Bearcats maul Vikings even district record
The Grandfield Bearcats keep their
playoff hopes alive by snapping a two-game losing streak with a 53-8 Homecoming
thrashing of the Sasakwa Vikings on Friday.
Junior quarterback Marshall Hargis had just three carries,
but gained 103 yards and scored a touchdown as the Bearcats upped their district
record to 2-2 and moved into a four-way tie for third in a tight District C-2
race.
|
Grandfield’s ground game was dominant
from the start as Hargis opened the game with a 26-yard scamper and Andrew
Franco followed with a 10-yard gain up the middle.
After a 12-yard Robert James run, the Bearcats were ready to score as
they set at the Viking eight-yard line, but the fumble-bug bit the Bearcats and
Sasakwa took over.
It didn’t take the Bearcats long to get the ball back as
James put a viscous hit on Viking quarterback Austin Livesay causing the ball to
squirt into the air. Bearcat nose
guard Warren Harris picked the ball out of mid-air and rumbled to the Viking 12
before he was finally brought down by what seemed like the entire Sasakwa team.
It took just three plays for the Bearcats to score as Albert Brown went
in from four yards out. The PAT was
no good and the Bearcats led, 6-0.
Sasakwa quickly answered as Livesay lateralled to Floyd
Osborne who then connected with Eric Hall for a 42-yard scoring strike.
Livesay hit Osborne for the two-point conversion and to everyone’s
surprise the Vikings were still in the game mid-way through the first quarter as
they led, 8-6.
It didn’t take Grandfield long to let the Vikings know who
was in control of this one as Hargis optioned right and raced 69 yards for the
score on the Bearcats’ next play. Jose
Romero booted the PAT giving the Bearcats the lead for good, 13-8.
The Bearcats extended their lead seconds later as James
picked off a Livesay pass and sprinted 30 yards to paydirt.
Romero added the PAT and the rout was on as the Bearcats led 20-8.
Grandfield scored again on the first play of the second
quarter as Franco rolled 27 yards to the endzone. Romero again added the PAT, 27-8.
The Bearcats pushed their lead to 41-8 before the half as
they added two more touchdowns in the second on a pair of one-yard runs by
Justin Gray and Rolando Rodriguez
The game ended early as the Bearcats scored twice in the
third to mercy-ruled the Vikings with 2:28 remaining in the quarter.
Lorenzo Garcia scored on a three-yard run and James ended it with a
20-yard burst.
“We needed to get off of that losing streak,” Grandfield
coach Larry Turner said, “and the kids needed the win.
Sasakwa wasn’t real strong, but it allowed us to get everybody into the
game on Homecoming.”
“It’s down to business, now.” Turner said of the district race, “We’ve got Ryan, at
Ryan, next week and then Fox the following week, so the next two weeks are going
to be real big for us. Our backs
are against the wall, and we need (to win) both of them.
None of us can afford a loss, right now.”
The Bearcats look to start a winning streak on Friday as they
travel to Ryan for a key District C-2 game with the Cowboys.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.