Breckenridge Texan

By Brant Thurmond/Breckenridge Texan

To say the Breckenridge Buckaroos are on a roll would be an understatement. The Bucks are off to their best start since the 2006 season where they started the season 5-0 and ended up finishing 6-4 overall.

The Buckaroos, who were ranked No. 9 by Dave Campbell’s Texas football this week in Class 3A Division I, stayed perfect on the 2022 season with a dominating 62-12 win over the Eastland Mavericks Friday evening, in Eastland.

Buckaroo wide receiver Sean Cooksey evades the Eastland defense in Friday night’s game in Maverick Stadium. Click here to see more photos from the game. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

“It was a good win for us. I was glad we were able to come back and have a great second half,” Buckaroo head coach Casey Pearce said. “We weren’t great the first half and that falls on me. In the first quarter, we didn’t have much rhythm, and we need to get that straightened out.”

The first quarter saw neither team get any momentum going offensively with the Bucks having three possessions in the quarter with three different results. The first drive ended after failing to convert a fourth down attempt, while the second ended in a punt and the final possession ending with an interception.

The first points of the game came with 7:24 remaining in the second quarter, following a 74-yard drive that ended with a nine-yard touchdown run by Anson Rodgers. Sawyer Wimberly connected on the PAT, putting the Bucks up 7-0.

Chase Lehr completed a 16-yard pass to Bryson Herring and a 24-yard pass to Caiden Marin to help the Bucks move the ball down the field.

The Buckaroo defense forced a punt on the ensuing Maverick possession. Rodgers returned the punt 65-yards for a touchdown. Wimberley’s kick was no good, making the score 13-0 with 5:31 left in the second quarter.

On the first play of the next Eastland drive, Isaiah Hays connected with Jay Oznick for a 75-yard touchdown pass. The PAT was no good and made the score 13-6 with 5:21 left in the second quarter.

The Bucks went on a quick six-play 65-yard drive and capped the drive off with a five-yard touchdown run by Lehr. Wimberley’s kick was good, putting the Bucks up 20-6 with 2:49 left in the first half.

Jerry Lawson had a 34-yard run on the drive to help the Bucks.

The Mavericks cut the deficit in half with a quick three-play 80-yard drive that ended with a 65-yard touchdown pass from Hays to Laike Kennedy. The Mavericks were unsuccessful on the two-point conversion attempt, and the Bucks still held a 20-12 lead with 1:44 remaining in the half.

Buckaroos wide receiver Briley Bernal’s 23-yard reception helped Breckenridge score their fourth score of the first half. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

On their ensuing possession, the Buckaroo offense needed just five plays to drive the ball 66 yards and capped the drive off with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Lehr to Zeke Castillo. Wimberly connected on the PAT, give the Bucks a 27-12 lead with 32 seconds left in the second quarter. Brilee Bernal had a 23-yard reception on the first play of the drive to help aid the Buckaroos’ drive.

Breckenridge got the ball to start the third quarter and three plays and 47 seconds later, Rodgers capped off a 57-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run following runs of seven yards and 47 yards by Lawson. Wimberley connected on the PAT, making the score 34-12 with 11:04 left in the third quarter.

On the next Maverick possession, the Mavericks moved the ball just 10 yards before the Buckaroo defense forced a punt.

On the ensuing punt, Buckaroo Adrian Ruiz blocked the punt and Lane Castillo scooped it up and ran 20 yards for a touchdown. The PAT by Wimberly was good, giving the Bucks a 41-12 lead.

The Buckaroo defense forced another punt on the Mavericks’ next drive, and following a bad snap by the Mavericks, the Bucks started their next drive on the Mavericks’ 30-yard line.

Eight plays later, Lawson capped the drive off with a five-yard touchdown run. Wimberley was once again successful on the PAT and made the score 48-12 with 53 seconds left in the third quarter.

Three plays into the next Eastland drive, Buckaroo line backer Hunter Eaton recovered a fumble at the Mavericks’ 35-yard line.

The Bucks needed seven plays to go 65 yards and ended the drive with a 26-yard pass from Camden Escalon to Lane Castillo. Wimberley connected on the PAT to make the score 55-12 with 8:02 left in the fourth quarter.

Wimberley also had 31 yards rushing on the drive with runs of 12 and 18 yards to help aid the Bucks on the drive.

Another punt by the Mavericks was the result of the ensuing drive, and from there the Buckaroos endured a 5:50 59-yard drive that was capped off with a three-yard touchdown run by Eaton with exactly one minute left in the game.

Defensively, the Buckaroos allowed 21 yards rushing on 17 attempts and 287 yards passing.

The defensive play Friday night in Eastland and the physicality from the Buckaroos was something Pearce was pleased with in the win.

“The defense is playing really physical right now. The kids are enjoying what they are doing and running to the football,” he said. “When they get there, they are trying to do some things with some violence, and that’s how you play the game the right way. I think we are trying to mimic that offensively and be a physical football team. Whether we are in a one back or two back or however we do it, we are trying to use our tools we got and allow kids to kind of thrive in their element. We got to continue to do that.

“Coach (Keith) Oldham has done a great job of that, and these offensive coaches have put a scheme together to allow us to be effective,” Pearce continued. “We got to continue to do that at every level and enjoy playing this game as long as we can do it.”

Offensively, the Buckaroos were balanced with 250 yards rushing on 39 attempts and 209 passing yards after completing 17 of 20 passes.

Lawson led the rushing attack with 119 yards on 12 carries and had one touchdown, while Wimberly had 51 yards rushing on six carries and Rodgers had 46 yards on nine carries with three touchdowns. Eaton had five rushes for 16 yards and one touchdown.

Lehr completed 13-16 passing attempts for 132 yards and five rushes for 18 yards; he had one passing touchdown, one rushing touchdown and one interception.

Escalon completed all four of his four passing attempts for 77 yards and one passing touchdown.

Of the 17 pass completions, the Bucks had 11 different players with a reception. Cantrell led the Bucks in receiving yards with one catch for 48 yards, while Marin had two receptions for 36 yards. Lane Castillo had one reception for 28 yards and two touchdowns, and Zeke Castillo also had one reception for 25 yards and one touchdown.

Pearce was happy with the way the Bucks were able to spread the ball around to get multiple players involved Friday.

“I think we did it across the board with every kid contributing some way and somehow,” Pearce said. “Sometimes you are going to throw for 300 (yards) and sometimes you may rush for 300 (yards). I thought we were pretty balanced, and I thought our kids embraced those opportunities. It’s a very, very unselfish group. If we keep it that way and keep that locker room healthy like it is, we got a chance.”

The Buckaroos will host the Benbrook Bobcats at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, for Breckenridge’s homecoming game.

Sept. 16 District 3-3A Results

**District teams in bold
Graham (2-2) 31
Iowa Park (1-3) 17

Idalou (3-1) 17
Vernon (3-1) 0

Clyde (3-1) 41
Ballinger (0-4) 19

Burkburnett (3-1) 41
Bowie (0-4)16

Jim Ned (1-3) 22
Rockdale (1-3) 21

Sept. 23 games

Wichita Falls High at Iowa Park
Vernon at Burkburnett
Sweetwater at Clyde
Childress at Bowie
Benbrook at Breckenridge
Eastland at Jim Ned

Click here to see the Breckenridge Texan’s Photo Gallery from the Sept. 16 game in Eastland.

Caiden Marin, Breckenridge tight end, tackles an Eastland ball carrier in Friday night’s game in Maverick Stadium. The Buckaroos’ defense dominated the game with their physicality. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Members of the Breckenridge High School marching band perform during the halftime of the Sept. 16 football game against the Eastland Mavericks. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Cutline, top photo: Buckaroo running back Anson Rodgers evades the Mavericks’ defense on his way to a touchdown in Maverick Stadium on Friday, Sept. 16.  Rodgers scored three touchdowns in the game. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

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