Breckenridge Texan

By Brant Thurmond/Breckenridge Texan

The Early Longhorns played spoiler Friday night as they defeated the Breckenridge Buckaroos 47-18 in Buckaroo Stadium.

Coming off a 28-6 season opening loss to Comanche, the Buckaroos were looking to get in the win column with their first home game of the 2026 season on Sept. 4, which was the Homecoming game for the Bucks, as well.

Buckaroo quarterback Hudson Woodward runs with the ball as Brayden Bounds blocks an Early player in Friday night’s game. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Buckaroo head coach Casey Pearce said the loss was very frustrating and took on the responsibility to see that the Bucks get back on track.

“It’s a very frustrating loss and I’ll wear that one every day and I’ll wear it with this group,” Pearce said. “I got a lot of faith in this group, and I believe in them because they have worked their rear ends off. That was not a reflection of what we do week in and week out around here.”

The Buckaroos struck first after both teams punted on their opening possessions with a quick three-play 80-yard drive that saw Hudson Woodward connect with Ryan Waller on a 74-yard touchdown pass. The PAT was blocked, giving the Bucks a 6-0 lead with 5:56 remaining in the first quarter.

“It’s called execution and that’s what practice reps are supposed to do and pay off and do for you,” Pearce said. “That kind of execution gives us a chance.”

Early answered with an eight-play drive that stretched 63 yards and was capped off with two-yard touchdown run by Caden Wilson. The PAT was no good, tying the score at 6-6 with 2:29 left in the first quarter.

Three plays into the ensuing Buckaroo drive, Woodward connected with Waller again on a 77-yard touchdown pass, however, a penalty erased that touchdown, and the Bucks were forced to punt two plays later.

Early found the endzone once again five plays later by capping off a 66-yard drive with an eight-yard touchdown run by Isaac Ybarra. The PAT was good, making the score 13-6 with 10:23 remaining in the second quarter.

Isaac Flores returned the kickoff 41 yards to the Early 44-yard line; however, a fumble several plays later was recovered by the Longhorns, putting an end to the drive.

The Longhorns turned their next possession into a 13-play drive that stretched 87 yards and was capped off with a five-yard touchdown run by Ybarra. The PAT was good, giving the Longhorns a 20-6 lead with 2:04 remaining in the second quarter.

Analia Palacios and Leo Mendoza were named the Breckenridge High School 2026 Homecoming Queen and Homecoming King. They were honored in a before-the-game presentation Friday night. Click here to see the Breckenridge Texan’s Photo Gallery. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

The Bucks were forced to punt three plays later, which helped set up the final score of the half for the Longhorns as they capitalized on a 10-play 64-yard drive in which Wilson scored on a four-yard run. The PAT was good, making the score 27-6 with 1.8 seconds remaining in the first half.

Needing a defensive stop to start the third quarter, the Buckaroos failed to keep the Longhorns out of the endzone as Early moved the ball 48 yards in seven plays and ended the drive with a three-yard touchdown run by Ybarra. The PAT was no good, making the score 33-6 with 10:04 remaining in the third quarter.

The Buckaroos were forced to punt three plays into their ensuing drive, and a fumbled snap was scooped up by Early’s Grant Starks and returned 20 yards for a touchdown. The PAT was good, giving the Longhorns a 40-6 lead at the 4:20 mark of the third quarter.

Breckenridge answered with an 11-play 62-yard drive that was capped off with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Woodward to Waller. The PAT was no good, making the score 40-12 with 3:02 left in the third quarter.

On the ensuing kickoff, Early’s Andrew Reedy returned the kick 80 yards for a touchdown. The PAT was no good, but the Longhorns extended their lead to 47-12 with 2:47 left in the third quarter.

Both teams were forced to punt on their next possessions before the Buckaroos put together a 17-play 83-yard drive that took up over nine minutes of the fourth quarter clock and ended with a four-yard touchdown pass from Woodward to Isaac Flores. The PAT was no good, making the score 47-18 with 1:25 left in the game.

The Buckaroos had 132 yards rushing on 36 attempts and completed 7 of 17 passing attempts and 138 yards for a total of 270 yards.

Early had 217 yards rushing and 120 yards passing for a total of 337 yards.

The Buckaroos will be back in action against the Cisco Loboes at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, in Cisco.

“(We) better show more pride and work that we put in during the week,” Pearce said on what it’ll take for the Bucks to defeat Cisco. “They do work and they work as hard as they can. This ball game is a big ball game. It’s a huge rivalry game and it better mean something to them.

“They are going to show up on Monday and get ready to go,” he said. “That’s a morning practice and it’ll reflect the commitment to everyone in this program, not just this group on Friday night. We got to get back to work.”

The 2026 varsity Breckenridge Buckaroo football enters the field for the first home game of the season on Friday, Sept. 4. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

The Pride of Breckenridge – Buckaroo Marching Band performed their 2026 halftime show for the first time this year in Buckaroo Stadium on Friday, Sept. 4. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Cutline, top photo: Buckaroo running back Isaac Flores catches a pass from quarterback Hudson Woodward for the final Breckenridge touchdown of the game. Friday night’s game was the 2026 Homecoming for BHS; click here to see photos from the pre-game ceremony. (Photo by Ton Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)