2009-10-01

Bulldogs tame Wildcats in district opener 34-0

By Tim McGrath

The Bandera Bulldogs combined a well-balanced offensive effort with a rock-solid defensive performance to tame the Wildcats of Carrizo Springs as Bandera cruised to a 34-0 victory in the District 29AAA opener played on Friday night, Sept. 25, at Carrizo Springs.

The Bulldog defense limited the Wildcat offense to a mere 115 total yards while Bandera’s offense totaled nearly 400 yards, including 266 on the ground and 131 in the air as the Bulldogs improved their ’09 season record to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in District 29AAA play.

Bandera running backs Travis Hubble and Tyler Stevens sparked the Bulldog rushing effort while quarterback Cole Hubble and wide receiver Cisco Ruiz led the Dogs air attack as the Bulldogs continued to exhibit improved balance on both sides of the ball.

T. Hubble led all rushers with 116 yards and a touchdown on nine carries including a 72-yard dash to set up another Bulldog score. Stevens added 91 yards on only two carries, including a 70-yard burst for a touchdown that put the Dogs up 27-0 in the third quarter.

Ruiz tallied a pair of touchdowns, the first on a second quarter 35-yard reception at the back line of the endzone and later on a 20-yard catch and run in the third period. Both scores came on passes from Cole Hubble who finished the night with eight completions in 15 attempts for 131 yards and two touchdowns.
Bulldog sophomore running back Ryan Walker, capped off the Bandera scoring with a four-yard touchdown run in the final period. Bandera placekicker Sterling Yurrita was good on four-of-five extra point attempts to round out the Bulldog point total.
After a scoreless first period, the Dogs struck for a pair of second quarter touchdowns to take a 13-0 lead in the contest. Travis Hubble rumbled in from five yards out at the 3:58 mark of the period before Ruiz hauled in a 35-yard scoring pass from Cole Hubble with only 48 seconds remaining before halftime. Bandera sophomore Colby Stewart set up T. Hubble’s score with a 26-yard punt return to the Wildcat 14-yard line and a seven-yard reception, putting the ball at the Carrizo Springs five-yard line.

Ruiz tacked on another Bulldog touchdown with a 20-yard reception from C. Hubble with 8:44 remaining in the third quarter. Yurrita added the extra point to put the Dogs up 20-0.
On the ensuing possession, the Wildcats went three-and-out and punted to the Bulldogs who took over the ball at their own 19-yard line. Three plays later, Stevens burst up the middle and outran the Wildcat defenders enroute to a 70-yard touchdown run as the Dogs extended their lead to 27-0 with 5:20 remaining in the third quarter.

Bulldog sophomore Kyle Monroe took over the quarterback duties for Bandera with four minutes remaining in the third quarter and finished the game for the Dogs. Walker’s four-yard run for a score came with 8:00 left in the game and was set up by T. Hubble’s 72-yard burst to the Wildcat three-yard line. Yurrita’s fourth extra point of the night closed out the scoring while the Dogs’ defense stifled the Wildcats to post a Bandera 34-0 shutout of the Wildcats.

Bandera Head Coach and Athletic Director Larry Prince expressed pride in the Bulldogs’ overall effort while praising the defense for an exceptional effort.

“We are really proud of the overall effort on both sides of the ball,” he declared. “We played with a lot of heart and more of our players continue to step up to make us better every week.”

Prince added, “Our defenseve line did a great job and our linebackers played downhill all night. We were hitting hard and making the tackles to keep them contained.”

In other District 29AAA action, the Hondo Owls crushed the Lytle Pirates 62-8, while the Devine Warhorses chased the Crystal City Javelinas 27-6. Pearsall had the week off with an open date.

The Bulldogs continue District 29AAA action this week by hosting the Crystal City Javelinas in a Bandera homecoming matchup Friday, Oct. 2, at the Bandera High School Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm.

Next week, the Bulldogs travel to Pearsall to take on the Mavericks in another District 29AAA encounter beginning at 7:30 pm.