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Bluecats Make Good Showing, Come Up
Short
by Randy Turner
(colemannews.com, September 19, 2009)
Coleman had more rushing, more passing and more
total yards, but Colorado City had more points to claim a non-district victory
Friday night, 16 to 6, over the Bluecats. The Bluecats are now 0-4 on the
season and suddenly, non-district is over. This coming Friday, the slate is
wiped clean and district begins on the home field against the Comanche Indians
at 7:30pm. Comanche is undefeated with decisive victories against Hamilton,
Eastland, Merkel and Grape Creek. Whether or not the Bluecats will have
their starting quarterback was a big question after the game Friday night. Zach
Doyle spent much of the 4th quarter with shoulder pads off and ice on his
shoulder, a shoulder dinged during a tackle. Doyle later returned to the game,
but seemed to aggravate the situation when he threw a long pass. Sophomore Logan
Owens filled-in admirably the rest of the game.
1st Quarter
It was a
packed house in Colorado City on the home side as the school celebrated its
homecoming. The Coleman contingent was small, by comparison, but a nice size
crowd still made the two hour drive to support the blue and white. C-City
took the opening kickoff but failed to convert a fourth down play and gave the
ball to Coleman on downs. The Bluecats wasted no time in putting together
a nice opening drive which ended in a 2 yard scoring run by QB Zach Doyle
with 6:17 on the clock. The point after failed
when the holder mishandled the ball, but Coleman had an early 6-0 advantage over
the heavily favored Wolves. The Wolf Pack's got their first TD on the
next drive with 4:02 left in the opening quarter, a big 40 yard scoring
strike from QB Derek Gainey to RB Tracy Russell.
Gainey and Russell would work together well all night. Eli Farrell kicked the
extra point to give C-City a 7-6 lead. On this particular drive, the Bluecats
thought they had recovered a fumble, not once, but twice. Each time, the runners
were ruled down prior to the fumble.
2nd
Quarter
After the Bluecats sputtered
and punted on their next series, the Wolves were hitting on all cylinders to
begin the second quarter. QB Gainey, who may weigh 140 pounds soaking wet,
tossed a 25 yard touchdown pass to Nick Reyna in the first minute of the
quarter. Farrell missed the extra point wide
left, making the score 13 to 6. Coleman's next series ended with a punt,
even though the Cats moved the ball some. On the next C-City possession,
they moved to the Bluecat 8 yard line and passed to the end zone where Bluecat
Trent Hambright made an athletic leaping interception of the intended receiver
in the back of the end zone, giving Coleman the ball back at their own
20. Unable to move the ball, Adam Jimenez punted the ball back to the
Wolves and, on the next C-City series, Jimenez managed a quarterback sack just
before half. Jimenez was everywhere Friday night, offense, defense and special
teams. The score at halftime was Colorado City 13, Coleman 6.
3rd Quarter
The Bluecats took the second half kickoff with
Travis Brixey returning the ball to the 16 yard line. Unfortunately, the
Bluecats could muster no offense and punted after only three plays to the
Wolves' 39. Immediately, C-City fumbled, the ball recovered by Bluecat
sophomore lineman Wayne Worsham. Inspired by the turn of events, the
Cats were determined and moved from the C-City 45 to the 14 before a fumbled
pitch on a run around the end was recovered by Colorado City's Jessie Guerra. On
this particular drive, the Bluecats were able to run at will over the right side
of their offensive line where good blocks were thrown from Matthew Guerrero,
Marcelino Felipe and Gary Heath. Even with the turnover, the Bluecat
defense was very vocal on the field and the sideline players had a can-do
attitude too. Jimenez sacked QB Gainey but an off-sides call on the Bluecats
overshadowed that play. Worsham then sacked Gainey, forcing a C-City punt.
Feeding off a great Bluecat defensive stand, punt returner Travis Brixey
returned the kick with reckless abandon down the Coleman sideline, giving the
Bluecats good field position at their own 41 at the beginning of the fourth
quarter. His effort seemed to inspire the rest of the team.
4th Quarter
Marching into
C-City territory, QB Doyle spiraled a nicely thrown ball to WR Hambright, taking
the Bluecats from the 44 to the 24 of C-City. It was on that play, however, that
Doyle injured his throwing shoulder and was done for the night. With
Logan Owens taking over as Bluecat QB, the Cats fought through some penalties
and Owens completed a pass to Brixey, but on a 3rd and 14 situation, C-City's
Andrew Munoz read pass and intercepted the new Bluecat QB with 8:45 left in the
game. Two minutes later, the Wolves would score what turned out to be the
last points of the game, a 24 yard field goal by Farrell with 6:23 left.
The score was 16-6. The ensuring kickoff
went out of bounds, giving Coleman the leather at their own 32. With little
offense, Jimenez was called in to punt. The Wolves returned the ball to their
34.
With 4:00 minutes left, C-City ran one play, but the play clock never
started. The play was a short run, yet after the officials gathered to discuss
how much time to take off for the single play, Bluecat fans and coaches alike
were stunned when 25 seconds was taken off the clock. One short running play, 25
seconds off the clock. You make the call. The series ended in a punt to
Coleman's Travis Brixey who returned the ball to the Bluecat 34. With 2:00
minutes left, Owens completed a short pass to Hambright and another 29 yarder to
Andrew Isom. Isom, by the way, ran hard and was a key strong point for the Cats,
all night. With the goal line in sight, a Bluecat pass into the end zone was
intercepted by the Wolves. They simply ran out the clock and won their
homecoming game 16-6.
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