Broncos Leash The Bulldogs
By Ray Glasscock
The Standard Times picked this game as one of their “Games Of The Week.” They chose wisely.
Brady won the toss and elected to receive. The opening drives for each team resulted in three and outs. After a short Bronco punt, the Bulldogs started their first scoring drive on the Bronco 48 yard line. Brady is one of the few teams that still runs the Wing T offense. With the proper players, it is still a potent offense. Linebacker Zach Badeaux said, “We prepared for their running game with extensive tackling practice.” It took the Bulldogs ten running plays and one pass play to score their touchdown. Jacob Hodges scored on a two-yard run. Anthony Villarreal kicked the PAT, and the Bulldogs led 7 to 0 with 2:12 left in the first quarter.
Eric Santana fielded the bouncing Bulldog kickoff three yards deep in the end zone. He elected to return the kickoff. He was untouched until he reached the 25 yard line where several Bulldogs closed around him. Santana refused to go down and he drug several would be tacklers another seven yards to the Bronco 32 yard line. Imoni Cross caught a pass from Clayton Parks on third down for the first Bronco first down. However, the Bulldog defense stopped this drive and forced another punt. Once again, the Bronco punt resembled a pop fly and went only eight yards.
Starting from their 48 yard line, Andrew Brooks gained twenty yards on the power sweep to the right. As the quarter changed, the Bulldogs continued to gain big chunks of yardage with each carry. Brooks ran wide three more times averaging well over six yards per carry. From the Bronco 15 yard line, Travis Sammons took the inside handoff on the wingback counter play to the Bronco one yard line. Santana delayed the touchdown with a strong tackle throwing the larger Sammons out of bounds. A holding penalty against Brady gave the Bronco defense some hope of stopping the drive as the ball was moved back to the twelve yard line. Quarterback Logan Owens tossed a short pass to Brooks who was tackled at the goal line. Owens scored on the sneak and, after the PAT, the Dogs had a 14 to 0 lead with 6:50 in the first half.
Edward Garza returned the kickoff 18 yards to the Bronco 43 yard line. This drive demonstrated the strengths of the Broncos’ spread offense. Parks took the snap and pump faked to his right. Then he threw left to Word Hudson. Kyle Patlan and Kade Wimberley provided the blocks allowing Hudson to get past the linebackers and cornerback. Hudson bowled over a defender, and Patlan continued his blocking 20 yards past the line of scrimmage. Even Parks hustled down field to throw a block. Hudson gained 37 yards on the play. On the next play, Parks threw right to Zach Badeaux who had no trouble avoiding Dog defenders for the 20 yard touchdown reception and the first Bronco touchdown of the 2011 season. Wimberley kicked the PAT and suddenly a two play drive changed a two touchdown lead to one with 6:13 left in the first half.
Santana returned the second half kickoff to the Bulldog 45-yard line. Cross ran twice, Hudson landed on his head after a catch, Cadesman Pope juggled and then caught a Parks’ pass, Cross ran to the two, and Badeaux ran untouched through a huge hole for the Bronco touchdown. The blocking scheme featured Pope blocking to the inside from his end position and Wimberley blocking to the outside from his tackle position. Coach Sine called a play designed to cause massive confusion for the defense which resulted in an easy pass from Cross to Pope for the two point conversion. With 7:41 left in the third quarter, the Broncos led 15 to 14. Since I was videoing from the Brady stands, the Brady fans could sense the outcome of this game.
“During half time, Kyle (Patlin) and a few other seniors provided the inspiration that we (the defense) needed,” said defensive lineman Blake Esparza. In the second half, the Brady Wing T plays were no longer fooling the Broncos. Badeaux said, “We started anticipating their plays and filled up the holes.” Also, Brooks suffered an apparent knee injury and had to leave the game.
The Broncos took over in Bulldog territory when Brady tried a fake punt that failed to make a first down. After a Cross carry, Parks threw his second touchdown pass to Badeaux that covered 36 yards. Kimberley kicked the PAT making the score 22 to 14 with 2:33 left in the third quarter.
The next Bulldog drive lasted only three plays as Esparza recovered a fumble giving the Broncos another short field at the Bulldog 22 yard line. Parks pump faked and then threw his third varsity touchdown to Hudson. The Broncos lead 28 to 14 with 1:24 left in the third quarter as the PAT kick was wide.
Esparza recovered his second fumble. The Bulldogs were able to stop this Bronco drive. Wimberley kicked a 31-yard field goal to make the final score 31 to 14 in favor of the Broncos with 9:13 left in the game. Wimberley’s kick would have easily been good from the 45-yard line!
This matchup was a game of two distinctly different halves. Senior Dallas Payne said, ”We went into the locker room at halftime embarrassed with our play, but we wanted this victory more which made the difference.”
The Broncos travel to Forsan on Friday to take on the 1-0 Buffaloes on their new Carter 419 artificial turf system. Game time is 7:30.