Orangefield beats Buna August 28, 2015
OF 7 14 7 14- 42
Buna 0 14 6 6- 26
The offense was smooth, the defense was a bit rocky as the Orangefield Bobcats beat the Buna Cougars 42-26 Friday night at Orangefield’s F. L. McClain Stadium in the season opener for both teams.
Not counting a kneel-down on the final play of the game, Orangefield (1-0) scored on six of its seven possessions in the contest. The Bobcats only attempted one pass, on their second offensive play, and ran the ball 41 times for 394 yards. Eight different Bobcats carried the football.
Quarterback Matthew Watkins was the leading ball carrier with 166 yards on eleven carries. Watkins put Orangefield in the lead and it never trailed after his 62-yard scamper on the Bobcats’ third offensive play. Matthew Rainey added the point after to make the score 7-0 with less than five minutes gone in the game.
Buna (0-1) would answer on its next possession using 13 plays and almost eight minutes to drive 54 yards. The Cougars recovered two of their own fumbles during the drive to keep it alive. On fourth-and-12 from the Orangefield 16 Kobe Elder lofted a pass to Josh Kelly who out leaped a Bobcat defender to pull in the ball for a 16-yard touchdown. Buna tried to run in the two-point conversion and failed to leave the score 7-6 with 11:16 to play in the second quarter.
The Bobcats responded with a nine-play march good for another touchdown. Orangefield converted on a fourth-and-one at its own 36 with a quarterback sneak by Watkins. On third-and-seven from the Buna 47 Wesley Frillou went in motion from the left side, took a handoff from Watkins, swept around the right end, and raced down the Bobcats’ sideline for a 47-yard touchdown to make the score 14-6 with still six and a half minutes to play in the second quarter.
The only turnover of the game occurred on the next series when middle linebacker Austin Moore recovered a Cougar fumble to give Orangefield the ball at the Bobcat 40. Watkins ran for a first down that had 15 yards tacked on for a horse-collar tackle by one of the Cougars. Frillou picked up another first down to the Buna 11. Two plays later Watkins scored with 1:20 before halftime and the Bobcats were up by two scores 21-6.
It did not stay that way for long. Two runs by Remi Connell moved the Cougars to the Orangefield 45. With only 11 seconds left in the half both teams called time outs to discuss strategies. Buna’s discussion seemed brilliant as on the next play Kelly passed 45 yards to Connell for the touchdown with only four seconds remaining in the half. The Cougars went for two and Elder scored to make the score at the half 21-20 in favor of Orangefield.
After winning the opening coin toss and deferring to the second half the Bobcats received the kickoff to start the third quarter using eight plays to go up by two touchdowns again. The McGee brothers Christopher and Triston were the dynamic duo, Christopher with three carries for 13 yards. Triston had just one carry, but it was for the touchdown from two yards out. Christopher finished the night as the Bobcats’ second leading rusher with 72 yards, and Triston had two touchdowns in the game.
Not giving up Buna scored after a nine-play drive that benefitted from a major penalty on the Bobcats’ defense. Justin Kennedy was the workhorse carrying the ball five times for 36 yards including the touchdown from the 5 yard line. The Cougars called Kennedy’s number again on the two point try, but he was stopped just shy of the goal line leaving the score 28-20 with the Bobcats ahead and 3:20 to play in the third.
The two teams exchanged touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Orangefield got a one-yard run by Moore after he busted 31-yards to the one. Kennedy scored his second touchdown with a two-yard slant off of left tackle. The net result was the Bobcats went ahead by nine points as Rainey made another successful kick, but Kennedy was stopped again on the Cougars two-point effort.
The final score of the game involved the McGee brothers. Christopher broke a handoff straight up the middle for 47 yards. Triston scored on a nifty cutback to complete an 11-yard dash with just 1:26 to play in the game.
The Bobcat defense will have to shore up some holes to be ready next week when the Kirbyville Wildcats come to Orangefield. Kirbyville won its season opener Thursday 42-0 over the Deweyville Pirates. Buna plays its home opener next Friday against Center.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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