an 11-yard
Thomas Chandler run and an 18-yard catch by Chandler—but came up empty after a turnover on downs and a missed 42-yard field goal. Meanwhile, the McMurry defense stood firm, forcing a punt and a turnover on downs to keep the deficit at six entering the second quarter.
The War Hawks' defense set the tone early in the second stanza when linebacker
Bryce Neves stuffed the Schreiner quarterback on fourth-and-15 at the McMurry 26-yard line. Roper and the offense capitalized quickly, marching 74 yards in 7 plays. After Roper connected with
Jadyn Pruitt for a 42-yard gain down to the Schreiner 8, the signal-caller found
Xavier Williams for a 7-yard touchdown pass.
Jax Rodriguez added the PAT to give McMurry its first lead at 7-6.
Schreiner answered with a time-consuming 16-play, 78-yard drive to reclaim a 13-7 advantage with just over two minutes remaining in the half. Executing a crisp two-minute drill, Roper marched the War Hawks 72 yards in five plays and 1:22 off the clock. A 38-yard strike to
Drake Grimes moved McMurry deep into the red zone, and Roper capped the drive by finding tight end
Rhett Butler for an 11-yard touchdown with 47 seconds left. Rodriguez's extra point sent the War Hawks into the locker room with a 14-13 edge.
The Mountaineers briefly regained momentum out of halftime, capping a nine-play drive with a 21-yard touchdown pass to go up 19-14 after a failed two-point try. However, special teams and defense quickly flipped the script for McMurry. Punter
Jax Rodriguez pinned Schreiner at its own 1-yard line with a 44-yard boot. Two plays later, the War Hawks' defensive front swarmed the Schreiner ball carrier in the end zone for a safety, trimming the margin to 19-16.
Taking advantage of prime field position following the free kick, McMurry needed six plays to cover 46 yards, with running back
Corey Layne punching in a 4-yard touchdown run to put the War Hawks back on top, 23-19. After
Cooper Barnard's sack helped force a Schreiner punt, McMurry struck again before the end of the frame. Roper hit
Marcus Maple for a 36-yard gain and broke free for a 31-yard scramble down to the 1-yard line, setting up a 1-yard touchdown plunge by
Tedrick Williams with 48 seconds left in the third. Rodriguez converted both PATs to stretch the War Hawks' lead to 30-19 heading into the fourth.
Schreiner threatened early in the final quarter, but defensive back
Jayson Henley halted the drive with an interception at the McMurry 20-yard line. The War Hawks turned the takeaway into a dagger, orchestrating a methodical 13-play, 80-yard drive that chewed up 5:38 of game clock. Highlighted by a 23-yard catch-and-run from
Jackson Stroud and clutch third-down conversions by
Leroy Rodriguez and Roper, the drive ended with Roper keeping it for an 8-yard rushing touchdown. Rodriguez's fifth PAT of the afternoon pushed the lead to 37-19 with 8:26 to play.
Although the Mountaineers added a late rushing score with 4:24 remaining, running back
Alex Idaho and backup quarterback
Chris Teten helped bleed time off the clock. Defensive lineman
Jackson Harris added an 8-yard sack in the final minute to seal the 37-26 victory. Neves led the War Hawks' defense with 15 total tackles, followed closely by
Brayden Youree with 14 stops and Barnard with 10 tackles and two tackles for loss.
With the victory, the War Hawks conclude their 2026 season with a 6-4 overall record and a 3-2 mark in ASC play. Finishing above .500 for the season marks the second time in program history the War Hawks have strung together four consecutive seasons with a record over .500, matching a feat last accomplished from 1977 to 1980.
