In 4A D2 football, the No. 8 ranked Cuero Gobbles (10-1, 3-1) will travel to Yoakum High Friday for a matchup against the Gonzales Apaches (7-4, 3-3). It is the area round of the UIL Texas Football State Playoffs. The availability of Cuero standout senior quarterback Jaxxon Marie will be a game-time decision according to Cuero head coach Jerod Fikac. Marie is nursing an undisclosed injury. For the year, Marie has piled up 37 touchdown passes with just three interceptions. During Week 8 of the regular season, Marie won the 4A Built Ford Tough Player of the Week Award. Junior backup quarterback Jayce Guajardo has seen action in three consecutive games. For the year, Guajardo has thrown for 496 yards and seven touchdowns against just one interception. Coach Fikac believes his game plan will not be altered if Guajardo ends up with extended playing time. “It’s all about the next man up. Jayce does a good job of taking care of the football and the kids are confident in him. They will be ready to play their A game,” coach Fikac said. In last week’s 42-14 bi-district playoff victory against La Feria, Guajardo completed 12-of-22 passes for 140 yards and one touchdown. The Cuero ground game aided in the victory with 200 rushing yards and five scores. Sophomore Jordan Jones rushed for a team-high 75 yards and three touchdowns on only seven carries. After Cuero’s miraculous 56-55 comeback win against Sinton on Oct. 17 that saw the Gobblers erase a 20-point deficit with less than five minutes remaining, Cuero’s defense has held each opponent to 20 points or less for the next three games. Cuero has yielded just 67. 6 yards rushing per game in their last three contests. The defense has also recorded five interceptions during that span. Coach Fikac has great confidence in the recent production of the defensive unit. “I think the defense is adjusting, they are doing things better, and they continue to be sound. I like to see us getting hats to the football, creating turnovers, and winning at the line of scrimmage,” coach Fikac said. The Gobblers will be tasked with facing a Gonzales Apaches club that placed fourth in District 13 and defeated Bandera in the bi-district round last week, 24-14. Coach Fikac expects a hard battle against a team with two straight wins. “Gonzales is a very athletic team that likes to run downhill on you. We need to be sound and physical defensively, and we need to tackle well,” coach Fikac said.
https://victoriaadvocate.com/2025/11/21/cuero-to-battle-gonzales-in-yoakum/
