Buckaroos show improvement, despite 21-14 loss to Childress Bobcats
By Brant Thurmond/Breckenridge Texan
Coming off a 43-0 loss to the Holliday Eagles on Aug. 29, the Breckenridge Buckaroos were looking to pick up their first win of the season as they traveled to Childress to take on the Childress Bobcats on Friday evening, Sept. 5. The Buckaroos showed a lot of fight but ultimately came up short as they fell to the Bobcats 21-14.
The improvement from week one was evident in many areas for the Buckaroos, and that was something Buckaroo head coach Casey Pearce was proud of, following the game.
“I’m proud of the football team’s growth, and I’m proud of where we are headed,” Pearce said. “We are going to be all right. We are going to keep fighting and continue to improve every week.
“We made a big jump this week, and we are a better football team than we were a week ago. So I’m going to take it however we can get it,” he said. “I’m proud of the effort and fight and the determination to go find a way to make a play.”
Buckaroo quarterback Cooper Wimberley hands off the ball to Jaime Cruz during Friday night’s game in Childress. Click here to see more photos from the game. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
The Buckaroos continued with the three-quarterback rotation between Joseph Juneau, Hudson Woodward and Cooper Wimberley.
“Hudson, Juneau and Coop fought their rear ends off. I’m proud of them. We are a better football team because those dudes compete and support one another,” Pearce said. “They are tough cats, and I will fight with them any day.”
After giving up 43 points to Holliday in week one, the Buckaroo defense was visibly improved, as well, coming away with three fourth-down stops and forcing two punts.
“We kind of frenzied to the football tonight and that’s the way defense is supposed to play,” Pearce said. “We tackled better and squeezed space better. I’m proud of all those dudes making adjustments with all the movement with motion. It didn’t faze them, meaning we didn’t lose leverage.
“We just didn’t make a couple plays there down the middle of the field, but you know, they are going to keep fighting,” Pearce said.
The Buckaroo defense recovered a Childress fumble just two plays into the game, but the Bucks failed to capitalize with points as their first possession ended with a failed fourth down attempt.
The defense stopped Childress once again and forced punt. Four plays later, the Buckaroo drive ended following an interception.
The Bobcats were able to capitalize on the turnover as they went 49 yards in nine plays and capped the drive off with a one-yard touchdown run by Colton Teichelman. Juan Yebra was successful on the PAT, giving the Bobcats a 7-0 lead with 1:01 remaining in the first quarter.
The Breckenridge offense stalled after just three plays and were forced to punt on the ensuing possession.
Quarterback Joseph Juneau passes the ball in the game against the Childress Bobcats. Juneau led the Buckaroo rushing attack, completed five of 10 passing attempts and had one touchdown pass. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
Childress managed to move the ball 36 yards in 11 plays and used up over five minutes of the second quarter clock on their next drive, but the Buckaroo defense held its own and stopped the Bobcats on fourth down.
The two teams traded punts on back-to-back possessions before the Bobcats got the ball with 1:36 remaining in the first half and moved the ball to the Buckaroo 28-yard line. The Buckaroo defense forced an incomplete pass on fourth down as time expired in the first half but trailed 7-0 at halftime.
The Buckaroos had a huge drive to open the third quarter, moving the ball 69 yards on 15 plays and used up all, but 3:15 of the third quarter.
The drive was capped off with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Juneau to Ryan Waller on fourth and 16. Josiah Acosta’s PAT attempt was good, tying the game at 7-7 with 3:15 remaining in the third quarter.
As the momentum started to shift in the Buckaroos favor, Childress used a no huddle, up paced drive to go 72 yards in nine plays and capped the ensuing drive off with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Koen Galligan to Benton Sims. The PAT by Yebra was good, giving the Bobcats a 14-7 lead with seven seconds left in the third quarter.
Poised to have an answer for the Bobcats’ touchdown drive, the Buckaroos moved the ball 16 yards in six plays before an interception ended the drive.
The Bobcats capitalized on the turnover by moving the ball 42 yards in seven plays and capped the drive off with a 32-yard pass from Galligan to Collin Garcia on fourth and 15. The PAT by Yebra was good, giving the Bobcats a 21-7 lead with 6:37 remaining in the game.
Working together to bring down a Childress player were Buckaroos Gunnar Pearce, Cameron David, Ryan Waller and Hudson Woodward. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
Breckenridge had an answer for the Bobcat score as the Bucks moved the ball 75 yards (all passing) in seven plays and capped the drive off with an eight-yard pass from Woodward to Erik Saucedo. Acosta connected on the PAT, making the score 21-14 with 4:14 remaining in the game.
The Bucks attempted an onside kick and came up just short of recovering the kick, but the defense did its job again as they stopped the Bobcats on fourth down, handing the ball back to the Buckaroo offense with 2:14 left in the game.
The Buckaroos’ drive ended after picking up just six yards and failing to convert a fourth down attempt. Childress was able to take a knee and run out the remaining 1:42 of the game clock to claim the 21-14 win.
Offensively, the Bucks had 42 yards rushing on 22 attempts and completed 17 of 29 passing attempts for 212 yards passing for a total of 254 yards.
Joseph Juneau led the Buckaroo rushing attack with 23 yards on five attempts, while Jaime Cruz had 22 yards on 10 attempts.
Hudson Woodward completed eight of 13 passing attempts for 127 yards and had one touchdown and one interception, while Juneau completed five of 10 passing attempts and had one touchdown and one interception. Cooper Wimberley completed four of six passing attempts for 40 yards.
Childress had 156 yards rushing and 152 yards passing for a total of 308 yards.
Defensively, the Buckaroos were led by Cruz who had 13 total tackles, seven assists, six solo tackles and a fumble recovery. Cameron David had seven total tackles, five assists and two solo, while Glen Thibodeaux had four total tackles, three assists, one solo and an interception.
With the loss, the Bucks fell to 0-2 overall, while Childress improved to 1-1.
The Buckaroos will host the Cisco Loboes at 7 p.m. Friday, Sep. 12, at Buckaroo Stadium.
District 3-3A Results
*District Opponents in Bold
Jim Ned (2-0) 23
Cedar Hill TLC (0-2) 22
Llano (2-0) 62
Comanche (0-2) 23
Clyde (2-0) 52
Eastland (0-2) 28
Cisco (1-1) 39
SA TLCA (0-2) 6
Midland Greenwood (2-0) 47
Sweetwater (1-1) 8
Sept. 9 Matchups
- Comanche vs Eastland
- SA TLCA at Ballinger
- Clyde at Shallowater
- Sweetwater at Seminole
- Breckenridge vs Cisco
Erik Saucedo catches a pass from Hudson Woodward for the Buckaroos’ last touchdown of the game in Childress. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
The “helmet crew” battles strong winds as they put up the inflatable tunnel for the Buckaroos to run through at the beginning of the game in Childress. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
Cutline, top photo: In the third quarter, Ryan Waller caught a 21-yard pass from Joseph Juneau to score the Buckaroos’ first touchdown of the game — and the season. Click here to see more pictures from the game. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
