Breckenridge Texan

By Brant Thurmond/Breckenridge Texan

The Breckenridge Buckaroos varsity football team continues to look for its first win of the 2026 season as they were defeated by the Clyde Bulldogs, 42-18, Friday evening, Sept. 18, at Buckaroo Stadium.

Despite the final outcome, Buckaroo head coach Casey Pearce said the team turned in one of their better performances of the season

“That’s the hardest we have played and some of the best execution that I’ve seen,” he said. “Some of the operational pieces was frustrating, but the energy, effort and the emotion that we played with is how we have to play.

“I’m not going to check the emotions because if you are going have any success in the game of football, you’re going to have to play on the edge,” Pearce continued. “There are some frustrating things that went on, but the play was much improved, and the effort was much improved. The execution was better.”

Buckaroo sophomore Jaxyn Tyson takes down Clyde’s quarterback, Devan Wright, in Friday night’s game in Buckaroo Stadium. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

The story of the first quarter was a defensive battle as both teams came up empty on their first drive despite a 16-play drive by the Buckaroos.

Clyde got on the board first on their third possession of the game with a five-play 35-yard drive that ended with a five-yard touchdown pass from Devan Wright to Kayden Booker. The PAT was good, giving the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead with 8:48 to play in the second quarter.

The Buckaroos quickly answered with a two-play drive and a 43-yard touchdown pass from Cooper Wimberley to Ryan Waller. The PAT was no good, making the score 7-6 with 8:06 remaining in the second quarter.

Following a Clyde punt late in the second quarter, the Buckaroos took over possession on their own six-yard line.

On the first play from scrimmage, a fumbled snap was recovered in the endzone by the Bulldogs for a touchdown. The PAT was good, giving Clyde a 14-6 lead with 1:46 left in the first half.

The Buckaroos were forced to punt, and the Bulldogs quickly extended their lead to 21-6 on the first play of their next possession following a 74-yard touchdown pass from Wright to Jacob Hernandez.

Clyde was ahead 21-6 at halftime.

Buckaroo running back Isaac Flores catches a pass in the game against Clyde on Friday, Sept. 18. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Breckenridge came out fired up in the second half as Isaac Flores returned the kickoff 37 yards to the Buckaroo 47-yard line.

On the first play of the Buckaroo drive, Jaxyn Tyson broke free for a 53-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion attempt failed, making the score 21-12 with 11:42 remaining in the third quarter.

The Buckaroo defense held strong and came away with a fourth-down stop despite a nine-play drive by the Bulldogs that moved the ball to the Buckaroo 22-yard line.

Breckenridge was unable to capitalize on the momentum, and they were forced to punt on the ensuing possession.

Clyde moved the ball 58 yards in eight plays and capped off the drive with a six-yard touchdown pass from Wright to Jack Hayes. The PAT was good, giving the Bulldogs a 28-12 lead with 4:45 remaining in the third quarter.

Buckaroo quarterback Cooper Wimberley looks for an open receiver in Friday night’s game against the Clyde Bulldogs. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

The Buckaroos moved the ball 63 yards in eight plays on their next possession on a drive that was capped off with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Wimberley to Waller. The two-point conversation attempt failed, making the score 28-18 with 1:10 remaining in the third quarter.

The Bulldogs stretched the lead to 35-18 with a six-play drive that ended in a 40-yard touchdown pass from Wright to Booker.

The next Buckaroo possession ended in an interception, but the Bucks were able to force and recover a fumble as well on the next Clyde possession.

Clyde scored on the very next play with a 63-yard run by Harley Griffin. The PAT was good, giving the Bulldogs a 42-18 lead with 7:15 remaining in the game.

The Buckaroos were hit by the injury bug once again with multiple players leaving the game.

“It’s all a wait-and-see game,” Pearce said on the players injured. “There are some evaluations that are going to have to take place this week to see where we are at. We got to get healthy. I’ve never seen this many injuries in a short amount of time.”

Buckaroo defensive lineman Zarius Maya forces the Clyde quarterback to fumble the ball Friday night. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

With all the injuries the Buckaroos have been facing, it has been a “next man up” type of mentality, Pearce said.

“Tonight it was next man up, and Jaxyn Tyson fit the bill after (Hayden) Mendoza got a kidney shot,” Pearce said. “The guys in the secondary and linebacker level that came in and replaced injured players or ejected players was next man up too.

“Finding a way to fill roles. That was impressive that the staff was able to plug and play and get some kids lined up and execute play they’ve not practiced,” he said. “It’s frustrating, but there were some positives that came from it.”

The Buckaroos rushed for 157 yards on 28 attempts and had 128 yards passing while completing 9 of 16 passing attempts for a total of 285 yards.

Clyde had 274 yards rushing and 105 yards passing for a total of 377 yards.

The Buckaroos will take on the Anson Tigers at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, in Anson.

Jaxyn Tyson, a sophomore running back for the Buckaroos, outpaces the Clyde defense as he runs for the goal line. Tyson scored the Buckaroos second touchdown Friday night with a 53-yard run. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Breckenridge’s offensive coordinator Jarrod Shepperd talks to Isaac Flores, who took over as quarterback in the game against Clyde after Cooper Wimberley was injured. Quarterback Hudson Woodward was also sidelined due to a previous injury. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Buckaroo Jaxyn Tyson fights for yardage as the Clyde defense attempts to take him down in Friday night’s game in Buckaroo Stadium. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

The Buckaroos gather around Coach Casey Pearce after the game, which included several injuries. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Breckenridge Independent School District Superintendent Prairie Freeman accepts a donation for $3,759.75 from Ronnie Langford with Graham Savings, which will be merging with Legend Bank next month. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

The Pride of Breckenridge – Buckaroo Marching Band entertained the hometown crowd during halftime on Friday, Sept. 18. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

The Breckenridge High School color guard put on a colorful show during the halftime of the game against Clyde. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Cutline, top photo: Buckaroo wide receiver Ryan Waller crosses the goal line for a touchdown in Friday night’s game against the Clyde Bulldogs. Waller scored two of the Buckaroos’ three touchdowns with passes from quarterback Cooper Wimberley. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)